Notes on FSX SP2
SP2 has the same functionality as Acceleration, (without of course the additional aircraft and missions) according to Phil’s post. The big tickets items are fixes to Multiplayer functionality and DX10 support, in a “Preview” mode. Here’s some unofficial ups and downs for SP2. Note that I have not confirmed all these issues myself, and I’ll add to the list as I recall, or am made aware of more issues.
Fixes (most of which are taken from this post of Phil’s)
- DX10 support, “Preview” mode: legacy scenery may not work properly (Details here)
- Some users report signifiantly improved performance, mine was about the same
- flight list is alphabetized (yay!)
- Com1 radio sync fixed in Shared Cockpit
Transponder Code update info now sent from inc/dec transponders(now reported as not fixed)- “random” spawn-in air problem fixed
- direct connect now remembers last IP address
- autogen batching is tweaked, resulting for some in increased performance. This will help in areas where a lot of custom objects of the same material are authored and complements the SP1 batching work.
- some non-textured materials for FS9 objects are now fixed, in particular FS9 AI aircraft that turned black at a distance will no longer do so
- 8-core bug fix
- 3G enabling FSX and Autogen memory use (see this thread)
- optimization
- Exterior shadow quality improvements
- optimization of terrain input/output for photo-scenery and “scenery load out of the zone” fixes to help reduce blurries
- 737 and A321 night/taxi light fix with new models
- raindrops in 2D cockpit
- audio fix for sound card/USB to speakers/headphones on Vista
- various internationalization fixes
- saving undocked panels
- multiplayer compatibility with Acceleration for free-flight
What doesn’t work as well as SP1:
- FS9 objects with transparency may not display properly
- Memory usage is increased, resulting in increased likelihood of out-of-memory errors (the dreaded OOMs)
- Users report greatly increased incidence of flashing clouds. See this fix from “Mike”:http://forums.avsim.net/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=121&topic_id=434059&mesg_id=434059&page=
Just be aware that after some further testing I’ve discovered two minor issues with it, which I’m still working on. Some global scenery objects refuse to respect their LODs and come in as max lod only, so fps can take a bit of a dive in places like seattle with all the port cranes. The other is that multiple layers of cumulus clouds don’t sort quite as well as before, not that they ever did haha.
- See this thread on Acceleration/SP2 incompatibilities, particularly legacy aircraft
So some users may choose to stay with SP1. Give it a shot, though.
Note:
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Ensure you have SP1 installed first before installing SP2.
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Users of Acceleration already have everything that’s in SP2. SP2 will not install on your system.
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Users who may have made alterations to scenery and/or textures files (you may notice missing buildings or textures in default objects) should refresh their scenery library: from the Main Menu, choose Settings -> Scenery Library, then click OK.
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Users of Vancouver+, Ultimate Terrain, Megascenery, VisualFlightUK and other addons which modify the terrain.cfg must run their respective repair/configuration functions after installing SP2.
Specific instructions :
Jon
Do you know whether my CYVR displays okay with SP2? Secondly if I don’t like the performance with SP2 can I uninstall SP2?
Thx
Nigel
Hi Nigel, I haven’t checked CYVR, but it’s easy enough to install SP2, and uninstall it if you don’t like it. Try doing a benchmark first at CYVR, you may see some improvement.
Nigel, I dropped by CYVR, I don’t see any issues.
Thx Jon, will give it a try. What’s your telephone number, could you pls e-mail me because I want to give you a call
Nigel
I applied SP2, then tested and saw that my default flight, Beaver floats at Victoria Terminal, was now standing on land.
Reinstalled V+ (FSX) and now the plane is on water but the dock is gone! What am I missing?
Any FSX patch will alter the terrain.cfg file. Run the Victoria+ repair function from the Start menu. If you have Vancouver+, choose Uninstall then Repair from the Start Menu. Both are under FSAddon.
Jon,
How about the Kingair 2D panel problem? Specifically, the one where you roll your mouse pointer over various parts of the panel and the entire screen turns white.
Hi Bob, I haven’t tracked specific problems with aircraft: is there nothing in the compatibility thread? http://forums.avsim.net/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=121&topic_id=419490&mode=full
I was woundering if someone would be able to tell me if there is a difference between SP2/DX10 preview and a seperate patch for FSX and if so then aroun what time will the FSX DX10 patch be released. Because it says ” preview DX10″ and its really causing problems by making fps slower not loading properly even gettin blurry lines of taxiways/runways
cheers
Here are your options:
1. Download and install SP2 (you must have SP1 first)
or
2. Purchase Acceleration (you won’t need SP2, Acceleration has everything that SP2 has)
In both cases you will get the DX10 preview, which is all the DX10 capability that FSX has.
I just wanted to know how to uninstall SP2 as they make my aircraft invisble at heathrow
Cheers lewis
From the control panel, choose Add/Remove programs, and find Microsoft Flight Simulator X Service Pack 2. Remove that, and don’t panic when you see no FSX entries: press F5 to refresh and FSX should appear.
Thank you i was not sure where to look and when i did see microsoft flight simulator X service pack 2 i was not going to uninstall it. Just incase it took it all off but thank you for the information. I now know that it will only take SP2 off so i think I will uninstall it thanks for your help and time
Lewis
No worries, Lewis, thanks for stopping by.
Jon
Are you SURE that Transponder Code update info now sent from inc/dec transponders in SP2.
I tried it today and it was NOT working.
Geoff_D
Hi Geoff, no I never tested it, was it not you that posted this was fixed?
Ah, so it looks like it’s fixed in Acceleration, but not SP2.
Transponder Code update info sent from inc/dec transponders also does NOT work in XPACK RTM 😦
Looks like FSX is stuck for the next 2-3 years with disfunctional Transponders, unless someone comes up with a work-around.
A simple 3rd party addon Simconnect application may be able to fix this, by detecting any INC/DEC of the transponder, then reading the whole transponder code, and therafter WRITING it back to the transponder.
Roger that, Geoff, thanks for checking in.
Is it possible to uninstall SP2?
I believe so. In XP: Control Panel->Add/Remove Programs , ensure that the “show updates” is ticked, and you should see SP2 as a seperate entry. In Vista , in Control Panel->Programs and Features, click on “Show installed updates” on the left hand panel. Choose just the update to uninstall.
No warranties offered if you have to reinstall FSX. 😉
Vista 32bit
NVidia GeForce GTS250
NVidia 3D Vision / Discovery
FSX
See the NVidia website:
http://www.nvidia.com/object/3D_Vision_Overview.html
I’ve Played FSX in stereoscopy (like watching a 3D movie)! Add TrackIR, and you’re virtually there with you head in the game and objects jumping out at you. I’ve loaded the acceleration pack, and all this 3D functionality went away. Is there a fix for acceleration pack?
NVidia 3D Vision.. further info:
I un-installed FSX accelerater pack, and 3D vision started working, but it was not a clean un-install. The Extra 300 loaded without fuel in the tank. So I installed the FSX SP2. Now the program displays error messages after pressing the “Fly Now” button. I would conclude that un-installing accelerator won’t work 100% clean, better completely un-install and re-install.
Ok, it’s working now. FSX with acceleration pack and the anaglyph stereoscopic 3D vision does work … unless you install the service pack with an older install of FSX (FSX Deluxe CD’s from 2006).
I’ve had tremendous flickering problems with FSX and 3D Vision, even gone so far as changing motherboard and OS (to windows7 64bit) to take advantage of 6Gb RAM. Is 3D Vision a no-no with FSX? Should I buy the anaglyph glasses?
FS9 works fine with 3D vision.
Thanks for any help.
Hi, I have fsx on windows 7 installed and working fine. I also have the acceleration expansion disk and would like to install it. I previously installed sp2. and when installing the expansion it prompted me to remove sp2 from fsx. I think I have to uninstall microsoft fsx sp2. Is that correct and will it leave the fsx installation intact on my computer along with any addon scenery, aircraft ect. If so do I then just install the expansion? I assume all will be the same after its all done. I am leary of loosing my addons. Thanks Ralph
Ralph, I am not 100% sure of what will happen, but yes, uninstall SP2. Acceleration includes SP2.
Hi Jon: I removed FSX SP2 and all went well. None of the addons were disturbed and all works gread.
I tried to install the acceleration expansion pack and all went well for about 5minutes. Then an error message came up “unable to access a file c:\Program files(x86)\microsoft games\fsx\autogen\default.xml. I checked and the file is there. Is there a way to give permission to the install program to use this file.
Hi Ralph…yes those darn permissions! Try running the acceleration installer as administrator: right click on the installer and choose “Run as Administrator”. If that doesn’t work, suggest you drop by the AVSIM forums, folks there know much more about installing than I do. Let me know how it goes.
Hi Jon: Thankes for your help. I was informed that the acceleration pack causes many problems so I give up on it. But when I did stop it and tried to start fsx again. I got another error message informing me that visual model could not be displayed aircration582sl red. Greek to me. Anyway there was absolutely no graphics, a black picture. All else was ok. Strange. I assumed that the acceleration pack did it. I did not know what to do then. I figured I should install fsx sp2 again. When I was installing sp2 it ask if I wanted to stop acceleration pack install.I thought it was was stopped. That fixed it.
Roger that, Ralph. Acceleration doesn’t add much unless you’re into the additional models and missions. I had not heard of problems with Acceleration before, but there you go.
Glad you’re up and flying.
Hey All. I have Win7. I have removed FSX and Acceleration from my PC as it was making it unstable for some reason. However another program keeps telling me to uninstall FSX SP 2 but it is not in my C.P. remove programs list or the updates list. How do I now remove it?
Not sure, sorry. Check out the AVSIM support forums…