Performing a FSX/P3D Dual Install

[greggerm 312]

Hello all,

 

I'm getting antsy to get back into the P3Dv2 world (*I have flight sim hyperactivity/attention deficit disorder), and I'm interested in performing a proper "dual" install with both FSX and P3D. I'm aware that the simulations themselves work just fine side by side, but I'm interested in various addons. May I ask a few questions?

 

For those addons which work on both platforms, what is the best method to performing a dual installation? As an owner of the FTX Global texture set, it has installer options for both FSX and P3D - would I install it first for FSX, then again for P3Dv2? Has anyone observed any hiccups in doing such a dual install?

 

For addons which aren't advertised to work on both, but will... same question. After being installed in FSX, is it just a matter of installing once again and pointing towards P3D, perhaps using the Migration Tool as a vehicle for this if needed?

 

I really like "clean" installs without the muss and fuss of different versions, but I'm not 100% willing to part with FSX. There are a few addons which are FSX only I would like to keep using, but P3D brings just too much more to the table to ignore in my book.

 

Anyone using a "dual" install care to comment or share their experiences?

 

-Greg

[ryanbatc 12,802]

I have both installed but on separate physical drives at the moment.

 

For Orbx stuff I installed FSX first then P3D second but I'm sure you could do it the other way around.

 

I haven't really installed many addons from X into P yet either. P3D is mainly used as a techy play sim much like XP10 is for me as well.

[yorgosGK 7]

I have both on the same drive but pretty soon I am going to perform a system format and just install P3D v2.x

 

When I install for P3D I just do that install and when I do for FSX I do for FSX. I totally agree with what you mean when you say you like clean installs. This is why I am going to be reformatting any day now. I figure reformatting and getting your sim back these days shouldn't take that long...

[Chocorua 112]

Some payware addons have dual installers, just do one at a time, it matters not which order. Some other payware will only have FSX installers but will work in P3D2.2 using the FSE Migration Tool, which is pretty slick. Then there are those that one can copy over from FSX to P3D and sometimes those work fine...sometimes not. As time goes on it seems developers are more often making products that only work in one or the other.

 

Also I have both FSX and P3D on the same drive, same partition with no issues.

 

Have fun,

[TrafficPilot 121]

I had both but encountered problems after installing FTX Global and Vector into P3D. Looks like the FTX stuff was referencing the FSX scenery.cfg not the P3D one so removed FSX, reinstalled FTX into P3D and it works properly.

 

I've copied the original FSX folder to an external drive so I can access my favourite aircraft and scenery addons to use in P3D.

 

Hope your dual installation goes smoothly.

 

Cheers

 

Adam

[Slayer 190]

FTX global doesn't have the shared install. So basically you have 2 completely separate installs that do not affect each other.

 

The same goes for FSDT airports.

 

The only problem with the migration tool is that if you have both FSX and P3D then anything you install, only the last install is added to your control panel add/remove program list. So if you you install the same addon to FSX then to P3D, you will only be able to run the uninstaller for the P3D copy.

[greggerm 312]

Thanks for all the ideas. I'll be keeping the FSX installation fairly "light" when I'm running dual, as I only need it for a few select items, one of which is a scenery design tool not yet capable of P3Dv2 usage.

 

I'll probably jump in with this later in the summer - hopefully after P3D v2.3 hits the airwaves. We don't know when 2.3 will release yet, but I'm hedging my bets it will be at least relatively soon... I hope!

 

Any other tips or thoughts on a sane, clean dual installation would be appreciated as well.

 

Cheers,

-Greg

[alamahant 0]

I already have an FSX-FSX-SE side by side set up using symlinks to point to the SimObjects Gauges Effects etc folders.It works very smoothly no problems whatsoever..Today I just installed p3dv3 and I symlinked it to the FSX folders.It works just fine but I dont know if I can mix p3d gauges etc with fsx ones in the same folder....For the time being I am veeeryyy cautious...I also have an FTX-Orbx setup that is being shared between fsx and fsx-se.I can also symlink p3d to the ORBX folder in fsx BUT...............I dont know how to generate a scenery.cfg file for p3d containing the FTX entries-without installing again ftx.....I could just copy and paste from the fsx scenery.cfg but I am a little uncertain and extra cautious....Not screw things up royally....One step at a time...Lets see.....Good Luck

[Airline2Sim 489]

Have both P3D and FSX:SE side by side, but with all the bells and whistles installed it can get a bit confusing as you end up with multiple duplicate control panels for various utilities, scenery and aircraft and it's not always clear which one is for which. I also have X-Plane with a bunch of add-on stuff so it can be a big job to keep all of them up to date!

 

You can often point the scenery library in P3D to the FSX install path for scenery which cuts down the clutter (and then counts as only a 'single' install' but as more and more scenery designers are using custom objects for P3D that will become harder to do.

 

As soon as the FSL A320 comes along for P3D then I will be bidding farewell to FSX forever, I'm afraid.

[downscc 1,327]

I have P3D, FSX and XPL side by side; however I only use those others for testing and all my add on scenery and aircraft are in P3D.  I had FSX:SE installed on my old machine and didn't want it on the new.., just never liked the steam interface.