Trouble in River City

[HighGround22]

Hullo all:

My name's Jon Houston, and I'm a newbie/retread from Nova Scotia up here in Canuckistan.

I happily flew with MM back a number of years ago, but had to quit back around 2016 to look after my ailing Missus.  I'm flying solo now, and I have returned with a peachy new powerhouse of a computer to look after my FS2020.  It was here in the Mists that I most enjoyed the technical "highs" and the marvelous serenity of flying in The Fjords
Unfortunately, at age 83, I now find I'm a bit fuzzy-minded and thus I'm in need of a little nudge in the right direction, if youse guys can spare a minute.

Here's my situation:

- I downloaded the "Big Package" (my quotes), and I have the Orbx Alaska Mesh installed.  Is there anything else of that nature that I need to install, scenery-wise?

- Back in the FSX days, my absolute favourite trip was to "DARB LAKE CABIN". Something about that trip appealed to my finer senses, and I'm keen to fly it many times again.  But alas, I cannot find the scenery for that flight.  I have the trip ticket, the map, etc, but I cannot find the appropriate scenery!!  Can anyone give me a steer in the right direction??

Many thanks all,

-Jon

PS:  I remember Rod's ugly mug in the forums.  First sign that I was "Home" again.

PPS: Does anyone know how the blazes I can get rid of my first attempt at a mug shot here?? 
        I suspect it'll take dynamite to blow that away!!??!!

[nbrich1]

Jon welcome...(fellow Canuckian). 

MSFS..

So really to fly in these parts, just need the complete, all in one Express package. (The Orbx mesh that you have for msfs will add to the terrain texture).

Other than that, as per the MSFS Page:LINK https://return.mistymoorings.com/z20_homepage/index.php, the only additional scenery additions required are:

 "Windy Things"
(by trfsto - Link: https://flightsim.to/file/14024/windy-things) which supports our windsocks and flags,

AND, EDHK Lights and Objects: Link: https://flightsim.to/file/2549/edhk-lights-pack which add some lighting effects.

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I would recommend the MSFS Add-ons linker so that you can set up your add-ons "anywhere" you want them on your PC (external to the sim), then link them to the sim's community folder with the linker application..  easy to do and you and can turn things on/off when you want.
LINK: https://flightsim.to/file/1572/msfs-Addons-linker

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Add very nice addition is Henrik Nielsen's AI Global ships package for MSFS, (Which covers the world!!)
LINK:
https://simviation.com/1/search?submit=1&keywords=Global+AI+Ship+Traffic+MSFS+GAIST+Ultra+V3&x=0&y=0

But other than that I'm sure there are other add-ons out there that are nice for some eye candy, but really, nothing else is required to fly in these parts in MSFS!

Welcome back Jon and best regards

Norm

[HighGround22]

Hi Norm.  And thanks for the helping hand.   

In short, I've done all that, but alas I'm still experiencing scenery problems, doubtless of my own doing.

In light of what you've told me, I now strongly suspect that I've gone and peed in the pickles when it came time to install the "all-in-one Express Package".  Two things make me think this is so:

- any cabins I've so-far encountered consist of a weird red foundation, and no actual cabin as I remember seeing them;  and

- other locations where scenery *should* exist, simply don't, e.g. Darb Lake Cabin of which I've already spent time moaning and dripping.

Could it be that I have failed to adequately UNPACK these scenery files, d'you s'pose??

Cheers, Norm.
-Jon

[nbrich1]

Could be that Jon.. or perhaps likely messed up cache or indexes that may be causing distortion in your sim.

Would suggest, before doing anything else, do any overdue updates then clean up the  windows stuff then cleanup the sim.  Here is a step by step which doesn't take much time to do at all and it is good to periodically do this type of maintenance.

So here is the list of what/how to do:

OS Updates

Check for Windows updates and do any required updates.

Go to the MS Store and check there for updates. Get any outstanding updates. .
   (The (XBOX is critical for the sim. The XBOX app get updated faster from the MSStore than in regular windows updates for some reason.  But MSFS relies on the most current XBOX App for cloud syncing etc to your MSFS).

Also check if there is any Video card (GPU) updates for your car and do that if your system is not current.
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Delete Windows old Cache files:

Delete contents of Temp cache folders: (Delete all that are allowed)

Locations:

C:\Windows\temp
C:\Windows\Prefetch       
C:\Users\yourname\AppData\Local\Temp

Run Windows "Disk Cleanup" and clear DirectX Shader Cache. (or tick all to delete all)

When done- run "Disk Cleanup" again and select "Clean-up system files"
(tick all to delete all of the old files!) .. and there might be lots. (This will also free up disk space)
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Ok now to the sim itself:

MSFS Store Version vs MSFS Steam version have slightly difference paths (referenced here are the store version paths).

1. First, un-link all your linker add-ons (If you use MS Linker) and/or  clear the community folder.
So all add-ons: scenery/simobjects etc OFF).

2. Delete folder:
path is ... \AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.FlightSimulator_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalCache\SceneryIndexes  (Delete the SceneryIndexes FOLDER (which also deletes of the old index files in that folder)

3. Delete file: content.xml
path is .. \AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.FlightSimulator_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalCache\content.xml (If it exists).
(*ONLY delete if you have not purposefully used the content.xml file for special priority setups)

4. Delete file: ROLLINGCACHE.CCC  (If you have one)
.. AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.FlightSimulator_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalCache\ROLLINGCACHE.CCC (file)

If you don't have/use a ROLLINGCACHE.CCC file, then the sim is using an 'AUTO" cache. Go to Settings in MSFS >> Data and create a manual cache: (which creates a ROLLINGCACHE.CCC file.
Make it Size > (8 Gb).. This transforms the sim's auto-cache that you can't control into a manual type cache file that you have access to and can delete/purge. Once ROLLINGCACHE.CCC file is created you can delete it. (This clears any corruption in the sim's cache)
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(Both the MSFS SceneryCache folder and the ROLLINGCACHE.CCC file will be re-created upon sim restart (as per the current sim content and the user's active add-ons). 

(This keeps everything up to date/current and efficiently running).
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Once all the purging is done, Start up the sim. (no add-ons). (Will take a bit more time to load as it is rebuilding the scenery indexes folder and its contents and then  after the flight is selected the rollingcache.CCC file will be created/populated.
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PS: Now you have a choice, you can leave the manual cache file (delete it at will) or switch back to auto cache that cannot be easily accessed) but by converting the old auto cache to a manual cache file, you can control and delete it when you want.

(For me personally, since we change, add/delete various scenery so much and get frequently are updated by "asobo" I prefer to run a manual cache file where as I can delete it at will as well as delete the content.xml file and scenery indexes folder in an effort to remove/limit any system corruption).
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Now re-add your add-ons.. (Just RTMM stuff for now).. to test it... Hopefully all was extracted correctly from the express zip and it's main main folder linked to your community folder OR if not linker user, place all 32 rtmm folders from the main folder into the community folder and start your sim. 

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Give it a shot.. and let us know how you progress Jon. (Hopefully you get back on HighGround!!)


Norm

[HighGround22]

Hullo again, Norm:

Well SUCCESS !!!  At least partially so.  I'm now able to see all of what I'll call the "regular" scenery!  y'know ... standard cabins, Misty's Place, et cetera.  Wonderful, and I do thank you for your helpful and educational post, Norm.

This other fixation of mine, however, continues to be a no-show:  Darb Lake Cabin.  In this case, I believe, it's not a graphics problem, but rather it appears to be a "404" problem.  IE the scenery filles for the Darb Lake Cabin trip appear to be missing altogether.  Thus, I don't get any sign of scenery items / waypoints such as

- CBD5  Takla Narrows;
- CAZ3  Takla Landing SPB;
- BLKLE  Bulkley Housse;
- JOHAN  Johanson Lake;  and of course
- DARBL  Darb Lake itself

I have an admittedly flimsy idea which may possibly help my quest:  I still have the older computer with my old FSX installation on it.  I'm gonna go spelunking in the appropriate hard drive and see whether I can find the aformentioned items.  Possibly, they haven't changed in the transition to FS2020.  I'll letcha know.

Very many thanks, Norm.  Your patience and efforts are greatly appreciated !!

Cheers,
-Jon

[nbrich1]

Good Jon, appears you have the content showing in your sim now. but have to clarify on a couple of items.

Firstly, MSFS2020 scenery is not a mimic of what was in the RTMM FSX/P3D scenery. Some locations in MSFS have been done but many haven't.

MSFS contains photogrammetry (photo) scenery. Lakes can be found in this sim where they exist in reality, for the most part. And they can be flown to and flights created by lat/long waypoints. 

There is no RTMM purely fictional locations created in RTMM MSFS scenery, other than Misty's Place PF20/PF21 which is the token long standing RTMM Headquarters or base).

If you check the MSFS2020 scenery page, it lists of all of the locations that are included in each add-on scenery piece.

From FSX, Darb Lake Cabin shows @Darb Lake in BC (it is not a USFS Cabin) and is not verified. It does not appear in MSFS. So you are correct it is a 404 location as compared to RTMM scenery created for FSX/P3D.

As for your other inquiries:
- CBD5  Takla Narrows >> (BC) Is a default ICAO location in MSFS.
- CAZ3  Takla Landing SPB >> (BC) Is a default ICAO location in MSFS.
- BLKLE  Bulkley House >> (BC) Apparently is a hamlet in rural BC and could be present in the default sim or not. (not ICAO has been applied to this location).
- JOHAN  Johanson Lake >> (BC) Exists in the default sim but no ICAO has been applied.
- DARBL  Darb Lake itself >> (BC) Exists in the default sim but no ICAO has been applied.

But it would appear that you are seeing the correct locations as per the items that have been created for MSFS as is listed on the RTMM MSFS scenery page.

Norm