Instant Scenery 3 Question

[falcon409]

I have come across some odd behavior with IS3 and I'm hoping someone else who uses this great product might be able to lend some insight.

Normally when placing an object, you select it and the object appears connected to your cursor. You move it around, place it where you want it and adjust as needed. For some reason, I am having a problem with that simple process. It seems that lately when I select an object it appears to not be there but as I move the cursor around I see faint flickers of the model. If I try to place it I get a message that says "you are about to place an object greater than 5nm from your current position. Do you want to continue?" If I continue to zoom out. . .sure enough there is the image. On my widescreen monitor, if I move the cursor to the far left hand lower corner, the model will come into view at the upper right. . .it's that far off.

I did find that by adjusting the zoom level (and it seems to be extremely close and only holds if it's within a few percentage points one way or the other) the object is correctly positioned with the cursor. Needless to say this isn't correct and makes placement pretty much hit and miss right now. I tried changing the "true/false" setting for widescreen view in the FSX.cfg file but that had no effect. Hard to know if this is an IS3 quirk or if something within FSX has caused this.

I've posted this same question in Simforums but true to common practice they are non-responsive so I'm asking here in hopes that other IS3 users can suggest some options. Thanks.

[Terry]

I use the crosshair aircraft in locked spot view when placing scenery. If you follow an imaginary line from your viewpoint through the aircraft to the ground, you must keep the cursor forward or above that spot. If below that spot the object will disappear or do other strange things.


Now a question for you. There is a posting today of 3D-People objects. They work okay but when I run thumbnail maker only about half of them will actually have a photo made. But although they won't photograph they still work for placement. Have you run into this?

[gman5250]

Ed, what view are you typically using when you place your objects?

[falcon409]

Ed, what view are you typically using when you place your objects?
Normally cockpit view and clear the minigauge window so the view is clear.

[gman5250]

Normally cockpit view and clear the minigauge window so the view is clear.

I used to use cockpit view, but in the last three revisions of Instant Scenery 3, I've noticed that the item I'm trying to place wanders all over the place. I haven't found a way to make that stop.

If you use an outside view you might find that your problem may stabilize the closer you get to a straight down vertical view. Top down view usually seems stable, but it is limiting when you want to adjust height.

I use OPUS and select the OPUS aircraft view with some success, but the darn thing still wanders a bunch. I'm hoping that we might see a fix soon.

Try using different views and see if your problem persists.

[falcon409]

I used to use cockpit view, but in the last three revisions of Instant Scenery 3, I've noticed that the item I'm trying to place wanders all over the place. I haven't found a way to make that stop.

If you use an outside view you might find that your problem may stabilize the closer you get to a straight down vertical view. Top down view usually seems stable, but it is limiting when you want to adjust height.

I use OPUS and select the OPUS aircraft view with some success, but the darn thing still wanders a bunch. I'm hoping that we might see a fix soon.

Try using different views and see if your problem persists.
At least I know now that I'm not alone in this, lol. I'll try some different view options and see what works best. Thanks for that.

[falcon409]

This is a down n' dirty video of the problem I have. Maybe visually it will make more sense.
https://app.box.com/s/ghqq3paacijemkxddho9phywbxki9mhi

[gman5250]

Good video Ed, thanks.

I remember reading something about IS3 having trouble interpreting elevation the more horizontal the view. I'll see if I can dig that up.

Let me try to re-create your anomaly tomorrow AM and see what I get using your same settings.

[dougal]

I've pretty much given up on this otherwise great product for that reason:-( If I can ever get it working in P3Dv3 I might try again. Sooooooo frustrating not being able to place them!

[falcon409]

I've pretty much given up on this otherwise great product for that reason:-( If I can ever get it working in P3Dv3 I might try again. Sooooooo frustrating not being able to place them!
I'd be more apt to think that something like this might happen in P3D rather than FSX, lol. I have to wonder if all the changes made to IS since P3D came onto the scene hasn't had an affect on how it works now. It's never a quick update for P3D, it takes months before IS releases anything once a new version of P3D is released. Wish I had an old version of IS to try. . .just for grins.

[donnybalonny]

I hope its ok to ask here.
I have been looking at this program for a while, just waiting to get some time to use it. But after reading this thread I have serious doubts
So, is it worth buying or is it a buggy and troublesome piece of software? I hate using energy on bug infected software.
I´m running FSX-SE and P3Dv2.5 and my idea was to make little airstrips and put a few buildings and trees on them. FSX/P3D default scenery lacks thousands of realworld airfields in Europe and it would be fun to make some for where I fly mostly.
DB

[falcon409]

Up until a few weeks ago when I started seeing this current problem I would have said Instant Scenery 3 is the only program you should use for object placement. Right now I'm not as secure in saying that only because I don't know what has triggered this whole scenario. It could very well be something that I have done but if it is I haven't a clue what it would be or where to start looking. The developers at SimForums have been no help at all with their customary silence. . . .it would be nice if they chimed in with any suggestions at all but thus far. . .nothing.

I am currently using Instant Scenery 2 and it has eliminated the major problem of the object being so far away but I am still having to really work with the altitude and zoom level in order to get the objects to show so I can place them. It's a suitable sub for now as it is better than what I had. If they still have a demo version for Ver3.04, I would try that first, see if it's as quirky as what I've run into here lately and then decide.

You can also place objects with ADE and many people swear by that program for object placement but I have never been comfortable with doing it that way since you're basically placing objects blind (outside of the sim). The difference? In ADE you place the objects you wish to place, save the settings, load the Sim and go to that airport to check your work. If there are problems, you go back through that scenario again to make slight adjustments. With IS3, you're in the sim, you place the objects and make adjustments on the fly. . .save the work and you're done.

For me, there's no comparison and no question that Instant Scenery is the better way to go. IMHO!

[donnybalonny]

Thanks for the well thought out answer.
I will wait a bit more and when I have space and energy, I will try the demo and see how it works for me.
Right now I´m all busy with some photoscenery.
This was just a very good moment to ask.

[falcon409]

To Donny and anyone else who might have been following this thread or saw the video, the answer is in the water. If your water setting in FSX is maxed, it causes this problem. . .I kid you not. After having it suggested by the developer to see if turning the water setting down corrected the problem I did just that. The result is that with the water setting at "1" IS3 functions fine. . .run it up to MAX and things go haywire. Problem solved. . .so if you're having any problems with IS3 similar to what I experienced, try turning the water settings down. . . .at least until you've completed the project you're working on then turn the settings back up. . . . .Who Knew?

[donnybalonny]

That sounds great.
IS3 suddenly jumped high up on the wish list.

[GaryGB]

Hi Ed:

Thanks for posting about this curious functional behavior in IS3, as I have not seen this before; however it is indeed possible this anomaly may also arise from other hardware / driver / FS configuration factors.


I have posted some details regarding my inability to reproduce this IS3 behavior on my own system configuration at the IS3 support forum thread pertinent to the above issue:

http://www.simforums.com/forums/topic53917_post338861.html#338861


Hope this helps you (and others) sort out this IS3 behavior on their own FS computers ! :mixed-smiley-010:

GaryGB