Help with addon.xml

[SimonC 116]

Hello,

been using P4AO for some time now, and currently have all my sceneries in external folder.

So basically, I have Documents\Prepar3D v4 Add-ons and I have, in my case, E:\P3DAddons. Latter containing the files, and former only the add-on.xml files.

References in add-on.xml files are absolute paths, like E:\P3DAddons\...

So, if at some point later I would want to move that folder somewhere else, be it different drive or even folder, how would I go about this?

One thing comes to mind, are system variables. Like %APPDATA%; I could create variable %FSDATA% for E:\P3DAddons. Would that work? Or any other suggestions how to handle this?

[OzWhitey 3,353]

2 hours ago, SimonC said:

Hello,

been using P4AO for some time now, and currently have all my sceneries in external folder.

So basically, I have Documents\Prepar3D v4 Add-ons and I have, in my case, E:\P3DAddons. Latter containing the files, and former only the add-on.xml files.

References in add-on.xml files are absolute paths, like E:\P3DAddons\...

So, if at some point later I would want to move that folder somewhere else, be it different drive or even folder, how would I go about this?

One thing comes to mind, are system variables. Like %APPDATA%; I could create variable %FSDATA% for E:\P3DAddons. Would that work? Or any other suggestions how to handle this?

I’d just recreate the xml files with p4ao after the move. Lorby has been around lately, he may have a more elegant solution.

[SimonC 116]

Yes, of course I could do that, but it is a long and tedious work, which I would like to avoid, if possible. Manual parsing and replacing paths, or powershell, I am aware there are manual ways, more or less automated.

Btw. I tested the system variable solution, that didn't pan out, neither P3D nor P4AO can read the variables.

I also know I can place add-on.xml into scenery-folder, but that way it won't automatically load when P3D has been reinstalled, I believe.

Edited July 19, 2020 by SimonC

[captain420 3,099]

1 hour ago, SimonC said:

I also know I can place add-on.xml into scenery-folder, but that way it won't automatically load when P3D has been reinstalled, I believe.

If you go this route, then you would have to manually add the entry into your C:\ProgramData\Lockheed Martin\Prepar3D vX\add-ons.cfg

which is what I'm doing now for certain addons that don't install using P3D's add-on.xml method. If 3rd party devs would just adhere to this method, then that would save us a ton of trouble.

[Rogen 1,085]

You can add additional auto discovery paths, I don't actually use the one in the Documents folder.

For example I have the following where I just drop in the containing folder with its add-on.xml under it.

Spoiler

[DiscoveryPath.0]
Path=H:\Addons_P3D\04.Scenery\Orbx\Cities\p3dv4
Title=Orbx Cities
Active=TRUE
[DiscoveryPath.1]
Path=H:\Addons_P3D\04.Scenery\Orbx\Airports\p3dv4
Title=Orbx Airports
Active=TRUE
[DiscoveryPath.2]
Path=H:\Addons_P3D\04.Scenery\Orbx\Regions\p3dv4
Title=Orbx Regions
Active=TRUE
[DiscoveryPath.3]
Path=H:\Addons_P3D\04.Scenery\Orbx\Global\p3dv4
Title=Orbx Global
Active=TRUE
[DiscoveryPath.4]
Path=H:\Addons_P3D\01.Aircraft\Ants_Aeroplanes
Title=Ants Aeroplanes
Active=TRUE
[DiscoveryPath.5]
Path=H:\Addons_P3D\01.Aircraft\Aeroplane Heaven
Title=Aeroplane Heaven
Active=TRUE
[DiscoveryPath.6]
Path=H:\Addons_P3D\01.Aircraft\Iris_Simulations
Title=Iris Simulations
Active=TRUE
[DiscoveryPath.7]
Path=H:\Addons_P3D\01.Aircraft\Alabeo
Title=Alabeo
Active=TRUE
[DiscoveryPath.8]
Path=H:\Addons_P3D\01.Aircraft\Carenado
Title=Carenado
Active=TRUE
[DiscoveryPath.9]
Path=H:\Addons_P3D\01.Aircraft\Flight-Replicas
Title=Flight Replicas
Active=TRUE
[DiscoveryPath.10]
Path=H:\Addons_P3D\01.Aircraft\Golden Age Simulations
Title=Golden Age Simulations
Active=TRUE
[DiscoveryPath.11]
Path=H:\Addons_P3D\01.Aircraft\IndiaFoxtEcho
Title=IndiaFoxtEcho
Active=TRUE
[DiscoveryPath.12]
Path=H:\Addons_P3D\01.Aircraft\A2A
Title=A2A
Active=TRUE
[DiscoveryPath.13]
Path=H:\Addons_P3D\03.Utility
Title=Utility
Active=TRUE
[DiscoveryPath.14]
Path=H:\Addons_P3D\02.AI
Title=A.I.
Active=TRUE
[DiscoveryPath.15]
Path=H:\Addons_P3D\04.Scenery\Flight Sim Jewels
Title=Flight Sim Jewels
Active=TRUE
[DiscoveryPath.16]
Path=H:\Addons_P3D\04.Scenery\TerraEmergenceProject
Title=TerraEmergenceProject
Active=TRUE
[DiscoveryPath.17]
Path=H:\Addons_P3D\01.Aircraft\RealAir
Title=Real Air
Active=TRUE
[DiscoveryPath.18]
Path=H:\Addons_P3D\01.Aircraft\QualityWings
Title=Quality Wings
Active=TRUE
[DiscoveryPath.19]
Path=H:\Addons_P3D\01.Aircraft\Misc
Title=Misc Aircraft
Active=TRUE
[DiscoveryPath.20]
Path=H:\Addons_P3D\04.Scenery\Aerosoft
Title=Aerosoft
Active=TRUE
[DiscoveryPath.21]
Path=H:\Addons_P3D\01.Aircraft\Milviz
Title=Milviz Aircraft
Active=TRUE

Then sim starts sees the new addon and away we go.

I also use the Lorby tool to manage.

 

[captain420 3,099]

What is the purpose with having multiple Discovery Paths? What are they used for?

[SimonC 116]

Discovery paths, if I understand correctly, have to be added each time new sim installs, no?

I reckon this is what you are talking about: https://www.prepar3d.com/SDKv4/sdk/add-ons/add-on_configuration_files.html

Yeah, one way would be maintaining a batch file that just adds all addons. Still an additional step.

5 hours ago, captain420 said:

What is the purpose with having multiple Discovery Paths? What are they used for?

If I understand it correctly, you can add add-on.xml from another paths, like having the xml file in the addon folder, avoiding having absolute paths, but only "." or "/effects" (just examples), then you can use discovery paths. FlyTampa does it for instance. It's OK, but again, it's not an auto-discovery.

One solution would be, being able to change the default discovery path from .\Documents to whatever you want. That way you could have both add-on.xml in a subfolder of the auto-discovery path, and in the xml relative paths only. Can it be done?

[SimonC 116]

Ooooooooh... found it. It is right there in Lorby's tool. You can change the current addon discovery path, or add new. Cool. That solves my problem!