Transferring Aircraft Folder

[ctiger 49]

Not sure if this should be in hardware but anyway here is what I would like to do:I need to free up some HD space by transferring some of my FS9 folders aircraft and/or secenery) to my exteranl HD and still use the FS9 from my main HD? Is there a way I can do this or do I have to reinstall FS9 onto the external HD.Thanks,Carl

[Guest martin842]

I have all my add-on scenery on a different hard disk to that on which FS9 is installed. The add-on scenery folders can go anywhere, so long as SCENERY.CFG is told where they are. The easiest way to bulk change entries in SCENERY.CFG is to open it in Notepad or Word and do a global change of the path names.I don't think the aircraft folder can be moved, though.Martin

[lliaudais 2]

Hi Carl,To the best of my knowledge, Scenery is the only thing that can be stored outside the fs9 folder. Scenery is referenced by path name in the scenery config. Aircraft are expected to be in the fs9aircraft folder.It may be worth mentioning that this limitation is removed in FSX where you can have multiple aircraft folders referenced by pathname.There is another way to treat this. I have more "installed" aircraft that I can possibly use in any one session. I moved many of the less frequently used folders intact to a storage location. If, while flying, I find I want the 'stored' F-14D instead of the A, I pause, drag the desired ac folder into the sim from storage, return focus to the sim, switch ac, and continue flying.Another approach: I like the wizbang-21 Flipzuege -- but I don't need all 13 sets of textures. I keep the Navy and Marine repaints and put the rest in storage. Caution: This is properly done by also deleting the references in the aircraft.cfg and managing that could be tedious. I have an F-4 that I only fly with the camo skin; I only have one remaining reference in the aircraft.cfg. FS9 could care less if I overwrite the actual textures in that default folder and use the Tigermeet textures instead. The cfg is unchanged, the texture folder name is unchanged - Only I see anything different. Just don't change textures while flying the AC, of course.There's almost always another way to do something. Find what works for you.Hope this helpsLoyd

[graemeb 14]

If you run Win XP, you need something like NTFS link:http://www.elsdoerfer.info/ntfslink/I posted details about this some months ago, so search the forums. You basically create a special "softlink" which is a type of folder that points to another folder.Create the aircraft folder on your external drive, then move all your aircraft into it. Then delete the FS9aircraft folder, and then create a softlink called "aircraft" in its place, pointing to the external drive location.I have done this for my aircraft, scenery, and add-on scenery folders and it works fine! :-)

[ctiger 49]

Thanks to all for the quick responses. All of them have merit. The easiest, which I didn't even consider was to move specific aircraft to "storage", my external drive. Will be interesting to see just how many gigs I can free up on that one. Thanks for that idea Loyld. I have so many aircraft, which I seldom use anyway.Martin, I wiill start messing with my scenery.cfg. Graeme, you are correct I do remember something about "softlink". I need to investigate that a little more to make sure I understand what to do. It could really be a cure all.Regards,Carl

[Gypsy Baron 10]

You can also move the fsfsconv folder anywhere you want itsince any panel or sound cfg folders that have an alias=statment to fsfsconv can be editied to add the extended path.I have 4 instances of FS9 on my system, spread over two hard disks and 4 logical partitions. I created a commonlocation for "Addon Scenery", "Scenery" and "fsfsconv"folders so that each instance could use those common files.I've since added an external drive and I moved all mysaved download files over to that, freeing up severalGB's in the process :)Now, with FSX on a fifth partition I need to startconsidering an overall management scheme to handleall the anticipated addons.I've not tried using the "softlink" approach althoughI was aware of the capability. I may create a common FS9 "gauges" folder over with my other common stuff and softlink to it. That will free up another 1.5 GB ofspace, about 400 MB per instance of FS9. Paul

[ctiger 49]

Paul,This maybe a dumb question but if I move my "addon scenery" and "scenery" folders to my external drive how do I change the FS9.cfg or sceenry.cfg to cause it to find these folders? I do not see anything in either of these cfg files to change to make it go to or find the relocation of my folders.Thanks,Carl

[Gypsy Baron 10]

>Paul,>>>This maybe a dumb question but if I move my "addon scenery">and "scenery" folders to my external drive how do I change the>FS9.cfg or sceenry.cfg to cause it to find these folders? I do>not see anything in either of these cfg files to change to>make it go to or find the relocation of my folders.>>>Thanks,>>CarlIn the Scenery.cfg file there is a line item "Local="It's usually blank for default installes but you can haveFS9 look elsewhere for any given piece of Addon scenery.My common "Addon Scenery" folder is on my F: drive.here are entries from my FS9_Europe instance of FS9 Scenery.cfgon my I: drive.[Area.001] ( the default path for this instance )Title=Default TerrainTexture_ID=1Layer=1Active=TRUERequired=TRUELocal=I:Program FilesFS9 EuropeSceneryWorldRemote=[Area.002] ( This folder must also remain in default path )Title=Default SceneryLayer=2Active=TRUERequired=TRUELocal=I:Program FilesFS9 EuropeSceneryBASERemote=[Area.003] ( default scenery moved to common Scenery folder )Title=AfricaLayer=3Active=FALSERequired=FALSELocal=F:Program FilesMicrosoft GamesSceneryAfriRemote=..[Area.043] ( addon located in my common folder )Title=Mesh Poland ( the path and folder name could be anything )Local=F:Program FilesMicrosoft GamesAddon SceneryMesh PolandRemote=Active=TRUERequired=FALSELayer=43The first time you move everything you'll need to go in and pastein the new path or, from within FS9, delete the old scenery.cfg and then add the "new" addon scenery by pointing FS9 to it in the menufor adding an area.Now for the "Scenery" folder, I have found that the "World" and"Base" folders need to remain in the default path but the rest can then be moved elsewhere and there "Local=" path set bypasting in the new path.So, in my I:Program FilesFS9 Europe path I have a "Scenery"folder that contains "World" and "Base" folders.In my common F:Program FilesMicrosoft Games path I have folders"Addon Scenery", "Scenery" and "fsfsconv".The fsfsconv folder contains panel and sound folders that I useon multiple aircraft or share between my 4 instances of FS9.These are pointed to by entries in the aircrafts panel.cfg andsound.cfg folders. Examples...[fltsim]alias=F:Program FilesMicrosoft Gamesfsfsconvpanel.757-2[fltsim]alias=F:Program FilesMicrosoft Gamesfsfsconvsound.B737Hope this explanation is clear. Feel free to ask any otherquestions that might arise. Paul

[ctiger 49]

Paul, Thanks for taking to time to lay out what I need to do. I have started the process which includes over 130 "Area" sceneries. As I may have mentioned I have already copied my entire FS9 folder over to my "G" drive, which I was using for backup. Since I already have all files on "G" HD could I not just go ahead and edit the scenery.cfg and add the path "G:Program FilesMicrosoft GamesFlight Simulator9... to all my addons including all the areas not located in the Addon Scenery? I assume the scenery.cfg will remain on my "C" drive and I will need the copied scenery.cfg now on "G" drive.Examples[Area.036]Title=Vehicle LibrariesLocal=G:Program FilesMicrosoft GamesFlight Simulator9SceneryVehiclesLayer=36Active=TRUERequired=TRUERemote=[Area.037]Title=Propeller ObjectsLocal=G:Program FilesMicrosoft GamesFlight Simulator9ScenerypropsLayer=37Active=TRUERequired=TRUERemote=[Area.038]Title=Addon SceneryLocal=G:Program FilesMicrosoft GamesFlight Simulator9Addon SceneryLayer=38Active=TRUERequired=FALSERemote=[Area.039]Title=FlyTampa-SanFranciscoLocal=G:Program FilesMicrosoft GamesFlight Simulator 9Addon SceneryFlyTampa-SanFranciscoRemote=Active=TRUERequired=FALSELayer=39[Area.040]Title=Paris CDG 2005Local=G:Program FilesMicrosoft GamesFlight Simulator9aerosoftParis CDG 2005Active=TRUELayer=40Required=FALSERemote= [Area.041]Title=EDDF_LCLocal=G:Program FilesMicrosoft GamesFlight Simulator9aerosoftEDDF_LCActive=TRUELayer=41Required=FALSERemote= [Area.042]Title=EDDF_2005Local=G:Program FilesMicrosoft GamesFlight Simulator9aerosoftEDDF_2005Active=TRUELayer=42Required=FALSERemote= [Area.043]Title=AESliteforGAP-EDDFLocal=G:Program FilesMicrosoft GamesFlight Simulator9aerosoftAESliteforGAP-EDDFActive=TRUELayer=43Required=FALSERemote= [Area.044]Title=BUR2005Local=G:Program FilesMicrosoft GamesFlight Simulator9Addon SceneryBUR2005Remote=Active=TRUERequired=FALSELayer=44Thanks for your help,Carl

[ctiger 49]

Sorry I meant to say remove the backup copy of the scenery.cfg on the G drive.Carl