How to create add-on.xml for scenery with 2 seperate folders?

[Lorby_SI 2,036]

Hello Dan,

I envy you, I really do. Unfortunately retirement is still a little way off for me. I'm still hoping for a built-in management GUI in P3D that makes all of this (and P4AO) superfluous.

Best regards

 

 

[Mace 1,902]

I do wish that -- at some point -- all of the developers would install outside the sim structure.

Of course the problem is, for example, elevation stubs.  Those have to be in a certain place (/scenery/world/scenery) unless there is some new way to avoid that.

[Lorby_SI 2,036]

7 hours ago, Mace said:

Of course the problem is, for example, elevation stubs.  Those have to be in a certain place (/scenery/world/scenery) unless there is some new way to avoid tha

This is not correct. You just save all of them into a separate external folder, then you can link them either as scenery component with Layer 2 or you make it the first XML file that is loaded (like Dan explained).

P3D doesn't have hard coded content folders any more (like FSX did). Every(!) type of content (Aircraft, scenery, textures, shaders, sounds, EXE file, DLL files etc.) is linked to P3D with the .cfg files in \Program Data\ and can be expanded with external XML files. 

The only real "problems" that I know of are programmatic gauges that expect their assets to be in a certain place. So you may be missing sounds if the aircraft is installed externally. And the autogen definition, terrain, (?) XML files, which TMBK are still unique.

When looking at the developers, please bear in mind that many users are plonking content into the sim that wasn't even made for P3D.

I also wish that all content developers would at least use the content error log to make sure that their products are bug free. The content error log in my sim has exceeded 1000 entries by now (it stops writing them to the log after #999) although I am only using "P3D V4 compatible" products.
LearningCenter->SDK->Addons->Add-on Instructions for developers->Add-On Content Error Reporting

Best regards

Edited June 23, 2018 by Lorby_SI

[captain420 3,099]

Oliver have you brought it to the attention of these developers so that they're aware and perhaps can correct these errors?

[Lorby_SI 2,036]

22 minutes ago, captain420 said:

Oliver have you brought it to the attention of these developers so that they're aware and perhaps can correct these errors?

Hello Aaron,

I would never see the end of it, there are issues with just so many addons, except the more professional ones (A2A, PMDG etc.). You can try it yourself, go to the P3D Settings and activate the content error reporting. Every time you start the sim it will list all content errors it can find to a file that you will find in "\Documents\Prepar3D V4 Files"

The fun part is, that when users ask about the Content Error Log, even experienced simmers tell them to ignore it. 

Best regards

Edited June 23, 2018 by Lorby_SI

[kiek 1,212]

12 hours ago, Lorby_SI said:

...I have been writing code since 1982. Many a decade in professional software development for a very (very) large company have taught me many things - especially scepticism.

I second that. See Murphy's Laws of Programming

[Mace 1,902]

11 hours ago, Lorby_SI said:

This is not correct. You just save all of them into a separate external folder, then you can link them either as scenery component with Layer 2 or you make it the first XML file that is loaded (like Dan explained).

P3D doesn't have hard coded content folders any more (like FSX did). Every(!) type of content (Aircraft, scenery, textures, shaders, sounds, EXE file, DLL files etc.) is linked to P3D with the .cfg files in \Program Data\ and can be expanded with external XML files. 

The only real "problems" that I know of are programmatic gauges that expect their assets to be in a certain place. So you may be missing sounds if the aircraft is installed externally. And the autogen definition, terrain, (?) XML files, which TMBK are still unique.

When looking at the developers, please bear in mind that many users are plonking content into the sim that wasn't even made for P3D.

I also wish that all content developers would at least use the content error log to make sure that their products are bug free. The content error log in my sim has exceeded 1000 entries by now (it stops writing them to the log after #999) although I am only using "P3D V4 compatible" products.
LearningCenter->SDK->Addons->Add-on Instructions for developers->Add-On Content Error Reporting

Best regards

 

Ok -- thanks for this information.  I was asking the question if there was a new way to handle elevation stubs, not trying to be "correct" or "incorrect".  I knew in FSX we had to place them there.  This is good info, as now I can get my stub files out of the P3D structure with no worries.  

The older gauges with hard-coded locations is...yes.. a problem I have run into with a few older add-ons.

[vgbaron 3,486]

12 hours ago, Lorby_SI said:

The fun part is, that when users ask about the Content Error Log, even experienced simmers tell them to ignore it. 

It is just SO much easier than having to deal with thousands of ridiculous errors. What frustrates me is you might have to wade through hundreds of simple non fatal syntax errors to try and find one that is actually causing the problem. Suggesting to the dev that they fix all their syntax errors gets one of those "you've got to be kidding" responses.

Much easier to tell the newbie to ignore them.

Vic

[Lorby_SI 2,036]

36 minutes ago, vgbaron said:

It is just SO much easier than having to deal with thousands of ridiculous errors. What frustrates me is you might have to wade through hundreds of simple non fatal syntax errors to try and find one that is actually causing the problem. Suggesting to the dev that they fix all their syntax errors gets one of those "you've got to be kidding" responses.

Much easier to tell the newbie to ignore them.

Vic

Hello Vic,

but - we don't know that they are non-fatal, we just assume that they are, because their effect isn't immediately obvious. My point being, if all of those issues were harmless, then why did Lockheed include them in the error log in the first place? They could simply ignore them.

A syntax error in a gauge is probably processed 18 times a second by the sim, and who knows how many exceptions a missing sound file, an incorrect runway type, a missing texture etc. etc. are causing. Get enough of them together in one place, and you will notice (but maybe not realize it). Processing an error is a "significant" operation for any software.

I wouldn't be this word not allowed about it, if this was about a handful of issues. But we are talking about hundreds here. In "certified P3D V4 compatible" addons no less. 

It just doesn't make sense to start tweaking and hunting for the next 0.5 FPS instead of dealing with the obvious first. 

Best regards

Edited June 23, 2018 by Lorby_SI

[captain420 3,099]

5 hours ago, Mace said:

 

Ok -- thanks for this information.  I was asking the question if there was a new way to handle elevation stubs, not trying to be "correct" or "incorrect".  I knew in FSX we had to place them there.  This is good info, as now I can get my stub files out of the P3D structure with no worries.  

The older gauges with hard-coded locations is...yes.. a problem I have run into with a few older add-ons.

Would this apply to the sound gauge for RealAir Lancair Legacy v2? So it's not possible to install that via add-on.xml method?

[vgbaron 3,486]

4 hours ago, Lorby_SI said:

It just doesn't make sense to start tweaking and hunting for the next 0.5 FPS instead of dealing with the obvious first. 

We are in agreement Oliver. An error is an error and of course if the app logs errors that's additional processing time.  My complaint is that some dev's seem not to care. 

[Lorby_SI 2,036]

3 hours ago, captain420 said:

Would this apply to the sound gauge for RealAir Lancair Legacy v2? So it's not possible to install that via add-on.xml method?

The original Legacy V2 is not compatible to P3D V4 because of the 32bit sound gauge (no aircraft using any 32bit gauge is compatible, it doesn't matter how you install it). But there might be an updated installer, I know that they made one for the Turbine Duke. I also think that the sound gauge itself has been updated to 64bit, and there are instructions in this very forum about how to use it.

RealAir have already been installing their aircraft outside of the sim since P3D V3 (the XML files already existed back then)

Best regards

Edited June 24, 2018 by Lorby_SI

[captain420 3,099]

Yes the sound gauge has already been updated to 64bit so its compatible with P3D v4, I have been using it with no problems. But I forgot what the exact filename is in order for me to move it outside of the main P3D folder.