Please Microsoft, simplify the folder structure in MSFS2020

[roarkr 104]

Today FSX/FSX-SE/FSW/P3D all have a very distributed file structure. It is a MESS!

Files for the main program are spread over many different folder locations and Addon can live all around.

I want MS to make the installation and locations av files as easy as XPLANE does. Everything goes into the main XPLANE folder. This is simple, clean and easy for end users.

 

Why make it so dam...... complicated? Keep it simple!

 

Edited October 9, 2019 by roarkr

[bernd1151 5,804]

7 minutes ago, roarkr said:

I want MS to make the installation and locations av files as easy as XPLANE does. Everything goes into the main XPLANE folder. This is simple, clean and easy for end users

+ 1000 !!

[pmb 5,137]

Agreed, too.

FSX and friends may still be - marginally - acceptable and mostly keep to the Windows files structure with /Users, /ProgramData etc. directories, at least. X-Plane clearly shows it's originating from a different world and certainly is more eary to maintain with its 1-folder-structure.

Anyway, files spread all over the system and even duplicated(!) in different directories as in Prepar3d are beyond my understanding. 

Plus, they'll hopefully avoid installing the whole sim + addons compulsory unter C:\ where space is always tight, as some AeroflyFS2 addons do. 

Kind regards, Michael

[Flybynumbers 42]

Since most simmers use a dedicated PC these days anyway...how about they release a version of Windows 10 with MSFT Flight Simulator 2020 built in? This way they could cut off all the fat from the OS and really optimize performance. 🙂

Edited October 9, 2019 by Flybynumbers

[LHookins 3,102]

In the interests of having everything for the flight sim easily accessible, at the very least put links to the necessary folders in the main sim folder during installation.

A lot could be done to clean up and organize the installation.

Hook

[Casualcas 830]

6 hours ago, roarkr said:

Today FSX/FSX-SE/FSW/P3D all have a very distributed file structure. It is a MESS!

Files for the main program are spread over many different folder locations and Addon can live all around.

I want MS to make the installation and locations av files as easy as XPLANE does. Everything goes into the main XPLANE folder. This is simple, clean and easy for end users.

 

Why make it so dam...... complicated? Keep it simple!

 

I stopped counting how many scenery.cfg files there are. Lol

[Pastaiolo 1,686]

The XP method is clearly superior on this.
Want to install an airplane? Drag the folder in the Airplanes one. No need to extract Gauges, Effects and what not.

Same for sceneries.

[carbonbasedlifeform 179]

I just want to be able to choose the scenery storage and drive. 

[Arthur42417 193]

8 hours ago, roarkr said:

Today FSX/FSX-SE/FSW/P3D all have a very distributed file structure. It is a MESS!

Files for the main program are spread over many different folder locations and Addon can live all around.

I want MS to make the installation and locations av files as easy as XPLANE does. Everything goes into the main XPLANE folder. This is simple, clean and easy for end users.

 

Why make it so dam...... complicated? Keep it simple!

 

i doubt Microsoft devs will read this but i hope they do

[WarpD 824]

Issues that arise from this approach:

1 - User deleted files/folders that shouldn't have been, causing issues.

2 - Third-party installers that overwrite core files.

3 - Third-party installer that deletes core files during uninstall because it overwrite them with it's own version.

Addons should not be installed in any location that can overwrite core files, of any type.  It is a significant weakness and causes seriously long hours of tech support. Seriously, been there... done that.  Installation into the core area shouldn't be supported.

Edited October 9, 2019 by WarpD

[Casualcas 830]

2 hours ago, france89 said:

The XP method is clearly superior on this.
Want to install an airplane? Drag the folder in the Airplanes one. No need to extract Gauges, Effects and what not.

Same for sceneries.

True,  but so many get lost in the plugins folder  with Lua, python where does this go? I put my AI aircraft where?

[Concodroid 84]

39 minutes ago, WarpD said:

Issues that arise from this approach:

1 - User deleted files/folders that shouldn't have been, causing issues.

2 - Third-party installers that overwrite core files.

3 - Third-party installer that deletes core files during uninstall because it overwrite them with it's own version.

Addons should not be installed in any location that can overwrite core files, of any type.  It is a significant weakness and causes seriously long hours of tech support. Seriously, been there... done that.  Installation into the core area shouldn't be supported.

Take the KSP route, maybe?

 

Go into the GameData folder, where you can put any files of addons that work completely and you can remove on a whim?

Here's an example.
 

ksp-win64-1.7.3/ksp-win64/GameData/ (place here)

 

Inside Gamedata is all the game files, and it's a folder called Squad. Don't touch that, just add folders to the GameData folder. So it would look like

GameData

       AirplaneModelName

       ModName

       Squad (or Microsoft in this case)

       TextureName

That way you don't need to touch the game files.

____________________________________________________ 

Or you could have a dedicated "mod" folder;

  Mods

          AirplaneAddons

          SceneryAddons

          TextureAddons

          OtherAddons

 

And you just put your add-ons in the folder that specifies it. Addons that have many, many features could go in Other, but each would need to be specified, and on startup, the game checks to see if there are any new mods. Then it sorts what needs to go where; the modmaker specifies that. The game then leaves a deletion tag (edit: in the location where the mod used to be) which you can either edit or delete based on what you want. If the tag is deleted, on the next startup, the game checks for all the mod tags. If a tag is deleted, the game shows a pop-up asking if the user wanted to delete or disable a mod (that part of the game, the popup, can't be modified). That way all you need to do is put in a file and the game puts the file where it needs to be.

 

 

 

Edited October 9, 2019 by Concodroid

[Mace 1,896]

I agree that a simple approach should be used.  However I do not think it should be the main folder.

I agree with Ed's approach, above -- anyplace that is simple but *not* in the main folder / core sim files.  The main dir shouldn't be touched by any add-on.  

Personally I like the way I do it  -- some add-ons don't work this way, but of the ones that do...I try to do the following:

D:\Aircraft
D:\Scenery
D:\FSTools
etc. etc.

To me that's simpler yet than the "KSP" method mentioned previously (what is "ksp"?)

[C2615 319]

I do love the ideal that scenery could go somewhere else, so I don't need one jumbo SSD to store them all, it could be done with different hardware driver, some could go to HDD as well.

BUT HELL, why 3rd  add-on makers (and many other non-FS app) so love to push everything they have(even aircraft) into "My document" or "ProgamnData" or "AppData" under my C:\ drive(although I have moved my document out of C), without even asking?! MY C DRIVE IS NOT FOR THESE S***T!

[jimelder2 3]

I've used both FSX and P3D.   I have a small SSD.  I've gone out of my way to put what I can in the D drive( HDD).  Both FSX and P3D insist on putting files in the overcrowded C drive (SSD).  I echo the opinion:  allow us to put everything in the D drive (HDD).  I'm looking forward to see what shakes out of Microsoft

Jim Elder