Now we all know you are supposed to use the community folder to install addon liveries to any planes. But I want to know if the FSX/P3D way still works as well? I would prefer that to keep my file structure more organized, also with some addons like Air Hauler, the community-folder method doesnt work so well since it is not recognizing the custom plane variants.

So I tried to manually install a repaint of the Blackbox BN-2 Islander today instead of using the community folder, I copied over the texture folder to the aircrafts base folder and copy-pasted the "flightsim.xx" entry to the aircraft.cfg with the subsequent number, like we all are used to doing it for years.

But the repaint won't show up in the MSFS menu.

Is there more to it which i am not aware of? Or does this method not work with MSFS per se?

Edited May 4, 20224 yr by Soulflight

2 minutes ago, Soulflight said:

Now we all know you are supposed to use the community folder to install addon liveries to any planes. But I want to know if the FSX/P3D way still works as well? I would prefer that to keep my file structure cleaner, also with some addons like Air Hauler, the community-folder method doesnt work so well since it is not recognizing the custom plane variants.

So I tried to manually install a repaint of the Blackbox BN-2 Islander today instead of using the community folder, I copied over the texture folder to the aircrafts base folder and copy-pasted the "flightsim.xx" entry to the aircraft.cfg with the subsequent number, like we all are used to doing it for years.

But the repaint won't show up in the MSFS menu.

Is there more to it which i am not aware of? Or does this method not work with MSFS per se?

There is a new four-letter word in painter's vocabulary...J.....S.....O.....N. 😡

The MSFS folder structure and methodology is entirely different from "the old way", and while I can't say if there could be a way to accomplish what you want to do (because I don't know), I think we're still too inexperienced with this sim (3d modd'ers) to create a handy utility to do it quickly and efficiently . 

Add-on linker is a fantastic tool of course and everyone should use it...as it will allow you to create a logical folder structure within the app..however it still creates a symbolic link in the root of the community folder for each add-on...including individual liveries that, in our mind, should be subs under the main aircraft folder.

If someone has found a way to do this successfully I'd be interested to know, but in the end I just grit my teeth every time I have to go into the community folder and find something, LoL

5 minutes ago, Steve Dra said:

There is a new four-letter word in painter's vocabulary...J.....S.....O.....N. 😡

The MSFS folder structure and methodology is entirely different from "the old way", and while I can't say if there could be a way to accomplish what you want to do (because I don't know), I think we're still too inexperienced with this sim (3d modd'ers) to create a handy utility to do it quickly and efficiently . 

Add-on linker is a fantastic tool of course and everyone should use it...as it will allow you to create a logical folder structure within the app..however it still creates a symbolic link in the root of the community folder for each add-on...including individual liveries that, in our mind, should be subs under the main aircraft folder.

If someone has found a way to do this successfully I'd be interested to know, but in the end I just grit my teeth every time I have to go into the community folder and find something, LoL

Ouch, weak spot 😅

Yes I have addon linker and I was setting up one folder just for keeping repaints there. It still causes issues with some external programs trying to recognize custom repaint planes.

How do the addon plane devs add their own liveries then, which are included in the planes "the old way"?

Edited May 4, 20224 yr by Soulflight

Did you run the Layout Generator to update the manifest.json file after modifying the aircraft.cfg?  I haven't tried this particular change, but have had issues with the sim accepting a modified file if it wasn't correctly reported in the manifest.. 

3 hours ago, Steve Dra said:

Add-on linker is a fantastic tool of course and everyone should use it...as it will allow you to create a logical folder structure within the app..however it still creates a symbolic link in the root of the community folder for each add-on...including individual liveries that, in our mind, should be subs under the main aircraft folder.

+1⁹⁹
I am quite surprised each day that Asobo does not reach out to bad2000 to incorporate Addons Linker into MSFS itself much as Asobo has done with Working Title and the G1000/G1000nxi.  It is that valuable and essential as a tool!  Much like an interface extension.

I use Scenery Configurator 1.6 still today with FSX SE to manage sceneries loaded for each flight and am almost stunned that Asobo did not include something like it or Addons Linker into the interface to begin with given the concept had been around for years.  Just another one of those long available enhancements so ignored.....

Edited May 4, 20224 yr by fppilot

It is possible but makes technical no sense as there is from the "user" point of view no real difference between you put it directly into the plane or use a separate package entry. The magic for the old style way is updating the json as said before. But honestly its one of the big advantages that you do not have to touch the plane itself anymore and you can just drop in the livery. And you are independent of aicraft updates. A lot easier for the "user" and just a little bit more overhead for the "painter". The addon linker is quite nice to manage and organize stuff.