Just asking in case I'm missing something obvious to make things easier and quicker...

I do the following for any aircraft where it is possible to do so (i.e. if I don't think its installation method may make it tricky or problematic to do so):

Example: An aircraft has 10 liveries but I only ever use two, so I delete the other 8 and correct the aircraft.cfg accordingly. (I keep the default livery - [FLTSIM.0] - (often reluctantly) in case deleting it causes issues).

When I update that aircraft, I then replace all but the SimObjects folder with the corresponding update's versions.

Then I do the same with everything inside SimObjects apart from the aircraft.cfg file, except for the folders/files related to the unwanted liveries.

As a precaution (and as a backup if I mess up), I rename the old aircraft.cfg file and save as before copying the contents of the new aircraft.cfg into the existing one (that is, anything before [FLTSIM.0] and after the final [FLTSIM.XX], as well as the info for each [FLTSIM.XX] I actually use, making sure not to change the [FLTSIM.XX] numbers from what I have them saying). If all goes well, I delete the renamed backup aircraft.cfg.

_________________________________________________________________

That's a very long-winded process for one aircraft, but if I have several to do or it gets updated regularly, it is a real chore!

Has anyone a simpler (or automated) way to achieve the same thing? In short, how do you update your aircraft if you don't have all of its liveries installed? If there was a way AddonsLinker could do it (assuming there I haven't overlooked it, wouldn't that be great?

 

Edited November 11, 20223 yr by 109Sqn
added final part of process, removed incorrect apostrophe (the shame of it!)

I started right today with another method I find finally working:

I have a "Disabled liveries" folder in community (or anywhere else with Addon Linker), where I have all my aircraft I like to disable in it.

It has the following structure (like the addons itself):
F:\Addon Linker Addons\Aircraft Liveries\XX-Hide Addons\SimObjects\Airplanes\Asobo_208B_GRAND_CARAVAN_EX

 

inside there's just the the aircraft.cfg containing this:

[FLTSIM.0]

isAirTraffic=0
isUserSelectable=0
isFlyable=0
canBeUsedByAITraffic=0

[FLTSIM.1]

isAirTraffic=0
isUserSelectable=0
isFlyable=0
canBeUsedByAITraffic=0

[FLTSIM.2]

isAirTraffic=0
isUserSelectable=0
isFlyable=0
canBeUsedByAITraffic=0

[FLTSIM.3]

isAirTraffic=0
isUserSelectable=0
isFlyable=0
canBeUsedByAITraffic=0

(you need more or less FLTSIM entries depending on your addon ... more do not harm)

With that method I have now deleted everything I do not like and do not have to fear they will come back again when I update, like unwanted PMDG model variants, dozen of Kodiak liveries and models, etc.

Important is, that this folder is loaded as latest, that is why I named it "xx-Hide Addons"

 

As I said I just started today, but it seems to work, but I have to test it more

21 minutes ago, guenseli said:

I started right today with another method I find finally working:

I think I like your idea, if I can just get my head round it!😁 Let's see if I understand it correctly (or not, as is more likely!):

So for each aircraft I have and which I don't want all the liveries, I have the following folders:

e.g.

Y:\xxxx\XX-Hide Addons\SimObjects\Airplanes\bagolu-c172-taildragger-classic

Y:\xxxx\XX-Hide Addons\SimObjects\Airplanes\GotGravel_Vertigo

Y:\xxxx\XX-Hide Addons\SimObjects\Airplanes\JF_146_100

etc

 

(where Y:\xxxx\ is my addons folder used by AddonsLinker).

And in each of those locations I have only an aircraft.cfg file listing the disabled liveries as in your example, right? I can then safely delete the unwanted ones (if I haven't already done so), yes? (Even so, I'd still be cautious about disabling any [FLTSIM.0] ).

 

If I have the above all correct, there are two issues I can see...

1) I think I'd be better using an unaltered aircraft.cfg in each aircraft's actual location so that an update doesn't replace my [FLTSIM.3] with the 'correct' default [FLTSIM.3] for example.

2) Updates occasionally remove a livery or two, so the situation in 1) above may still happen on rare occasions.

 

Let me know if I'm right, wrong or somewhere in between with all of that before I give it a go! Then I'll try it with just one aircraft before going full steam (or, in my case, full MS Store ahead)!😄

 

There's a Part 2 to my reply. I forgot to mention that sometimes there are models or panels etc which are only used with liveries I don't want to keep. would those automatically be disabled using this process? It seems logical that they would and therefore I could still delete them as I've been doing up to now. 

Overall, it seems the only real hassle involved if all this works as you and I hope, is that you still need to either manually delete the unwanted texture folders (the liveries) and unnecessary models and panels folders each time you update, or avoid copying them across if if the aircraft doesn't use an installer.

31 minutes ago, 109Sqn said:

I can then safely delete the unwanted ones

Not sure I understand you, sorry.

When you try my method you do not have to delete anything. The community folder rules!

so, if you have 3 addons, A, B and C and you make folders as I described above for A and B, you do not have anything to delete, but you will just see C in your MSFS aircraft selection menu.

 

This method is of course not for people who want to save space, as no space will be gained.

But the advantage is, that this method should survive any updates.

However, still testing ...

1 hour ago, guenseli said:

dozen of Kodiak liveries

What we badly need is for developers to grant us the ability to choose which liveries we install in the first place!  The Kodiak is the worst I have experienced.  What is 4 x Too Many!  They should please please please provide a more sane instailation method or routine, like perhaps installing the base model and a couple of liveries as a model, and then separately installing livery folders as addons like is done with addon liveries we gain from sites like TO.   Cannot be that difficult.  Just structure the needed folder tree in the installation process.

Edited November 11, 20223 yr by fppilot

There is a product for P3D called Simstarter that displays all the liveries and allows you to check off those you do not want to show. It then goes through and edits the aircraft.cfg file accordingly.  TMK, there is no similar utility for MSFS.

Would definitely want that on my wish list for MSFS.

Any coders with free time want the challenge?  🙂 

 

I've always dismissed an add-on that has many multiples of models. I've see them with 20 darn liveries. What the heck is that all about anyway??? 

Guys, sorry, but this thread is not to vent about countless liveries or models ... it is as it is.

We try here to find a solution to solve this.

thx

4 hours ago, guenseli said:

This method is of course not for people who want to save space, as no space will be gained.

Then unfortunately it wouldn't meet my needs because, although it's not just about the space saving (though GBs can be saved in the case of some aircraft), I want to completely purge my PC of unwanted liveries, models and so on. Still, I may be able to tweak what you're doing - it just won't meet the demands of preventing updates putting them back in.

4 hours ago, fppilot said:

What we badly need is for developers to grant us the ability to choose which liveries we install in the first place!

Absolutely. I can't imagine there are many (if any at all) who are tied into providing certain liveries with their aircraft (i.e. branded liveries they would have paid for the right to use and perhaps contracted to force on us). I can only imagine Microsoft and the likes of PMDG who could potentially have the clout to do such deals. And so, it is crazy we have to have so many 'redundant' files on our systems (for those of us who think of them in that way).

I certainly don't want any MS or Xbox liveries for a start, not half a dozen on more combinations of red/blue/green/purple etc colour schemes. In fact, the more there are for a plane, the more likely I am just to save time scrolling through them and just use the default, which defeats the purpose of having them all!🙄

4 hours ago, vgbaron said:

There is a product for P3D called Simstarter that displays all the liveries and allows you to check off those you do not want to show. It then goes through and edits the aircraft.cfg file accordingly.  TMK, there is no similar utility for MSFS.

Would definitely want that on my wish list for MSFS.

Any coders with free time want the challenge?  🙂 

 

Now that would be perfect. If such a product could be integrated with AddonsLinker, all the better, but a standalone would be just fine. Hopefully someone is up to the challenge as you suggest.🤞

 

On 11/11/2022 at 8:59 PM, guenseli said:

I started right today with another method I find finally working:

I have a "Disabled liveries" folder in community (or anywhere else with Addon Linker), where I have all my aircraft I like to disable in it.

It has the following structure (like the addons itself):
F:\Addon Linker Addons\Aircraft Liveries\XX-Hide Addons\SimObjects\Airplanes\Asobo_208B_GRAND_CARAVAN_EX

 

inside there's just the the aircraft.cfg containing this:(...)

I tried doing this "disabled" mode for the A310 as i don't want any of the default liveries, but they're still there and AddonsLinker doesn't see my new folder as an "addon". Do i need to generate the layout.json file here too for it to be recognized?

19 minutes ago, Nuno Pinto said:

Do i need to generate the layout.json file here too for it to be recognized?

Yes, of course, otherwise it is not recognized.
there's a tool out there which does it simply for you: MSFSLayoutGenerator

 

However I have not 100% found out how it works exactly. So far I just can delete complete aircraft, but nor single liveries with that method.

 

 

1 hour ago, guenseli said:

Yes, of course, otherwise it is not recognized.
there's a tool out there which does it simply for you: MSFSLayoutGenerator

 

However I have not 100% found out how it works exactly. So far I just can delete complete aircraft, but nor single liveries with that method.

 

Thanks!