I'm a big fan and big user of the Addons Linker, but can't find any details of the use/function of a couple of the dependencies options.

If you right click on an entry in the addons folder list, you get four options plus a link to the Dependencies Viewer -

1) Set dependencies for this selected addon - no problem with this option.

2) Add cumulative dependencies to the selected addons - what is this and how does it work?

3) Auto select/unselect used/unused dependencies - what is this and how does it work?

4) Select this addon as a dependency for other addons - this is fine with me, and one I use a lot.

I have a pretty extensive addons collection (over 3200 entries in the linker) and my scenery is split into global regions. I have various "global" or multi-regional products that I have set using option (4) above to be marked active if I also activate any single airport or feature within one of my regions. For example I have an entry for "France VFR Objects" (the package), which is conditionally activated whenever I select any single item within my \Addons\Scenery|Europe|France folder. This is easy to set up because I can just mark that single folder ( \Addons\Scenery|Europe|France) as the target for the dependency, rather than have to go through marking each individual airport. So the option (4) here is pretty much all I use.

But, I'm not sure how to remove a dependency. I assume option (3) is involved but I don't want to do anything to screw up what I spent a good amount of time setting up already. So if anyone can answer that I'd be very grateful. Likewise if anyone has an understanding of options (2) and (3) that'd be great as well.

I've sort of gotten used to the dependencies viewer. I personally don't find it terribly useful but I suspect that's just down to the sheer number of entries it has to display on my setup.

And @Bad_T, if you see this, would it be possible to amend the option (4) so that it's possible to select a folder containing sub-folders as the subject folder for the dependency? So I could set up, for example, a folder called "UK dependency stuff" which would contain any number of individual addons (separate POIs, piers, specific landmarks etc), and then select "UK dependency stuff" as a single dependency itself to be activated if I select my actual \Addons\Scenery\UK folder as the containing target folder. So that if I then selected ANY airport within the \Addons\Scenery\UK folder structure ALL the folders in the "UK dependency stuff" folder would also be activated. As it is at the moment, it seems I can only use that option (4) for individual addons (i.e, folders with actual JSON files, I guess).

And as usual, thanks to @Bad_T for this product. I wouldn't want to try to run the sim without it. Not sure it would be possible in my case. If I put everything I've got live into my community folder I'd have to try and start the sim the day before I wanted to use it, I suspect.

 

Hello @andy1252 and thank you for your nice words.

Some options are indeed a bit confusing 🙊😱, here's some eplanation for the 2 you had some doubts about.

• Add cumulative dependencies to the selected addons : this options was added recently, it only becomes available when you select more than 1 addon so you can set the dependencies to multiple addons in one go. The choice of the 'cumulative' words was used because that option will add dependencies to selected addons in a cumulative way, meaning that each individual addons will keep their existing dependencies if they have already some that have been defined for them.
  With the normal option, it's only for one addon so this problem doesn't exist, you can add or remove dependencies for that specific addons, but if you select multiple elements each ones you selected might already have one or more dependencies so it had to be done in a different option and make clear that it would just add dependencies to the existing ones. Hmm not sure if it's much clearer now 😜
  To sum up it's actually very simple -> if you have only 1 addon selected only the first option 'set dependencies for this selected addon' will be available, if you have more than 1 addon selected only the 2nd option 'add cumulative dependencies....' will be available in the right click menu.
   
• Auto select/unselect used/unused dependencies : this is probably not very useful. It was just made to automatically unselect addons that have been defined as being dependencies if no addons that uses them are selected. Just like some sort of cleanup of the selected libraries. For exmample, you have 'daved3dpeople' currently activated (linked) and no addons currently activated uses it, then if you click on that option 'daved3dpeople' would get unselected automatically and unlinked.

To remove a dependency you need to go into the normal dependency single addon screen and uncheck the dependency, there is not other way for now 😳

The dependency viewer is a bit cheap, i did it quickly when i introduced the dependencies in the program to have some sort of global view of the dependencies assignements. Then i never worked on improving it so it remained in that very basic state and you can't do much in that screen. It would maybe benefit from a little overhaul like adding some option to remove dependencies directly from that screen which would make the removal a bit easier. Or if you have some idea that would make it more useful for you feel free to let me know.

dependencies on folder level : it's a good idea and i had that request once in the past, it's a bit complicated though due to the way the tool is programmed now so when i checked that i could not implement it straight away because it was quite a lot of work and changes that might break the existing code, but now that is requested again i will try to rethink a bit about it with a fresh mind to see if i can find some solutions for that,

Let me know if you need more info or if something is not clear 🥂

 

Edited July 14, 20223 yr by Bad_T

@Bad_T

Prompt with the replies as always , that was an interesting read. Thanks for your great software!

Thanks also to the OP for the questions.

🙂

 

4 hours ago, Bad_T said:

Some options are indeed a bit confusing 🙊😱, here's some eplanation for the 2 you had some doubts about.

• Add cumulative dependencies to the selected addons : this options was added recently, it only becomes available when you select more than 1 addon so you can set the dependencies to multiple addons in one go.

To remove a dependency you need to go into the normal dependency single addon screen and uncheck the dependency, there is not other way for now 😳

Hi again,

ok, I had another play and tested a couple of things out. I can see that this option "cumulative dependencies" allows me to select multiple folders/items but then it will only let me use the first option "Set dependencies for this (now 'these') selected addon", so I can't use this for the option 4 - "Set this (these) addon as a dependency for other addons". Correct?

And I still can't see how to remove a dependency. If I select an item I've already set AS a dependency, rather than FOR a dependency, and go to the "dependencies selection" window, I don't see any items already checked, so there's nothing for me to uncheck.

None of this is a major issue, so don't stretch any brain cells too hard on this, but I'm just curiious. I've largely got it doing what I want, and presumably if I can't get a dependency removed I can just rename the actual folder concerned so that the linker can't find the original one.

As for the dependency viewer, one big thing for a setup like mine would be just to be able to globally collapse the entry listings, whether by addon or dependency, like you can in the main viewer window. But again, no biggie, and I'm possibly in a minority (of 1!) regarding the amount of stuff I've got being managed by the linker so my desires shouldn't affect the design necessarily.

When I hit 5000 managed folders I'll let you know!

cheers,

Andy

yep the 4th option is only available when there is only one addon selected, for now it's not implemented to be able to do that with multiple dependencies at the same time that's why it's disabled when you have a multiple selection in the main view.

to remove you have to use the first option, when the screen opens you should then see the addons currently declared as dependencies of the one you right-clicked on appearing in green (you can quick filter to see only the ones that are defined as dependencies by clicking on the big green button at the top). You would then just unselect the green ones and the dependencies would be removed after clicking the ok button. I just tested and it seems to work fine for me, maybe something is not clear and we don't do exactly the same thing or there is a little bug somewhere, feel free to message me if you still struggle with this, it should work if you use the first option or 4th option.

you can already collapse the whole listing in the dependencies, right click on the 'grouped' column above the grid and you'll see a collapse/expand options. I will add an option to have it all collapsed by default or add a little buttons in a toolbar at the top with the collapse/expand functionality for more convenience.

2.30am, work in 5 hours, i'll check further replies tomorrow late afternoon if needed 😜

 

Edited July 15, 20223 yr by Bad_T

I have the normal folders underneath my addons_linker folder: Planes, Scenery, Airports, Liveries. Or maybe one or two more. But also one called Dependencies. I just dump every single Dependency in there together. And always turn Dependencies ON. And then turn on or off the other folders depending where and what I fly.

Simple. But then MSFS has to link to those dependencies during bootup. Not a big deal if they are not being used. Doesn't seem to take much if any more boot time. 

I don't have to keep track of which addon uses what dependency. 

20 hours ago, Bad_T said:

2.30am, work in 5 hours,

@Bad_T, I hope that wasn't just about my question! Nothing I do is that important that I need you to work those hours on it!

Well, after a bit of experimentation I got it sorted at my end. I got the dependencies viewer display options figured out (the right click business), and I realised that what was happening with the whole "removing a dependency" option was down to the fact that when I allocate a target folder initially for option (4) I can specify a high level folder ("14 UK & Ireland") in my example, but if I want to select anything once already allocated, for example to remove a dependency, only the lowest level folders are indicated via the tickbox, so unless I've expanded the folder tree manually or used the green button, the dependencies don't show up - the high level folder itself ("14 UK & Ireland")  is not flagged.

But if I click on its checkbox twice it will let me remove the dependency at the high level (UK & Ireland) ok.

So basically, it does exactly what I wanted. I'm a happy bunny again. If you ever do figure out how to do multiple selections at once for option (4) that would be a bonus, but it's not a real issue at all.

Thanks for your help again.

1 hour ago, andy1252 said:

So basically, it does exactly what I wanted. I'm a happy bunny again.

Wouldn't it be a real ++ if scenery developers would each include a readme.txt file that listed dependencies so we could check that and now over time set up the affected scenery dependences before the next affected flights?  I have over 300 addon scenery airports and find I now have to look them up again on TO and check there for dependencies.  One by one I will get those that have dependencies configured.  But nowhere near all of them have such dependencies.  An included txt file would be so much more convenient!

Edited July 15, 20223 yr by fppilot

8 minutes ago, fppilot said:

I have over 300 addon scenery airports and find I now have to look them up again on TO and check there for dependencies.

Hi Frank, I missed the opportunity initially to note which freeware airports I downloaded used which libraries, and decided I wasn't going to try and go back and sort it all out. So the libraries I have downloaded all just get loaded for all flight sessions regardless of where I'm flying today. I don't worry about dependencies and there aren't enough libraries in total to feel like they could be a problem in terms of affecting load times or anything. Haven't had any issues so far.

1 hour ago, andy1252 said:

Hi Frank, I missed the opportunity initially to note which freeware airports I downloaded used which libraries, and decided I wasn't going to try and go back and sort it all out. So the libraries I have downloaded all just get loaded for all flight sessions regardless of where I'm flying today. I don't worry about dependencies and there aren't enough libraries in total to feel like they could be a problem in terms of affecting load times or anything. Haven't had any issues so far.

Hey Andy,
I also have my dependency assets organized in a tree named "scenery libraries" which I have routinely activated in Addons Linker when I felt a destination airport might need something therein.  But I have also kept a keen eye on the fact that with each sim update, and perhaps even world updates, something in that tree might cause a conflict.  Then its a needle in a haystack situation. 

For my use the best of Addons Linker is that I can quickly configure just what  need for a particular flight.  Nothing more.  It is just too quick to accomplish.  So recently I flew from east of Baltimore to NW of Milwaukee at FL320 in the Hondajet. I did not configure in as active any of my sceneries in areas I was overflying, such as Pennsylvania, Ohio, and part of Michigan, as from FL320 it made no sense.  Just my home Maryland airport, scenery addons for the Baltimore area, and then my addons for the portion of Wisconsin I was headed to.  My next flight was from Sheboygan to Cleveland.  So I shut down the Maryland addons and added in those I have for Northern Ohio.  Still at too much altitude (and weather) to consider any need for Michigan addons.  

For me it is not a fear of impact on system resources.  More a concern about potential conflicts and lack of need to load what I am not directly using.  Again, takes me only seconds.

13 hours ago, fppilot said:

For me it is not a fear of impact on system resources.  More a concern about potential conflicts and lack of need to load what I am not directly using.

Hi Frank, just curious here, but what sort of products/files are you talking about as dependencies? I have things like additional POI packages, road and rail fixes, coastline and water fixes, the FS Birds stuff and the like that are definitely regional/geographical, so those are made conditionally active when I fly in the appropriate regions which sounds similar to what you do. I'm not a person who does serious flight planning anyway, so I'll usually just activate a few airports or areas that I feel I might want to explore in a sim session, and then just take off from one of them and go wherever my nose leads me. So if I decide to fly around generally in CA, for instance, I might pick a couple of airports to activate explicitly, but any regional POI packs will come in as dependencies, along with maybe some coastline fixes, birds, roads, rails etc for the region. If I pick an airport or two in CA, I'll still have probably another ten or twelve airports in that region that I won't bother to activate (which can annoy me sometimes - I find myself approaching an area unplanned and think - d*mn! I should have activated that!)

But library packages like Dave's objects and so on I just leave active all the time. I figure they only contain objects that would be invoked if I also loaded an airport that actually requested them, and if I don't have any such airport active they wouldn't be loaded anyway (even if I flew over, or even landed at, the default version of such an airport). I may be wrong about that but it's worked so far.

And of course the beauty of the linker is being able to have presets to turn everything off, reinstate all the MS Store bought stuff for updates, or have any combination of background levels of addons I fgeel happy with.

Can't imagine life without it. I guess if you don't buy addons, apart from a plane or two, as some folks apparently do, you don't need it. But I also can't imagine not buying loads of addons!

Andy,
These.  Absolutely no way I need all of these all the time.  And any one element or object contained within any of these could potentially pose a risk after sim/world updates.  Some already have already created issues in the past and resulted in the affected package needing updates.  I have not kept a log. The last thing I want is to be two hours into a flight and have it end unexpectedly. 

The water, tree, and coastal fixes you mention are stored in my collection by region and state and loaded only when I fly that area (I fly 99% USA and Caribbean).  It is so easy with Addons Linker to toggle those on and off as needed during pre-flight.  It has become part of my preflight routine. The way I have addons organized I can for instance toggle the entire Los Angles/Orange County/Ventura County region with one click.  And with use of dependencies that includes any necessary object libraries.

Over the past 45 days I have noted only 3 airports I have flown to/from that utilized even one of these object/asset libraries.  One of those utilized (4). So that would loading a lot of potential gremlins for very low incidence of coverage/inclusion.  I know I have other airports that use dependencies like these as it was apparent in the descriptions as I downloaded them.  The dependency feature was not there at the time so I will catch up with those on the fly during preflight, no pun intended.

They are currently not selected as indicated below, however I do activate the two We Love VFR Regions when my flight is at an altitude below 10,000 ft.  I am currently flying a circuit with the Hondajet and thus a bit too fast and busy on takeoff and initial approach to take in their objects, when they exist, and do not need them when flying at FL240 to FL410.