28 minutes ago, vgbaron said:

LM started mentioning this in V2. They pressed the issue a little more in V3. More stress now in V4. By the time we're at V5 it will be mandatory. Either you play nice or don't play at all. Prepar3D is the PLATFORM - everything else are ADD ONS. It is up to the add on to conform to the platform NOT vice versa. There isn't a single developer who's product cannot be replaced by someone else and I suspect there are more waiting in the wings.

Ultimately we, the user will benefit.

Vic

I agree this is the step in the right direction, but i am finding some p3dv4 developers are still pushing files outside the installed folder into world/scenery folders and the like.. maybe in the next iteration of installers for those (few) that do they will modify the installers later on.  I only wish LM had taken a truly modular (XP style) approach, where you could simply copy folders in and auto populate the config files.. maybe eventually.. small steps but definitely the right direction.

 

 

OK, I'm gonna risk upsetting some people, but oh well. 

I'm mad as hell about the changes and the way the new XML install method works now too.  My biggest issue is it is a royal pain in the A** the way we have to change priority level methods AND what happens when I change the Scenery Area TITLE of a scenery library entry.  There is no user friendly way for the "home computer user" to make those things happen anymore.

And THERE is the crux of this whole issue.

It would appear that the "home computer user" is NOT the main focus of P3D and LM (gee...imagine that!).  And that makes perfect sense, as P3D has always been "advertised" as a SCENARIO simulator.  Will (eventually...and already does...for some scenario types) work great for commercial and military training.  What better way to support that concept than to use an XML installation method that will GROUP ALL the items (scenery, aircraft, scenarios, cows, ducks, geese, walking people, etc) into ONE "package" that a COMMERCIAL (or Government) user could just turn on or off with one-click?  Add or remove the entire XML "package" in one swift stroke.  Replace a flying scenario and all it's components with a ground operations or sea-based "training scenario" by just adding or removing an entire XML package.

That's cool, cos then nobody has to worry about the "priority order" of any scenery library, or what the "scenery area titles" are that show up in any Scenery Library GUI, etc, etc.

Folks, we home users are NOT the main thrust of LM's development attempts.  We are the Beta Testers for a much more commercial (and more profitable) Scenario Simulator.

And please, don't confuse all the developers today with what Microsoft and the ACES team used to be.  As has been said by some CEO's of "large" addon developers, the P3D LM team is a small group of people working out of Florida.  And many developers for even the most prominent addon companies today are PART-TIME developers.  I've lost count of how many "Thanks for reporting this!  I'll look into it as soon as I get home from work!" type of responses to support issues in many, many forums.  No wonder it takes months to get some things updated.  Most addon developers are not "major companies" doing full-time development.  They have an agreement, or maybe even a "contract", with someone to provide addons for the main product line.  Case in point...ORBX and the Pilot's Vector and Mesh products.  ORBX finally had to "buy out" Pilot's Vector because of all the issues getting it fixed.  And there is STILL no "game plan" announced for what ORBX plans to do to fix it.  Which is sad, because there is a BIG difference in Project Management between "We don't know how long it will take to fix it" vs "We don't even have a GOAL yet on what we WANT to do about it, cos we haven't DECIDED yet, so we can't even TELL our customers what the plan is.  But in the meantime, we hope you'll just keep buying our products."

LM...what is the plan?  ORBX...what is the plan? 

Does ANYBODY even HAVE a plan on how this will all get "fixed"?  That's the scary part.  I don't see one, and nobody has presented one.  It's like everybody is hiding under their tables, just waiting for it to all "blow over".

A Project Manager running any kind of project that way would get fired in a heartbeat.

The above is NOT a rant.  Just observations. 

22 hours ago, vgbaron said:

Lot's of reasons why - well documented - not the least of which is to answer the huge complaint of having to reinstall all addons after every update. There really is no need for the user to do the install at all assuming the developer follows the format. When they make it mandatory all installers will have to follow the format. The problem right now is the transition period is cumbersome because there are devs who won't follow the rules and some who do so you have stuff all over the place.

As a user, I feel it is important to take those that are NOT compliant and edit their install so that they are. Due to some of the testing I do I've had to reinstall several times and it just takes seconds and all my addons are ready to go. THAT alone is a valid reason for this change.

Ultimately it will be a big benefit to us all.

Vic

I'm sure you have valid points. Eventually, it will be mandatory. I guess right now, with all the previous add-ons there is a struggle as to what is and what's not compatible with V-4. But, this will come to past.. to the point where both developers and simmers will have no other choice but to follow this route. 

Has anyone used the addon method to do things like fs global or Free mesh?  Any complications.. how do you get the layers to line up like they should if using scenery.cfg (ie: just above stock scenery)?

 

A little finding i discovered.. i was using a "junction" to link to a moved orbx folder in my p3d addons folder.. apparently this lead to major slowdowns on loading up p3d.. once i removed it and moved the folder back, its much better.. maybe 2 mins quicker, minimally.

Wondering if anyone else has discovered this.