add on linker

[davenicoll 104]

Hi guys,

 

Just started to use the add on linker free utility which I find very useful.

 

Reminds me a bit of Simstarter I have for Prepar3d...

 

I have one question and an issue.

 

Question, Can I move my Orbx add ons so add on linker can recognise them so I can then use a preset so I only load the stuff I need where I am flying, EG a preset for the UK only loads add ons, including Orbx for the UK.

 

Issue...I added some programs to start with add on linker when the sim starts, EG Track IR/GoFlight/SPAD.next...In the options screen it also recognises I use FSUIPC to start the sim.

 

Once I press add on linker to start the sim it gives me the notification it has started, all the programs load but all then crash, I never get the spalsh screen and have to start via FSUIPC....

 

Should I not ask FSUIPC to start but add it to the programs to start once add on linker starts the sim...

 

Phew, I think I explained it right there lol

 

Dave

[Glenn Fitzpatrick 3,798]

I do not use addon linker to start the sim , I just fire it up when i want to use it to change settings.

With Orbx I generally set Orbx to a custom folder, delete the Orbx virtual links from the MSFS community folder and point addon linker to the Orbx location.  Only downside is any time you start Orbx Central for updates etc it "fixes" the install and puts the Orbx links back and you need to do it all again.

 

[Nemo 1,305]

46 minutes ago, davenicoll said:

Question, Can I move my Orbx add ons so add on linker can recognise them so I can then use a preset so I only load the stuff I need where I am flying, EG a preset for the UK only loads add ons, including Orbx for the UK.

Regarding ORBX you can do the following: Make one or more folders within the addon linker file system e.g ORBX_NAM, ORBX_EUR etc. - just as you like it. Then go into the community folder where ORBX has placed the "hard links" to the ORBX libraries. Move (not copy!)  these hard links to the folders you did create before. Done.

Now you can quckly switch on/off yor ORBX add-ons via the addon linker. One important note: If you open the ORBX Central, be sure that all ORBX add-ons are active in addon linker. This way, ORBX Central will always find all its installed add-ons and you can update ORBX as usually. If you buy a new ORBX addon just move the newly generated hard link as described above.

Edited April 13, 2022 by Nemo

[Bernard Ducret 790]

1 hour ago, davenicoll said:

Question, Can I move my Orbx add ons so add on linker can recognise them so I can then use a preset so I only load the stuff I need where I am flying, EG a preset for the UK only loads add ons, including Orbx for the UK.

Yes, when you install your ORBX product, make sure you install it to a Library that will correspond to one of your regional folder, it will create a subfolder "msfs" into your regional scenery folder (for example UK/msfs, that will allow the ORBX update tool to find that product and update it as and when needed whether or not it is linked to your Community folder. Then organise your presets as you wish.

1 hour ago, davenicoll said:

Issue...I added some programs to start with add on linker when the sim starts, EG Track IR/GoFlight/SPAD.next...In the options screen it also recognises I use FSUIPC to start the sim.

I start Track IR, Aivlasoft Server and the FBW MCDU through the Options in Addon-Linker, I also have FSUIPC 7 but - exceptionally - it is one of the few software installed in my Community folder and I don't use it to start MSFS, then it does not conflict with Addon-Linker and is loaded by MSFS automatically. I always start MSFS through Addon-Linker because that reminds me to select whatever I will need for my flight before launching MSFS. I rarely have more than eight or ten products selected in Addon Linker before launching MSFS making for a speedy start.

 

I hope this helps.

Edited April 13, 2022 by Bernard Ducret

[Bernard Ducret 790]

15 minutes ago, Nemo said:

If you open the ORBX Central, be sure that all ORBX add-ons are active in addon linker.

Not needed. Whether or not your ORBX products are linked to the Community folder or not, they will be recognised and updated, that is provided you installed them to one of your existing ORBX libraries via the ORBX Central. All my ORBX libraries correspond to one of my regional libraries in my Addon-Linker, thus there is no need to link anything (valid also for Contrail). I check for updates at least once a week and never had a problem with updates with this file structure.

[Nemo 1,305]

16 minutes ago, Bernard Ducret said:

Not needed. Whether or not your ORBX products are linked to the Community folder or not, they will be recognised and updated, that is provided you installed them to one of your existing ORBX libraries via the ORBX Central. All my ORBX libraries correspond to one of my regional libraries in my Addon-Linker, thus there is no need to link anything (valid also for Contrail). I check for updates at least once a week and never had a problem with updates with this file structure.

That's right. But with my method I can keep my ORBX add-ons (quite a lot) on a sepearate drive independant where the other add-ons or the community folder are located. And I dont't have to use addon linker presets. I think every method has it pros and contras.

Edited April 13, 2022 by Nemo

[MarcG 2,967]

Sorry to hijack this thread but;

Has anyone had success in using the Linker to Load/Not Load default Planes in the Sim? If so how did you go about it? I've checked the options and it's hard to tell whether it's doable or not, thanks

[Fielder 3,669]

I uninstalled all my orbx products. and then reinstalled them. orbx gives you 2 choices. one of those 2 choices will put the orbx products into community (as real folders, not as links). This is NOT a library, I don't use a library for orbx any more doing it tis way.

Then move these real orbx products folders from community to addon linker. At this point all the orbx addons are just like the all the other addons, they all are just in your linker folder as real folders and if you 'turn them on' then they will appear in your community folder as links, i.e. they now work exactly like non orbx addons.

[Nemo 1,305]

1 hour ago, MarcG said:

Sorry to hijack this thread but;

Has anyone had success in using the Linker to Load/Not Load default Planes in the Sim? If so how did you go about it? I've checked the options and it's hard to tell whether it's doable or not, thanks

I don't think this is possible. Would be a nice feature though.

[Bad_T 581]

@Nemo & @MarcG Hello, i haven't really experimented that much with that but we i discussed the same kind of question with another user a few days ago.

The problem is that the sim checks for some folders at the start, and if it doesn't find them, it will ask you to redownload them and this is mandatory. So if you move those folder elsewhere to manage them with addons linker and activate them 'on demand' (via the special 'official' folder option) when the link is not active it wilil ask you to redownload them, so that would completely defeat the purpose of what you are trying to do because you would need the links always activated. This would work for marketplace addon because they are not mandatory, but i think it doesn't work with 'base-sim-data folders' becaue those ones are mandatory for to sim to even start.

So then we tried a little workaround that seemed to work for him (but it was for a scenery so probably a bit more easier than aircraft and all their liveries), but it's not really recommended unless you really know what you're doing and are not scared of possible side effects, so it's not something i would publicly recommend.

I also think that it's a bit unfortunate that we have to load (and update) tons of GB of aircrafts and liveries everytime even if we never use them, but well it's probably by design and we can not do much about it.

🍻

Edited May 21, 2022 by Bad_T

[MarcG 2,967]

Ok cool many thanks 👍

[Nemo 1,305]

I have deleted all aircraft which I'm sure I'm not going to use. It is easy to do in the Content Manager and can be undone anytime.

[MarcG 2,967]

1 minute ago, Nemo said:

I have deleted all aircraft which I'm sure I'm not going to use. It is easy to do in the Content Manager and can be undone anytime.

Yeah that's the alternative

[Bad_T 581]

hihi  @Nemo 😱

yeah that's the kind of workaround we used with the other user. he removed the addon (in his case it was a scenery) from the content manager and before doing so he saved the folder containing the addon. So then he could use that folder like a standard custom addon and activate / deactivate it with AL in the community addon and the sim wouldn't bother because the official one is disabled.

Anyway like i said i don't really recommend this unless you're an AL/MSFS specialist (i mean if you want to link them on demand, if you just want to uninstall then i guess no problem to uninstall what you don't like)

🍻

Edited May 21, 2022 by Bad_T

[Phantoms 800]

Has anyone that wants to do that just tried copying the complete folder of the stock aircraft they want to do it with, Running MSFSLayoutGenerator on it to create the layout.json. Deleting the plane through the in game content manager and then installing the modded plane with it's layout.json into community? I'm not saying this works, just throwing it out there are as something to try for those that want.

Edited May 21, 2022 by Phantoms