Scenery cfg. file error

[Hammer]

I've been away from the computer for about a month & came back to trouble. When I attempt to start FS2002,  I receive a message as follows verbatim "Scenery Cfg. file error.
Local scenery directory (scenedb\vehicles\vehicles\scenery (cars) in scenery area.118 not found.
CLICK OK TO CONTINUE
When I click OK, it reverts back to my desktop. I am unable to start FS2002. Hopefully this is not another Uninstall remedy problem. Don't recall deleting any scenery files. As always, any help is greatly appreciated.

[RollerBall]

The scenery.cfg file is in the main FS2002 folder and it 'controls' all of the default scenery files plus your addons.

Now 118 is actually default scenery. Here's the relevant section from scenery.cfg.

[Area.118]
Title=Vehicle Libraries
Active=TRUE
Layer=118
Required=TRUE
Remote=
Local=scenedb\vehicles\vehicles

[Area.119]
Title=Landmarks
Active=TRUE
Layer=119
Required=TRUE
Remote=
Local=scenedb\cities\landmark

[Area.120]
Title=Propeller Objects
Active=TRUE
Layer=120
Required=TRUE
Local=scenedb\props
Remote=

[Cache.000]
Title=Default Texture Cache
Local=texture
Remote=scenedb\texture
Active=FALSE

Parts that follow refer to your addon sceneries.

Now you don't need to be too scared editing this file so long as you know what you're doing!

As you've found, if areas exist but are not referred to in the cfg file you get an error and vice versa eg people commonly delete addon sceneries without going via the scenery library and then wonder why they get errors!

In your case the file has been altered (accidentally?)

Check to see that ther relevant bit of your file looks like the bit I've posted. If it doesn't, and you haven't deleted the file in ..fs2002\scenedb\vehicles\vehicles, take a copy of the existing one and just paste the 'lost' bit in. What you have to be careful of is not duplicating an area number (ie the 118) in the file. Layers refer to how high or low sceneries appear in the library (ie precedence - higher ones have higher precedence) and if they cover the same geographical area as a 'lower' one, will leave in but will overwrite the lower one.

Funnily enough, there can be gaps in the file ie you could have area.123 then area.125 as I've found from messing about (just a bit!) with scenery design.

[Hammer]

Thanks for the quick comeback. I found Area 118 in Scenery CFG. & its reads exactly the same as described it in your reply, but it still is giving me problems in FS2002. Am I still on the right track & if so, what if anything do I do next?  

[RollerBall]

OK, if it reads exactly the same, check that file

....fs2002\scenedb\vehicles\vehicles

exists on your system

[Hammer]

OK, I will check to see if that file is on the system. I've been playing around with flight sims off & on since Falcon 3.0 & it seems every time I stray off the beaten path, I get in trouble. Thanks again for the help.

[Hammer]

Rollerball,

I'm running Windows XP, when I tried to run my search companion for FS2002\scenedb\vehicles\vehicles, it came back not a valid folder. I searched the hard drive for a couple of hours & couldn't bring up a FS2002 Scenery CFG file, don't know why, but when I did have it up, it read out just like you gave it to me in your reply.
Area 118, area 119, area 120 & Cache.000 were identical. That file, FS2002\scenedb\vehicles\vehicles should come up with no problem, can't understand it. Not the first time tho, either.

[Hagar]

Hammer. This is not the first time I've heard of this particular problem. If you changed nothing since the last time you used FS2002 I can't explain it either, unless you have a virus. From what you're saying some file or files appear to be corrupt or missing. Is it possible you deleted them by mistake? This is easily done as I know only too well.

[Hammer]

Hagar & RollerBall,
At that address, C:\Program files\Microsoft games\fs2002. I found in a notepad file, scenery Cfg & it reads as RollerBall Emailed. No changes. WindowsXP has a system Restore, which for good or bad, I used & restored the system to where it should have been before the problems arose. This where it gets interesting. Starting fs2002,  I get a screen that says trying to load a file which may not be compatible with fs2002, to wit: Dynamics DLL, do I wish to continue, click yes or no, click yes & it just continues to repeat it self, announces its a "DAT" file. Click No & it then rolls into a screen stating "Scenery library objects not found, this may cause some scenery, such as buildings to not display, then lists four of the following ID"ox25dcb5d17" with 4 groups of similiar #'s to a screen, requires a dozen screens to be clicked "OK" before it will start.Shortly after the flight starts, it freezes & I have to go thru another dozen screens before it will continue. Anybody reading this idiotic behavior ever experienced these circumstances. I'm totally lost as what to try next. I really don't believe I deleted any secenery files to cause this.  

[Hammer]

OK Guys, going to try one more time. At the start screen
notice on screen appears "Scenery Cfg file error, local scenery directory, scene db\vehicles\vehicles\scenery in scenery area 118 not found. Click OK to continue. Correct information is in FS2002 scene library in correct position. Befoe flight will start, FS2002 freezes, notice appears on screen. "Scenery library objects not found. This may cause some scenery such as buildings to display" It then lists 4 groups of numbers, ID 0x2dcb5di7,0x4f60533,0x703507a6,0x27f8a1ab. 12 screens with 4 different sets of numbers have to be clicked OK before flight will start. During flight 17 identica screens freeze game & require clicking OK before flight will resume, always with 4 different groups of numbers. Anybody else ever been the victim of this activity. That is a heck of lot of clicking to get a flight in.
Very annoying. No deletions, addon AFCAD (KMDW,etc) installed.  Hammer, still hoping.

[Hagar]

Hammer. You didn't confirm if you're running off a Minimal install of FS2002. In this case you will need one of the CDs in the drive for it to run properly. It must be the correct CD but I'm not sure which one. I suggest the easiest & quickest way out of this is to Uninstall/Install FS2002.

[Hammer]

Hagar, thanks for the comeback. As far as I know I'm running a full install.  I had just about come to that conclusion myself, that an uninstall/install would be required. It seems to be habit forming with FS2002, counting the initial install, this will be the 3rd install. I don't mind the install, but the addon aircraft give me trouble getting them back in the Aircraft library.
Thanks again.

[Hagar]

Hammer. I would not expect a standard Uninstall/Install to the original path to affect your addons. You would need to adjust display options & reactivate any 3rd party scenery - that's all. The default files will be restored so any modified files (like the CFG files of repaints) would need to be re-edited.
The only M$ sim I know that is any different is CFS2 (& maybe CFS3.) I haven't tried it with FS2004.

[RollerBall]

Hammer, if you want to do an easy, clean re-install use the patented RollerBall method if you have enough disk space for a second copy.

Just rename your FS2002 folder to something like FS2002_old. The prog then won't see it when you run FS2002 install again.

Then do a second install into the original path and just copy over your aircraft, gauges and addon scenery folders and reactivate your scenery addons. You'll akso need to remember if you've installled things like FSUIPC because you''l neeed to pop those over as well.

That's not too difficult!

[Hammer]

To Hagar & RollerBall,
Thanks guys, I had the mistaken impression that when an uninstall/install was done, only the default aircraft would be reinstalled. I'll follow your suggestions,  hope I don't ever have to do another uninstall/install, but if I do. it will be easier. May never know what caused the glitch, but as long as I get back on the right track, thats what counts.
Thanks again, guys.