Orbx Scenery Library Order
Hyun Orth
Just installing my Orbx Global Vector, Global Trees HD, and Global Base Pack in my new Computer Build per Nick's Post of Nov. 10, 2016 (a great help). However, I noticed a major difference in the order the different libraries were placed in FSX's Scenery Library from the old computer (where the original downloaded purchased files were placed) and this new build, after installing per Nick. In the old computer all nine files were placed at the very top in the Scenery Library but in the new build they are split...see attached screen shot PDF's of the list. I know the manuals make a point of not moving them so I did not...but which is correct...or do I just not worry about it and leave them as placed.
I arranged all the files in my FSX as stated above. All was ok. Then the scenery library was rebuild. A few days later I flew into the ORBX area (Norway) again. When I closed the FSX at the end the scenery library was again saved by the system. When I looked up the scenery library again all the FTX files were on top again.
Just noticed, my scenery library order has gone haywire. All Ftx entries have gone to the top, and other addon scenery are now below. Also for some weird reason I now have 17 OZx_AUS , OZx_LIB entries as well
To avoid Central adding more, go to ORBX/Scripts and look for a file starting with "scenerylib" that also has OZx in the name. Change the extension of that file to .off (or move it somewhere else).
I'm hoping to get a post out today detailing those changes and what we're working on in the near future. It's no secret that this has been quite a bumpy release, but we genuinely want to make Central the premier platform for managing your Orbx scenery, and we won't stop until we get there
I had similar library strangeness on my first Orbx Central install, but what was unfortunate is that my install was a 100% clean Prepar3D v4.5 installation - I re-imaged my PC and installed entirely fresh with no other addon software items installed. Seemingly without any outside influences, it still had difficulty handling the proper scenery layering.
All of my Orbx items ended up lumped together at the very top of my scenery library... Vector was up at the very top of the library and was not in the correct order in reference to itself - in addition, the AEC entry was commingled among the other Vector entries too. Entries for oLC_NA were not in the correct order, but at least was located below my two airport purchases, which was correct. This layering caused significant problems with scenery, most evident around the two Orbx addon airports.
To solve for this, I installed P3Dv3 and the older FTX Central, and reinstalled all my Orbx addons there. I documented the scenery order, and then used Lorby's tool to reconfigure my P3Dv4 install. All is working as it should now.
I'd recommend anyone looking to jump into Orbx Central take quick notes on what their scenery library looks like prior to jumping in. It could prove to be a very useful backup in the event you need to manually correct your scenery layering.
I have done it manually by editing scenery.cfg and correcponding .xml files. This is something ORBX Central should be doing, automatic. I hope it will be resolved in the upcoming patch. For now it works (untill I change anything in ORBX Central).
Place any EXCLUDE areas directly beneath the airport it relates to. Microsoft also advise that, if you can and have the time, place your airports layered East to West in descending order with, for example, Fiji, Pacific in the East at the upper most layer and Hawaii in the West at the lowermost layer - with airports stretching east to west descending by LONGITUDE. For example, my easternmost airport is Queenstown New Zealand NZQN at the Number 1 layer and then Seattle Washington USA which is currently my westernmost airport, layered currently at the No. 192 position.
Now, lastly at the very lower end of the scenery library, holding the Default listing. Some of this listing includes other library entries that you should NOT move and also Orbx VECTOR entries which again you should NOT move.
At the very bottom come the BASE entries, followed by the DEFAULT SCENERY and DEFAULT TERRAIN entries. If you use FreeMeshX then you might be asked to insert those entries between the Default TERRAIN and Default SCENERY layers. For example I have:-
First off, all the items that are installed outside the simulator via .xml method will of course show up in the in game scenery library but it does not matter what order they are in and can only be activated/deactivated from the P3D Add-ons menu.
I just installed Orbx Central and am in the processing of installing all of my Orbx scenery. I have not installed any 3rd party airports or regions besides the Orbx Global packages. My vector entries do not appear to be ordered correctly when I compare them to this post:
I tried to uninstall Vector and then reinstall it, but I get the same incorrect ordering. I have tried to manually move the Vector entries in the Scenery Library, but Orbx Central reorders them automatically upon opening the application. Here is a picture of my Scenery Library with the Vector entries:
I'm not seeing any other issues. I was just concerned since the Africa entry was in the middle, and then I saw the post describing a different order of Vector entries. Thanks for confirming that my order is fine.
Hmm, for some reason I am not getting this order in Orbx Central. It's insisting on placing the CVX entry above the APT entry (and Africa between the APT and EXX entries). FWIW, I installed Vector into the Prepar3D directory and not into the Library.
I'm new to adding scenery into X-Plane, although I've been using it casually for years, I've never really looked into additional scenery so this is all very new to me. I'm very excited by X-Plane 12, I expect I'll be tweaking it quite a lot so I would really appreciate some advice please.
I've bought the three ORBX UK Scenery packs and I've also installed the SimHeaven Europe pack. I've read the documentation and I've looked at some examples but I'm still not 100% sure what's the correct order they should be in.
But it will probably take a couple of weeks, before I publish it. I want to see how "pure" XP12 performance improves over the next betas and what can be done by my script, especially in terms of GPU load.
I don't know the ORBX stuff (had overlooked that in my first answer, sorry), but I assume that all "...TrueEarth_Orthos" should go under "simheaven_X-World..." and "...TrueEarth_Airports" should go over *GLOBAL_AIRPORTS*.
Ok, when having simheaven X-World above the TE orthos (but below the TE overlay) it could be possible, that some extra stuff from simheaven gets added to TE. Which can be good (if it is some extra details that are missing in TE) or bad (if objects, houses etc. get doubled).
But thinking about it again, I assume that ORBX TE is quite complete (I only know it from screenshots etc.) and TE orthos should go above simheaven X-World to prevent anything from X-World passing through and messing up TE.
(Afaik orthos always come together with a mesh and so erase everything that is below in the scenery_packs.ini.)
Yes, absolutely makes sense. Of course (more or less) handcrafted ORBX payware scenery covering small regions should better than free generated whole continents scenery of simheaven (which is still great). : )
Excellent news and thanks. I agree with you and would prefer to wait a while while the XP12 dust settles so to speak. An early release which either causes issues or needs to be repeatedly updated as XP12 matures makes no sense. So waiting seems best option.
It's a marker line to tell the sim where to place the X-Plane 12 Global Airports in your load order - so its location is very important and definitely means something to the sim (it should be above any mesh & most other non-airport entries, and below any custom airports)
Note: the above two are for cities and big custom scenery items from Orbx. You have to put these below global airports and above xplane landmarks, otherwise the content is overwritten.
Why don't you put the line SCENERY_PACK Custom Scenery/simHeaven_X-World_America-8-network/ back with all the other simHeaven lines? The libraries don't do anything (they are position independent), so you've just separated out the simHeaven stuff for no advantage and a possible disadvantage as it might be harder to spot that you have it.
Also, if you're using both Simheaven and orthos, you don't need UHD mesh. Simheaven will bring in the overlays and orthos will bring in its own mesh. You can create orthos with the equivalent of UHD using NED1.
Do bear in mind that not all scenery packs will be compatible with each other. When sceneries are covering the same areas, one is going to have to take precedence over the other. ORBX especially as there are plenty of conflicting custom sceneries that cover the same regions as ORBX. You may have to decide which you like best.
Hello,
I have a problem with the Orbx products.
First of all I would like to mention that I can't write well with English and therefore I am using a translator for this text. Please for understanding. Thanks