GSX appears to be incompatible with UK2000 airports

[Pete Dowson]

I purchased GSX this morning, mainly so I could modify FSUIPC do it doesn't asutomatically delete the GSX vehicles when at a Gate with AES active. I've done that (update to be released) by checking the title of the vehicel -- I don't delete vehicles with titles commencing "FSDT_".

However, I've found a really nasty incompatibilty between GSX and UK2000 airports. I presume this is a result of some technique gary Summons uses in his specially built scenery compiler. The inocmpatibility is a mixture of inifinitely tall mustard coloured poles, and black and mstard striped planes zooming off to a vanishing point. they occur with both the Extreme airports and the little VFR airfields included in the UK2000 UK airfields set.

I'm including a couple of screen shots, one from an Extreme airport and one for the little VFR airport (Plymouth). I can confirm that by listing these in the control INI file for GSX to be airports not supported by GSX, the glitches don't appear.

I hope you can fix this because, though I originally intended to carry on with AES, after seeing what GSX can do I'm inclined now to use both. Whilst you, hopefully, find a solution, could you please confirm that there's no limit on jhow many airports I can list to be GSX excluded? how long can that INI file line be? Usually I think the limit s something in the region of 256 characters, but it's going to take more than that ... unless it will access something like "EG??" for all EGxx airports?

Regards
Pete

[Pete Dowson]

Here's the other pic:



At EGCC Extreme there's three huge black/mustard planes extending into the sky plue at least 6 extreme poles.

Pete

[virtuali]

Before releasing GSX, we tested it with the current Trial versions of the following UK2000 sceneries:

EGLL
EGKK
EGLC

I also repeated the test again now after you report, and can't see anything like that, I'll try downloading EGCC to see if there's a difference.

In any case, if what you say here:

I presume this is a result of some technique gary Summons uses in his specially built scenery compiler.

I don't see how we could fix it from our end, our objects are all 100% compliant FSX .MDL files, there are no non-standard commands or other possibly unusual things.

Whilst you, hopefully, find a solution, could you please confirm that there's no limit on how many airports I can list to be GSX excluded? how long can that INI file line be? Usually I think the limit s something in the region of 256 characters, but it's going to take more than that ... unless it will access something like "EG??" for all EGxx airports?

I believe the limit should be higher, because even if it's a .ini file, we don't rely on the Windows API to read/write it but, since the whole program is written in Python, we use the standard Python library, which is OS-independent so, if there are limits, it could be different than the ones in the Windows API, and I thing multi-lines are also allowed and, it's possible that using some kind of usual Python magic, maybe it's already possible to put something like a regular expression to match a large number of ICAO codes, I'll confirm this after making some tests.

[Pete Dowson]

Before releasing GSX, we tested it with the current Trial versions of the following UK2000 sceneries:
EGLL
EGKK
EGLC

I tested so far with EGCC, EGNX, EGGP and the VFR Airfields version of Plymouth -- the Pic which was successfully shown.

So far that's 100% of UK2000 airports. I'll try EGLL, EGKK and EGLC tomorrow though. Maybe it's related to the change Gary's registration makes -- it removes banners so it certainly modifies some BGLs.

At first i thought it was a clash between GSX and AES, but I don't get the glitvhes at any of the other AES airports I've tried (I have all of the European ones), and Playmouth doesn't have AES in any case.

I don't see how we could fix it from our end, our objects are all 100% compliant FSX .MDL files, there are no non-standard commands or other possibly unusual things.

I understand that, but hoped I could get you and Gary to discuss it. I'll post on Gary's forum too.

I believe the limit should be higher, because even if it's a .ini file, we don't rely on the Windows API to read/write it but, since the whole program is written in Python, we use the standard Python library, which is OS-independent so, if there are limits, it could be different than the ones in the Windows API, and I thing multi-lines are also allowed and, it's possible that using some kind of usual Python magic, maybe it's already possible to put something like a regular expression to match a large number of ICAO codes, I'll confirm this after making some tests.

Okay. Thanks.  for my airliner cockpit I only need to do it for 14 UK2000 airports, so only 70 characters. no prolbem. But unless the glitches can be solved, when i get to updating my VFR sim, i'll need to list every EG?? airfield.

BTW I assume i can buy a second copy of GSX for my VFR sim?

Regards
Pete

[virtuali]

BTW I assume i can buy a second copy of GSX for my VFR sim?

Don't worry about it, you have 6 activations per order...

[Pete Dowson]

BTW I assume i can buy a second copy of GSX for my VFR sim?

Don't worry about it, you have 6 activations per order...

Thanks. Didn't know that.

I've found out why that second pic didn't display -- misspelled filename. Please refer back.

Note that these glitches appear and disappear as you change your viewpoint and location on the airfield. So you need to move around and look about.

I've reported on the UK2000 support forum too.

Regards
Pete

[virtuali]

Note that these glitches appear and disappear as you change your viewpoint and location on the airfield. So you need to move around and look about.

Yes, I tried that too, at EGLL I tried at least 5-6 parkings in different terminals, rotating around the airplane to see it from any possible angle, and also trying to restart the Pushback many times, so it could generate different vehicles types, and couldn't see it.

Could be possibly related to the video card ? I use an ATI (on a Mac...)

[Kurt]

I just arrived at EGKK from UK2000 and can't see anything like this, Pete.

[Pete Dowson]

Could be possibly related to the video card ? I use an ATI (on a Mac...)

I'm using a GTX 580. Tried with latest drivers (295.51) and old reliable 275.33. No difference. Same glitches occur at all UK2000 airports I've tried so far, but no others. Weird. No one else I've so far heard from can reproduce it either, so it looks like I'm stuck. I'll have to disable GSX at every single UK2000 airport. :-(

I know nothing whatsoever about scenery or graphics. Not my area at all, so I've not the faintest idea what could even begin to make such weird artefacts. But I'm willing to try anything anyone can (sensibly) suggest. Anyone? Some process of elimination perhaps?

Nothing constructive from the UK2000 forum either, yet, but Gary and Norman haven't chipped in, yet.

Regards
Pete

[w6kd]

Pete;

  I'm running a 580 with 285.62 drivers here and can't reproduce this effect at EGKK (with both AES and GSX active)...panned and moved all over the place...looked normal to me.  Is there a specific location on the airfield you're seeing this?

  You might try killing off your traffic and see if it's related to an AI acft texture, or perhaps too many of them...

Cheers

Bob Scott
Colonel, USAF (ret)
ATP IMEL Gulfstream II-III-IV-V
Colorado Springs, CO

[tf51d]

Just tried EGCC (UK2000 extreme) and had no problems, other than some ground vehicles running into each other, and since I was at a static jetway, a stair truck over lapped it, but no graphic anomalies.

[flapsup]

Pete, Have you checked your scenery cfg ? Making sure that Gatwck is above Heathrow, that's important as it can cause weird graphic errors, and also the common library is below all UK2K airports.

[Pete Dowson]

Found it!

Nothing to do with traffic, or scenery layers, but thanks for the suggestions.

Reading everything about GSX carefully, I note that the only actual scenery element (as opposed to AI ground traffic) affected was "vehicles_airport.bgl" in scenery\global\scenery. So I checked -- it had renamed the 'original' to vehicles_airport.gsx. I renamed its newer or patched one and then the "original" back to a bgl.

Checked EGCC (which was previously afflicated by sevaral striped sloping planes and at least 6 infinitely high poles), and ... it's okay! Of course I have my pushback vehicles back because those are the ones patched out by the BGL change.

Now here's the thing: my "original" vehicles_airport.bgl was NOT the default FSX one. I'd already updated my FSX installation with the much improved vehicles from DSD ("DSD Ground X Vehicles Europe"). I suspect that the GSX installer isn't so much replacing the BGL as patching it, and since it isn't the original that patching is going awry.

It's odd that, as far as I've found so far, that only affects UK2000 airports, but that might be just because Gary uses different techniques to others, or possibly the vehicles called up by the scenery are different.

Anyway, I'm now stuck. I really don't want to try uninstalling and renstalling GSX just for that one file, so can some kind person here please ZIP up their GSX-patched "vehicles_airport.bgl" and send it to petedowson at btconnect.com for me? I#d be very grateful.

I think the GSX installer needs to check the BGL before patching it, and maybe include a patch for the DSD enhanced version. I can supply that BGL if they need to examine it. Just need an email address.

Regards
Pete

[virtuali]

Ok, that makes sense, although since we use a standard patcher utility, I would have guessed that if the vehicles file wasn't the original from MS, it would have returned an error, which the installer obviously check for it.

If you send me that file via email (use the address on the bottom of the "Contact Us" page), we can do a patch for DSD file too.

[Pete Dowson]

Ok, that makes sense, although since we use a standard patcher utility, I would have guessed that if the vehicles file wasn't the original from MS, it would have returned an error, which the installer obviously check for it.

If you send me that file via email (use the address on the bottom of the "Contact Us" page), we can do a patch for DSD file too.

Okay, doing that now.

I've received an GSX-updated original and will install it now for proper verification.

[LATER]
Yes, that works. Though presumably I'm losing some of the DSD vehicles not replaced by GSX -- the DSD BGL was over 4 times the size of the default!

Thanks,
Pete