Addon Linker Messed Up?

[Bert Pieke 7,586]

3 hours ago, andy1252 said:

I already had an Orbx library set up before I got in to the addons linker, so I kept that as it was for Orbx Central. But now I also have entries in my own addons folder structure that are themselves symlinks to the actual files in the Orbx library. So when I activate a particular Orbx scenery now, the addon linker creates a junction in the community folder that connects to a symlink in my addons folder that points to the actual files in the Orbs library!

This works, but you can do this more directly..

Add the Orbx library to the list of folders that Addons Linker scans.

No need for the additional links..

All done 😉

[TomCYYZ 218]

11 hours ago, pmb said:

I do physically move it from the Community folder into the appropriate subdirectory under MSFS Addons (where all the addons physically reside and from where the linker makes the links). Sometimes I move them just  using Windows explorer, but sometimes using the "Move addon" function of the linker. It works both ways.

Now, If I want to fly in "Germany", I activate the Germany folder containing all Germany addons including those from ORBX using the linker.

Kind regards, Michael

I think I have a similar setup to you Michael, as well as Bert.  I have a Library folder outside MSFS on D:\ drive called "MSFS ORBX"  which I have included in Addon Linker. So, whenever there is an update to an ORBX addon it will be updated directly to that folder. That way anytime I use Linker and want to upload an ORBX scenery to MSFS, I know it is the latest version. I do the same with Flightbeam.

Edited October 27, 2021 by TomCYYZ

[andy1252 3,955]

8 hours ago, Bert Pieke said:

Add the Orbx library to the list of folders that Addons Linker scans.

No need for the additional links..

Hi Bert,

thanks for the suggestion, and it would be simpler, at one level, but I have all my stuff organised into country/region folders, so I like to have the Orbx stuff within that, rather than in its own monolithic structure. Like most of this stuff, once it's set up it's largely self-managing,

cheers,

Andy

[doudou 20]

I have my sceneries organised into country in a dedicated file managed by Addons Linker.

I download the Orbx sceneries into Communauty.

Then I move manually all the files  into the country managed by Addons Linker, except the .txt file (to get the update when I open Orbx Central).

Edited October 27, 2021 by doudou

[craigeaglefire 197]

all this just makes me think that this ‘Addons Linker’ function should be MFS Native…

personally, using the MFS Lorby tool,

it’s not only Orbx - but also FSDT Live Update, Contrail et al…

& years ago had a Link Shell Extension failure whilst using P3D symbolic links,

so currently, relying on fast SSD storage & directly installing into curated Community Folder - about 3 min boot time into MFS,

not ideal!

[Rocky_53 1,593]

Hmm, so far so good with this, got it sorted, although something I'm unsure about is when I installed the Orbx Iceland freeware mesh. I pointed it to my MSFS Mesh folder which is inside my MSFS Addons folder which also includes MSFS scenery, MSFS Aircraft and MSFS Utilities. When I came to take a look at the folders, for some reason inside the MSFS Mesh folder, there was a folder which had been automatically created called MSFS, inside which was the relevent folder including the Mesh files. Why has this happened? Was I right  to remove the MSFS scenery folder and delete the automatically created MSFS folder, which it was inside, and place it directly inside the Mesh Folder which I had created directly inside the MSFS Addons folder? This all sounds very complicated to convey, I hope you guys can follow things! 🙄

Edited October 27, 2021 by Rockliffe

[Reader 2,034]

Orbx Central will have created the msfs folder, just as it creates p3dv4, p3dv5 and xp11 folders for the other simulators in an Orbx Central Library.
The only effect of your actions will have been to make the Iceland Mesh invisible to Orbx Central.
If you remember that and don't reinstall it, it will work using your chosen configuration.

[Treetops45 1,082]

17 hours ago, pmb said:

This certainly works as well. This has the advantage of simplifying installation of new addons.

My method has the advantage organizing the ORBX addons according to countries and only activating those where I actually fly, which should help with loading times in view of the fact that I own nearly all ORBX MSFS addons.

Kind regards, Michael
 

I tried Add On Linker very early on when MSFS first came out, then after an MSFS Update managed to tie it in knots & gave up.

I am curious about how much load time you save.

For instance, if you fly Heathrow to Warsaw, roughly how long do you think MSFS takes to load if you have say, UK & Poland activated in Linker, vs Linker not activated at all, [all your MSFS material loads]?

Also, do you use it for aircraft too, or only scenery?
T45

[pmb 5,138]

9 minutes ago, Treetops45 said:

I am curious about how much load time you save.

Also, do you use it for aircraft too, or only scenery?

(i) The first answer is simple: It's infinity to ~4 min, as I have tons of scenery in different regions of the world. Yes, I tried it.

(ii) I have only few aircraft but have left them in the Community folder so far. While I usually fly in a certain region only at an evening, I sometimes want to change the plane without rebooting the sim. Some planes may also be a bit more intricate to handle as they use external modules.

Kind regards, Michael

[Rocky_53 1,593]

2 hours ago, Reader said:

Orbx Central will have created the msfs folder, just as it creates p3dv4, p3dv5 and xp11 folders for the other simulators in an Orbx Central Library.
The only effect of your actions will have been to make the Iceland Mesh invisible to Orbx Central.
If you remember that and don't reinstall it, it will work using your chosen configuration.

Thanks for the reply. So are you saying it will not work correctly if I move the contents of the Orbx created MSFS folder and simply move the contents to my own created MSFS Mesh folder in my MSFS folder? Or is that OK?

[andy1252 3,955]

4 hours ago, craigeaglefire said:

it’s not only Orbx - but also FSDT Live Update, Contrail et al…

Yep. Got folders in the Linker just for those sorts of things too. And now I see Aerosoft has started with its own daft management tool as well as having some of its stuff managed via Orbx Central. Problem is, most developers think their's is the only stuff you're going to be running (assuming they think at all)

[Reader 2,034]

44 minutes ago, Rockliffe said:

Thanks for the reply. So are you saying it will not work correctly if I move the contents of the Orbx created MSFS folder and simply move the contents to my own created MSFS Mesh folder in my MSFS folder? Or is that OK?

Although I don't use it, I understand that the Addons Linker wil allow you to leave the folder in the msfs folder created by Orbx Central and make a link for you from that folder. If you do that, Orbx Central will still see it and notify you of updates, if there are any.

[Rocky_53 1,593]

14 minutes ago, Reader said:

Although I don't use it, I understand that the Addons Linker wil allow you to leave the folder in the msfs folder created by Orbx Central and make a link for you from that folder. If you do that, Orbx Central will still see it and notify you of updates, if there are any.

Ah I see. OK, thanks for the info.

[jason99vmi 157]

On 10/27/2021 at 12:27 AM, TomCYYZ said:

I think I have a similar setup to you Michael, as well as Bert.  I have a Library folder outside MSFS on D:\ drive called "MSFS ORBX"  which I have included in Addon Linker. So, whenever there is an update to an ORBX addon it will be updated directly to that folder. That way anytime I use Linker and want to upload an ORBX scenery to MSFS, I know it is the latest version. I do the same with Flightbeam.

I know this is an old topic but I tried this method and it didn't work.  I guess my question is so if I physically copy/paste the shortcut ORBX folders from Community to say another folder it will show up in Addon Linker?  Also will it update if say ORBX London City has an update or does ORBX not know that I moved the shortcut from Community to said other folder.  In all the Addon Linker tutorials it shows the Community folder should be empty.

I guess that is the problem, is how does ORBX installer or say Contrail or Aerosoft installers know if my scenery or aircraft need an update? 

[TomCYYZ 218]

On 1/3/2022 at 7:18 PM, jason99vmi said:

I know this is an old topic but I tried this method and it didn't work.  I guess my question is so if I physically copy/paste the shortcut ORBX folders from Community to say another folder it will show up in Addon Linker?  Also will it update if say ORBX London City has an update or does ORBX not know that I moved the shortcut from Community to said other folder.  In all the Addon Linker tutorials it shows the Community folder should be empty.

I guess that is the problem, is how does ORBX installer or say Contrail or Aerosoft installers know if my scenery or aircraft need an update? 

I believe both ORBX (ORBX Central) and Flightbeam (Contrail) have similar installers that allow you to create a "Library" folder anywhere on your computer. I have done that for both and when their products are installed they initially create a link to the Community folder. I break that link by simply deleting the folder in the Community folder and created an addons folder (for ORBX & Flightbeam) to "Addon Linker".

eg.

I have MSFS (Community folder) here:  C:\Users\*****\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft Flight Simulator

My ORBX & Flightbeam Addons here: D:\MSFS ORBX\msfs & D:\MSFS Flightbeam\msfs respectively.

...and whenever there is an update to an ORBX or Flightbeam Product, it only updates the  D:\MSFS ORBX\msfs & D:\MSFS Flightbeam\msfs installation folders that I created in the ORBX Central and Contrail settings.

This seems to be working OK for me.

Regards

 

Edited January 5, 2022 by TomCYYZ