P4AO: How to add legacy scenery

[Lorby_SI 2,038]

Hello @ll,

I made a short photo series about how to install legacy scenery (= scenery that wasn't made with an installer that creates an add-on.xml) externally.

I usually group my addons by developer, so in this example I chose to do a fresh install of Aerosoft Gibraltar and Stuttgart (the "Professional" versions).

First, I laid the groundwork
1. created a folder "C:\Users\olive\Documents\Prepar3D v4 Add-ons\Aerosoft" 
    (it doesn't matter where you create that folder! It doesn't have to be in \Documents\, and it can be on another drive too - "F:\MyAddons\AerosoftStuff" works just fine too!)

2. Copied the prepar3d.exe into that folder

After that I ran the Gibraltar Installer and pointed it at my new folder. This is the result:

Then I took these steps to add the scenery to an add-on.xml

---

---

---

---

---

Then I installed Stuttgart Professional into the same folder. Unfortunately the installer decided to do that a little differently to Gibraltar, so I have to take an extra step WRT the effects

Best regards

Edited April 2, 2018 by Lorby_SI

[Tokitaumelie 164]

Thank you Oliver for the tutorial.

Saves on those installers for which we have to pay extra for the P3D v4 version. Yes, looking at you Taxi2Gate, JustSim etc.

 

Kind regards

[Bigt 192]

Is it me or are the pictures not working?

[Lorby_SI 2,038]

On 5/2/2019 at 5:43 PM, Bigt said:

Is it me or are the pictures not working?

Tried them on 4 different computers now, they are always visible. The pictures are linked back from Flickr

?

Best regards

[Bigt 192]

9 minutes ago, Lorby_SI said:

Tried them on 4 different computers now, they are always visible. The pictures are linked back from Flickr

?

Best regards

Ya I'm not sure what happened but it must have been on my end, they are working for me now.

[cyyzrwy24 127]

On 3/27/2018 at 2:18 AM, Lorby_SI said:

First, I laid the groundwork
1. created a folder "C:\Users\olive\Documents\Prepar3D v4 Add-ons\Aerosoft" 
    (it doesn't matter where you create that folder! It doesn't have to be in \Documents\, and it can be on another drive too - "F:\MyAddons\AerosoftStuff" works just fine too!)

2. Copied the prepar3d.exe into that folder

After that I ran the Gibraltar Installer and pointed it at my new folder. This is the result:

Hi Oliver, I am not sure if my question would apply for this fix.....I have Scenery that is for P3D v1/2/3, but it is reported that works in V4 as well. When I run installer (SkyHighSIm), obviously installer is looking for older versions not present on PC since I have V4, and reports error. Would using this method help? Creating different folder, copying, etc? And than pointing to scenery with P4AO? Or you have better Idea.

Thanks

Edited May 11, 2019 by cyyzrwy24

[Lorby_SI 2,038]

2 hours ago, cyyzrwy24 said:

i Oliver, I am not sure if my question would apply for this fix.....I have Scenery that is for P3D v1/2/3, but it is reported that works in V4 as well. When I run installer (SkyHighSIm), obviously installer is looking for older versions not present on PC since I have V4, and reports error. Would using this method help? Creating different folder, copying, etc? And than pointing to scenery with P4AO? Or you have better Idea.

Thanks

Hello Alex,

that depends on how excatly the installer is looking for the old version. It will either look for the exe, which is an easy fix, as described above (but it only works if you have access to the prepar3d.exe from an earlier version). Or it will look for the registry entries, which takes a little more consideration. I would try the first option as described, nothing bad can happen.

If they are freeware, can I somehow get one of those installers? I tried the links in the other thread, but I am not going to install any app just to download them...

Best regards

Edited May 11, 2019 by Lorby_SI

[cyyzrwy24 127]

58 minutes ago, Lorby_SI said:

If they are freeware, can I somehow get one of those installers? I tried the links in the other thread, but I am not going to install any app just to download them...

Best regards

Yes it is for few airports....:https://mega.nz/#!hmQWwKbI!73fZwYRxVJJTaHDGewLd0JPLg_3j64TFDIJ3DP47Wg8 it is same I had before and same thing happen...

I am not sure how others were installing in V4, but I definitely can't and obviously I have no V3.exe. They are reporting on this forum that it works in V4. I know that if I would have separate folder for Scenery and Texture, would be easy to try, but this way I have no idea..... Please try and  If you figure something, please let me know, I would really appreciate.

" It will either look for the exe, which is an easy fix....", How easy?

Thank you 

Edited May 11, 2019 by cyyzrwy24

[Lorby_SI 2,038]

Hello Alex,

OK, I have downloaded and installed it, wasn't too hard. The installer is looking for the registry entries of the simulators. All you have to do is to create the appropriate keys for any of the supported simulators, and the installer will put all files into the directory of that sim - and if that doesn't exist, it creates them.

In my case I had the registry entries from FSX Acceleration still set despite the fact that FSX is no longer installed on that computer (= the FSX folder in Program Files (X86) doesn't exist. The installer obviously found the registry keys sufficient, and upon installing the scenery it re-created the FSX folder with only the SkyHigh sim files in it.

I will check on another computer and see if I can make a .reg file for you to use.

Best regards

Edited May 11, 2019 by Lorby_SI

[cyyzrwy24 127]

12 minutes ago, Lorby_SI said:

All you have to do is to create the appropriate keys for any of the supported simulators, and the installer will put all files into the directory of that sim - and if that doesn't exist, it creates them.

LOL....OK....if you can translate that I would appreciate.... 😉 I can look in my (x86) folder like Acceleration, but I don't think I have anything since I had to re-do my PC because of some PMDG reg files.

[Lorby_SI 2,038]

here are the registry files for P3D V2 and V3 bundled in a ZIP. Unzip them to a folder of your choice before using them.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/14kd48tnr4yfw0s/LM_P3D_V2_V3_registry_keys.zip?dl=0

The *.reg files are nothing sinister, you can open them with any text editor. When you right-click them, you get an option to merge them with your registry, and when you do, the SkyHighSim installer will think that you have a simulator installed that in reality isn't there. It will then install to the default simulator paths, and it will create them too! So your best course of action is to merge either the V2 or the V3 keys, then run every installer that requires them, and then move the installed scenery files to a location of your choice. After all that you create an add-on.xml for them, making sure that the libraries have the lowest layer number. I have my addons autodiscovery folder on L:, so my add-on.xml looks like this:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<SimBase.Document Type="AddOnXml" version="4,0" id="add-on">
  <AddOn.Name>SkyHighSim</AddOn.Name>
  <AddOn.Description />
  <AddOn.Component>
    <Category>Scenery</Category>
    <Path>L:\Prepar3D v4 Add-ons\SkyHighSim\Scenery\World</Path>
    <Name>SkyHighSimBaseLayer</Name>
    <Layer>3</Layer>
  </AddOn.Component>
  <AddOn.Component>
    <Category>Scenery</Category>
    <Path>L:\Prepar3D v4 Add-ons\SkyHighSim\library</Path>
    <Name>SkyHighSim Library</Name>
    <Layer>245</Layer>
  </AddOn.Component>
  <AddOn.Component>
    <Category>Scenery</Category>
    <Path>L:\Prepar3D v4 Add-ons\SkyHighSim\LYBE X v2</Path>
    <Name>LYBE X v2</Name>
    <Layer>246</Layer>
  </AddOn.Component>
  <AddOn.Component>
    <Category>Scenery</Category>
    <Path>L:\Prepar3D v4 Add-ons\SkyHighSim\LDOS X</Path>
    <Name>LDOS X</Name>
    <Layer>247</Layer>
  </AddOn.Component>
  <AddOn.Component>
    <Category>Scenery</Category>
    <Path>L:\Prepar3D v4 Add-ons\SkyHighSim\LYTV X\LYTV X LC</Path>
    <Name>LYTV X LC</Name>
    <Layer>248</Layer>
  </AddOn.Component>
  <AddOn.Component>
    <Category>Scenery</Category>
    <Path>L:\Prepar3D v4 Add-ons\SkyHighSim\LYTV X\LYTV X photoground</Path>
    <Name>LYTV X photoground</Name>
    <Layer>249</Layer>
  </AddOn.Component>
  <AddOn.Component>
    <Category>Scenery</Category>
    <Path>L:\Prepar3D v4 Add-ons\SkyHighSim\LYTV X\LYTV X</Path>
    <Name>LYTV X</Name>
    <Layer>250</Layer>
  </AddOn.Component>
</SimBase.Document>

In my case I chose the V2 keys and let the installer put everything into "C:\Program Files (x86)\Lockheed Martin\Prepar3D v2". Since this folder didn't exist, the installer created it for me, and after the installer was complete, all that was in this folder were the SkyHighSim files. These I moved to L: and created the XML file using my P4AO tool. 

Best regards

[cyyzrwy24 127]

1 hour ago, Lorby_SI said:

here are the registry files for P3D V2 and V3 bundled in a ZIP. Unzip them to a folder of your choice before using them

Thank you for your help Oliver, I will do as suggested, appears to be be straight forward, hopefully I don't have to bug you again.....Speaking about Scenery I assume you tried in V4.....Does it work? Originally few years before I joined P3D it look good in FSX and very realistic and all features after renovation were there, parking spots and Jetways......

Edited May 11, 2019 by cyyzrwy24

[Lorby_SI 2,038]

50 minutes ago, cyyzrwy24 said:

Thank you for your help Oliver, I will do as suggested, appears to be be straight forward, hopefully I don't have to bug you again.....Speaking about Scenery I assume you tried in V4.....Does it work? Originally few years before I joined P3D it look good in FSX and very realistic and all features after renovation were there, parking spots and Jetways......

Yes, the sceneries seem to work OK (in P3D 4.4). No flickering or missing textures. Resolution of the ground images could be better, but especially the airport in Montenegro is a nice rendition. Perfect destinations for flights from Italy with a Dash-8 or ATR.

Best regards

 

Edited May 11, 2019 by Lorby_SI

[cyyzrwy24 127]

16 hours ago, Lorby_SI said:

Yes, the sceneries seem to work OK (in P3D 4.4). No flickering or missing textures. Resolution of the ground images could be better, but especially the airport in Montenegro is a nice rendition. Perfect destinations for flights from Italy with a Dash-8 or ATR.

Thanks Oliver, I did exactly as you suggested and it works.