Support For 3D Lights Redux

[pennkiwi]

Hi
I am new to the site and the product and so am reluctant to express my opinions when I may not have the full picture. BUT - as a newbie I have a couple of things that I would like Support to read and think about.
1. The product is EXCELLENT and when it works, it really enhances the FS9 experience.
2. The installation problem needs to be addressed. It appears that if you do not have a "clean" FS9.1 install, it does not recognize it. I had to do a fresh install of FS9 elsewhere (external hard drive) and then manually find the various elements of 3D Shockwave and transfer them over to my "real" FS9 folders. A tedious business.
3. Though your customers have generously shared a number of installation files for add-ons, the method of getting the information to new customers is clumsy and frustrating. I had to spend a lot of time reading over old forum posts to find out what aircraft I could and what I could not use the 3D lights on. It's nice that your autoinstaller adds the default aircraft but who really uses them? (In my case, the only one I still fly is the R22.) Of the many payware and freeware aircraft that I have, so far I could only find definitive information for three of them. According to the posts, the Level D 767 is NOT one of these, as the customers have not been able to figure out how to add this. This is indisputably the premier FS9 product and I am amazed that this issue has not been solved.

I did read your previous post where you pointed out the difficulties of modifying other people's aircraft.cfg files etc. But unless you make your product work readily with the myriad add-ons in FS9, I can't imagine many people wanting to buy the product and suspect you will get a pretty negative review when AVSIM or other reviewers discuss the product. I don't mean to say the product is not good - I think it's fabulous. But it needs to be much easier to add it....

Some suggestions:
1. See the "add" utility used by a comparable product, Aerosoft's Airport Enhancement Services. There is a graphic WYSIWIG interface that allows you to quickly and accurately "place" the services to any aircraft you choose. I don't see why something similar wouldn't work with the 3D lights.
2. Browse through all the forum posts and pick out all the files that describe how to add the lights to various add-ons. Place that information in ONE easily found location so newbies like myself don't have to search all through the forums for it, or better still provide it as a "readme" file with the product and update it weekly by email.
3. Put some developer time into producing some files for MAJOR add-on products, like the Level D. These would be far more helpful than the default aircraft that you have already done. It's great that your customers have already done much work on this, but it really should be part of the product support to ensure that as many aircraft as possible can be added readily. You are already asking a lot of your customers to manually edit files - the least you can do is give them as much accurate information as possible to help them get the most out of the product.

To summarize, the product is great - but the method of adding it to the sim really needs to be addressed and some problems solved by investing some staff time and expertise. I don't want to sound negative - I love what the lights do to my sim experience. I am hoping my comments and suggestions will help you make this a more successful venture.

Cheers
Ian Scott

[Legolaz]

I'm agree complitily with each word

[Scott - A2A]

Pennkiwi

First, I have to say thank you for your post. This isn't just a cheap line - all of us here at Shockwave value constructive criticism. During development, we don't have the time to worry about hurting another developer's feelings - we just cut right to it. The process of creating any Shockwave product is a process of dealing with loads of our own internal criticisms of how to make something even better. It's never easy, but most things worth doing are difficult.

OK, we started a thread here for the posting of aircraft files in one place:
http://shockwaveproductions.com/forum/v ... php?t=8704

However, we've already started to streamline this more so you should see a new post up here in the coming days. This will help - we are very reluctant to automate 3rd party files.

As for the installer, I have to completely dispel the rumor that the 3D lights installer needs a clean FS9 install - it doesn't. Almost every system out there is modified in some way. If it fails, then something is very wrong with the FS9 installation registry entry, the wrong path is entered, or there is a new issue that has not come up before. Either way, we want to know why even just one person has an issue.

Everything you stated has been discussed before, and decisions were weighed out and made. If you understood all things that can go wrong with an installation, auto 3rd party configure program, etc., you may very well also agree with our approach.

We really do value you taking the time to post your comments here. Its people like yourself who take the time to express your views that allow us to improve. You seem like you have a pretty strong and thorough opinion on the subject, so if you would like, PM me your contact information with a phone number and we can discuss these points in detail. We call a lot of customers, even do random calling just to get a person to person sense of how our customers are doing with our products, so don't worry about toll calls - we support customers all over the world.

Scott.

[Jigsaw]

Pennkiwi
As for the installer, I have to completely dispel the rumor that the 3D lights installer needs a clean FS9 install - it doesn't. Almost every system out there is modified in some way. If it fails, then something is very wrong with the FS9 installation registry entry, the wrong path is entered, or there is a new issue that has not come up before.

My installation of FS9 is almost 2 years old and filled and modified with tons of add ons. Nonetheless, I could install Shockwave 3D Lights Redux without any problems whatsoever.

But: during that time the registry lost the past information for FS9, once or twice. I always noticed that, when some Add-On couldn't find FS and wouldn't install. In that case I used the FS9 Path Utility to restore the registry's path information, and everything worked fine again.

I'm very positive, that 90% of the 3D lights installation problems are rooted in that loss of path information. Use this tool and try if it helps. It's free of spyware, viruses, etc. and works very well:

http://tweakfs.com/download/fs9path_utility.zip

[Legolaz]

Pennkiwi

Either way, we want to know why even just one person has an issue.

Scott.

Scott;

As I said in another topic I also had this same problem during the instalacion, therefore this problem is not summarized in barely an only client.


However I will try to do what Jigsaw post here...

Legolaz

[pennkiwi]

Thanks for the rapid and helpful response. I will take you up on the offer of talking on the phone and will PM you my phone number etc. Excellent customer service - your example should be followed by every developer! BTW, if I send you my phone number, will you give me the number of the girl on the Shockwave logo?
Ian

[Legolaz]

It installed and verified with the TweakFS patch, looks to be everything certain:

More the point for FS users is that with UAC turned on, if you try and "Set" the registry key it may not end up under the path:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft Games\Flight Simulator\9.0

This is the same place that apear im may machine...

[Scott - A2A]

I will hopefully reach Ian and Legolaz tomorrow (Thur) via phone and / or remote session. I am confident we'll find out what exactly is going on.

Scott.

[bataeff]

I will hopefully reach Ian and Legolaz tomorrow (Thur) via phone and / or remote session. I am confident we'll find out what exactly is going on.

Scott.

Hi Scott,
How to get rid of original lights in Aerosoft Airbus a320 v 1.31 model. After 3D lights installation I have 2 complects of lights)
Many thanks before)

[Lewis - A2A]

I will hopefully reach Ian and Legolaz tomorrow (Thur) via phone and / or remote session. I am confident we'll find out what exactly is going on.

Scott.

Hi Scott,
How to get rid of original lights in Aerosoft Airbus a320 v 1.31 model. After 3D lights installation I have 2 complects of lights)
Many thanks before)

Hello,

this is an old thread from 2008. If you can start a new thread with your exact issue we can better help you.

thanks,
Lewis