Menu loading and loading and loading...

[StephanG2312]

Hi,

since approx. 2 weeks, from one day to another, I experience that the GSX menu after starting a flight keeps on loading, no matter what aircraft, at which airport and also if I haven't changed anything within the sceneries. Before I haven't had this issue. The only way solving this problem is restarting the couatl and then wait for approx. another minute, then the menu entries are appearing. From there, everything works fine. As this is very annoying I would be happy for any kind of assistance. I used already the offline installer, so I am already on Oct 3rd version, but still the same.

Thanks & Brgds

Stephan

[virtuali]

It's entirely normal that, after you did an FSDT update or you installed/removed a scenery, that airport cache will require to be rebuilt, it can take a minute or so, and until it's completed, you can't use GSX.

It's not normal it's happening every time, unless you purposely change the scenery configuration before each flight, for example using the Addon Linker to enable/disable only certain airports before each flight. By doing that, you are forcing the airport cache to be rebuilt at every start, so you'll always have to wait.

[StephanG2312]

It's entirely normal that, after you did an FSDT update or you installed/removed a scenery, that airport cache will require to be rebuilt, it can take a minute or so, and until it's completed, you can't use GSX.

It's not normal it's happening every time, unless you purposely change the scenery configuration before each flight, for example using the Addon Linker to enable/disable only certain airports before each flight. By doing that, you are forcing the airport cache to be rebuilt at every start, so you'll always have to wait.

Dear Umberto,

well understood and noted, but as said, it happens every time. If I hold the cursor over the couatl icon, I read "Airport cache loaded succesfully" but the loading wheel in GSX is continueing spinning (until I restart couatl as described).

Brgds

Stephan

[virtuali]

If I hold the cursor over the couatl icon, I read "Airport cache loaded succesfully" but the loading wheel in GSX is continueing spinning (until I restart couatl as described).

The cache regeneration process runs in a separate thread, so it's not always sure "just" because the tooltip said so, the cache is really ready.

As I've said, it should normally happen only after you run the FSDT Updater, or if you change the scenery configuration ( add/remove/enable/disable a scenery ), subsequent restarts will use the existing cache.

[StephanG2312]

Dear Umberto,

and as I've said, it happens every time. E.g. I just completed some minutes ago a flight in which GSX worked fine (after restarting the couatl). I returned to main menu, created another flight at a different airport and after starting the flight, guess what? Yes, the loading wheel is spinning. If I do nothing, it continues spinning forever. Between both flights, I didn't even leave MSFS. I hope you trust me now that it is correct what I am describing and that I understand well that the cache needs to be rebuilt IF any changes within the sceneries are made as I understand what GSX normally does. But obviously there is something not normal with my installation.

[StephanG2312]

So what next steps do you suggest, Umberto? Might a complete reinstall help? I'm sure you understand that the current behaviour of GSX is not acceptable on a permanent basis.

[virtuali]

I hope you trust me now that it is correct what I am describing and that I understand well that the cache needs to be rebuilt IF any changes within the sceneries are made as I understand what GSX normally does. But obviously there is something not normal with my installation.

It's entirely normal Couatl would restart when returning from the main menu, because this has been found to be the most reliable way to be sure every object created with the previous session would be removed for the next one.

What is not normal, is the cache is being regenerated at each start because, from GSX point of view, it should only happen if the previous cache regeneration failed for some reason, but if it did, it would show in your log, but it doesn't.

So, the only possible explanation is that, for some reason, something in the simulator community folder is changing AS IF you enabled/disabled/added/removed a scenery, triggering a cache rebuild.

Nobody ever reported this problem happening this way ( regeneration each time with no errors ) so, it clearly must be something very unique to your installation that plays with files/folders, since GSX checks a folder last modification date to know if changes have happened, perhaps something like an antivirus that doesn't do anything other than changing that data, just to flag it has checked that folder.

However, I don't think it's really worth investigating further, because when we'll release the SU10 Navdata upgrade, which will allow to use GSX on any airports, including the encrypted ones from the Marketplace, the other major benefit is that it won't even use an airport cache anymore, because it will take airport data from Simconnect without having to open the airport file.

[StephanG2312]

I have no idea what could change my community folder every time. Never heard of that. I meanwhile deactivated GSX and reinstalled, but no result.

I found out that GSX creates every time I start a flight a panic log. Shall I post the content here (if yes, completely or just the error part?)?

[virtuali]

I found out that GSX creates every time I start a flight a panic log. Shall I post the content here (if yes, completely or just the error part?)?

You posted a log, meaning you had logging enabled, and your log didn't show any error. Do you mean if you disable logging, instead of the complete log, you get the automatic panic log instead ?

If that log only contains issues related to Simconnect exceptions, don't worry, they are just Simconnect bugs that won't affect the airport cache issue in any way. If you see other errors, then please re-enable the full diagnostic log, because the panic log is usually not detailed enough.

[StephanG2312]

Neither I had logging enabled yet nor did I post a log anywhere. 

I will enable logging for the next flight.

Here's the extract from the panic log, which is always created when starting a new flight:

couatl v4.8 (build 5027)
panic log started on Fri Oct  7 18:30:31 2022

problem raised by engine or unspecified addon
{}
Simulator version (from MAIN.DLL) is 11.0.282174.999
isPBRAvailable returned  False
isRTTAvailable returned  False
GetSimObjectsFolder() returned  E:\Program Files (x86)\Addon Manager/MSFS/fsdreamteam-gsx-pro/SimObjects
GetAdditionalSimObjectsFolder() returned  E:\Program Files (x86)\Addon Manager/MSFS/fsdreamteam-gsx-world-of-jetways/SimObjects
GetAdditionalSimObjectsFolderV5() returned 
gateDistanceThreshold =  20
Error: exception UNRECOGNIZED_ID in call SetDataOnSimObject param #2 '-214248176'
{}
Error: exception UNRECOGNIZED_ID in call SetDataOnSimObject param #2 '-214246832'
{}
GSX SimStart
GSX SimStop

[StephanG2312]

Attached you find the log of last flight.

[virtuali]

Attached you find the log of last flight.

Your log shows some issues indicating several problems in your Community folder: some packages can't be accessed for some reason, and you have two copies of Aerosoft EBBR, both inaccessible.

Note sure if this could cause that problem with the menu, but if you have access or other permission issues with the Community folder, it might.

[StephanG2312]

I deleted the relevant folders from the log inside the community folder as all were empty (your Basel scenery I had to relink). Now no more entries in the new log but it's still the same behaviour of the menu. Let's see if the next bigger update you mentioned will solve the issue.

[StephanG2312]

Unfortunately the latest update has not improved my situation. I have to restart Couatl everytime before I can access GSX menu. What is new now (and for sure not an improvement) that couatl seems to crash during flight. When I open GSX again after arrival at destination airport I see again the spinning wheel, but couatl is gone in the windows app tray down right. After starting couatl again, the menu appears. Would really like to know what is wrong with my installation as I get a little frustrated meanwhile! 

Log is after starting again couatl at destination airport.

[virtuali]

After starting couatl again, the menu appears. Would really like to know what is wrong with my installation as I get a little frustrated meanwhile!

That's not a problem with your installation, there seems to be a problem when using the SU10 Navdata API that results in a crash while flying through over various airports.

Until we'll understand more, just restart Couatl before or soon after landing, it has been designed to be used that way.