Scenery and Landclass Files - Memory Leak Fix

[3-2-1-Now 126]

Hi,

 

Maybe PMDG could make this topic a sticky?

 

What is the problem?

 

If a scenery has landclass files (these define new shorelines, water bodies, etc..), and the corresponding scenery folder has a texture folder, it causes the landclass to leak memory. For reasons known only to ACES, the texture folder is accessed for no apparent reason (landclass can't have textures), and the resources allocated to do this are never freed, leaking memory. The memory leak itself is very small (a few hundred bytes) but it is the frequency and duration of these accesses that lead up to OOME/CTD when approaching an affected scenery area (FS attempts to access the texture folder in excess of 100 times per second).

 

That's the theory... what about a fix?

 

How easy it is to fix a particular scenery depends on the scenery designer, and whether they put LC somewhere within the file name of the file(s) that handle landclass.

 

It might take a bit of trial and error to identify the scenery causing the leak, especially if you have multiple sceneries close together.

 

Let's say you have: FSX\Addon Scenery\MyScenery

 

Create another folder called:

 

FSX\Addon Scenery\MySceneryLC

 

In that folder create:

 

FSX\Addon Scenery\MyScenery\scenery

 

but do *NOT* create a texture folder!! This scenery folder will contain the landclass of the leaking scenery.

 

Hopefully the scenery developer put LC somewhere in the name of the files that handle the landclass, so they are easy to identify. MOVE them out of the original folder (FSX\Addon Scenery\MyScenery\scenery) and into FSX\Addon Scenery\MySceneryLC\scenery

 

Next, start FSX and add this new scenery area. Make sure it appears below the scenery it belonged to. Create seperate folders for all the scenery you have. Note that not all landclass are easy to identify.

 

If you do this for all the landclass files you have installed, this will permanently fix this memory leak issue.

 

Best regards,

Robin.

[jordanal 70]

IIRC, this was only a problem with FS9 and earlier versions - empty LC texture folders causing memory leaks.  I'm fairly certain it was fixed in FSX RTM.

[IFR7700 228]

PMDG makes sceneries?

[jordanal 70]

PMDG makes sceneries?

 

LOL, well...  The 777 is bigger than my house...  :rolleyes:

[3-2-1-Now 126]

IIRC, this was only a problem with FS9 and earlier versions - empty LC texture folders causing memory leaks.  I'm fairly certain it was fixed in FSX RTM.

 

No, it wasn't.

 

There was a seperate issue in FS9 where EMPTY texture folders caused a memory leak/crash, but this is different.

 

Best regards,

Robin.

[Michael Moe 496]

How about a payware product with problems to show in here "how to guide"?

 

Michael Moe

[3-2-1-Now 126]

The only product I have that has a memory leak issue is the FlyTampa Kai Tak.

 

Steps to fix:

 

* Go to the Flight Simulator X\Addon Scenery folder

* Create a folder called FlyTampa-HongKongLC

* Inside the folder you just created, create another folder called scenery

* Go here: Flight Simulator X\Addon Scenery\FlyTampa-HongKong\scenery and find the file hk_lc.bgl

* Move the file hk_lc.bgl into Flight Simulator X\Addon Scenery\FlyTampa-HongKongLC\scenery

* Start FSX

* Add the area you just created to the scenery database

* Make sure the entry you just created appears below the scenery

 

Restart FSX, and problem solved.

 

Rinse and repeat for other sceneries that cause a CTD when you approach them.

 

Best regards,

Robin.

[Vic1 3]

Hi Robin

 

 

this set up was already done and I still am getting ctd approaching the area of hong kong

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

kav