Autogen Configuration Merge by Arno Gerretson

[RALF9636 1,890]

Thanks for your reply.

I read the manual but I don't understand it.

As far as I can see Orbx and the others are just changing the default autogen description files. How do I find which entries I should put in that new Autogen folder I need to create?

Or do I just copy the whole Autogen folder files (from the main P3D folder) into that new specific autogen folder? And do that again after I install any new scenery?

Please excuse my ignorance. ;-)

[kevinfirth 1,392]

6 minutes ago, RALF9636 said:

As far as I can see Orbx and the others are just changing the default autogen description files

There are several relevant autogen description files.  The main ones are:

default.xml - Contains the name and GUIDs of all library objects used as autogen

RoofDescriptions.spb - Contains the names and GUIDs of all roof models used for autogen

AutogenDescriptions.spb - Contains the names and GUIDs of all vegetation models used for autogen

Orbx distribute a set of files with their sceneries that include some but not all of other scenery developers custom autogen descriptions.  The ones they don't include will obviously not show in the sim because they aren't known to it as they aren't in the files.  Same for FVFR etc...  

 

15 minutes ago, RALF9636 said:

Or do I just copy the whole Autogen folder files (from the main P3D folder) into that new specific autogen folder?

Only the ones where the time/date stamp shows it has changed

 

16 minutes ago, RALF9636 said:

And do that again after I install any new scenery?

Yes

 

I would suggest that a workable solution could be as follows for example, for example with an Orbx and FVFR scenery.

1. Install one of the sceneries

2. Create an Autogen folder alongside the Scenery and Texture folders for that scenery

3. Copy the 3 files above from C:\Prepar3D v4\Autogen to the Autogen folder you created in (2)

4. Install the second scenery

5. Install ACM using the command prompt (described in the developers manual)

6. Fly...

The second installation should overwrite the first scenery's autogen descriptions.  However, you've copied them to the new Autogen folder you made so they aren't lost.  When you start the sim after installing ACM, ACM should merge those 2 sets of files and the sim will use the merged ones, theoretically allowing you to use both sceneries fully as intended with each other, as opposed to having to make a choice between one of the other.

Hope that made sense :)

 

[RALF9636 1,890]

Thanks a lot for that explanation. Now it makes sense to me.

 

But - in your example if I first install an Orbx scenery and then an FVFR scenery - don't I have to do the steps 1-3 again also for the FVFR scenery to be safe?

If I don't do it I will loose the FVFR autogen again as soon as I open Orbx's FTX Central the next time, because it will overwrite the files again with its own. Or is there still something I am missing?

[pmb 5,137]

14 minutes ago, RALF9636 said:

But - in your example if I first install an Orbx scenery and then an FVFR scenery - don't I have to do the steps 1-3 again also for the FVFR scenery to be safe?

If I don't do it I will loose the FVFR autogen again as soon as I open Orbx's FTX Central the next time, because it will overwrite the files again with its own. Or is there still something I am missing?

I thought ACM would just reinsert the missing entries (and ask you to restart the simulator)? 

Kind regards, Michael

[RALF9636 1,890]

1 minute ago, pmb said:

I thought ACM would just reinsert the missing entries (and ask you to restart the simulator)? 

Kind regards, Michael

But ACM could only do that if I create a specific autogen folder in both the Orbx and the FVFR folder (?)

And btw do I have to do that with every Orbx scenery?

[pmb 5,137]

17 minutes ago, RALF9636 said:

But ACM could only do that if I create a specific autogen folder in both the Orbx and the FVFR folder (?)

And btw do I have to do that with every Orbx scenery?

To be honest: I was hesitant to do that myself so far for France VFR. However, I have been using ACM with some other sceneries (e.g. Godzone) already.

I don't think it is required to make autogen folders for the ORBX sceneries as FTXC 3 inserts the entries every time it is called. However, the France VFR entries are overwritten this way. ACM leaves the ORBX entries in their place but adds the France FVR entries which it finds in the named autogen folder (besides scenery and texture).

At least that's my understanding, I would be grateful if Kevin could confirm (or falsify) this.

Kind regards, Michael

[kevinfirth 1,392]

AFAIK the only dev that has a utility that continually overwrites autogen files is Orbx, so it would probably be best to put any other custom autogen files in Autogen folders and let FTX central overwrite the sim files with the orbx ones.

If you do that you dont need to create any autogen folders for any Orbx scenery.

ACM reads and merges the autogen files at run time, every time, so you wont need to go through the whole process every time :)

[kevinfirth 1,392]

2 hours ago, RALF9636 said:

ut - in your example if I first install an Orbx scenery and then an FVFR scenery - don't I have to do the steps 1-3 again also for the FVFR scenery to be safe?

No.  You only need one set of files for each scenery with custom autogen.  In our example the P3D autogen folder is the one holding the Orbx ones.

Arno has coded ACM to filter out duplicate entries in files, but it is recommended for devs using ACM to only include THEIR custom autogen in additional files, not duplicate other devs stuff.  If you wanted to be purist about it you could download spb2xml, convert the autogen spb files to xml then edit out any duplicate entries in files so you didnt rely on ACM doing it for you, but I suspect most people wouldnt be up for that!

[pmb 5,137]

17 minutes ago, kevinfirth said:

AFAIK the only dev that has a utility that continually overwrites autogen files is Orbx, so it would probably be best to put any other custom autogen files in Autogen folders and let FTX central overwrite the sim files with the orbx ones.

But doesn't the France VFR's "Autogen Global" Tool the same, just in the opposite direection? They may not overwrite autogen entries of those associated (29Palms etc.) but those form ORBX - or not?

Kind regards, Michael

[him225 51]

I thought the autogen category in the addon xml method dealt with the issue, does it not work by merging autogen definitions?

[GSalden 4,653]

Here I have 2 extra Autogen folders with slightly different names . One with the Orbx files and the other with the FtanceVFR files merge ( multiple developers )

With batchfiles on my desktop I choose in what environment I land ...

http://www.francevfr.com/agx_EN.htm

[kevinfirth 1,392]

5 hours ago, pmb said:

But doesn't the France VFR's "Autogen Global" Tool the same, just in the opposite direection? They may not overwrite autogen entries of those associated (29Palms etc.) but those form ORBX - or not?

Ah yes, the wonderful grown up world of autogen definition ownership.  Childish spats over personalities and styles of approach resulting in problems for end users :(

You could use a batch file approach to use appropriate files for any flight but thats a hassle.

You can make both an Orbx and FVFR additional Autogen folder.  Then whichever dev had overwritten the default sim files you would still have all the definitions.  You would need to rely on ACM correctly filtering the duplicate entries out, which it should do.

[kevinfirth 1,392]

5 hours ago, him225 said:

I thought the autogen category in the addon xml method dealt with the issue, does it not work by merging autogen definitions?

No apparently not, which is a pain since that would clearly be most useful for users.

AFAIK the addon.xml autogen category only allows you to specify a different single set of definition files that the sim should use instead.. Thats great for corporate users who set up fixed use cases, but not so much for us!

[RALF9636 1,890]

Here is what I did:

1. I had installed lots of Orbx Scenery, a France VFR scenery and Austria HD. I ran FTX Central several times obviously, so I lost the autogen trees of France VFR (tested around LFMN).

2. I downloaded and ran Autogen Global X by France VFR. Restarted the sim and autogen of France VFR was nice again. But I lost autogen buildings of Orbx PNW (tested around CYVR) - as to be expected.

3. I ran FTX Central again and restarted the sim. CYVR was fine again but I lost the trees around LFMN again - as to be expected.

4. Autogen Global X had created a folder AGXDescriptions64 in the main autogen folder. I copied that folder to the FranceVFR scenery (PACA VFR Vol1 - Ground Layer) and put it next to the scenery and texture folders, renaming it "autogen".

Restarted the sim (with AutogenConfigurationMerger installed) - and voilà: trees in France were back again! Also CYVR still was okay.

5. I ran FTX Central again to doublecheck. Still looking good everywhere I tested: CYVR, LFMN and LOWW (with Austria HD)!

 

So it really seems to have worked. Thanks a lot to everyone for your contribution!

 

Now the only thing in this regard I still need to find out is how to permanently keep the AustriaHD entries between FTX LOWI and FTX GES. But that would be a different topic ;-).

 

 

[Michael Moe 493]

Flytampa has a Autogen installer for EHAM in the installations folder that insets EHAM specific autogen.

Is this really something a consumer should spent his head with? I am so lost here.

Why cant those developers just make a program like the above mentioned ?

 

Thanks

Michael Moe