How to manually add scenery/addons into P3D v4 the right way

[Lorby_SI 2,038]

16 minutes ago, egntpilot said:

Hi Oliver

 

slight update to my above post, everything is showing in V93 bar DRZEWIECKI Washington X and New York City V2. They are shown in the scenery library in sim and do display correctly in sim also, however  they do not show up in either the sceney.cfg when in notepad++ or in V93 of your program. I have used their updated installers, 

Aagin, any ideas as to why not? If you want I'm happy to take this to your own sub forum, I realises this is a little off topic for this thread,

 

thanks for your time

Steve

 

Edit, 

restarted the sim and all is well, they are now listed correctly, not sure what the issue was but all good now,

thanks once again, Steve

Hi Steve,

one of the files that P4AO reads (and writes) is the one related to the automatically discovered addons. Maybe that one was out of sync.

Can you tell where the Drzewiecky sceneries are installed? Scenery.cfg or external xml?

Best
Oliver

[Lorby_SI 2,038]

37 minutes ago, Anxu00 said:

Just to make sure I understand, can you post an example of this actual reference in the add-on.xml ?  And just also the example of the actual "linked back" that did not work?  e.g. "this works"  but "this does not work".

I want to move all of the 3rd party add-ons out of the sim install folder once and for all, make a backup of this folder, such that the next time I need to reinstall the sim (or change the system) I don't have to spend days reinstalling anything back.

Thanks

Sure.

Assuming I have moved my "World" base folder to
"D:\MyBaseFolder\World\scenery"
"D:\MyBaseFolder\World\texture"

This does not work:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<SimBase.Document Type="AddOnXml" version="4,0" id="add-on">
  <AddOn.Name>MyBaseFolder</AddOn.Name>
  <AddOn.Description>My Base Layer Content</AddOn.Description>
  <AddOn.Component>
    <Category>Scenery</Category>
    <Path>D:\MyBaseFolder\World</Path>
    <Name>MyBaseFolder</Name>
    <Layer>2</Layer>
  </AddOn.Component>
</SimBase.Document>

But this seemed to do the trick:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<SimBase.Document Type="AddOnXml" version="4,0" id="add-on">
  <AddOn.Name>MyBaseFolder</AddOn.Name>
  <AddOn.Description>My Base Layer Content</AddOn.Description>
  <AddOn.Component>
    <Category>Scenery</Category>
    <Path>D:\MyBaseFolder\World\scenery</Path>
    <Name>MyBaseFolder</Name>
    <Layer>2</Layer>
  </AddOn.Component>
  <AddOn.Component>
    <Category>Texture</Category>
    <Path>D:\MyBaseFolder\World\texture</Path>
  </AddOn.Component>
</SimBase.Document>

Mind you, I haven't tested this thoroughly. I have just started the sim and it looked OK, as opposed to the first solution where most of the textures were missing and I got error messages from P3D that cached content couldn't be found.
It may be necessary to clean out the Shader Cache when switching between different texture sets.

Moving the whole "World" folder was just an experiment to determine if it can be done at all. In the real simulator world you would just create this external folder to contain BGL files that before were dropped into World\Scenery. The jury is still out if that works or not.

Best regards

[egntpilot 19]

Hi Oliver

They are both external xml .

like your program by the way, will have to have a proper play when I get time.

 

Steve

[Lorby_SI 2,038]

Hi @ll,

P4AO has been updated to 0.94, catching the situation where users would try to apply it to a scenery.cfg that has an incorrect encoding. In this case the tool will not start and you will see an error message instead - to prevent users from destroying their scenery.cfg.

If this message is shown, please use an advanced text editor like Notepad++ and change the Encoding of the scenery.cfg back to Unicode / UCS-2 Little Endian.

http://lorby-si.weebly.com/downloads

Best regards

[ideoplastic 86]

I'm not concerned about having to reinstall sceneries after a new Sim upgrade because I tend to rebuild the PC with saved images of the OS and of various folders such as Orbx , etc.

I am also one of those who prefer to selectively only load that which is needed for a specific flight in a quick and speedy manner using Scenery Config Editor. I take it that being a "dissident" from using the preferred method means that if I disable the xmls in the MyDocuments\Prepard3D v4 Addon folder the Sim will then only load the items I have chosen for my scenery.cfg  - I have tried this already and all seems to be working fine, however I'm wondering if there are any other xml files lurking somewhere else that would still force loading other scenery not chosen by me which will  overide  my scenery.cfg.

Regards

[cannow 61]

4 hours ago, ideoplastic said:

I'm not concerned about having to reinstall sceneries after a new Sim upgrade because I tend to rebuild the PC with saved images of the OS and of various folders such as Orbx , etc.

I am also one of those who prefer to selectively only load that which is needed for a specific flight in a quick and speedy manner using Scenery Config Editor. I take it that being a "dissident" from using the preferred method means that if I disable the xmls in the MyDocuments\Prepard3D v4 Addon folder the Sim will then only load the items I have chosen for my scenery.cfg  - I have tried this already and all seems to be working fine, however I'm wondering if there are any other xml files lurking somewhere else that would still force loading other scenery not chosen by me which will  overide  my scenery.cfg.

Regards

If you use Lorbys tool this is easy to do as easy if not more than scenary config manager

[steve40 7]

I've come up with a way to install ORBX product into P3D v4 without installing them into the main P3D folder or altering any of the default files.

- Basically, I used Sandboxie (the free version is sufficient) and installed the ORBX products into a sandbox so they are isolated from the real P3D folder.
- I configured my sandbox to allow internet access, and allowed direct file access to "scenery.cfg" and "terrain.cfg" only.
- Then I installed the latest FTXCentral into the sandbox and put a shortcut on my desktop pointing at the sandboxed FTX Central executable file for convenience. Then I downloaded and installed the FTX libraries and my "v4 ready" products via the sandboxed FTX Central.
- Then I created an "add-on.xml" in "Documents\Prepar3D v4 add-ons\ORBX" that pointed at the "Autogen", "Sound", "Effects", "Texture", "Scenery\World\Texture", "Scenery\Global\Texture" and "SimObjects\Airplanes" folders in the sandbox (nb. what actual folders you get will depend on which ORBX products you have).
- Then I added the following new Scenery entries in scenery.cfg (alternatively you could put them in your "add-on.xml"):
--> one entry pointing at the Scenery\World" folder in the sandbox. I layered it just above the default World folder.
--> one entry pointing at the "Scenery\Base" folder in the sandbox. I layered it just above the default Base folder.
--> one entry pointing at the "Scenery\Global" folder in the sandbox. I layered it just above the default Global folder.

That's it, it is working 100% so far :)

[steve40 7]

On 11/06/2017 at 11:40 PM, Lorby_SI said:

Sure.

Assuming I have moved my "World" base folder to
"D:\MyBaseFolder\World\scenery"
"D:\MyBaseFolder\World\texture"

This does not work:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<SimBase.Document Type="AddOnXml" version="4,0" id="add-on">
  <AddOn.Name>MyBaseFolder</AddOn.Name>
  <AddOn.Description>My Base Layer Content</AddOn.Description>
  <AddOn.Component>
    <Category>Scenery</Category>
    <Path>D:\MyBaseFolder\World</Path>
    <Name>MyBaseFolder</Name>
    <Layer>2</Layer>
  </AddOn.Component>
</SimBase.Document>

But this seemed to do the trick:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<SimBase.Document Type="AddOnXml" version="4,0" id="add-on">
  <AddOn.Name>MyBaseFolder</AddOn.Name>
  <AddOn.Description>My Base Layer Content</AddOn.Description>
  <AddOn.Component>
    <Category>Scenery</Category>
    <Path>D:\MyBaseFolder\World\scenery</Path>
    <Name>MyBaseFolder</Name>
    <Layer>2</Layer>
  </AddOn.Component>
  <AddOn.Component>
    <Category>Texture</Category>
    <Path>D:\MyBaseFolder\World\texture</Path>
  </AddOn.Component>
</SimBase.Document>

Mind you, I haven't tested this thoroughly. I have just started the sim and it looked OK, as opposed to the first solution where most of the textures were missing and I got error messages from P3D that cached content couldn't be found.
It may be necessary to clean out the Shader Cache when switching between different texture sets.

Moving the whole "World" folder was just an experiment to determine if it can be done at all. In the real simulator world you would just create this external folder to contain BGL files that before were dropped into World\Scenery. The jury is still out if that works or not.

Best regards

What I have found is that you need a Texture category for stand-alone (global or world) texture assets, and a separate Scenery category for paired scenery-texture assets, so I do it like this:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<SimBase.Document Type="AddOnXml" version="4,0" id="add-on">
  <AddOn.Name>MyBaseFolder</AddOn.Name>
  <AddOn.Description>My Base Layer Content</AddOn.Description>
  <AddOn.Component>
    <Category>Scenery</Category>
    <Path>D:\MyBaseFolder\World</Path>
    <Name>MyBaseFolder</Name>
    <Layer>2</Layer>
  </AddOn.Component>
  <AddOn.Component>
    <Category>Texture</Category>
    <Path>D:\MyBaseFolder\World\texture</Path>
    <Type>WORLD</Type>
  </AddOn.Component>
</SimBase.Document>

Don't forget that you need to specify the <Type></Type> of any texture categories.

 

Edit: I'm doing this for new or modified files, not for the entire default Scenery\World\Scenery folder.

[steve40 7]

I've just gotten around to testing PrecipitFX in P3D v4. PrecipitFX has supposedly been updated recently to support v4 (it now recognizes v4 in the settings panel), but lo and behold, it will only update the aircraft in the main SimObjects folder and does not search for aircraft add-ons in your "Documents\Prepar3d v4 Add-ons" folder or in the add-ons.cfg files. I've emailed a support request to the folks at Old Prop about this.

[downscc 1,327]

9 hours ago, steve40 said:

Don't forget that you need to specify the <Type></Type> of any texture categories.

No you  don't, according to the SDK an undeclared texture type will default to GLOBAL.

[1st fltsimguy 466]

Somebody write a guide. Please. I will donate.

This thread is loaded with great stuff but I'm overwhelmed and confused. I need an...

- try A, or try B or C.....pros / cons.

- do this do that, like Steve40s post above

[Dougal 165]

Quote

 

 

13 minutes ago, 1st fltsimguy said:

Somebody write a guide. Please. I will donate.

This thread is loaded with great stuff but I'm overwhelmed and confused. I need an...

- try A, or try B or C.....pros / cons.

- do this do that, like Steve40s post above

I too am completely overwhelmed by the amount of info regarding this. You're not alone;-)

Last night, I installed the updated Scenery Config Editor for v4, only to discover that it wouldn't run, due to 'corrupt files' in my v4 installation!!!  That can only have come about (I think) from installing sceneries the 'old way'.

I have since gone back to a backup of COMPLETELY vanilla v4, and will, when I can gain a glimmer of understanding of how to go about it, TRY to install some of my addons 'the correct way'.

Was v4 released half cooked, or was it meant to be like this?

[Dougal 165]

When PMDG released the update for the 747, I 'assumed' it would show up in the P3Dv4 Addons Folder, but no, it seems to have done a 'normal' install. Go figure;-/

[egntpilot 19]

Hi

I just let the installers do there thing, as long as they install and run correctly I don't care where the files are installed! 

The  main issue that initially concerned me was not being able to easily rearrange scenery layers when scenery was added via the xml method however using Oliver's (Lorby-Si) AO tool I can move the entries up and down as needed so I'm happy.

I've no doubt there will be more wrinkles come to light but at the moment I'm happy.

 

cheers

 

Steve

[steve40 7]

6 hours ago, downscc said:

No you  don't, according to the SDK an undeclared texture type will default to GLOBAL.

Only if they are GLOBAL. The ones in the example were WORLD and needed to be declared correctly.

Edit: for the record, I've been explicitly declaring the texture types and haven't encountered the issues that others have reported here.