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Lorby_SI

How to "install" MyTraffic into V4 - xml method

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Hello @ll,

not sure if this is the right place or if this has been addressed already:

Here is a quick way how to get MT6 into P3D V4, assuming that you have installed MyTraffic into its default location "C:\MyTraffic Professional\MyTraffic"

1. Create a folder: "\Documents\Prepar3D v4 Add-ons\MyTraffic6"
2. In that folder you create an "add-on.xml" file like this:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<SimBase.Document Type="AddOnXml" version="4,0" id="add-on">
<AddOn.Name>MyTraffic6</AddOn.Name>
<AddOn.Description>MyTraffic6</AddOn.Description>
<AddOn.Component>
<Category>SimObjects</Category>
<Path>C:\MyTraffic Professional\MyTraffic\Aircraft</Path>
</AddOn.Component>
<AddOn.Component>
<Category>Scenery</Category>
<Path>C:\MyTraffic Professional\MyTraffic</Path>
<Name>MyTraffic6</Name>
</AddOn.Component>
<AddOn.Component>
<Category>Sound</Category>
<Path>Content\Sound</Path>
</AddOn.Component>
</SimBase.Document>

Take care that this file is indeed UTF-8 - use something like Notepad++ to create it

The add-on.xml file ends up here:
 "\Documents\Prepar3D v4 Add-ons\MyTraffic6\add-on.xml"

3. It is not necessary to do this step, but it avoids content errors:
- Create another subfolder "\Documents\Prepar3D v4 Add-ons\MyTraffic6\Content\Sound"
- Find this file: "C:\MyTraffic Professional\MyTraffic\Aircraft\B738MX\soundai\bmflaps.wav" and copy it into the "\Sound" folder that you created

That's it.

 

btw: to disable default traffic do it the usual way: rename "C:\Program Files\Lockheed Martin\Prepar3D v4\Scenery\World\scenery\trafficAircraft.bgl" to "C:\Program Files\Lockheed Martin\Prepar3D v4\Scenery\World\scenery\trafficAircraft.bgl.off".

Best regards

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LORBY-SI

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15 minutes ago, ricka47 said:

Thanks.  I followed these instructions (http://www.prepar3d.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=122412) and MT6 is working fine.  What do the steps above actually do?

These steps are the recommended way how addons get added to Prepar3D V4 as per official LM specification. No editing or altering of any simulator config files is necessary (except the hack to disable default traffic).

Plus, the added content is not destroyed when the next P3D update is rolled out.

Best regards


LORBY-SI

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Gotcha - thanks!


Rick Abshier

5900X | RTX3080 | 32 GB@3600 | India Pale Ale

 

 

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To verify -  using the proper method - is the entry added by P3D to the scenery library at the proper location and activated or must that still be done by the user?

 

Vic


 

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37 minutes ago, glider_uk said:

Just click on localize V3 but then browse to V4, don't forget to make the changes to simobjects.cfg as stated above. in documents\Prepar3d -V4 Files

 

Edit : apologies Browse to C:\Program Data\ Lockheed Martin\P3Dv4 

Once again, confused.   I clicked on localize V3.   What do you mean browse to V4?  There is no V4 in the drop down.  Sorry for my inability to understand everything.  

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8 minutes ago, vgbaron said:

To verify -  using the proper method - is the entry added by P3D to the scenery library at the proper location and activated or must that still be done by the user?

 

Vic

Hi Vic,

you don't have to do anything else. This is the complete procedure. Per specification the MT6 bgl flight plans will be on top of your scenery library, but that doesn't really matter in this case. You could add a Layer tag though, if you really want to.

What it actually does:

- P3D V4 will automatically discover the add-on.xml
- This file tells P3D where to find the Aircraft, the BGLs (scenery) and the missing sound file (shown in the content error log)

> If you uninstall and reinstall P3D the addon will still be there
> If you rename the .XML the addon is disabled.

Best regards


LORBY-SI

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43 minutes ago, glider_uk said:

Just click on localize V3 but then browse to V4, don't forget to make the changes to simobjects.cfg as stated above. in documents\Prepar3d -V4 Files

 

Edit : apologies Browse to C:\Program Data\ Lockheed Martin\P3Dv4 

Do you mean "browse V4" within the the sim "scenery library"?  

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Nice way to handle this - I hope that third-party developers will follow this format!


Rick Abshier

5900X | RTX3080 | 32 GB@3600 | India Pale Ale

 

 

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7 minutes ago, ricka47 said:

Nice way to handle this - I hope that third-party developers will follow this format!

And users :happy:

Otherwise we will end up with config files having an incorrect encoding and management apps not being able to properly discover all other content - and many hours of work lost if you ever have to do a full reinstall (which is not out of the question with a new platform).

What I can't stress enough - use the content error logging when you target "old" addons. These seemingly insignificant tiny errors ("It works, does it not?") will lead to degraded performance and stutters.

Best regards


LORBY-SI

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44 minutes ago, Lorby_SI said:

Hi Vic,

you don't have to do anything else. This is the complete procedure. Per specification the MT6 bgl flight plans will be on top of your scenery library, but that doesn't really matter in this case. You could add a Layer tag though, if you really want to.

What it actually does:

- P3D V4 will automatically discover the add-on.xml
- This file tells P3D where to find the Aircraft, the BGLs (scenery) and the missing sound file (shown in the content error log)

> If you uninstall and reinstall P3D the addon will still be there
> If you rename the .XML the addon is disabled.

Best regards

That's what I thought. Digging through the SDK can get confusing. Since MY6 recommends layering just above default it will probably have to be moved. The layering brings up another issue - how does this system deal with two addons wanting the same layer. Usually you have your defaults, then let's say Orbx regions then individual airports. If the regions are on top, the airports won't display properly. Used to be one just moved the entries in the Scenery Library and left it but it appears that some of the entries cannot be moved.

Could be an issue, no?

 

Vic


 

RIG#1 - 7700K 5.0g ROG X270F 3600 15-15-15 - EVGA RTX 3090 1000W PSU 1- 850G EVO SSD, 2-256G OCZ SSD, 1TB,HAF942-H100 Water W1064Pro
40" 4K Monitor 3840x2160 - AS16, ASCA, GEP3D, UTX, Toposim, ORBX Regions, TrackIR
RIG#2 - 3770K 4.7g Asus Z77 1600 7-8-7 GTX1080ti DH14 850W 2-1TB WD HDD,1tb VRap, Armor+ W10 Pro 2 - HannsG 28" Monitors
 

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Hi Vic,

there is always room for improvement, it is the early days after all. The way I see it, the order of the individual Addon.Component tags equals the order in which they will be read - which is the equivalent of the layers that we are used to even without assigning the proper tags. So for OrbX that shouldn't be an issue, they "just" have to figure out how to make their own add-on.xml work correctly. This is what I did, I have multiple addons which use the same SimObjects, so giving each an individual add-on.xml is not an option - that would lead to conflicts. I ended up using a single add-on.xml as point of entry and group the addons into the proper subfolders. The same could be done with scenery, for example by keeping Mesh, Traffic, landclass and airports in a certain order from the beginning.

A nice touch would be an external "master" xml file to rule them all, like the add-ons.cfg does now, and an option to have V4 search recursively. I would be satisfied if it would be possible to change addon order in the Add-ons dialog in P3D (not only the order in which they are loaded, but also the order of the components inside them), that would be a nice touch.

A tool to manage the entire scenery ordering is certainly called for, and it shouldn't be too hard to accomplish. I will make one, once the conversion of my products is complete, but I have a feeling that someone will beat me to it :o)

Best regards


LORBY-SI

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three separate threads on MT6 - merged. Folks please at least scan the forum topics for an answer before starting a new thread!

 

Vic


 

RIG#1 - 7700K 5.0g ROG X270F 3600 15-15-15 - EVGA RTX 3090 1000W PSU 1- 850G EVO SSD, 2-256G OCZ SSD, 1TB,HAF942-H100 Water W1064Pro
40" 4K Monitor 3840x2160 - AS16, ASCA, GEP3D, UTX, Toposim, ORBX Regions, TrackIR
RIG#2 - 3770K 4.7g Asus Z77 1600 7-8-7 GTX1080ti DH14 850W 2-1TB WD HDD,1tb VRap, Armor+ W10 Pro 2 - HannsG 28" Monitors
 

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Food for thought.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<SimBase.Document Type="AddOnXml" version="4,0" id="add-on">
<AddOn.Name>V3 Aircraft</AddOn.Name>
<AddOn.Description>My aircraft from V3</AddOn.Description>
<AddOn.Component>
<Category>SimObjects</Category>
<Path>C:\Program Files (x86)\Lockheed Martin\Prepar3D v3\SimObjects\Airplanes</Path>
</AddOn.Component>
<AddOn.Component>
<Category>SimObjects</Category>
<Path>C:\Program Files (x86)\Lockheed Martin\Prepar3D v3\SimObjects\Rotorcraft</Path>
</AddOn.Component>
<AddOn.Component>
<Category>Effects</Category>
<Path>C:\Program Files (x86)\Lockheed Martin\Prepar3D v3\Effects</Path>
</AddOn.Component>
<AddOn.Component>
<Category>Gauges</Category>
<Path>C:\Program Files (x86)\Lockheed Martin\Prepar3D v3\Gauges</Path>
</AddOn.Component>
<AddOn.Component>
<Category>Sound</Category>
<Path>C:\Program Files (x86)\Lockheed Martin\Prepar3D v3\Sound</Path>
</AddOn.Component>
</SimBase.Document>

Of course it isn't as easy as all that - programmatic gauges will not work. But it is an example of how one could go about organizing 3rd party aircraft - keep them in a separate folder on another drive with the structure above, and create one single add-on.xml. Point all installers to that external path.

Best regards


LORBY-SI

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51 minutes ago, vgbaron said:

three separate threads on MT6 - merged. Folks please at least scan the forum topics for an answer before starting a new thread!

 

Vic

Hi vic,

now the two different techniques look like they are one and the same. I find this very confusing. A simmer looking for help may get lost on 7 pages of disjointed posts...

Best regards


LORBY-SI

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