How to effectively manage P3D v4.1 install and add-ons?

[Thomasso 224]

Hello,

so an unfortunate thing has happened to me, my SDD with Windows and P3D v4.1 died. Therefore I need to do a complete reinstall of everything. Wohoo.. 

I think that since I've gotta do it, I might as well do it right. 

My questions are as follows:

1. I have 256 GB SSD and 1 TB HDD. Windows is naturally going on the SSD. Should I install P3Dv4.1 there as well? Or will the HDD be a better option? I have a lot of huge add-ons.
2. Is there any benefit of installing add-ons outside of P3Dv4.1 root folder? How do I effectively do that, should I want to?
3. Do you use any tools for managing add-ons? Which ones?
4. Is there any way that I can get some kind of insurance in case that the disc dies again? For example when I install all the add-ons I need, is there a way to make a back-up of it all? So it's compatible and running in case I need to make a fresh Windows install?
5. Any other tips?

Thank you very much,

Tomas

[Jim Young 2,356]

1 hour ago, ThomassoCZ said:

I have 256 GB SSD and 1 TB HDD. Windows is naturally going on the SSD. Should I install P3Dv4.1 there as well? Or will the HDD be a better option? I have a lot of huge add-ons.

Either location is okay.  An SSD provides faster "loading" times but does not affect performance.

1 hour ago, ThomassoCZ said:

Is there any benefit of installing add-ons outside of P3Dv4.1 root folder? How do I effectively do that, should I want to?

You can install your add-ons anywhere you want.  In the main P3D folder or anywhere on any drive.  No advantage.  If you want to install all your addons in say, P3DV4 Addons, then you direct your installer for each addon to that folder.  Many addons, like FlightBeam and FSDT will install in the P3DV4 Addons folder and will make up an Add-on.xml.  It is rare that any other developers do that as the SDK on how to do it was released only a year or two ago and most did not see it.  A lot of members do not use the P3DV4 addon concept and just let the installer do its thing and install the entry into the P3D Scenery.cfg.  It's okay.  The addon will load either way.  Right now most are using the Lorby-Si Addon Organizer (see his forum here at AVSIM).  It has more details.  It takes a while to learn how to use the add-on.xml concept but you will eventually learn like I did.  I'm still learning!  If you have an entry in the scenery.cfg, the Add-on Organizer will see it and you have the option of the Organizer making up an Add-On.xml for you!! and it eliminates the entry in the scenery.cfg for you.  Orbx/FTX and UTX2 have their entries in the Scenery.cfg and you cannot move those until Orbx has an idea how the xml addon concept works.  They recently upgrade the orbx object flow module and made an add-on.xml for it so I think the installers will start using the add-on.xml, slowly but surely.  The problem is with their files they throw into the Scenery/World/Scenery folder with elevations that they turn on and off.

1 hour ago, ThomassoCZ said:

Is there any way that I can get some kind of insurance in case that the disc dies again? For example when I install all the add-ons I need, is there a way to make a back-up of it all? So it's compatible and running in case I need to make a fresh Windows install?

I have a backup folder on a USB 2TB drive where I have all of my original software located.  So, if I have a crash and have to wipe out P3D, I just go there and reinstall everything.  No reason to backup as the backup would be huge and I think worthless as it would have to backup registry entries too.  I have never heard of anyone successfully using a backup to save their installations.  If the HDD or SSD crashes, just reinstall everything.  Much easier and it will eliminate errors.

1 hour ago, ThomassoCZ said:

Any other tips?

When installing, take your time.  No need to install every add-on immediately.  Install something and make sure it is working first before going to another addon.  See the AVSIM CTD Guide, link in my signature, if you have a crash or freeze.  Do not tweak!  Tweaks bad!  SSD's and HDD's are fairly cheap now and I would get more but make sure the HDD's are at 7200 rpm speeds.  E-Bay has some great deals as many people upgrade to the more expensive SSD's and sell the old mechanical HDD's.

Best regards,

Jim

[edpatino 1,964]

1 hour ago, ThomassoCZ said:

I have 256 GB SSD and 1 TB HDD. Windows is naturally going on the SSD. Should I install P3Dv4.1 there as well? Or will the HDD be a better option? I have a lot of huge add-ons.

A 256 GB drive looks too small for installing your OS (and I suppose you have other Windows stuff, like MS Office, for instance) together with P3D and all your addons. I have one SSD dedicated to P3D (I actually have the two versions installed v3.4 and v4.1, but v3.4 will be deleted sooner than later) and another SSD drive dedicated to all P3D addons. That way you will always have plenty of room for your sim.

Cheers, Ed

[Thomasso 224]

9 hours ago, Jim Young said:

Either location is okay.  An SSD provides faster "loading" times but does not affect performance.

You can install your add-ons anywhere you want.  In the main P3D folder or anywhere on any drive.  No advantage.  If you want to install all your addons in say, P3DV4 Addons, then you direct your installer for each addon to that folder.  Many addons, like FlightBeam and FSDT will install in the P3DV4 Addons folder and will make up an Add-on.xml.  It is rare that any other developers do that as the SDK on how to do it was released only a year or two ago and most did not see it.  A lot of members do not use the P3DV4 addon concept and just let the installer do its thing and install the entry into the P3D Scenery.cfg.  It's okay.  The addon will load either way.  Right now most are using the Lorby-Si Addon Organizer (see his forum here at AVSIM).  It has more details.  It takes a while to learn how to use the add-on.xml concept but you will eventually learn like I did.  I'm still learning!  If you have an entry in the scenery.cfg, the Add-on Organizer will see it and you have the option of the Organizer making up an Add-On.xml for you!! and it eliminates the entry in the scenery.cfg for you.  Orbx/FTX and UTX2 have their entries in the Scenery.cfg and you cannot move those until Orbx has an idea how the xml addon concept works.  They recently upgrade the orbx object flow module and made an add-on.xml for it so I think the installers will start using the add-on.xml, slowly but surely.  The problem is with their files they throw into the Scenery/World/Scenery folder with elevations that they turn on and off.

I have a backup folder on a USB 2TB drive where I have all of my original software located.  So, if I have a crash and have to wipe out P3D, I just go there and reinstall everything.  No reason to backup as the backup would be huge and I think worthless as it would have to backup registry entries too.  I have never heard of anyone successfully using a backup to save their installations.  If the HDD or SSD crashes, just reinstall everything.  Much easier and it will eliminate errors.

When installing, take your time.  No need to install every add-on immediately.  Install something and make sure it is working first before going to another addon.  See the AVSIM CTD Guide, link in my signature, if you have a crash or freeze.  Do not tweak!  Tweaks bad!  SSD's and HDD's are fairly cheap now and I would get more but make sure the HDD's are at 7200 rpm speeds.  E-Bay has some great deals as many people upgrade to the more expensive SSD's and sell the old mechanical HDD's.

Best regards,

Jim

Thanks for the tips, I will follow them.

Just one thing, SSD's aren't that cheap where I live... Gonna have to be enough :-) 

9 hours ago, edpatino said:

A 256 GB drive looks too small for installing your OS (and I suppose you have other Windows stuff, like MS Office, for instance) together with P3D and all your addons. I have one SSD dedicated to P3D (I actually have the two versions installed v3.4 and v4.1, but v3.4 will be deleted sooner than later) and another SSD drive dedicated to all P3D addons. That way you will always have plenty of room for your sim.

Cheers, Ed

MS Office doesn't take that much space and I can install everything on the HDD anyway, can't I? 

[edpatino 1,964]

3 hours ago, ThomassoCZ said:

MS Office doesn't take that much space and I can install everything on the HDD anyway, can't I? 

Sure it doesn't. You can install whatever you want on your HDD of course, but I thought you did not want to mix up your sim drive with other stuff, but that's your HDD anyway

Cheers, Ed

[dmarques69 316]

15 hours ago, ThomassoCZ said:

Hello,

so an unfortunate thing has happened to me, my SDD with Windows and P3D v4.1 died. Therefore I need to do a complete reinstall of everything. Wohoo.. 

I think that since I've gotta do it, I might as well do it right. 

My questions are as follows:

1. I have 256 GB SSD and 1 TB HDD. Windows is naturally going on the SSD. Should I install P3Dv4.1 there as well? Or will the HDD be a better option? I have a lot of huge add-ons.
2. Is there any benefit of installing add-ons outside of P3Dv4.1 root folder? How do I effectively do that, should I want to?
3. Do you use any tools for managing add-ons? Which ones?
4. Is there any way that I can get some kind of insurance in case that the disc dies again? For example when I install all the add-ons I need, is there a way to make a back-up of it all? So it's compatible and running in case I need to make a fresh Windows install?
5. Any other tips?

Thank you very much,

Tomas

Tomas take a look on simstarter NG awesome tool, very flexible, you can manage basically everything with in your simulator, including addons. All at a fair price in my opinion.

http://www.mutleyshangar.com/reviews/jess/bs-ssng/bs-ssng.htm

[Jim Young 2,356]

6 hours ago, ThomassoCZ said:

Just one thing, SSD's aren't that cheap where I live... Gonna have to be enough :-) 

I was mostly thinking a HDD and not an SSD as many people are getting rid of their HDD's and moving to the expensive SSD's.  There's really nothing wrong with HDD's.  I saw a 1TB Seagate HDD on Amazon for $50.  Lots of deals like that around.

[OzWhitey 3,353]

5 hours ago, dmarques69 said:

Tomas take a look on simstarter

Came here to post this. Sold by Aerosoft, new version works great with v4. You can set up various profiles that control the programs that run at startup (traffic, weather etc), scenery, xml-based add ons and your sim config settings. Plus a heap more variables, including tweaks and affinity mask settings. 

Makes getting in the air much quicker, particularly if you have lots of addons.

One of my favourite accessories for v4.

[Thomasso 224]

19 hours ago, dmarques69 said:

Tomas take a look on simstarter NG awesome tool, very flexible, you can manage basically everything with in your simulator, including addons. All at a fair price in my opinion.

http://www.mutleyshangar.com/reviews/jess/bs-ssng/bs-ssng.htm

 

13 hours ago, OzWhitey said:

Came here to post this. Sold by Aerosoft, new version works great with v4. You can set up various profiles that control the programs that run at startup (traffic, weather etc), scenery, xml-based add ons and your sim config settings. Plus a heap more variables, including tweaks and affinity mask settings. 

Makes getting in the air much quicker, particularly if you have lots of addons.

One of my favourite accessories for v4.

I took a look and it seems like exactly what I was looking for, thanks! :-)