Another tool to organize your MSFS addons easily

[JimBrown 596]

1 hour ago, Bad_T said:

good idea kaosfere, it just landed on the todo list 🙂

If possible, could you make that user selectable? IE: ability to display or not display them.

Thanks!

...jim

 

[Bad_T 581]

oky hvw i'll check that soon

yes jim, i need to find a smart way to show them, i don't think i can show them all the time i guess because it would take way too much space on the screen (or with an options like you said)... i will do some tests, not sure how it will end up yet ..

[patrice_bambou 85]

You may show the image in a flying window when the mouse pointer is on the addon.

I have tried another tool (Peeyem) that displays the addons images in a table (each addon is displayed with its image) and I do not like it, this takes too much place and we can see only a few addons on the screen.

I far prefer your tool as it is. the tool is here to be efficient when selecting addons and not to look at images.

And what is the added value of seeing a small ilage of the addon? We know it, so no need for an image.

In any case, I would like this to be a user option, not systematic (Show addons images? Yes/No)

Edited October 12, 2020 by patrice_bambou

[Bad_T 581]

hello patrice, that's what i did a few minutes ago, a little popup to show the image. So it will be non-intrusive for those who don't care about it but still available for those who like to check the image. The column can be moved and also hidden if needed (there is now, since last version, an option to save your column disposition and will be restored next time you start the app)

kaosfere, do you think this could do the job for you too, or do you need to have the full picture visible all the time ?

here's a little test EXE if you want to try (its just the test exe, you need all the other files coming with the original package)

http://www.mediafire.com/file/gvyc6y6l3c6i4iu/MSFS_AddonsLinker_Test_Image.zip/file

note : it's an early test, for now all addons images are loaded when you start the program and it's probably not a good idea if you have thousands of addons (not sure if it hurts a bit loading time), in the final version i'll probably try to load them only on demand when/if the image is requested (** edit ** not sure now because if don't load them at the start it wouldnt be possible to show the icon disabled if the addon has no image ** end of edit **). The icon will also be removed from folders.

Thank you.

Edited October 12, 2020 by Bad_T

[patrice_bambou 85]

Hi Bad_T,

I tried your version with the image display.

It is Ok for me provided that all images are not loaded when opening the tool, operation that will be time consuming with a lot of addons. And as I can remove the related column, I see no problem with this feature.

I can see also that many addons have no images at all.

One problem though, that needs to be fixed I think: If I select the columns to display (remove some columns), the removed columns are restored after restart of the tool.

Another problem regarding the columns display: The "best fit" options seem not working ok: there are several columns that remain hidden (by the community folder window) when in vertical mode. Could you fix this also? (Sorry, I just see that the "best fit" is constrained by the contents of the columns, so my remark does not make sense)

Thank you for this great work.

Edited October 13, 2020 by patrice_bambou

[Bad_T 581]

7 hours ago, patrice_bambou said:

One problem though, that needs to be fixed I think: If I select the columns to display (remove some columns), the removed columns are restored after restart of the tool.

Thanks for the feedback, for the problem above, there is an option ot save the order of the column in the right click menu (Save column order/size), to have you columns saved you need to use it. If you did and the columns were not save then it would for sure be a bug 😜

for the images i will probably add a little option in the options so that the users who don't need to see them will be able to completely remove anything that has to do with the images.

[kaosfere 3,115]

18 hours ago, Bad_T said:

here's a little test EXE if you want to try

Thanks!   When I run that I get an OOM error.  Here's the start of the backtrace:

 

************** Exception Text **************
System.OutOfMemoryException: Out of memory.
   at System.Drawing.Image.FromFile(String filename, Boolean useEmbeddedColorManagement)
   at MSFS_AddonsLinker.TreeSourceData..ctor(Int32 pId, Int32 id, String name, String folder, Boolean active, String type)
   at MSFS_AddonsLinker.frmMain.LoadSubNodes(TreeSourceData node, BindingList`1 _nodes)
   at MSFS_AddonsLinker.frmMain.LoadSubNodes(TreeSourceData node, BindingList`1 _nodes)
   at MSFS_AddonsLinker.frmMain.LoadTreePackages()
   at MSFS_AddonsLinker.frmMain.frmMain_Load(Object sender, EventArgs e)
   at System.EventHandler.Invoke(Object sender, EventArgs e)
   at System.Windows.Forms.Form.OnLoad(EventArgs e)
   at DevExpress.XtraEditors.XtraForm.OnLoad(EventArgs e)
   at System.Windows.Forms.Form.OnCreateControl()
   at System.Windows.Forms.Control.CreateControl(Boolean fIgnoreVisible)
   at System.Windows.Forms.Control.CreateControl()
   at System.Windows.Forms.Control.WmShowWindow(Message& m)
   at System.Windows.Forms.Control.WndProc(Message& m)
   at System.Windows.Forms.Form.WmShowWindow(Message& m)
   at DevExpress.XtraEditors.XtraForm.WndProc(Message& msg)
   at System.Windows.Forms.NativeWindow.Callback(IntPtr hWnd, Int32 msg, IntPtr wparam, IntPtr lparam)

Don't feel the need to spend a whole lot of time debugging it, though... that sounds like a great solution and I'm willing to wait for a formal release of it.  🙂   Happy to help do some debugging though if it's helpful.

Another thing I found myself wishing for last night:  having an "Open mod folder" option on the right-click menu at least for mods in the left pane.  And maybe both?   It would be nice to have a shortcut for getting an explorer window open at the top level of a mod to help when I'm examining its contents.

(Edit:  just to clarify, my system as a whole isn't OOM.   I have 32GB installed and 10GB currently in use)

Edited October 13, 2020 by kaosfere

[Bad_T 581]

 thank you for the report 👍, you have probably a lot of addons and the code in the version posted yesterday was quickly done and not optimised at all because all images are loaded at the start. Was just meant to be a proof of concept on how to display the images. I also noticed shortly after than some pics were scanned and loaded several times so all that will be changed.

Probably the images will not be loaded at the start but only the first time you hover over the image icon, this will greatly enhance the loading and should completely eliminate any OOM errors.

i will probably repost a little test version here before the official release, feels safer with some kind soul helping me debug 😁

Thanks again

Edited October 13, 2020 by Bad_T

[kaosfere 3,115]

1 hour ago, Bad_T said:

you have probably a lot of addons

Just a few... 😄

/d/MSFS Addons> fd manifest.json | wc -l
763

Thanks for the work on this, it's already a great tool.

[patrice_bambou 85]

3 hours ago, Bad_T said:

Thanks for the feedback, for the problem above, there is an option ot save the order of the column in the right click menu (Save column order/size), to have you columns saved you need to use it. If you did and the columns were not save then it would for sure be a bug 😜

 

Hi Bad_T,

The bug is present with version just before the one for images test (the version from flightsim.to):

 - If I resize some columns and save columns order/size, the default order/size is reloaded on next loading.

 - If I remove one column and close, then reopen, the removed column is restored.

What happens is as is the default configuration of columns, order and size is loaded in any case.

Another suggestion: could you move the commands related to columns (save order/size and restore defaults) into the columns management menu instead of being in the menu related to addons management?

Thanks.

Patrice.

 

[Bad_T 581]

oh oky thanks for the report, i just tested again with the official version and it seems to work on my end . weird ..

but maybe you are looking at the community folder list ? the saving of columns is only done for the 'my addons list' for now (that's why the option is only available in that list) ? that would explain what your are experiencing if you are looking at the other list ? I will add the other list in the next version.

btw, i will also add is a mini toolbar at the top so all the options will be visible and available via a simple click instead of having to bring up the 'right click' menu

thanks again

Edited October 13, 2020 by Bad_T

[patrice_bambou 85]

Hi Bad_T

No, I look at the addons list (left part of the screen)..

I tried with versions 1d, 1d2 and the experimental for images and none of these works Ok regarding this columns problem.

And by the way 2 more suggestions, regarding security:

 - Do not allow to start a new instance of the tool if one instance is already running.

 - Do not allow to start the tool is the simulator is running.

Thanks.

Patrice.

PS: Btw, what is the official version? the one from flightsim.to?

Edited October 13, 2020 by patrice_bambou

[Bad_T 581]

yes the one from flightsim.to is the latest, 1d does not have have the save column feature. You need to use the option shown in the screenshot below to save the columns, did you do that ?

i can certainly add those checks when starting the application, thank you.

 

Edited October 13, 2020 by Bad_T

[Bad_T 581]

4 hours ago, kaosfere said:

Another thing I found myself wishing for last night:  having an "Open mod folder" option on the right-click menu at least for mods in the left pane.  And maybe both?   It would be nice to have a shortcut for getting an explorer window open at the top level of a mod to help when I'm examining its contents.

 

oh i missed that part in your previous message kaosfere because i was probably too attracted by the error 😜

there is already an option to open the folder mod.

Edited October 13, 2020 by Bad_T

[kaosfere 3,115]

6 minutes ago, Bad_T said:

there is already an option to open the folder mod.

Oh my goodness!   For some reason when this first started on my machine it did so with half of the left pane hidden, I saw nothing past "Creator", and I never scrolled to the right 😂  That works just great, thanks!