Amsterdam Texture Packs [v1.1]

[Sydney1962]

Hello ,

Can confirm after a weekend testing that switching off Orbx Vector can do the trick to make EHAM
again flyable , as mentioned above vas rate is around 1-1.2 GB free space.

When also leaving out FTX-Global and LC europe, even 1.3 - 1.5 GB can be reached.

so maybe this info can be added in manual flytampa, unfortunately 99% of people don't read manuals
but maybe a warning into install process can also help.

lets get on to solve the last minor issues , and fly into 2017 with this amazing airport.

rgds sydney

[WebMaximus]

As promised I'm back after my first flight into the new Amsterdam scenery.

I started at FlyTampa EKCH with about 1 GB VAS left just before p/b and arriving at the gate in EHAM I had about 460 MB VAS left and the FPS was about 35. I find that really good considering this was with all my add-ons including all global Orbx products (yep...also Vector...), AS16 for wx and in the NGX online on Vatsim with lots of online traffic and clouds during approach and landing.

Should also mention this was in VR using a pair of Oculus Rift glasses with the FlyInside software. Not sure how that might affect VAS and FPS.

This is after a standard installation of EHAM and no extra "light" texture packs. I did however switch off some of the options in the config tool I don't like such as appron traffic with wheels that don't move.

All in all my first impression is we just got a truly great new Amsterdam and I'm looking forward doing lots of flying into this airport from now on!

[jeeno]

I don't have any ORBX stuff installed but I still have VAS issues.
The last test flight I did was on the PMDG 777 coming from MUC (Aerosoft Scenery). At TOD VAS was 2,5/2,6 GB. I performed RKN2A arrival and after ARTIP I flew direct to the ILS. At around 3000ft 15NM from the airport VAS was 2,9/3.0GB then approaching LOC FSX freezed for at least 20 seconds. Fortunately FSX unfreezed and VAS was around 3.3 GB. However approaching the airport VAS continued to rise until I reached 3.8 GB reaching parking position at Echo stands.
For me the problem is not Vector as I don't have it installed, nor Amsterdam city as the VAS continued to rise when changing views or rotation view in the cockpit in front of the terminal.
There's something wrong in the terminal from my side.
PS: I have all default options in AMS configurator apart from 3D grass which is off
PPS: landing was on runway 27. Around AMS the only stuff installed is UTX and GEX europe.

[WebMaximus]

Maybe not the answer you want but I do think P3D manages VAS better than FSX.

[jeeno]

Maybe not the answer you want but I do think P3D manages VAS better than FSX.

And? I've never had an OOM with FSX and I use dozens of payware aircraft and sceneries, REX, ASN etc...

[Fangzahn]

Maybe not the answer you want but I do think P3D manages VAS better than FSX.

And? I've never had an OOM with FSX and I use dozens of payware aircraft and sceneries, REX, ASN etc...

If it's made for FSX and P3D it should work on both platforms, doesn't matter if P3D handles VAS better. I also have tons of addons installed in FSX and never experience any OOMs except at FlyTampa's Amsterdam scenery

[WebMaximus]

Of course a product made for FSX should also work with FSX. All I was trying to say is that with more and more complex products the demands on the underlying platform obviously will also increase.

I can only imagine how hard it must be to be a developer developing software for multiple platforms capable of handling what you develop in different ways where you on one side need to consider one platform might not have what it takes to handle all new stuff you put into your product while the other platform (or rather its users) expect to see all the latest bells and whistles. Then you could of course think why not develop two different versions one for each platform but I would guess the simple answer is it would be hard to defend such as decision from an economical point of view.

VAS issues are probably the trickiest ones to address since so many factors come into play. All from what platform you're on to what other add-ons you have installed, what settings you're using both in your simulator be it FSX or P3D plus what settings you use for each of your other add-ons.

All I can say after using FSX myself since it first came out before I jumped to P3D when version 2 was released is VAS issues were a lot more common when I was using FSX compared to now when I'm using P3D.

Anyway I hope all of you with VAS issues find a solution because the scenery itself really is beautiful and a great European destination!

[Michael Moe]

Its commonly known that P3Dv3 saves you around 600MB VAS compared to same visual setting in Prepar3dV2 and properly even more compared to FSX SP2 (not SE).

There is a configurator tool for EHAM so it should be easy to find the spot even in FSX.

i am also using P3Dv3.4 and have everything on except 3D People and 3D grass and no issues as well even with TML at 2048 but without the HD extra package. (normal installation)

Landing from FT EKCH with LOD4.5,Autogen Dense,and complexity maxed - 500mb left at the gate with MT6 at 10% , roads 0% in the NGX (AS2016+ASCA + small Vector package/FTX Global/OPENLCEU)

Will make a test flight even with the PMDG 777LR

Michael moe

[zsolt.monostori]

Bought EHAM last night, did my first flight into the airport an hour ago, ended up in OOM, in fact the first OOM in at least 6 months.

Came in from UK2000 EGLL using the PMDG 737-800 NGX, sim is P3D v3.4 newest build. ORBX FTX Global + Vector + OpenLC EU in use as well as AS16 + ASCA. All irrelevant scenery entries deactivated in the library, settings are medium.

Have been using the "factory" textures, I have not installed neither the Hi-res, nor the lo-res package. Very disappointed to be honest, have not had a single OOM for such a long time, even when flying between airports such as UK200 Heathrow, Flytampa Toronto and Copenhagen, Aerosoft Frankfurt v2, FSDT JFK, Los Angeles, Vancouver, Flightbeam Dulles, Denver and the like...

Knowing how long EHAM has been in the making, I expected a much better optimization.

[WebMaximus]

Sure, this new scenery consumes lots of VAS but it's possible to fly into Amsterdam without any issues if using P3Dv3.2.

I've done this multiple times now and this is with lots of Vatsim online traffic on top of all other add-ons I have installed such as all the global Orbx products including Vector and this is in the NGX.

So what I'm saying is I don't think it's 100% fair to say it's only this scenery's fault that people are facing VAS issues but just as much if not even more the lousy VAS management in P3D3.4x versions. Haven't tried the very latest (hotfix 2 I believe LM chose to call it) but after what I have read people are still having issues also with this very latest version of P3D.

For anyone with severe VAS issues who didn't find any other way solving these I highly recommend trying to go back to version 3.2 of P3D and see what happens. Very easy now even if you didn't keep your old installers since LM finally realized customers should have the right to continue downloading software they already paid for. And even more so when the latest versions of P3D don't deliver. All customers should now be able to find any previous versions in their download account over at LM.

The exact version I'm running is Prepar3D_v3_Professional_3.2.3.16769 and since I went back to this version after running 3.4 I haven't experienced one single VAS issue nor any other issues.

[zsolt.monostori]

WebMaximus - thank you for your input.

It might work for you but it is certainly not an option and it sounds absurd to go back to a previous version just because one single add-on does not work.

This should not be the way to use a products and is not even marketed that way.

It is certainly the product's fault that it does not work and not the users. No one can expect the end user to remove any or all of their addons they paid for just to give another product a chance to (perhaps) work. If the only way to make this product work is by means of disabling/deleting/deactivating other stuff then it should clearly have been stated on each and every vendor sites as a minimum requirement.

Therefore I strongly disagree with the new "trend" of developers blaming the user why they don't disable/delete/deactivate and whatnot their other addons just to make some (faulty) stuff kind of work. No, this is not the way it should be. It is obvious that this product at this point is useless, as many reported right on these forums. If it requires such amendments and modifications or even removal of other stuff then it is simply not release-ready.

The platform is the same for everyone, all developers have the same 4GB VAS limit. Amsterdam is not the only busy, complex area, not the only complex airport either. It is too easy to point fingers and blame at the end user but if such compromises, may I call them sacrifices are to be made just to run this product (such as deactivating Vector, rolling back to a prehistoric version of the sim, and whatnot), then it should have clearly been stated on each and every website where the product can be purchase, because it is at this state useless, faulty, not ready.

I am very disappointed.

[WebMaximus]

In many ways I agree with you.

However when it comes to the version of P3D certainly a developer couldn't/shouldn't tell the customers they can't use the latest version of P3D.

I on the other side is not the developer and I'm only trying to help anyone with VAS issues because I know from own experience how frustrating it can be not knowing if you will end up on your desktop instead of at your destination gate.

Being on 3.2 rather than 3.4 isn't a big deal really and certainly not like using a prehistoric version. Fact is I've noticed very small differences if any except for the fact LM did change something in version 3.4 making the VAS management much worse affecting lots of products and people.

Oh well, not trying to force anyone into anything and not trying to defend developers in this case FT. Just saying that if you rather spend your time enjoying the products you paid for instead of feeling frustrated fighting VAS issues, going back to a version of the P3D well-known for its great VAS management capabilities might be a very good option.

[zsolt.monostori]

WebMaximus - I do appreciate you trying to help and I certainly am aware that you are not the developer. I understand that it works or at least worked for you and I do not even want to argue with that. So I apologize if my reply sounded as if I am disrespecting your input. I am of course not, I just simply do not think that rolling back to an older version or release should be the solution, no matter how subtle is the difference.

What I mean is that developers should not expect us to get rid of everything to make their stuff work. In short, if a product only works like that, it is obvious that the product itself is faulty. What I find disappointing these days is that developers ever so often try to defend their "children" by simply stating the end user does things the wrong way. Bur for god's sake, if everything else works like a charm, how is the end user to blame? That is what I wanted to say. One can always say that "sure, sure but Amsterdam is too complex" and so on but it is just an excuse. Amsterdam is not by any means the most complex area and the airport itself, although large enough, is not the only such airport and therefore it is absolutely not "normal" to behave like this. If it does, then something has to be fixed.

To be fair, and fortunately, the guys at FlyTampa, are not one of those who reject critics and blame the user. This is why I believe there is light at the end of the tunnel. We know the limitations of the core software and we know it is dancing on the edge but as long as other developers successfully build products within the exact same confines of the core platform, I am pretty sure FlyTampa are just as well capable of doing so. Therefore I am sincerely hoping that it will be fixed.

But we all know that the only true solution would be P3D itself going 64bit so the VAS nightmare can finally become a thing of the past.

[WebMaximus]

No problem.

I do understand where you're coming from and just like you I hope FT will be able to find out what is the main culprit behind the high VAS consumption for this new scenery.

The only point I've been trying to make is that if/when you're tired of spending your valuable spare time trouble-shooting VAS issues and just want to enjoy your sim instead while waiting for a real solution (and hopefully 64-bit will be that solution at least for VAS issues) my recommendation is to stop using P3D 3.4 and go back to 3.2 which has much better VAS management which will allow you to enjoy yourself in a much higher degree which will be true both for the new EHAM as well as some other products known to consume lots of VAS.