CTD Problem

[kilmer]

Hello.  Sorry for the new thread, but the others concerning this problem were a little dated and scrambled.  I have had a problem with KMEM and CYVR.  I cannot fly into these airports.  I have not tried KIAH yet, but I suspect it will be the same.  When I get close enough for the airport scenery to start loading, FSX crashes.  Below is the event log.

Faulting application name: couatl.exe, version: 3.1.0.3536, time stamp: 0x57bf02a2
Faulting module name: ntdll.dll, version: 6.1.7601.17514, time stamp: 0x4ce7ba58
Exception code: 0xc0000374

I can spawn an airplane at these locations, but I cannot fly into them.  I am running Acceleration on a Windows 7 computer with an Intel CPU overclocked to 4.4 ghz.  It is more than enough computer to handle everything else I throw at it, and I did not used to have problems with your airports, but now I do.  It's a shame because the KMEM scenery is fantastic!  What else can I tell you?  I do not have any AI traffic package installed and the FSX native AI density is turned down (though not completely disabled).  I have installed the GEX suite of sceneries from Flight 1, but I have had those for several years now and have not had a problem with your airports.  For instance, I could fly into KLAX or PHNL without a CTD.  I was flying the PMDG 737-900 when both CYVR and KMEM caused the CTD.  I have ASN SP5, build 6011.

Please let me know what else I can do to help us figure this out.  It is a shame I cannot enjoy your airport scenery like you have intended.  Thanks.

Gene

[virtuali]

Try with the latest GSX Public Beta, which includes a new build of the software. However, that kind of crash, is usually a result of FSX crashing (for any reason), and Couatl.exe crashing BECAUSE of it, not being the cause.

I was flying the PMDG 737-900 when both CYVR and KMEM caused the CTD.  I have ASN SP5, build 6011.

This seems to indicate you are simply low on VAS memory, because you set your settings too high and/or you installed too many addons that creates additional graphics and a combination, and you are using a very memory-hungry plane so, the COMBINATION of everything simply doesn't fit in a 32 bit app like FSX (which cannot use more than 4GB total, regardless how much RAM you have), because both KMEM and CYVR are a bit more memory-consuming than, for example, PHNL.

So, FSX is crashing, and this likely cause Couatl.exe to crash too, because the abrupt crash of the host simulator is preventing it to clean up itself and exit cleanly.

[kilmer]

Thanks for the reply.  I was just wondering if perhaps you fellows could start loading these large airports more gradually.  I know my computer can display KMEM because I see everything when I spawn the NGX there, and all the animations you have built into it work.  The problem seems to be getting everything suddenly loaded.  The airport did not start loading up until I was on short final.  Perhaps you could start loading components sooner and more gradually instead of slamming FSX with a lot of stuff the same time it is dealing with a memory-hog airplane on an ILS approach.  I realize you are not responsible for the limitations of FSX and the vast range of individual installations.  I am only making a timid suggestion.  There is no need to reply.  Thanks again.

[virtuali]

Thanks for the reply.  I was just wondering if perhaps you fellows could start loading these large airports more gradually

That's PRECISELY what we do.

In fact, we (and Flightbeam, since they use our software too), are the only ones that actively do memory custom management. We DO NOT try to "slam everything", what we do is exactly the opposite: every class of objects has different loading ranges, based on distance, altitude, etc, carefully optimized to NOT have to load "everything" at the same time, and lots of objects are being loaded very late, some only after you are on ground, having exited the runway and slowing down.

There's no scenery out there as heavily memory-optimized as KMEM and if it wasn't (means = if someone tried to do it not using custom memory management), it would never fit in memory.

This doesn't have anything to do with your "PC power", but it's just an hard limitation of the fact FSX it's a 32 bit application so, it WILL crash, if you expect to be able to just keep adding things.

But of course, if you are already CLOSE to memory exhaustion just before KMEM loads, the best memory management strategies in the world cannot do much. You must lower your settings, plain and simple.

I know my computer can display KMEM because I see everything when I spawn the NGX there, and all the animations you have built into it work

This further proves the scenery it's OK, and the problem it's something. Or, as I've said, the combination of everything.

If you are getting crashes only after a flight, it's because the sim in that situation has LESS available memory compared to when you start a flight, and this might be either caused by the very well known issue of FSX not entirely cleaning memory of scenery areas you passed by during the flight, even after a long distance, but also because some of your loaded addons might be *leaking* memory too, but the effect requires some time to be noticeable.