Scenery.cfg error message at startup

[falcon409]

I'm getting this error message when I load FSX. Yes, I have been messing with scenery files lately, removing some I no longer use or want. Yes, I've taken them out of the scenery library as well as the FSX file folder they occupied. Yes, I've checked the scenery.cfg files. . .but, I don't have a scenery area that goes any higher than 150 and none that are "remote". Any ideas?

[Rimshot]

You only get that error because there is an entry in the scenery library of a scenery that is no longer on your harddrive. Could it be possible you overlooked removing a scenery out of the FSX scenery library before you removed the folder?

[FAC257]

Falcon

Unfortunantly there are several scenery.cfg (3 or 4 ??) files scatter about on the HD.

I believe that the most important copy and the one that gets updated when installing scenery sets is located at C:\Program Data\Microsoft\FSX. At least that's where it is at on my W7 installation. It gets installed there no matter what your actual FSX installation directory is.

Most of the multiple scenery.cfg files I've found scattered around all bear the same original time stamp except for the one I mentioned.

FAC

[falcon409]

Ok, thanks guys. I'm going to have to dig deeper I guess. I've only found two cfg files FAC, one in the main FSX folder and one, as you mentioned, in the microsoft/FSX folder and both of them are identical and neither of them contain anything other than default lines, none of the hundred or so other sceneries I have loaded are in those files. I thought the scenery.cfg file contained everything that was installed?

[ananda]

Which OS are you running?

In XP the active scenery.cfg is in "C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\FSX\"

In Vista / W7 it is in "C:\Program Data\Microsoft\FSX\"

George

[falcon409]

Hmm, no I didn't know that location. I've been looking at the one under "users/myname/appdata/roaming/etc, etc, etc.

Thanks:salute:

[FAC257]

Just so a search of your C: using "scenery.cfg".

Them babies will pop-up all over the place. :)

FAC

[falcon409]

Ok, here's what I found. The area in question is actually an active addon. I loaded some mesh for SE Asia (labeled W_Asia by the designer for some reason) and the instructions stated to activate it in the scenery library with a priority anywhere above the default, which I did.

The position can be seen in the screenshot. So what is it that is kicking this out as wrong?

[Roger]

I have a utility called "FsX scenery cfg checker" which I believe helps to resolve the problem. I can't remember where I got it from though. I'll try a Google.

Edit: I'm pretty sure this link takes you to the download in a forum post... http://forums.simflight.com/viewtopic.php?f=230&t=66059

[FAC257]

Looking at the "205" entry, it is the only entry on that list that does not have a "Local" entry line.

I'm pretty sure that is should be a line telling FSX where that scenery. All of the other scenery areas have specific locals.

If you know where that scenery is located, you may be a ble to just edit in the correct path and be okay.

Forest

[Marvin Carter]

Ed check in you scenery under Global some scenery ext will put bgls in they for certain places!!!

[falcon409]

Ok, well, the answer seemed to be a combination of all your suggestions, lol.
Roger, I downloaded that utility (everyone should get it) and it did correct the odd numbering of that particular area, plus set everything else up the way it should be.
When I reloaded FSX the error message was still there so I looked again at the location of the mesh in the Library, then again at the error message and it said this time that the "path" was incorrect, so I went into the library and ran "edit area" and it only showed the main FSX folder as the path. . .nope, so I relocated the mesh folder changed the name it was called in the library tree and the next time I loaded FSX everything went perfectly.

Also, it appears, after looking at a few locations in the Nam scenery I'm familiar with, that the mesh was never actually active. Go figure, lol. Thanks for all the help!!:salute::salute:

[guzler]

I had this falcon.

The numbers at the top and bottom of each paragraph should be the same, I went through mine and manually edited them. Yours are out of sync by one. My error went away once I did this on the one in my FSX folder, I think it writes the other one from this.

[ananda]

The numbers at the top and bottom of each paragraph should be the same,

If you mean the area and layer numbers, they do not need to be the same. This works fine:



[Area.365]
Title=Seattle
Local=S:\Seattle
Active=TRUE
Required=FALSE
Layer=297



If one deletes areas in FSX, they become disjoint.

George

[BASys]

Hi Folks

re: Area and Layer ###'s
Just expanding on George's post.

Mismatches between Area ### and Layer ###
are entirely irrelevant, and will occur normally.


[Area.###]Is the order that you'd installed the scenery in.
Higher == Most recent.


Layer=###Is the order you've instructed FSX to load in.
Higher == Load later.

The layer position ### will change
whenever you use the scenery move up/down buttons.



re: scenery.cfg location -
On ALL operating systems
there are only 2 FSX scenery.cfg files,
(excluding your backups saved to other locations - as they're not FSX files).



(1)
The version in FSX root folder.

Entirely irrelevant, as it's the MS default installation backup file.

Depending on your FSX version,
contains -
- ??? entries for FSX Standard
- 115 entries for FSX Deluxe,
- 120 entries for FSX Acceleration

Unless you've installed addons
from those few f*wit developers
who insist on ignoring MS instructions.



(2)
The genuine/true/one and only, 'Live' scenery.cfg file,
as far as FSX is concerned, (as it's a pre-Vista, pre-Win7 application),
for ENGLISH users, (varies by INTL settings),
resides at the Common AppData location -

Common AppData == %ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Application Data == %ProgramData%

I'm not a Vista/Win7 user so following is AIUI -

- For XP
%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Application Data\Microsoft\FSX\scenery.cfg
- For Vista -
%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\FSX\sc enery.cfg
- For Win7 -
?%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Microsoft\FSX\scenery.cfg?

On both Vista and Win7
%ALLUSERSPROFILE% and %ProgramData% are Virtualised Folders.

i.e.
The folder contents are 'displayed'
as being accessible/visible from that location,
but in reality,
the actual files reside elsewhere.

Hence a search picks up multiple copies.



With the appropriate permissons, (i.e. ADMIN),
writing to %ALLUSERSPROFILE%"
will be virtualised,
with the actual write going to 'ProgramData', (or 'ProgramData (86)').

If not ADMIN
all writes will be to a duplicate copy of the scenery.cfg file.



N.B.
If you have UAC disabled,
then folder virtualisation is turned off,
and access behaves as per XP standard user accounts.

i.e.
If you aren't using an ADMIN account
you don't have rights
to write to the 'Live' scenery.cfg file.



HTH
ATB
Paul

[guzler]

Ah, I've learnt something then !

Strange thing is I had this error and editing the cfg cured it.

Thanks for the feedback guys.