After all the ‘hype’ in the early days, of how we should all be “correctly” installing our addons into P3Dv4, by using the XML method, I see that by far the majority of addon developers (almost all in fact) appear to be paying it no attention whatsoever lol.  There was also a lengthy article from Robert at PMDG, stating how important it was to install addons using this method, YET I see none of the PMDG range of addons actually install this way (correct me if I’m wrong).  They’re all still installing using the old method that could apparently, wreck our P3Dv4 installation.  We have a number of lengthy threads here on Avsim, outlining not only how to do it, but also how important it is.

I’m in the middle of yet another P3Dv4 reinstallation, after several people suggested my troubles ‘might’ be due to installing addons into the P3D root folder.  I have to wonder, just how many other v4 uses are actually persisting with the XML method, when the addons we’re paying for, try their damnedest, to install themselves just as they always have, into the root directory;-)

Am I missing something here?

This in interesting for me, as Im looking to move over to V4.  What does P3D say?

53 minutes ago, Dougal said:

how many other v4 uses are actually persisting with the XML

My pet rant AS A CUSTOMER: a lot of addons have many many content errors. Although I have always only bought and installed certified P3D V4 compatible, my content error log has more than 1000 entries (it stops at 999, so I don't know how many there really are). Some of them are not problematic, but others are (like missing or incorrect textures, coding errors in gauges, missing sound files etc.). There are those who say that you can ignore content errors. I am not so sure. For example a gauge error will be triggered by default 18 times a second, an object or texture error every time that this object comes into view - and the sim has to deal with that. Error handling usually is a lot more expensive than normal operations, and I am pretty sure that many of the FPS issues and stutters have their origin in this.

Is it really too much to ask to run every product through the content error log and fix the issues - before shipping it to the customer? 

Best regards

Costs money. 

13 minutes ago, newtie said:

Costs money. 

That is no excuse for a sloppy workflow. It is not like this is a lot of work. IMHO quite the contrary. To constantly check everything that you do against the content error log enables you to catch a certain kind of bugs early on - instead of letting the testers discover them and having to retrace your steps.

Having to deal with dozens, hundreds or thousands of customer complaints would cost money too. If you do it at all, that is.

Best regards

8 minutes ago, newtie said:

Costs money. 

Indeed it does, but money is what we give them at point of purchase;-)

 

In my opinion an addon isn't P3Dv4 compatible until it lets you point the installer to an external folder of you choice and automate the xml file creation.

I asked JustFlight why they ignorere the method in their forum, but they ignored my question. 

I have not even atttempted to use the add-on.xml method for installing aircraft and so far no developer has used it.  That might happen in P3Dv4.2 but right now I'm just making sure all of my scenery add-ons are properly installed and in the right area/layer and all of the files (add-on.xml, scenery.cfg, p3d.cfg, etc.) are encoded properly.  Fortunately, P3DV4.1 will run perfectly without using the add-on.xml method for installing scenery so there is no mandatory need to use the add-on.xml method.  It's just that some of the developers ARE using the add-on.xml method and sometimes screwing it up.  For instance, if you have FSX and P3D installed and you install FSDT scenery in both P3D and FSX, the FSDT installer will get confused and use the location of the FSDT scenery for FSX as the location where the P3D FSDT scenery is located.  Some developers are still installing scenery in the P3DV4 main directory as they do not give you the option as to where you want it installed.  Other than that, fun stuff!

Just now, Jim Young said:

so far no developer has used it

Hello Jim,

As far as aircraft are concerned that I know of: RealAir did XML as far back as P3D V3, and A2A are doing it right now. Aerosoft is getting there too.

Best regards

That is plain wrong Jim. A2A does it all by the book! 

10 minutes ago, Jim Young said:

there is no mandatory need to use the add-on.xml method

It is mandatory as far as the platform specification is concerned. The Learning Center says so very clearly. 

While not mandatory as far as the technology is concerned, it is advisable: every addon that you plonk into the main sim folder is putting your sim at risk. Especially if you are trying out old legacy addons where you can't be sure what they will do to your sim.

Best regards

10 minutes ago, Lorby_SI said:

Hello Jim,

As far as aircraft are concerned that I know of: RealAir did XML as far back as P3D V3, and A2A are doing it right now. Aerosoft is getting there too.

Best regards

 

8 minutes ago, simmerhead said:

That is plain wrong Jim. A2A does it all by the book! 

But, but... (sobbing ), I don't own any A2A or Aerosoft aircraft!  So, how was I to know?  I had RealAir and P3D all the way back to V1 and do not recall them using XML.  I apologize for misleading everyone.

14 minutes ago, Lorby_SI said:

The Learning Center says so very clearly.

Who reads the Learning Center?    If it was mandatory, wouldn't they be putting the default scenery into xml's instead of the scenery.cfg and dumping the scenery.cfg?  That's what I call mandatory.

7 minutes ago, Jim Young said:

Who reads the Learning Center?    If it was mandatory, wouldn't they be putting the default scenery into xml's instead of the scenery.cfg and dumping the scenery.cfg?  That's what I call mandatory.

Well.... you certainly don't have to read it.

But knowing about specs and adhering to them is what differentiates the professional developer from the hobbyist. As a pro you can't just do whatever you want (unless you have good reasons or are very arrogant). I think that there is no harm done either when a dev who is selling stuff to others takes a peek into the spec...

Lockheeds cfg files are in a normally secure system folder, so they can make sure that at least the default always works. Could do that with an XML too, but they would have to make sure that the user can't just disable it. But be that as it may, the P3D development team is a tiny outfit, and they are all humans too...

Best regards

19 minutes ago, Jim Young said:

 

I had RealAir and P3D all the way back to V1 and do not recall them using XML.  I apologize for misleading everyone.

The installer for the Legacy V2 for P3D actually advises you to install outside the P3D folder.