TILEPROXY BETA 8 (Tileproxy_Beta8_Nov16.zip)                       A Brief "Getting Started" Tutorial
("Quick Guide" Last Updated: June 14th, 2010: Map Service 1 Version Update to 473)

TileProxy and FSX: Over Marble Canyon, Arizona
Before Proceeding:

Please Note: I am not the author of the TileProxy program...

...I'm just an enthusiastic fan who created this 'Quick Guide" in the hopes it may help more FS enthusiasts get up and running in a jiffy.

The credit goes to Christian Buchner who conceived, designed, and created TileProxy. His ongoing dedication to it's development and evolution, and his tireless hours spent improving upon it and updating it have given thousands of FS enthusiasts around the world what we have longed for since FS first began: The Real Planet Earth to discover and explore.

The TileProxy Forum at Avsim is dedicated exclusively to the program. There you can get help, ask questions, and share your TP experiences if so inspired. If you have any questions about TP, the forum is the place to get answers. Christian (user name "cbuchner1") monitors the forum regularly along with many other enthusiastic and experienced users from around the world, most of whom are happy to lend a hand to those who may need it.

If you're new to TP, have questions, or have just discovered a fantastic place to fly or explore, drop in and introduce yourself...

Happy Landings,
Ed Truthan

Important Announcement:

To All TP Users:

This tutorial and the files contained herein refer only to installations of the TileProxy Beta 8 version, (Beta 8 was released on 10/28/2008; the November 16th, 2008 build is the currently available version). All previous versions (Beta 7 and before) of TileProxy are no longer supported by either the TileProxy author, Christian Buchner, nor the authors of this tutorial. For more information concerning this, please see the Christian's formal announcement of the Beta 8 version here:

BETA 8 RELEASE ANOUNCEMENT

See Changes compared to Seventh Beta Release (from the TP manual)

It Is Essential That You...

...TAKE THE TIME TO READ THIS TUTORIAL CAREFULLY....IN IT"S ENTIRETY.

Many common first time setup problems are addressed in the pages and sub-pages below. Please read them carefully, including the "Some Tips and Troubleshooting" section after the tutorial. Trust me, it will save you a lot of headaches further down the line.

Since TileProxy is an ongoing Beta phase project which is frequently being updated and improved upon, this tutorial and the downloads it provides will be updated to accommodate and provide for these improvements. It's therefore a good idea to check back frequently at both the TileProxy Forum and here to be kept abreast of updates and the nature of these improvements and new features as TileProxy development progresses.

Also...when you can...take the time to read the TileProxy Manual too. You'll learn more about TP than you ever wanted to know.

A Brief FAQ:

WHAT IS TILEPROXY?

Created as FREEWARE by Christian Buchner, it's a real-time interface between Microsoft's Flight Simulator X and the Internet. It will download photo-terrain textures from online map services by acting as a proxy server and file format converter. This tool turns your Flight Simulator into an interactive 3D map browser unlike anything you have experienced before. In FSX resolution levels of up to 30cm per pixel can now be achieved. It may also be used with Flight Simulator 2004 (FS9) though texture resolution is limited to 4.75 meters per pixel, (as pictured above...still very nice!). With the latest version (Beta 8) Dual Core (and above) PC's now experience very fast load times in FSX. For older machines, FS9 will enjoy faster load times than FSX however. Recent versions of TileProxy now also include global water masks so FS water bodies and shorelines, with the usual reflections and FS water effects, are present!

Many flight simmers may tend to shy away from trying it because it appears at first to require too much setup. This really isn't the case. Once you've done the initial setup you're always only two clicks away from flying real life photo based ground textures anywhere on Earth where there is good online coverage available at the map servers that TP is configured to use. Because of EULA issues concerning the use of online map textures the ProxyUser.ini file is not configured by default to direct itself to the online map sources, so we as "End Users" must therefore configure it. So to make it even easier, I will supply a pre-configured ProxyUser.ini file here to get you going. You should only have to edit this file if you want to change map servers, or experiment with the increased resolution levels available in FSX.

The rest of the setup isn't that tough at all, and anyone can be up and going in a matter of minutes by following the five simple steps outlined below. It's not as complicated as it looks. When you have the time I HIGHLY RECOMMEND you read the entire TileProxy Manual It's chock full of valuable information and tips.

HOW FAST DO TILES LOAD, AND HOW FAST CAN I FLY?

Increasing the ground tile loading speeds while flying has been the major challenge in the evolution of TileProxy. The program must download and convert thousands of JPG's on the run, convert them into bitmaps and load them into FS as you fly. Tile loading speeds may vary greatly depending on a variety of factors including your PC hardware and internet connection speed, and most importantly, how high a resolution level you are requesting TP to download. Each increased resolution level increases the number of tiles requested by the program exponentially. Balancing this "bottleneck" with the power of your system is the key to getting satisfactory results. With previous versions of TP Beta in FSX, speeds of more than 80-100 knots, would "outrun" the texture loading rather quickly, causing recurrent blurries. Now, thanks to Christian's brilliant programming, if you have a Dual Core or better machine, the latest (Beta 8) version of TileProxy enjoys faster tile loading in FSX than previous versions. Speeds of up to 150, 200 and even 300+ knots have been reported by users using very fast machines with robust hardware and speedy internet connections. Depending on these various factors, your performance may vary.

DOES TILEPROXY CHANGE MY FS INSTALLATION SO I CANNOT RETURN TO MY DEFAULT CONFIGURATION?

No, not fundamentally, if you If you choose to fly normally (i.e. without TileProxy active) you can simply boot FS without starting TP first and fly with all default scenery, autogen, etc. But TileProxy does ask if you wish to alter your FSX.cfg and FS9.cfg files so as to maximize tile loading performance and graphics when using TP and I recommend you accept them. These changes, though minor, are described here and are mostly changes to the adjustable sliders in the FSX user interface display settings, but a few are not, and may cause minor differences in the way your default textures are displayed, so it's a good idea to back up your FSX and FS9 CFG files before installing the program. Then , If you experience differences in default ground texture behavior because of the minor tweaks TP adds to your .cfg file, you can of course just switch to the default CFG file you've backed up. (Personally, after using TileProxy I cannot go back to flying with default ground textures so it hasn't been an issue.)

Also, the FS9 scenery.cfg is backed up at install and TP world scenery areas are added to it. See this page for more details.

Should you choose to uninstall TileProxy, there's a handy uninstaller right in the programs menu that will remove the program entirely.

MANY THANKS TO THE AUTHOR...

Christian Buchner has done a great job of creating and programming TileProxy, works tirelessly to perfect and improve upon it, has spent untold hours helping many users on the forum with advice and help, and has, without the slightest financial reward, succeeded in offering us a truly revolutionary way to enjoy FS. Through his exuberant work, VFR enthusiasts in every corner of the global Flight Simming Community can at last experience the true meaning of  "As Real As It Gets". Thanks CB!.

 

Tileproxy Setup Tutorial:

Ready to go? Lets see if I can walk you through quickly setting it up right. It's really only 5 simple steps. Forgive me if it seems a bit wordy but the extra information herein is intended to be as thorough as possible, to avoid any misunderstandings, potential problems and the like, so don't be discouraged, it's pretty much a piece of cake. This should get you going...

BEFORE INSTALLATION: Please read the following steps carefully, you will save yourself a lot of headaches later.

It is essential that you have a reasonably high speed internet connection to run TileProxy. A 2 Mbit/s internet connection or faster is recommended. Attempting to use TP with anything near a 56k dial-up connection speed is mostly a "no go" proposition.

During install TP backs up your original .cfg files, and then alters a few settings in them to improve TP performance, but rest assured, should you choose to uninstall TP in the future, the TP unistaller restores your original FSX.cfg and FS9.cfg to their original state. You can always fly without TP engaged and still enjoy the FSX and FS9 default scenery as usual, but if you experience slightly different performance due to the minor changes the TP installer makes, you'll have the backups on hand. For more information on back up file locations, and a list of  the .cfg changes TP makes, see this page

Windows Vista Users: Whatever version of Vista You're runing it's recommended you disable the User Account Control (UAC) as outlined here. That said, though tileProxy seems to function well with Vista, some users have reported a few kooky problems, and a few just could not get it to work, period . Some of these problems may originate in certain versions of Vista (64) requiring "signed drivers" which TP currently does not boast. Searching the TileProxy Forum for answers to your specific symptoms if you have problems is probably the easiest way to get specific answers.

Windows XP users: You should have at least XP Service Pack 2 installed, as the driver builds on the Filter Manager which is part of XP SP2 only. SP3 is OK too. NET Framework 2.0 is also a minimum requirement.

FSX users: You should have at least the FSX Service Pack 1 installed, as TileProxy has been integrated to work best with it and successive versions.

Step 1. DOWNLOAD and INSTALL The Latest Version of TILEPROXY (Tileproxy_Beta8_Nov16.zip)
at the
SourceForge.net/
projects/tileproxy  download page.

A.  Open the downloaded zip file and start the installation by double clicking the "TileproxyInstaller.exe" and follow the prompts. You should accept the installer's default location (in the FSX root folder) for the main 'TileProxy" program folder. If you do not have FSX installed then direct the installer to place the installation in your FS9 root folder.

B.  At the "Install Options Page" the installer will then ask you to confirm where you wish to install two other folders. They are the "TileProxy Photoreal World" folder (the converted bitmaps FS uses) and the "Cache" folders (the downloaded JPG's from the map servers). If you choose the default locations specified in the installer at "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Games" you can move on to Step C below.

To Use A Custom Cache Location: Some people prefer to place these folders on another drive to prevent fragmentation of their OS drives. This is recommended, but not manditory. If you prefer to use an external drive or another location other than the default location specified above See This Page For Instructions.

C. Continue on with the install.  I recommend you accept ALL the default graphics settings during install, especially the radio button for the FSX "'Terrain Resolution" of 1.1 meters/pixel for FSX. Higher resolutions are experimental at this time (see Tip 4 of "Tips and Troubleshooting" below) and can bog down even very robust machines. You can change all of these settings anyway at a later time in the ProxyUser.ini file if you wish to experiment with different settings.

D.  When finished you will find a new group of TileProxy shortcuts in your Start Menu. Familiarize yourself with them. There are links to start TP, clean your TP World folder, a Cache Manager application and more. More information on these may be found in the TileProxy Manual.

Step 2. Download my PRE-CONFIGURED (Beta 8) PROXYUSER.ini FILE at: http://www.edtruthan.com/tileproxy/ProxyUser_090914.zip

Latest ProxyUser.ini Update: June 14th, 2010
Changes Made:
Map Service 1 version is now up to 473.
Map Service 3 remains at 1.9

Why do you need this file? The ProxyUser.ini file is the heart of TP and contains most of the configuration information that TileProxy uses to function properly, set LOD parameters, water mask parameters, and determine which map service is to be used. Because of EULA issues, the TP ProxyUser.ini is not configured to operate by default without a few simple modifications (the map server URL's). The link above contains two completely "ready to go" .ini files (one each for FS9 and FSX) that will have you up and running in a flash. (We update this file every so often due to map service updates, the last notation of which may be found to the right of the download link above.)

Important: If you decided you'd like your Cache folders on another drive instead of their default location you'll need to edit a few entries in the ProxyUser.ini file: See This Page For Instructions.

Step 3. PUT THE PROXYUSER.INI FILE IN THE TILEPROXY ROOT FOLDER

Now, simply place one of the ProxyUser.ini files (for the FS version you want to fly, i.e. FS9 or FSX) in the main TileProxy root folder. Backup the original if you wish. I've included both versions because they differ slightly the way they're configured. You'll need to switch them out of the TP root folder if you decide to switch FS versions, so keep copies of each on hand.

If you installed TP in your FSX root folder the location to place theProxyUser.ini file is:

C:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\TileProxy

If you do not use FSX and instead installed TileProxy in your FS9 root folder then of course the default location would be:

C:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Flight Simulator 9\TileProxy

Step 4. CONFIGURE THE PROXYUSER.INI FILE TO USE YOUR DESIRED ONLINE MAP SERVICE

Important Update (07/26/2009): At one time TP supported 4 Map Services. Map service 2 (Google Maps) is no longer supported by TP Beta 8, this tutorial, or TP author Christian Buchner and has thus been removed from the ProxyUser.ini file some time ago. In addition, Map Service #4 (Ask Maps) now appears to be utilizing Map Service #1 (MSN Virtual Earth) as their satellite texture provider, thus effectively making it a moot choice, or the same as choosing Service 1. This effectively now reduces the possible maps services TP can use to TWO, i.e. Map Services 1 (MSN Virtual Earth) and Service 3 (Yahoo Maps). Be sure then to configure your ProxyUser.ini file to utilize one of these two remaining services.

Before you fly, you'll want to check to make sure the geographic area you intend to fly is well represented with reasonably sharp texture resolution and natural looking aerial or satellite color. My INI files are currently pre-configured to use Yahoo Maps as the texture server (Yahoo Maps has very good resolution and color consistent coverage of most of the continental USA and many other locations abroad), so if you've verified your area has good coverage at Yahoo Maps you can skip this step and go right to Step 5 and get to flying! 

If your not sure, take a moment and do a brief online reconnaissance to find which map service best covers the area you wish to fly. You can then make the appropriate edit to the ProxyUser.ini file and TP will use your preferred map service. To check your location's coverage, here are links to the 3 services TP can use:

MSN VIRTUAL EARTH at http://maps.live.com/
YAHOO MAPS at http://maps.yahoo.com/
ASK MAPS at http://city.ask.com/city
(now apparently moot...see note above)

www.flashearth.com lets you compare the first 2 services in one handy browser window. Again, the pre-configured .ini file supplied here is already set to use Yahoo Maps as the online service, so if that's your choice, no modification to the .ini file is needed.

If you'd like to change map servers: See This Page For Instructions

Step 5. GO FLY!!!

1. Before starting anything you should disable your virus software and any active firewalls. I can't emphasize this enough. These often stop tiles from loading for many users.

2. Important and Useful "Monitoring" Tip: When using TP it's best to start FS in "windowed" mode rather than full screen so you can keep an eye on the TP loading screen in case of errors. To start FS in windowed mode boot into FS first (like normal, i.e. without TP engaged), go to windowed mode ( View Menu: uncheck Full Screen), and then shut it down that way. Then it will boot again in windowed mode rather than full screen. This way you can monitor the TP DOS window to see how many tile are loading per second and be aware if any errors are being generated. Also before starting up, it's recommended you read the tips outlined in the "Tips and Troubleshooting" section below.

Ready to go?

A. Start TileProxy from the START > ALL PROGRAMS > TILE PROXY > START TILEPROXY menu link, and wait for TileProxy to Boot up (in a DOS window). It will generate some lines of text and then stabilize, indicating it's ready to go.

Important Step for FSX users: You will only need to do this once. If you installed Beta 8 over a previous version of TP you will need to place the new scenery entry entitled "World_LOD 8" below your "world_0000" entry in your scenery library BEFORE you load a flight. After checking that it is in this location, and/or moving it there, then proceed to loading your flight as outlined in the next step.

B. Then boot FS and load a flight. Now wait a while. Depending on which version of FS you're using it may take 5-15 or more minutes to download all the textures from the internet and load them into FS (longer usually for FSX than FS9). Be patient. The FS loading bar will slow at certain places and seem to stall when tiles begin to download. This is normal. If you've started FS in "windowed" mode so you can see the LOD levels filling out in the TileProxy window you're on your way! Go wash the dishes, walk the dog, whatever. If you've configured everything correctly it should load your flight soon enough.

SOME TIPS and TROUBLESHOOTING:


TIP 1 - FPS Limiter vs. Performance!

This is Important to Know and Utilize!

In FSX, The LOWER your FPS limiter is set the better TileProxy performs. 12-18 FPS is recommended.
In FS9 , conversely, the HIGHER your FPS is set the better TileProxy Performs. Setting the FPS slider to "Unlimited" is recommended.

TIP 2 - Tile Loading Speed Issues

Increasing the ground tile loading speeds while flying has been the major challenge in the evolution of TileProxy. Tile loading speeds may vary greatly depending on a variety of factors including your PC hardware and internet connection speed, and how high a resolution level you are attempting to download. With previous versions of TP Beta in FSX, speeds of more than 80-100 knots, would leave you "outrunning" the texture loading rather quickly, causing recurrent blurries. Now, thanks to Christian's brilliant programming, if you have a Dual Core machine, this latest (Beta 8) version of TileProxy enjoys faster tile loading in FSX than previous Beta versions of TileProxy. Still, If you find tiles are not loading as fast as you fly, either decrease your airspeed, pause occasionally to allow the texture   loading to "catch-up", or decrease the resolution one level by lowering the "max_lod=" .ini value by one factor. Alternatively, you can also switch over to FS9, which, though lower in tile resolution (4.75 pixels/m) may perform more swiftly, allowing for faster flight. Remember though to switch to the FS9 ProxyUser.ini file before doing so!

TIP 3 - Try The Moving Map

TileProxy Beta 7 includes a "Moving Map" that displays tile radius and resolution levels as you fly. This function has caused occasionally crashes in FSX for some users, especially when attempting to switch to full screen. I've therefore disabled the DX9 "Hooking" technique in the FSX and FS9 ProxyUser.ini file I've supplied here to minimize hassles in getting things up and running for new users. If you'd like to try the moving map to see if you experience crashes edit these three lines in the FSX ini file:

"enable_hooking=No" > change to > "enable_hooking=Yes"
"enable_dx9hook=No" > change to > "enable_dx9hook=Yes"
"enable_movingmap=No" > change to > "enable_movingmap=Yes"

TIP 4 - Trying out the 60cm and 30cm Super High Resolutions in FSX

For some system gobbling eye-candy, if you have a fast computer with robust hardware and you'd like to try out the new high resolution levels available in FSX: See This Page For Instructions

TIP 5 - "Help, I've Got All Black Tiles!"

This was sometimes seen problem with Beta 7 and FS9. If you experience this problem with Beta 8 try this handy work around: See This Page For Instructions

If that doesn't work (or if your problem is in FSX), check to see if you have left TWO sources selected in the ProxyUser.ini instead the required ONE as outlined in step 4 above. Shut down TP and FS, then comment out the extra one with a "#" sign, and repeat step 5 and you may be OK.

If that doesn't work, shut down and reboot TileProxy and FS again and see if the problem clears. This has worked for some users. A few black tiles are also an occasional and random issue while flying, and the problem seems to vary from rig to rig. Also make sure the area you are flying in is covered with tiles of good resolution in the first place by checking the area first at the map service your using's on line web site. If not try changing to another map service with better high level resolution and coverage. More information is in the TileProxy Manual and various posts in the TileProxy Forum .

TIP 6 - Use "Level Mapping" to increase the diameter of high resolution areas around your aircraft.

TP load map textures in decreasing rings of resolution around your aircraft, much like FS default textures load. Level Mapping is a fantastic way to increase the area of high resolution tiles in the immediate vicinity around your aircraft by forcing the the next lowest level to load the textures from the level just above it. It's very easy to implement and involves a few simple changes to the ProxyUser.ini file. One must be careful though not to overdue it or you may bring your flight Simulator to a standstill. If carefully utilized, in compliance with the strength of your system's ability to load and render tiles, it can be the crowning tweak that makes your TileProxy experience nearly perfect!

Click here for a brief "Level Mapping" tutorial.

TIP 7 - More Tips

Guidelines and suggestions for increasing and tweaking your TileProxy performance may be found toward the end of the TileProxy Manual in the sections entitled:

" Some Frequent Problems and Solutions",
" Troubleshooting and Maintenance", and
" Improving Terrain Loading Performance in FSX"

TIP 8 - Avsim's TileProxy Forum (now offline, see news above) has many, many more tips, recent TileProxy discussions, and more:

http://forums1.avsim.net/index.php?showforum=284

TileProxy author Christian Buchner monitors the forum and has provided a great deal of support for TP users there. Occasional praise is welcome too, so don't be shy if so inspired. For his continuing hard work to provide, as freeware, the single most revolutionary FS program to date...we are all very grateful.

TIP 9 - Read The Manual!

Answers to many, many questions can be obtained from the information compiled in the TileProxy Manual. Christian has allowed me to provide the online version and the "quick links" at top of the page can swiftly direct you to the many topics contained within it. Again, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND you take some time and read it in it's entirety. You'll know everything you always wanted to know about TP and much more.


Hopefully this tutorial will get some folks up and running without a hitch. Yup, there's finally a real world we can explore!

Happy Landings! 
Ed Truthan

Email: edtruthan@gmail.com