Still getting some ground texture bleed thru

[cmpbllsjc]

Thanks for the reply Umberto, I really appreciate all the help you gave me to try to get this sorted and I understand your points.

Now, since you are running UT2 and aren't having the issues I am with simconnect getting flooded, can you point me towards things I can look at as far as that? I guess I will be looking at the UT2 forum and asking them about it as well, but I thought maybe you may have some insight into the workings of simconnect? I am using FSX SP2 and I know from one of the devs who worked on UT2 that there are a few different versions of simconnect floating around. I had some issues with UT2 at first until they gave me the correct version. Infact I think I have 3 simconnects installed on my computer from what they said.

Also is there any chance that I could some how have a corrupt version of either Addon Manger/bglmanx? I haven't tried reinstalling the scenery, not that it would help, but I guess it could be worth a shot?

As far as a refund, I can understand your point that it would be more cost effective since only one person has this trouble. Frankly, I am surprised since my setup was done by Michael at FS-GS and I keep a pretty clean machine, that I am the only one with this issue so far. I think I will wait a little longer on the refund to see if I can get this squared away first.

Thanks again.


POST EDIT:

Can I do something like this for Addon Manager? I found this in another post when I googled simconnect getting flooded.

Try this:

Open the Notepad and type the following on a new blank file:

logFile=couatl.log


Save the file as couatl.ini in the FSX\fsdreamteam\couatl folder, so it stays at the same level of the couatl.exe

Run FSX, go to Zurich, then quit FSX after the airport has been loaded. Check if you have a couatl.log file in the FSX\fsdreamteam\couatl folder and post its content here.

[virtuali]

I guess I will be looking at the UT2 forum and asking them about it as well, but I thought maybe you may have some insight into the workings of simconnect? I am using FSX SP2 and I know from one of the devs who worked on UT2 that there are a few different versions of simconnect floating around. I had some issues with UT2 at first until they gave me the correct version. Infact I think I have 3 simconnects installed on my computer from what they said.

Yes, there are 3 different versions, one coming with FSX RTM, the other with FSX SP1 and the most recent came with FSX SP2/Acceleration.

They can normally be installed all at the same time, because they used the Windows Side-by-side loading mechanism.

A 3rd party module can be programmed to work with a specific version, or can try to support them all. The main difference in efficiency, is that the FSX SP2 version (the later version) is programmed using the more performing "Named Pipes" method, while older version used TCP, which has far worse performances, and can be blocked by firewalls too.

The Addon Manager use only the FSX SP2 version, it will not work with a previous version so, it theory, it should always use the faster method.

One thing to try, is that Simconnect has a config file, named Simconnect.cfg, which is usually placed in the "My Documents" folder, but might also be in the FSX root folder, it looks like this:

Check if you have this file somewhere because, with this file, it's possible to ALTER the Simconnect behaviour, with the Protocol parameter, to use TCP instead of Named Pipes. Using TCP is mandatory if you want to run Simconnect applications over a Network, but on a single machine, it's best to use Pipes, which is the DEFAULT

So, if you have a Simconnect.cfg file anywhere, and it looks like this (there might be other lines, but this is the one that counts)

[SimConnect]
Protocol=IPv4

Change it to read

[SimConnect]
Protocol=Pipe


- Don't worry about having a corrupted version of Simconnect or the Addon Manager: if you were in that situation, NOTHING would work (no scenery, no menus, etc.)

[cmpbllsjc]

Ok, I have Active Sky Evolution running on a networked computer, which is the same computer I am on now.

I have 1 Simconnect folder on my desktop and inside it sits 3 folders:

-Flight Simulator X Files folder contains a file called SimConnect Configuration Settings and looks like this when opened.

[SimConnect]
level=verbose
console=0
;RedirectStdOutToConsole=1
;OutputDebugString=1
;file=c:\simconnect%03u.log
;file_next_index=0
;file_max_index=9

-FSX.CFGs folder and it contains a file SimConnect.xml which looks like this when opened.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="Windows-1252"?>
<SimBase.Document Type="SimConnect" version="1,0">
  <Descr>SimConnect</Descr>
  <Filename>SimConnect.xml</Filename>
  <Disabled>False</Disabled>
  <SimConnect.Comm>
    <Disabled>False</Disabled>
    <Protocol>IPv4</Protocol>
    <Scope>global</Scope>
    <Address>192.165.0.105</Address>
    <MaxClients>64</MaxClients>
    <Port>500</Port>
    <MaxRecvSize>4096</MaxRecvSize>
    <DisableNagle>False</DisableNagle>
  </SimConnect.Comm>
    <SimConnect.Comm>
    <Disabled>False</Disabled>
    <Protocol>Auto</Protocol>
    <Scope>local</Scope>
  </SimConnect.Comm>
</SimBase.Document>

-Last folder is called HiFi and contains a Simconnect.cfg which looks like this.

[SimConnect]
Protocol=IPv4
Address=192.165.0.105
Port=500
MaxReceiveSize=4096
DisableNagle=0

I also have a simconnect.cfg in this computer in the "My Docs" folder but not in the "My Docs" folder on the FSX computer. The one on this computer reads.

[SimConnect]
Protocol=IPv4
Address=192.1655.105
Port=500
MaxReceiveSize=4096
DisableNagle=0



The only two instances of Simconnect I can find on the FSX computer is inside of my C:Docs and settings/sean/aplication data/microsoft/fsx. Inside this folder I have a simconnect.xml that reads the same as the Simconnect.xml I post above. Inside the "My Document" folder I have a folder called Flight Simulator X File and I have a simconnect.ini file which reads the same as the one above.

So since I have a networked computer for the weather addon its is not possible to change the Protocol=IPv4 to Protocol=Pipe, is that right?

And you are saying also that it is not possible to have a bad version of simconnect. So if simconnect is fine and I cant change the protocol but your UT2 is working fine then maybe I have a problem with UT2? What are you using in the settings menu of UT2 for max altitude ground a/c visible,distance to spawn,max a/c to spawn? I have mine set in the same order as 10000 feet, 25 miles, and 50 a/c. Not sure if any of these settings would make a difference in how it send info to simconnect however.

[virtuali]

So since I have a networked computer for the weather addon its is not possible to change the Protocol=IPv4 to Protocol=Pipe, is that right?

I think we found it: TCP/IP is probably too slow to deal with UT2 AND our scenery (and all the rest of your stuff that works with Simconnect), all at the same time.

I cant change the protocol but your UT2 is working fine then maybe I have a problem with UT2?

I'm not using TCP as protocol, I'm using Pipes, which how FSX defaults to (if there's no Simconnect.cfg file). You have to use TCP, because you need to run the weather module over a network, but normally Pipes are used, because they are much faster.

So, we can probably say that, since your issue happens ONLY when using KDFW together with UT2, is that UT2 put lots of stress over Simconnect, that other modules like ours, can't work properly becase they don't get enough time to send their commands, since the channel is constantly busy, IF you use the TCP protocol, which is slower, and it's not what is used by default.

Not sure if any of these settings would make a difference in how it send info to simconnect however

I guess that, everything that lowers the number of airplanes to be handled by UT2, will lower the burden over the network (even if the machine is the same, once you enable Simconnect via TCP, it will run over the internal network of your computer).

[cmpbllsjc]

HI Umberto.

I just got off of the messenger with Michael at FS-GS.

We are having a problem locating the simconnect.cfg on the FSX computer. The only reason I had those settings I posted is because I have the FSX SDX installed on my Active Sky computer, but in my FSX computer I only have a simconnect.xml folder in the same folder folder as my FSX.cfg.

So there is some confusion on where and how to change this because according to Michael if you have just the stock FSX,SP1, SP2/Accel simconnects installed then there is no simconnect.cfg to change.

Is there any way we could speak over Messenger Live so that maybe you could assist me easier than messages back and fourth? We can talk for free using that.

POST EDIT

I just re-read your post where you say "I'm using Pipes, which how FSX defaults to (if there's no Simconnect.cfg file)."

In that case how can I reset my simconnect stuff temporarly to test this without Active Sky? Do I need to just remove the simconnect.xml folder from the fsx.cfg folder?

POST EDIT #2

Just as a test I removed the simconnect.xml file from the folder where my fsx.cfg folder is. It seemed like it was working better maybe, but once in a while I was getting double terminals being drawn which were causing the terminal buildings to flash and flicker. On one terminal I could tell is was being renderend twice because the light fixtures on the outside of the terminal were shown twice as well as the roof area. I took a few screen shots to show if you want to see. Could this still be an issue with simconnect getting flooded?

I wish there was some sort of error checker I could run to see what is going on here. Plus I am still not sure if I got simconnect reset back to =Pipes just by removing the simconnect.xml file.

One other thing I noticed in the Addon Manager is that Altitude Cull is now set to 1 instead of 0. If I remember right, in the older versions of Addon Manager it was always set to 0 which I had never changed. Does this make any difference in what I have going on?

I will wait for your responce in the morning.

[virtuali]

On one terminal I could tell is was being renderend twice because the light fixtures on the outside of the terminal were shown twice as well as the roof area. I took a few screen shots to show if you want to see. Could this still be an issue with simconnect getting flooded?

Possibly. Since every object is created and destroyed when you enter/exit the scenery area, it might be possible that, if Simconnect commands can get through, some objects are not being removed.



You can activate the Simconnect diagnostic mode, this way:

Open notepad, and copy the following text:

Code: [Select]

[SimConnect]
level=verbose
console=1
RedirectStdOutToConsole=1
OutputDebugString=1
; file=c:\simconnect%03u.log
; file_next_index=0
; file_max_index=9


Save the file as SIMCONNECT.INI in this folder:

Documents And Settings\YOUR LOGIN NAME\Documents\Microsoft Flight Simulator X Files

At the next FSX launch, you should see a text window with diagnostic message, on the FIRST lines, you'll see a message stating which protocol it's in use.

[cmpbllsjc]

Thanks Umberto I will give it a shot to see

BTW, I just noticed that there was a newer update of UT2. I downloaded it a seems like it maybe working slightly better but still some small issue.

Let me ask you this as well. I am guessing that the way the scenery interacts with simconnect can explain why sometimes I can fly around the airport with no graphic problems from the air, but when I land and everything still looks fine, I will notice, especially over at Ternminal A that some of the static ground objects seem to move while I taxi past them and some of the other moving vehicle are 1/2 way under ground including AI depending on which direction I look at them.

[cmpbllsjc]

I did what you said. I was unprepared because the log comes up and then starts to log stuff so fast that it was hard to get a screen host of it.

I posted two pics that say #1 and #2.

In pic #1 it shows IPv4 and Pipe on a few differnet lines. This was with the simconnect.xml file in my folder where my FSX.cfg is. If I remove that file you get what it in pic #2.

So I am afraid since I dont really know what I am looking at, which I am using, Pipe or IPv4.

I also dont know what else to disable or remove to just get pipe.

[cmpbllsjc]

Umberto, did you get a chance to look at my log?

BTW, would it be possible to get this thing to write a text file log some where and I could do a flight over the airport and you could decipher what it says?

[virtuali]

I was only interested in the first lines, #2 looks fine, my log shows several server lines and some using tcp protocol, but I don't think it's used, unless a client will connects. In #1, your tcp was tied to an actual IP address (instead of 127.0.0.1 which is the local host) so, it was probably using the network.

In any case, you said it looked better with #2 so, this seems to confirm, the real problem is lots of traffic over Simconnect, which is aggravated if running in TCP mode.

As a test, I had a look at the diagnostic with and without UT2, and I must say UT2 generates a *lot* of events, if you disable it, you'll see way less events scrolling down.

Yes, it's possible to enable a file log, but I don't think it could be much of use, if the issue is simply too much data sent over Simconnect, because of all the addons put together, there's not much that we can do, we are sort of trapped because:

- If we reduce the frequency of our commands, they'll probably get even less chances than now of being executed

- If we "play hardball" and increase the frequency of our commands, it will only worsen the traffic so, we *might* get the chance to control our own stuff properly, but we might affect *other* modules, just like UT2 is affecting us.

If you want to try with the log file, just uncomment ( remove the ; ) the last 3 lines of the Simconnect.ini example I've posted, and it will create a log file on your C:\ drive.

An interesting test would be:

- Running the sim for 2 minutes, with KDFW but without UT2, exit and check the log file size

- Running the sim again for 2 minutes, with KDFW + UT2, exit and check the log file size again

This might give an idea how much data UT2 is sending to Simconnect.

Have you tried playing with UT2 settings, to reduce the amount of airplane/data ?

[cmpbllsjc]

- If we "play hardball" and increase the frequency of our commands, it will only worsen the traffic so, we *might* get the chance to control our own stuff properly, but we might affect *other* modules, just like UT2 is affecting us.

Would you be willing to send me a "custom" bglmanx.dll with more frequent commands that I could try? Maybe I could just replace my existing module and give it a shot, without having to download a whole new Addon Manager. You could PM it to me if you want so that it doesn't fall into other peoples hands by accident and I could test it and see if that makes it better. I wouldn't rather have it mess with my UT2 commands than with the airport rendering. Plus if you could give me a one with stronger commands I could use it only when I am using flights into or out of DFW and all the other times I could use the regular bglmanx.dll.

IHave you tried playing with UT2 settings, to reduce the amount of airplane/data ?

I have them pretty low already. It is set to 100% airline traffic and 0% GA traffic and in the "in game settings" box in the UT2 UI I have the Max Traffic to Spawn set at 50 aircraft. Frankly even though I have it set at 100% there are not that many AI here since they only render the AI 20 minutes prior to take off and 20 minutes after landing. I could try reducing it to 75% or 50% and see if that makes a difference.

IAn interesting test would be:

- Running the sim for 2 minutes, with KDFW but without UT2, exit and check the log file size

- Running the sim again for 2 minutes, with KDFW + UT2, exit and check the log file size again

This might give an idea how much data UT2 is sending to Simconnect.

Have you tried playing with UT2 settings, to reduce the amount of airplane/data ?

I may give this a try and see what the difference is. You know where in the c: drive the log file goes once it is generated?

[virtuali]

I may give this a try and see what the difference is. You know where in the c: drive the log file goes once it is generated?

it's were you want it to be, in the example it was set to:

Code: [Select]

; file=c:\simconnect%03u.log

This generates a log file in the C:\ root folder, but you can put it in every other folder you want. Probably, it's best if you create a temp folder yourself on C:\ and tell simconnect.ini to create it there, becasue you might not have permission to write in C:\ directly.

Don't forget to uncomment the lines with ;

[cmpbllsjc]

OK I made a new folder in the C: drive called Simlog and made the .ini like this.

[SimConnect]
level=verbose
console=1
RedirectStdOutToConsole=1
OutputDebugString=1
file=c:\Simlog\simconnect%03u.log   <----- Added Simlog
file_next_index=0
file_max_index=9

Should this work? I will give it a shot.

[virtuali]

It should work.

[cmpbllsjc]

It worked I was able to make 2 different txt logs.

I set both flights exactly the same. I used a stop watch and started it as soon as I clicked on the FSX icon, and followed the same route each flight.

-Click icon, start stop watch
-@3:00 min selected the LDS 767, KDFW 18L, 13:45 PM  todays date, Fair weather and clicked fly now.
-Took off from 18L and flew a complete circuit around the airport and landed on 17R
-@16:30 minutes I exited the sim completely

I duplicated each test almost down to the second on when I took of and landed and exited the sim to provide as close a test as possible.

In the first log called simconnect000 was with UT2 and the the total size when I right click on the files properties was Size on disk: 11.5 MB (12,103,680 bytes)

The second log called simconnect002 was with no UT2 and the the total size when I right click on the files properties was Size on disk 13.0 MB (13,684,736 bytes)

Surprisingly the one with NO UT2 created a larger file, so I am not sure what that means.

BTW, the reason I have a log called 000 and one called 002 was because when I started the second flight I forgot to turn UT2 off in the exe.xml so I had to start over and deleted the one called 001.

The files are too big to attach and too long to post, you want me to email them to you to look at?