Change location of Prepar3D v5 addons

[Josephpilot 0]

Hi guys, today I got a 1 TB nvme SSD just for prepar3D, I wanted to know if it was possible to change directory of the prepar3d v5 addons and insert only that folder (and not all the documents folder) in the ssd, thanks in advance, greetings .

[downscc 1,327]

You can put addons any place you want.  However, you need to understand how your existing addons are discovered by P3D and change the path from the old to new location.  Some addons still use the legacy scenery.cfg method, change the path in the section for that addon.  Some addons use the autodiscovery method with an add-on.xml file in the P3D addon documents folder, change the path in that xml file. Some addons use the add-on.cfg file in the P3D program data folder, change the path in the section for that addon.

It helps to understand how these things work.  Very easy to understand information in the Learning Center > SDK > Addons sections.

[Josephpilot 0]

3 hours ago, downscc said:

You can put addons any place you want.  However, you need to understand how your existing addons are discovered by P3D and change the path from the old to new location.  Some addons still use the legacy scenery.cfg method, change the path in the section for that addon.  Some addons use the autodiscovery method with an add-on.xml file in the P3D addon documents folder, change the path in that xml file. Some addons use the add-on.cfg file in the P3D program data folder, change the path in the section for that addon.

It helps to understand how these things work.  Very easy to understand information in the Learning Center > SDK > Addons sections.

ok wait, so, if i install an aerosoft airport, it search prepar3d v5 addons, right? so i can change folder but addons.xml must remain insiede the documents, right? where is the section?

[willy647 194]

7 hours ago, Josephpilot said:

ok wait, so, if i install an aerosoft airport, it search prepar3d v5 addons, right? so i can change folder but addons.xml must remain insiede the documents, right? where is the section?

That is indeed the easiest way of doing it. The addons.xml remains in the documents folder. Then, edit the addons.xml to point to whatever location you have put the addon.

[Josephpilot 0]

ok so i put the scenery on my new ssd and I create a folder on documents with addons.xml and write new directory right?

[MDFlier 2,031]

51 minutes ago, Josephpilot said:

ok so i put the scenery on my new ssd and I create a folder on documents with addons.xml and write new directory right?

I think... Here's an example for you to go by. I'll use my entry for LatinVFR's BWI Baltimore Washington International.

Step 1 for you - Create the folder where you want the actual airport files to reside on your system and copy the entire existing airport folder there.

I put all of my addon scenery into the 'E:\P3D5\Addon Scenery\' folder. (On a SSD)

Each developer has their own subfolder, so for LatinVFR, it's 'E:\P3D5\Addon Scenery\LatinVFR\'

BWI is installed in 'E:\P3D5\Addon Scenery\LatinVFR\KBWI - Baltimore\'

Step #2 for you - Create a folder for the add-on.xml file in your 'My Documents\Prepar3D v5 Add-ons\' folder so P3D can find your airport when it starts up. 

On my system the Add-on.xml file for BWI is in the 'G:\Captain\Documents\Prepar3D v5 Add-ons\LatinVFR Baltimore KBWI P3dv5\' folder.

I don't use subfolders for each developer here, since P3D only scans the 1st level and wouldn't find them. (I think)

Every add on gets it's own folder in the 'Prepar3D v5 Add-ons' folder.

Step #3 for you - Copy the airport's add-on.xml file to the folder you created in step #2 and edit the Path line to point to the folder that you created in Step 1.

This is my G:\Captain\Documents\Prepar3D v5 Add-ons\LatinVFR Baltimore KBWI P3dv5\add-on.xml file. Note that the "Path" line points to the actual scenery location on the SSD.

Note: I think the Lorby tool added the <Layer> line. Your file may not have it. Don't worry if it doesn't.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<SimBase.Document Type="AddOnXml" version="4,0" id="add-on">
  <AddOn.Name>Baltimore_KBWI</AddOn.Name>
  <AddOn.Description>Baltimore_KBWI</AddOn.Description>
  <AddOn.Component>
    <Category>Scenery</Category>
    <Path>E:\P3D5\Addon Scenery\LatinVFR\KBWI - Baltimore</Path>
    <Name>LatinVFR - KBWI Baltimore Washington International</Name>
    <Layer>189</Layer>
  </AddOn.Component>
</SimBase.Document>

Good luck!

Edited December 31, 2020 by MDFlier

[Josephpilot 0]

1 hour ago, MDFlier said:

I think... Here's an example for you to go by. I'll use my entry for LatinVFR's BWI Baltimore Washington International.

Step 1 for you - Create the folder where you want the actual airport files to reside on your system and copy the entire existing airport folder there.

I put all of my addon scenery into the 'E:\P3D5\Addon Scenery\' folder. (On a SSD)

Each developer has their own subfolder, so for LatinVFR, it's 'E:\P3D5\Addon Scenery\LatinVFR\'

BWI is installed in 'E:\P3D5\Addon Scenery\LatinVFR\KBWI - Baltimore\'

Step #2 for you - Create a folder for the add-on.xml file in your 'My Documents\Prepar3D v5 Add-ons\' folder so P3D can find your airport when it starts up. 

On my system the Add-on.xml file for BWI is in the 'G:\Captain\Documents\Prepar3D v5 Add-ons\LatinVFR Baltimore KBWI P3dv5\' folder.

I don't use subfolders for each developer here, since P3D only scans the 1st level and wouldn't find them. (I think)

Every add on gets it's own folder in the 'Prepar3D v5 Add-ons' folder.

Step #3 for you - Copy the airport's add-on.xml file to the folder you created in step #2 and edit the Path line to point to the folder that you created in Step 1.

This is my G:\Captain\Documents\Prepar3D v5 Add-ons\LatinVFR Baltimore KBWI P3dv5\add-on.xml file. Note that the "Path" line points to the actual scenery location on the SSD.

Note: I think the Lorby tool added the <Layer> line. Your file may not have it. Don't worry if it doesn't.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<SimBase.Document Type="AddOnXml" version="4,0" id="add-on">
  <AddOn.Name>Baltimore_KBWI</AddOn.Name>
  <AddOn.Description>Baltimore_KBWI</AddOn.Description>
  <AddOn.Component>
    <Category>Scenery</Category>
    <Path>E:\P3D5\Addon Scenery\LatinVFR\KBWI - Baltimore</Path>
    <Name>LatinVFR - KBWI Baltimore Washington International</Name>
    <Layer>189</Layer>
  </AddOn.Component>
</SimBase.Document>

Good luck!

Hi, thank you very much for this explanation, I tried to do so before but I didn't want to. As if by magic, I tried to install Aerosoft Madrid, and choosing in the setup, the folder in my ssd. There he installed all the files including addons.xml and in the game, in the addons section, I find the scenario, leaving the prepar3d v5 addons directory in documents empty. It may be that maybe for aerosofts we can do this, but I don't know for the others

[Josephpilot 0]

After i have another question, some programs, such as sode, are installed in program data in C. Can I change that directory ??

Edited December 31, 2020 by Josephpilot
Missing letter

[downscc 1,327]

On 12/31/2020 at 8:47 AM, Josephpilot said:

After i have another question, some programs, such as sode, are installed in program data in C. Can I change that directory ??

Why?  You should not change this, because everytime you install an airport scenery that uses SODE it expects those folders to be in that one place and only that place.

 

[Josephpilot 0]

22 hours ago, downscc said:

Why?  You should not change this, because everytime you install an airport scenery that uses SODE it expects those folders to be in that one place and only that place.

 

oh ok, thank you 

[mpo910 2,114]

On 12/31/2020 at 3:47 PM, Josephpilot said:

After i have another question, some programs, such as sode, are installed in program data in C. Can I change that directory ??

SODE has this location because 3th party, who want to use or offer SODE functionality, do need to know where to place their config files. That's why this should stay exactly where it is.

Their are ways to work around. But that comes with more things to take care about and does not make your life easier. 

Marcus