Installation Returning to Orbiter after years, can't get it running

[xmech2k]

Hi all. Returning to Orbiter after many years away, and I'm having difficulty getting it running. I have a brand new Acer laptop with 12th gen Intel Core I5-12500H 3.10 Ghz, 8G RAM, Win 11 Home 64 bit, with Nvidia Geforce RTX video. I let it do all its updates. I downloaded Orbiter 2016 zip file from the Orbiter site(and tried from here as well), wasn't able to download hi-rez scenery from there or here(I'm not a computer whiz, and didn't figure out Torrent yet), tried D3D9 and XRsound add-on. It's installed in C:/Orbiter folder, not in Program Files.
At first I'd get the opening Launchpad, choose a scenario, such as the Welcome one, and it would freeze and I'd have to stop it with a warning about it not responding. Somehow I got it to go to now it goes to a full screen Orbiter 2016 image of the Earth, then it all just closes. I've tried with & without D3D9, various Video settings and resolutions, other things I can't even remember, so now I'm resorting to posting here. Left XRsound disabled.
The most common thing I see in the Orbiter.txt file after each occasion is:
000000.000: ---------------------------------------------------------------
000000.000: >>> WARNING: Obsolete API function used: VESSEL::CreateVariableDragElement
000000.000: At least one active module is accessing an obsolete interface function.
000000.000: Addons which rely on obsolete functions may not be compatible with
000000.000: future versions of Orbiter.
Any clues on what I'm missing would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Buck Rogers]

WARNING: Obsolete API function used

This is non critical, if you can post the entire log that might help, especially the bit near the beginning with the graphics entries.
Otherwise too little information, your system seems ok.
Are you using Orbiter.exe or OrbiterNG.exe?

 

[xmech2k]

This is non critical, if you can post the entire log that might help, especially the bit near the beginning with the graphics entries.
Otherwise too little information, your system seems ok.
Are you using Orbiter.exe or OrbiterNG.exe?

Thanks for your reply and sorry it took so long to get back to it. I'm at work now, I'll check the log as you say and post it when I get the chance tonight. I've tried both Orbiter. exe and I'm pretty sure it's OrbiterNG.exe, if that's the one that uses the D3D9 add-on. I think with that one it just froze without showing the title screen or anything. I'll get the log posted tonight.

 

[jarmonik]

If you have integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics then you are having some problems running the orbiter. It's a well known problem, search the forum for solutions, lot's of threads about it.
The latest orbiter build should run much better: https://github.com/orbitersim/orbiter/releases/download/latest/Orbiter-x86.zip Includes D3D9 and XRSound

 

[xmech2k]

Let me try to attach my log here. It's the last one I tried.

Jarmonik, I don't think it's integrated graphics. Computers aren't my forte. Can they integrate an Nvidia Geforce graphics system? I'll check that build when I get the time. Thanks.

 

[Buck Rogers]

It is a laptop so the gfx chip is probably integrated/shares resources.

The log above is from the inline gfx client dx7 (orbiter.exe).

000000.000: Graphics: Hardware T&L capability: No
000000.000: Graphics: Active lights supported: -1

What are your settings under the "video" tab in the launcher (is your gfx chip selectable)? Looks like you don't have any graphics.
Unfortuneately there is no troubleshoot sticky, but as jarmonik said there are countless threads on the subject, so there's probably a solution available.
You are also using win11 which might need particular settings.

 

[nbcfrosty]

Maybe this is the solution?

Problem - D3D9 for Orbiter 2010 is Not Working

I installed Orbiter 2010 with D3D9 Client on my Laptop, but doesn't work. In my Desktop PC is working but in my Laptop doesn't work. When i run an scenario in Orbiter.exe i get a CTD, and i enable D3D9 Client Module in Orbiter_ng.exe is not working. I installed DirectX June 2010 Redist, but...

www.orbiter-forum.com

Intel has dropped D3D9 support for Iris Xe Graphics chips, so, no more native DX9 there.
Download DXVK (https://github.com/doitsujin/dxvk/releases) and copy *.dll files in the package (.tag.gz) to /Modules/Server/ that should bring Orbiter 2010 and 2016 back to life via D3D9Client. I don't know what the status of DX7 is with that graphics chip.

NOTE:
We should try to find some ways to communicate information to users, so that we don't have to tell this to everyone separately.

 

[xmech2k]

Buck Rogers, thanks for the info. I was trying all variations of graphics settings and resolutions, so that was just the last one I tried. Maybe nbcfrosty's idea is the fix? Thank you nbcfrosty too. I'll add it to things I'll try! Will report back with hopefully good news tonight.

 

[n72.75]

Let me try to attach my log here. It's the last one I tried.

Jarmonik, I don't think it's integrated graphics. Computers aren't my forte. Can they integrate an Nvidia Geforce graphics system? I'll check that build when I get the time. Thanks.

Are you running Orbiter through Orbiter.exe or Orbiter_NG.exe?

 

[Donamy]

If you have integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics then you are having some problems running the orbiter. It's a well known problem, search the forum for solutions, lot's of threads about it.
The latest orbiter build should run much better: https://github.com/orbitersim/orbiter/releases/download/latest/Orbiter-x86.zip Includes D3D9 and XRSound

Does this build support spacecraft3/4 ?