Lihue - Scripting Engine Error

[hwmertens]

Hi,

I'm lost with my possibilities! I previous had installed FSDT Honolulu v1.07, Hawaiian Airports Vol. 1 v1.6 and Los Angeles v1.3 since February 2012 without any problem. Since Saturday, 24th Nov everything is out of order!

I decided to buy GSX and Chicago O'Hare Intl. on Friday after receiving a newsletter form FSDT on Thursday, 22. Nov evening offering the Black Friday Sale. All steps to do that went fine.

On Saturday I installed KORD and GSX and prepared a trip with the Level-d B763 from KLAX to KORD using data from a real flight AAL1470 from Thursday. Arriving successfully at the Michigan Lake I ordered a Follow Me to Gate K7. That was refused because that parking wasn't big enough for my airplane. Ok, I parked my aircraft elsewhere and started an investigation to find out why parking was not possible at a gate where a real plane was parking.

This investigation lasts at least until Sunday evening. I studied the GSX User Manual and contacted a friend. After modifying K7 to a bigger diameter I could order a Follow Me. Ok. But curious the Follow Me didn't taxi on the yellow line! And the parking K7 was not where it was in the scenery! It took a time but I found that GSX was always using the default Airport layout instead of that one from the FSDT scenery. Did a try at LAX and Honolulu. Always the same! Compared the default layout with the way the Follow Me went and the actual parking spot and yes GSX worked! But why only with the default AFX?

I started logging GSX and it was quite clear that the scanning of the scenery.cfg always ended at layer=114 regardless how many sceneries came behind. Btw. I have FSX SP2 installed on a Windows XP Prof. OS. So I took a look into the scenery.cfg and found that the GSX scanning has a problem with comment lines inside the file! Tried // and ; at the beginning of the line. Both were leading to the end of the scan process. A // at the end of a line like 'Active=TRUE // any comment' does not end the scan!

Ok, solved the GSX issue I decided to re-install all my FSDT sceneries, because PHNL, HA1 and HA2 all have an update. Ok, installed Honolulu v1.2, started FSX and went to PHNL. All seams ok. Closed FSX. Then I installed HA1 v1.7, started FSX and went to Hilo (PHTO). Ok. Then I selected Lihue (PHLI) in the airport selection window and after some loading I got an Couatl Scripting Engine fatal error. De-installed v1.7 (and Honolulu), re-installed the previous version v1.6 of HA1. Always when i warp to Lihue, I immediately get a fatal error.

Any help appreciated!

Hans

[virtuali]

So I took a look into the scenery.cfg and found that the GSX scanning has a problem with comment lines inside the file! Tried // and ; at the beginning of the line. Both were leading to the end of the scan process. A // at the end of a line like 'Active=TRUE // any comment' does not end the scan!

First, comments on a scenery.cfg aren't even supposed to exists, since that file should be theoretically only editable through the Scenery Library page. And, of course, there's no need to comment out an area to disable it, since there's the "Active" parameter for that specific reasons so, instead of commenting an area to have it disabled, you should change "Active=TRUE" to "Active=FALSE".

But in any case, the scenery.cfg, even if it's named ".cfg", it's a INI file and, according to MS specifications, comments inside .INI files should not only use the ; character and NOT the // c++ style character but, the GetPrivateProfileString, which is the standard Windows API call to read .INI files sections, requires comments to be on a single line of their own, you can't start a comment in the middle of the line.

This means, if you really need to comment your scenery.cfg file for other reasons than to disable an area (to disable an area, set "Active" to false) put your comment on his own line, starting with ;

Then I selected Lihue (PHLI) in the airport selection window and after some loading I got an Couatl Scripting Engine fatal error. De-installed v1.7 (and Honolulu), re-installed the previous version v1.6 of HA1. Always when i warp to Lihue, I immediately get a fatal error.

The message didn't say just that. The message also suggested to download and install the latest Stand-Alone Addon Manager AND it also suggested to check your Couatl.ERR file for errors. Have you done both ? If installing the most current Stand-Alone Addon Manager doesn't fix this, please post the content of your Couatl.ERR file.

[hwmertens]

The message didn't say just that. The message also suggested to download and install the latest Stand-Alone Addon Manager AND it also suggested to check your Couatl.ERR file for errors. Have you done both ? If installing the most current Stand-Alone Addon Manager doesn't fix this, please post the content of your Couatl.ERR file.

1. the attached image (if there is one) shows the Scripting Engine Error.

What I did after your reply was

a) fresh install of Hawaiian Airports Vol.1 v1.7.1
b) downloaded and installed latest Stand-Alone Addon Manager v 2.9.0.4

Thereafter I checked exe.xml, dll.xml and scenery.cfg to look proper.
Then I started FSX and navigated to Hilo (PHTO). Ok!
Then I navigated to Lihue (PHLI) and within loading the scenery, I got the Error again!

Btw. no Couatl.ERR found!

Regards Hans

[virtuali]

1. the attached image (if there is one) shows the Scripting Engine Error.

That's not a Couatl message, it's a Windows crash message, so it's different.

Have you done what I've asked about fixing your scenery.cfg with proper comments ? Have you tried to enable Logging from GSX Setting -> Troubleshooting page ?

Enable Logging, then go to PHLI and see if a Log and/or Err files are generated.

[hwmertens]

a) scenery.cfg is proper. no comments. I use the default one.
b) GSX is NOT installed!

btw. Lihue looks good as long the windows Error Window is on the Desktop. When I close, The airport buildings disappear because couatl.exe is eliminated from the core.

[virtuali]

b) GSX is NOT installed!

Then install it, there's no reason not to, since it's free to use at all our airports. At least we can check the logs.

[hwmertens]

Ok, next try.

Same Result!

[virtuali]

The only thing unusual in your log, is a trigger to recreate the scenery cache, because it wasn't updated. If you launched FSX after you made a change to the Scenery Library, than it's all normal.

If, instead, you haven't done any change, and the cache is constantly rebuilt, it's possible another product is accessing the scenery.cfg and is NOT releasing it, making Couatl crashing because of the access denied problem.

Please check it again, without making any changes to the Scenery Library, and see if the log says the Cache has been rebuilt again because it was invalid.

[hwmertens]

Here it is.

[virtuali]

Ok, there are no errors in your log now.

If you go into the Windows Control Panel, under the "Administrative Tools" section, the Windows Event Viewer will have your crash details recorded. Look in the Application log for crashes related to either FSX or Couatl.exe happened recently, select the crash details, and see what was the error. This could give an hint what really crashed.
 

[hwmertens]

do you mean this?

I made two screenshots (overview and detail of the last incident) of the time since the 23. Nov.

All application errors are from couatl. The event ident is always 1000 at address 0x00002926.

Edit: 2nd zip is the file that was created in the temp folder to send to Microsoft.

[hwmertens]

Another day another try.

Deinstalled all FSDT Products again and started with a fresh default scenery.cfg!

I got the idea what will happen, if I install Offline?

1. installed Honolulu v1.2, started FSX, went to PHNL, looked. All ok! closed FSX.
2. restarted Windows XP SP3 Prof.
3. installed Hawaiian Airports v1.7.1, started FSX.
3a. went to Hilo (PHTO), looked. All ok! closed the flight (not FSX).
3b. went to Lihue (PHLI), looked. All ok! No Windows exception error!

I was happy and because the couatl.ini was still producing a log, I could find the following last entries:

Code: [Select]

Error: exception CREATE_OBJECT_FAILED in request 0000010f param #1
Error: exception CREATE_OBJECT_FAILED in request 00000110 param #1

These lines are there, if I went 1st to Hilo and then to Lihue. If I went directly to Lihue the two lines are

Code: [Select]

Error: exception CREATE_OBJECT_FAILED in request 00000105 param #1
Error: exception CREATE_OBJECT_FAILED in request 00000106 param #1

After being away for some hours, I continued testing with

4. restarted Windows.
5. installed the latest Stand-Alone Addon Manager v2.9.0.4. still Offline!
6. restarted Windows.
7. started FSX, went to Lihue (PHLI) and the Couatl Scripting Engine failed again with the Windows Exception Error.

The above errors in the couatl.log are gone. No couatl.ERR created!

Only the Exception Error. And after closing the window, couatl.exe ceased working and the 3D objects are gone.

[hwmertens]

Ok,

since support has probably closed for no expressed reason though I delivered what was asked for, I continued my search to run what I paid for.

I decided to take the Error in Lihue (Haiwaiian Airports Vol.1) by setting 'Active=FALSE' later and continued installing the other FSDT Sceneries Step-By-Step offline with the same procedure of install, start FSX, select the airport, close FSX, restart Windows.

Next candidate in my list was Hawaiian Airports Vol.2.

Done that, visited PHOG and PHKO ok and give it a try to move to PHLI. And? No Crash! And no Errors in the Couatl.log anymore!

Los Angeles KLAX, Chicago O'Hare KORD and GSX followed all the way with the latest downloads.

All seems fine now! I'm so happy!

P.S.: What I don't dare to do, is to run the latest Stand-Alone Addon Manager Online. But maybe I need to because there are some entries in the Couatl.log for KORD.

[virtuali]

since support has probably closed for no expressed reason though I delivered what was asked for, I continued my search to run what I paid for.

This comment is really out of the line. Doesn't ever happened to you that it's POSSIBLE that we are STILL checking and, of course, I'm still unable to replicate any of your errors ?

And, when you got your last reply at 9:29 PM, you don't even *noticed* that support SHOULD be closed at that hour (and it WASN'T) but you are very quick writing such nonsense about "support probably closed" now...

All seems fine now! I'm so happy!

No, it's not. You haven't fixed anything doing this.

P.S.: What I don't dare to do, is to run the latest Stand-Alone Addon Manager Online. But maybe I need to because there are some entries in the Couatl.log for KORD.

You should always run the updates Online. There's no problem whatsoever with what is online now, your issue is probably caused by something which was outdated.

I've tried installing Hawaii 1 and 2 afresh, of course with an online connection working and none of your issues happens. And of course, nobody ever reported them as now.

So, start from scratch again:

- UNINSTALL ALL SCENERIES, reply YES to the question "Do you want to remove the Addon Manager ?" and reply YES to the question "Do you want to remove the Couatl scripting engine ?"

- Install Hawaii 1 and 2 and THEN GSX, in this order, using the CURRENT DOWNLOADS. Don't use old installers you might have.

[hwmertens]

...start from scratch again

No, I refuse to do so.

...using the CURRENT DOWNLOADS

If you will read my post carefully, you would have noticed that I used current Downloads.

HA1, HA2 and PHNL downloaded last on 25.11.2012 between 12:04 and 12:20.
KLAX, KORD and GLX on 27.11.2012 between 21:17 and 22:14.

Since I have installed and running all purchased FSDT products already, I was now downloading the latest Stand-Alone Addon Manager (which has still the Version 2.9.0.4 like all others with the different Scenery downloads) but is different in binary content from that I downloaded 1,5 days ago. So you have changed things. I wonder if that has to do with my issue. But I guess, you will never tell.

I install this with having a network connection.

No Exception Error at PHLI.

No KORD entries in the Couatl.log.

Regards
Hans

P.S.: btw. have a look at the ground markings and light/shade spots of i.e. the taxiway lights. They all 'float' on the ground which means that you see them different regarding of the POV you are looking from. If you don't understand what I mean: put front wheel of an aircraft in top view on a taxiway line or over a taxiway light. Then look at this situation from different angles in outside view. The position of the line, the light circle or the shade is changing in respect to the wheel which in real can not happen.