Condor is exasperating [Archive]

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April 7th 20, 03:56 AM

My difficulties with Condor may well be due to my using bootcamp into Windows 10 on my Mac. However,
I have copied a new landscape directory into the c:/Condor2/Landscapes directory and it is not presented for selection on the Tasks screen.

I also just purchased an additional glider (ASK-21) and I have not received it, as far as I can figure out, and I have been unable to find any FAQ or other assistance for this.

I am done.

Paul Agnew

April 7th 20, 04:10 AM

On Monday, April 6, 2020 at 10:56:21 PM UTC-4, jp wrote:
> My difficulties with Condor may well be due to my using bootcamp into Windows 10 on my Mac. However,
> I have copied a new landscape directory into the c:/Condor2/Landscapes directory and it is not presented for selection on the Tasks screen.
>
> I also just purchased an additional glider (ASK-21) and I have not received it, as far as I can figure out, and I have been unable to find any FAQ or other assistance for this.
>
> I am done.

Is is a subdirectory in the Landscapes folder? Are you manually installing the landscapes?

There's a great install utility that really makes it much easier and you can set it up to put landscapes on a different drive without moving your application.

You can get the Condor Updater here:
https://www.condor-club.eu/generic/240/how_to_install_sceneries_.html

Don't throw in the towel, yet. It takes everyone a few tries to get everything in the right place with a new install.

Paul A.

Daniel Sazhin[_2_]

April 7th 20, 04:12 AM

Howdy,

Condor has an extensive support network. See the options here:

https://www.condorsoaring.com/help/

If you contact them directly, they are pretty responsive.

Feel free to contact me at my blog contact https://soaringeconomist.com/contact-info. If you have a simple problem I may be able to help you.

All the best,
Daniel

Larry Suter

April 7th 20, 04:27 AM

JP- when I unzip a scenery it often puts the folder with the scenery data inside a folder with exactly the same name. If you put this "folder within a folder" into your Landscape folder, Condor won't recognize the scenery. The fix is to just put the innermost folder into the Landscape folder.

When you purchase a glider you should have received an email with the license key for activating the glider. Choose the ASK-21 in the Hanger and there should be a button on the lower-right of the screen that says "Activate". Click it and a pop-up window should ask for the license key.

Good luck,
Larry

Paul Agnew

April 7th 20, 05:15 AM

Paul Agnew

April 7th 20, 05:18 AM

Chris Wedgwood[_2_]

April 7th 20, 08:10 PM

On Tuesday, April 7, 2020 at 4:56:21 AM UTC+2, jp wrote:

> I also just purchased an additional glider (ASK-21) and I have not received it, as far as I can figure out, and I have been unable to find any FAQ or other assistance for this.
>
> I am done.

When you buy an additional glider, you need to download and install the Hangar Update from the Condor website. It's on this page

https://www.condorsoaring.com/downloads-2/

This is described in a paragraph on the "Buy" page of the site.

April 7th 20, 09:48 PM

On Tuesday, April 7, 2020 at 12:10:25 PM UTC-7, Chris Wedgwood wrote:
> On Tuesday, April 7, 2020 at 4:56:21 AM UTC+2, jp wrote:
>
> > I also just purchased an additional glider (ASK-21) and I have not received it, as far as I can figure out, and I have been unable to find any FAQ or other assistance for this.
> >
> > I am done.
>
> When you buy an additional glider, you need to download and install the Hangar Update from the Condor website. It's on this page
>
> https://www.condorsoaring.com/downloads-2/
>
> This is described in a paragraph on the "Buy" page of the site.

Yes, thank you Chris. I missed that on the "Buy" page. I have just increased the partition size of my BOOTCAMP partition and then downloaded the Hanger Update. After that I was able to select and then activate the ASK-21 glider I had purchased. Now if I just need to figure out why the landscape directory I copied to the C:\Condor2/Landscapes directory is not seen by Condor. I'll figure it out.

Dan Marotta

April 7th 20, 11:43 PM

The two slashes bracketing Condor2 are opposites.Â* Is that correct or a
typo?

On 4/7/2020 2:48 PM, jp wrote:
> On Tuesday, April 7, 2020 at 12:10:25 PM UTC-7, Chris Wedgwood wrote:
>> On Tuesday, April 7, 2020 at 4:56:21 AM UTC+2, jp wrote:
>>
>>> I also just purchased an additional glider (ASK-21) and I have not received it, as far as I can figure out, and I have been unable to find any FAQ or other assistance for this.
>>>
>>> I am done.
>> When you buy an additional glider, you need to download and install the Hangar Update from the Condor website. It's on this page
>>
>> https://www.condorsoaring.com/downloads-2/
>>
>> This is described in a paragraph on the "Buy" page of the site.
> Yes, thank you Chris. I missed that on the "Buy" page. I have just increased the partition size of my BOOTCAMP partition and then downloaded the Hanger Update. After that I was able to select and then activate the ASK-21 glider I had purchased. Now if I just need to figure out why the landscape directory I copied to the C:\Condor2/Landscapes directory is not seen by Condor. I'll figure it out.

--
Dan, 5J

April 8th 20, 12:37 AM

On Tuesday, April 7, 2020 at 3:43:20 PM UTC-7, Dan Marotta wrote:
> The two slashes bracketing Condor2 are opposites.Â* Is that correct or a
> typo?
>
> On 4/7/2020 2:48 PM, jp wrote:
> > On Tuesday, April 7, 2020 at 12:10:25 PM UTC-7, Chris Wedgwood wrote:
> >> On Tuesday, April 7, 2020 at 4:56:21 AM UTC+2, jp wrote:
> >>
> >>> I also just purchased an additional glider (ASK-21) and I have not received it, as far as I can figure out, and I have been unable to find any FAQ or other assistance for this.
> >>>
> >>> I am done.
> >> When you buy an additional glider, you need to download and install the Hangar Update from the Condor website. It's on this page
> >>
> >> https://www.condorsoaring.com/downloads-2/
> >>
> >> This is described in a paragraph on the "Buy" page of the site.
> > Yes, thank you Chris. I missed that on the "Buy" page. I have just increased the partition size of my BOOTCAMP partition and then downloaded the Hanger Update. After that I was able to select and then activate the ASK-21 glider I had purchased. Now if I just need to figure out why the landscape directory I copied to the C:\Condor2/Landscapes directory is not seen by Condor. I'll figure it out.
>
> --
> Dan, 5J

Hi Dan,

Just stupidity on my part. They should be the same.

April 8th 20, 06:22 PM

On Tuesday, April 7, 2020 at 3:43:20 PM UTC-7, Dan Marotta wrote:
> The two slashes bracketing Condor2 are opposites.Â* Is that correct or a
> typo?
>
> On 4/7/2020 2:48 PM, jp wrote:
> > On Tuesday, April 7, 2020 at 12:10:25 PM UTC-7, Chris Wedgwood wrote:
> >> On Tuesday, April 7, 2020 at 4:56:21 AM UTC+2, jp wrote:
> >>
> >>> I also just purchased an additional glider (ASK-21) and I have not received it, as far as I can figure out, and I have been unable to find any FAQ or other assistance for this.
> >>>
> >>> I am done.
> >> When you buy an additional glider, you need to download and install the Hangar Update from the Condor website. It's on this page
> >>
> >> https://www.condorsoaring.com/downloads-2/
> >>
> >> This is described in a paragraph on the "Buy" page of the site.
> > Yes, thank you Chris. I missed that on the "Buy" page. I have just increased the partition size of my BOOTCAMP partition and then downloaded the Hanger Update. After that I was able to select and then activate the ASK-21 glider I had purchased. Now if I just need to figure out why the landscape directory I copied to the C:\Condor2/Landscapes directory is not seen by Condor. I'll figure it out.
>
> --
> Dan, 5J

That wasn't a helpful reply to you Dan. Here is a little more of my limited knowledge:

As far as I know - which sure isn't far - Windows uses a back slash ("\") while OSX, Unix, Linux, and maybe other operating systems use a forward slash ("/"). Some web browsers and maybe some other software too will correct an incorrectly chosen slash.

I hope this is correct but I wouldn't bet on it.

Dan Marotta

April 9th 20, 02:58 AM

No worries, Mate!

On 4/8/2020 11:22 AM, jp wrote:
> On Tuesday, April 7, 2020 at 3:43:20 PM UTC-7, Dan Marotta wrote:
>> The two slashes bracketing Condor2 are opposites.Â* Is that correct or a
>> typo?
>>
>> On 4/7/2020 2:48 PM, jp wrote:
>>> On Tuesday, April 7, 2020 at 12:10:25 PM UTC-7, Chris Wedgwood wrote:
>>>> On Tuesday, April 7, 2020 at 4:56:21 AM UTC+2, jp wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> I also just purchased an additional glider (ASK-21) and I have not received it, as far as I can figure out, and I have been unable to find any FAQ or other assistance for this.
>>>>>
>>>>> I am done.
>>>> When you buy an additional glider, you need to download and install the Hangar Update from the Condor website. It's on this page
>>>>
>>>> https://www.condorsoaring.com/downloads-2/
>>>>
>>>> This is described in a paragraph on the "Buy" page of the site.
>>> Yes, thank you Chris. I missed that on the "Buy" page. I have just increased the partition size of my BOOTCAMP partition and then downloaded the Hanger Update. After that I was able to select and then activate the ASK-21 glider I had purchased. Now if I just need to figure out why the landscape directory I copied to the C:\Condor2/Landscapes directory is not seen by Condor. I'll figure it out.
>> --
>> Dan, 5J
> That wasn't a helpful reply to you Dan. Here is a little more of my limited knowledge:
>
> As far as I know - which sure isn't far - Windows uses a back slash ("\") while OSX, Unix, Linux, and maybe other operating systems use a forward slash ("/"). Some web browsers and maybe some other software too will correct an incorrectly chosen slash.
>
> I hope this is correct but I wouldn't bet on it.

--
Dan, 5J

Soartech

April 11th 20, 03:42 PM

On Monday, April 6, 2020 at 10:56:21 PM UTC-4, jp wrote:

> I am done.

You pretty much need to be a bit of a computer Geek to figure it all out. There is NO help for Condor. For example when my old computer quit and was not repairable by the local shop I bought another one with Win Vista on it. Condor refused to recognize my rudder pedals even though the system check showed them responding to movement normally! I searched for answers from many places but never found any help on this at all. I gave up and fly with autorudder on. Then I wanted to use the live feature for US nightly soaring. It took quite a while and several emails to get instructions on how to do this. Maybe there is something better on this today but several years ago it was like a secret. I finally got on it and it was fun. But I failed miserably at it so gave it up. Someone later told me that all the hot pilots were flying with "virtual water ballast" and that was their secret. I didn't even know that was possible.

[email protected]

April 14th 20, 08:42 PM

The three most dangerous phrases in IT are:

1. It SHOULD work.
2. THAT shouldn't happen (or its corollary: Never seen THAT before.)
3. Works on MY machine.

I've heard them all the past few weeks. :)

The Condor 2 experience is truly amazing, as close to flying gliders as I imagine I can get without a full simulator. I learned some things about my flying a year ago that helped me competitively when I first starting playing with it. And I've learned even more this spring.

BUT--Condor is maddeningly frustrating to learn. I'm not anything close to comfortable with it. The concept of an intuitive user interface clearly doesn't exist among the developers of Condor, Condor World, Condor Club, Condor Updater, TeamSpeak/Overwolf, or anything else related to Condor that I've seen.

I'm not technically hapless. I've been playing with PCs since the DOS command line days and worked in the IT world for 20 years. I think the Condor experience is great. But don't misunderstand: it's a CLUB, with special handshakes and rituals and secret information that's passed along to new initiates after they've proved themselves both motivated and worthy. :)

Seriously, Condor and all of the related applications and Web sites must be LEARNED. Fortunately there are Condor experts who are only too happy to help. So the best way to start out is to find one of those experts or even just someone reasonably tech savvy who's already graduated to the multi-player experience (all the rage now that we can't race each other in the air for a while). There are also a lot of online guides. Some are helpful, others less so. It's like anything else on the Internet; you'll have to wade through a bunch of stuff and glean what works--for your PC, flying hardware (joystick, etc.), and operating system--and what doesn't.

It's even possible (though not easy) to set up your handheld device to run your favorite glide computer software (TopHat, in my case). I've got mine working reliably now but the process I developed to establish the BlueTooth connection is not documented anywhere else, to my knowledge.

There are also a bunch of shortcut keys to learn: some are intuitive, others you just have to memorize. AFAIK, they're in the downloadable Condor user guide which is a "must have". Print them out or put them on a keyboard overlay.

Don't give up. And don't be too exasperated by Condor experts who are baffled by the problems you're having. They may not have seen them before. They're probably just Condor fans, not technically solid help desk pros who know how to diagnose your problems methodically and quickly. So sometimes they tell you to do what most of us are inclined to do anyway: just keep trying, sometimes trying the same thing over and over again hoping for different results. In my experience with Condor, sometimes that even works! And sometimes what's worked in the past doesn't work today. Just keep trying anyway. It IS worth it.

Chip Bearden
JB

April 15th 20, 12:23 AM

On Tuesday, April 14, 2020 at 12:42:10 PM UTC-7, wrote:
> The three most dangerous phrases in IT are:
>
> 1. It SHOULD work.
> 2. THAT shouldn't happen (or its corollary: Never seen THAT before.)
> 3. Works on MY machine.
>
> I've heard them all the past few weeks. :)
>
> The Condor 2 experience is truly amazing, as close to flying gliders as I imagine I can get without a full simulator. I learned some things about my flying a year ago that helped me competitively when I first starting playing with it. And I've learned even more this spring.
>
> BUT--Condor is maddeningly frustrating to learn. I'm not anything close to comfortable with it. The concept of an intuitive user interface clearly doesn't exist among the developers of Condor, Condor World, Condor Club, Condor Updater, TeamSpeak/Overwolf, or anything else related to Condor that I've seen.
>
> I'm not technically hapless. I've been playing with PCs since the DOS command line days and worked in the IT world for 20 years. I think the Condor experience is great. But don't misunderstand: it's a CLUB, with special handshakes and rituals and secret information that's passed along to new initiates after they've proved themselves both motivated and worthy. :)
>
> Seriously, Condor and all of the related applications and Web sites must be LEARNED. Fortunately there are Condor experts who are only too happy to help. So the best way to start out is to find one of those experts or even just someone reasonably tech savvy who's already graduated to the multi-player experience (all the rage now that we can't race each other in the air for a while). There are also a lot of online guides. Some are helpful, others less so. It's like anything else on the Internet; you'll have to wade through a bunch of stuff and glean what works--for your PC, flying hardware (joystick, etc.), and operating system--and what doesn't.
>
> It's even possible (though not easy) to set up your handheld device to run your favorite glide computer software (TopHat, in my case). I've got mine working reliably now but the process I developed to establish the BlueTooth connection is not documented anywhere else, to my knowledge.
>
> There are also a bunch of shortcut keys to learn: some are intuitive, others you just have to memorize. AFAIK, they're in the downloadable Condor user guide which is a "must have". Print them out or put them on a keyboard overlay.
>
> Don't give up. And don't be too exasperated by Condor experts who are baffled by the problems you're having. They may not have seen them before. They're probably just Condor fans, not technically solid help desk pros who know how to diagnose your problems methodically and quickly. So sometimes they tell you to do what most of us are inclined to do anyway: just keep trying, sometimes trying the same thing over and over again hoping for different results. In my experience with Condor, sometimes that even works! And sometimes what's worked in the past doesn't work today. Just keep trying anyway.. It IS worth it.
>
> Chip Bearden
> JB

Thank you Chip. I spent 38 years in IT and I'm afraid I have little patience for computer things that are obscure.

I have enough things working in Condor now for it to be useful. The things that I cannot get to work and do not understand are not important enough to fret over.

My very limited experience with Condor leads me to conclude that it is better than nothing when I cannot actually fly. I think it can help me keep my flying perceptions toned up. I think it is a remarkable piece of work. I just wish it was a little friendlier to me. On the other hand, I'm not very friendly to it.

Chris Behm

April 15th 20, 04:15 AM

Shortcut key memorizing can be nicely avoided by purchase of a 19 button keypad, and 10 minutes with a label maker, plugged into your usb port.
They are $10 on amazon, and that's the best 10 bucks you'll ever spend.

Hope this helps at least one person.

Regards,
Chris

[email protected]

April 15th 20, 06:31 PM

On Tuesday, April 14, 2020 at 11:16:01 PM UTC-4, Chris Behm wrote:
> Shortcut key memorizing can be nicely avoided by purchase of a 19 button keypad, and 10 minutes with a label maker, plugged into your usb port.
> They are $10 on amazon, and that's the best 10 bucks you'll ever spend.
>
> Hope this helps at least one person.
>
> Regards,
> Chris

Yeah, but then I'd have to buy a USB hub (I'm maxed out with the joystick and wireless mouse transmitter now, and I'm already running my Dell Streak with Top Hat off a battery pack). Another $10 on Amazon. And I had to buy a glider for Condor because nothing in the standard pack was close to what I wanted, and that was another $12, IIRC.

This cheap flying alternative is starting to get expensive. :)

Chip Bearden
JB

Chris Behm

April 16th 20, 12:13 AM

Well, hopefully my suggestion will help someone besides Chip then.

Regards,
Chris

John Foster

April 17th 20, 05:20 AM

On Wednesday, April 15, 2020 at 5:13:28 PM UTC-6, Chris Behm wrote:
> Well, hopefully my suggestion will help someone besides Chip then.
>
> Regards,
> Chris

Are there other VR goggles that are supported other than Oculus Rift and HTC Vive? There are quite a few others out there now, with better resolution.

Dan Daly[_2_]

April 17th 20, 12:06 PM

On Friday, April 17, 2020 at 12:20:25 AM UTC-4, John Foster wrote:
> On Wednesday, April 15, 2020 at 5:13:28 PM UTC-6, Chris Behm wrote:
> > Well, hopefully my suggestion will help someone besides Chip then.
> >
> > Regards,
> > Chris
>
> Are there other VR goggles that are supported other than Oculus Rift and HTC Vive? There are quite a few others out there now, with better resolution.

The Virtual Reality thread on the official software forum for Condor: https://www.condorsoaring.com/forums/viewforum.php?f=43 Why not ask there? Monitor it for progress?

Tom (TK)

April 17th 20, 06:25 PM

I use HP Reverb VR goggles the clarity is amazing. (You do have to use Steam VR, Oculus Rift drivers with Revive to get it to work) I am trying to get XCSoar to be a floating window in the cockpit for a computer.

Paul Agnew

April 17th 20, 06:55 PM

On Friday, April 17, 2020 at 1:25:30 PM UTC-4, Tom (TK) wrote:
> I use HP Reverb VR goggles the clarity is amazing. (You do have to use Steam VR, Oculus Rift drivers with Revive to get it to work) I am trying to get XCSoar to be a floating window in the cockpit for a computer.

Check out how Bruce D. got it to work. He has a couple of other apps he uses, too, but the process to pin XCSoar to the screen works fine without them.

https://youtu.be/_shMNaO6cC4

I've been able to get it to work on a solo flight with it placed to look like a kneeboard, but I never have enough time to get it going when the window opens to join multiplayer races.

Paul A.