Ultimate Terrain X USA/Canada compatibility with FTX PNW

[Holger Sandmann]

Hi all,

Ultimate Terrain X USA and Canada are payware add-ons developed by Scenery Solutions (Allen Kriesman) and distributed by Flight1 http://www.flight1.com/products.asp?product=utxusa and http://www.flight1.com/products.asp?product=utxcan . They replace the default water bodies, road/railroad network, and other landscape components with much more detailed versions based on very accurate commercial spatial data.

FTX PNW overlaps parts of UTX USA and UTX Canada making the UTX components redundant. However, FTX PNW is coded so that local exclude files will suppress the display of UTX features within the coverage area while leaving UTX completely undisturbed outside the PNW coverage area. In short FTX PNW and UTX are fully compatible out of the box ...

... with one exception: the UTX 3D night lights use a special code that cannot be excluded with FSX SDK excludes. Deactivating the night lights in the UTX control panel would mean they would be deactivated everywhere in the UTX coverage areas while leaving them active would make them clash with the FTX 3D night lights and also lead to significant frame rate impacts. Thus, the best option is to deactivate the local UTX night light files within the FTX PNW overlap area. Allen and I are working on a list of these files and we'll post it here shortly along with detailed instructions.

The only other requirement is that the FTX PNW scenery library menu entries are at higher display priority than the UTX entries. The FTX control panel (FTX Central) includes a handy tool to automate this process; see the FTX PNW manual for specific instructions.

Below are a few screenshots that show the almost seamless transition between UTX USA and UTX Canada along the FTX-PNW coverage area boundary.

Cheers, Holger

[Holger Sandmann]

Hi guys,

so here are the lists of UTX night light files for both UTX USA and UTX Canada that you should deactivate if you want to retain the UTX night lights outside of FTX PNW.

There are different options for deactivation. For example, you can simply rename the .bgl extensions to .OFF or .FTX-PNW_OFF. Another option is to make a new folder inside the "UtCanLights" and "UTUsaLights" folders, named "FTX-PNW_deactivation" or similar, and move the listed files list into it.

If any files have a .XXX extension they are already deactivated in the UTX control panel and it's up to your whether you want to rename/move them as well.

Sort the UTX folders by name and note that the file names are all quite similar so double-check you move/rename the correct ones. The number sequences you're looking for are 1414, 1415, 1513, 1514, 1515, and 1516.

UTX Canada --> folder \Scenery\UtCanLights\Scenery:
lix1414A.bgl
lix1513A.bgl
lix1514A.bgl
lix1514B.bgl
lix1514C.bgl
lix1514D.bgl
lix1514E.bgl
lix1514F.bgl
lix1514G.bgl
lix1514H.bgl
lix1514I.bgl
LMX1313A.bgl
LMX1413A.bgl
LMX1414A.bgl
LMX1513A.bgl
LMX1514A.bgl
LMX1514B.bgl
LMX1514C.bgl
LMX1514D.bgl
LMX1514E.bgl
LMX1514F.bgl
LMX1514G.bgl
LMX1514H.bgl
LMX1514I.bgl


UTX USA --> \Scenery\UtUsaLights\Scenery
LIX1414A.BGL
LIX1415A.BGL
LIX1415B.BGL
LIX1415C.BGL
LIX1415D.BGL
LIX1416A.BGL
LIX1416B.BGL
LIX1416C.BGL
LIX1514A.BGL
LIX1514B.BGL
LIX1514C.BGL
LIX1514D.BGL
LIX1514E.BGL
LIX1514F.BGL
LIX1514G.BGL
LIX1514H.BGL
LIX1515A.BGL
LIX1515B.BGL
LIX1515C.BGL
LIX1515D.BGL
LIX1515E.BGL
LIX1515F.BGL
LIX1515G.BGL
LIX1515H.BGL
LIX1515I.BGL
LIX1515J.BGL
LIX1515K.BGL
LIX1515L.BGL
LIX1515M.BGL
LIX1515N.BGL
LIX1515O.BGL
LIX1515P.BGL
LIX1515Q.BGL
LIX1515R.BGL
LIX1516A.BGL
LIX1516B.BGL
LIX1516C.BGL
LIX1516D.BGL
LIX1516E.BGL
LMX1414A.bgl
LMX1415A.bgl
LMX1415B.bgl
LMX1415C.bgl
LMX1415D.bgl
LMX1416A.bgl
LMX1416B.bgl
LMX1416C.bgl
LMX1514A.bgl
LMX1514B.bgl
LMX1514C.bgl
LMX1514D.bgl
LMX1514E.bgl
LMX1514F.bgl
LMX1514G.bgl
LMX1514H.bgl
LMX1515A.bgl
LMX1515B.bgl
LMX1515C.bgl
LMX1515D.bgl
LMX1515E.bgl
LMX1515F.bgl
LMX1515G.bgl
LMX1515H.bgl
LMX1515I.bgl
LMX1515J.bgl
LMX1515K.bgl
LMX1515L.bgl
LMX1515M.bgl
LMX1515N.bgl
LMX1515O.bgl
LMX1515P.bgl
LMX1515Q.bgl
LMX1515R.bgl
LMX1516A.bgl
LMX1516B.bgl
LMX1516C.bgl
LMX1516D.bgl
LMX1516E.bgl


Cheers, Holger

[SJT375]

So we simply remove those files into a new folder within the utusalights/scenery folder and don't play around with anything else (the add/remove scenery option in fsx).

NOTE: I realize it says that I do not own any orbx products, that is true. BUT I am planning on purchasing ORBX PNW in the next few days and I want to make sure that I can make everything totally compatible

[Holger Sandmann]

Hi there,

that's correct; with those night light files removed you can set the UTX configurator to your liking. Just remember that the UTX entries need to be below the FTX entries - at lower display priority - in the FSX scenery library menu.

Cheers, Holger

[SJT375]

ok thanks! Can't wait for my copy of ORBX PNW to arrive

[halcyon]

What i found using UT with FTX.
I noticed when i installed Pacific NW over UT it altered and even *removed* a lot of roads UT had added to the area.
In this case around Arlington Municipal (Arlington WA). I lived around here for years so i know the roads and area very well so i noticed it right away.
Unfortunately i cannot move the UT roads up in the scenery as it wont let me with the central library insertion.
So i have to choose some scenery at my airports or my roads. =/

[rohan]

halcyon,
Hello, welcome to the FTX forums

For support queries, please be so kind and add your order number(s) to your sig.

Info on how to do this can be found here => http://orbxsystems.com/forums/index.php?topic=1415.0

Thanks!

[wld30269]

Am I the only one that thinks that UTX roads are better looking then PNW?  Was there a patch for this that I missed for PNW? 

Thanks,

[Holger Sandmann]

Hi there,

using UTX textures on FTX roads wouldn't work well because of the differences in how the two road networks were generated. We may revisit our North America road textures when finalizing the Northern Rockies project but most users seem to be happy with the current version.

Using the UTX road system instead of ours won't work either because of the interaction with other landscape elements, like bridges across water bodies, airport access roads, etc.

Cheers, Holger

[Valcor]

Has there been a batch file released for the UTX lights removal or should I go about it manually?

I've owned both products since release but performance wise I can now run UTX lights now, so I wanted to do so without overlapping with FTX.

[Holger Sandmann]

Hello Valcor,

no batch file at this point, sorry, please proceed with the manual deactivation.

Cheers, Holger