Installing Milviz to P3D 5.4 addon directory

[Butch1 11]

I like to keep as much of the aircraft files in the addon directory with so many files under gauges and effects etc, I like to keep things tidy. Having said that, Milviz aka Blackbeard will

usually install a orange colored management system for each aircraft or consolidate multiple Milviz aircraft under one configuration management system, I have installed one of

their aircraft in my addons directory in P3D V5.4 but lost continuity the configuration  management system. It doesn't show:  normally,  the SHIFT+2 screen will show and I can

move chocks or show a start cart. Now that option is a black screen.  I'd like to know how to make the missing milviz aircraft in my addon folder show in the management system?

I've managed to fix this situation mentioned above,

 

My issue now is when the F86 is loaded, when pressing the SHIFT +2 keys a blank screen appears

 

In that blank screen the image below should be shown. I think it is one of the gauge setting in the panel cfg not sure but all those gauges are in the gauge directory

and If I click a blind spot in that black screen the start cart and chocks will appear. 

 

The image below is what should be showing where the black screen is in image above. 

 

 

Edited September 5, 2023 by Butch1
Left out image

[charliearon 3,032]

Hey, Butch!

Is there any way to look at each panel.cfg comparing the one from installed outside the P3d Directory and the one that is installed inside the Directory?  It's gotta be some simple missing.

[Butch1 11]

Hey Charlie,

 

I'll check both out. I'll have to save the one that's installed in addons and then install inside core P3D to compair.

I agree something simple is missing,,,,, but what?

 

Edited September 5, 2023 by Butch1

[Butch1 11]

Using Winmerge both file are identical.  So....what now?

[charliearon 3,032]

Head scratcher, Butch!  All gauges are in both panel folders?

[Butch1 11]

11 minutes ago, charliearon said:

Head scratcher, Butch!  All gauges are in both panel folders?

Yeppers. Whether the program is installed inside P3D core or outside core (Addons) the same folders names are established.

I did notice that a installed to the core P3D produces a Milviz folder as show below:    (don't know what this file does or is about) May have nothing to do with my issue.

Th

 

[charliearon 3,032]

Have you tried copying that folder to the other one that is giving you the problem?

So, in a nutshell, you are just trying to figure out why one is good and the other has problems.  The one that works can be put into the P3d directory and work fine, then be put into your "Hangar folder" when not using it?

[Butch1 11]

This is the contents of the panel folder there is no gauges folder.

Next image down shows windows 01 entry which should show the aircraft config panel.

Edited September 6, 2023 by Butch1

[Butch1 11]

Looks like that config panel only shows when the addon is intalled to the core direcory.  I've been told by another user

that this happens to them as well.

Edited September 9, 2023 by Butch1

[Rogen 1,095]

8 hours ago, Butch1 said:

Looks like that config panel only shows when the addon is intalled to the core direcory.  I've been told by another user

that this happens to them as well.

There should be a Milviz folder in the P3d main root and within that are various folders and ini files for their various aircraft.

e.g. for the F-86 there will be \Milviz\F86\F86_init.ini in the P3D root.

I would imagine if installed to a path outside of the root that the Milviz folder would be located in where ever the install path was.

What happens if the Milviz folder and contents are moved into the P3D root ?

I also note the gauges are actual dlls, which probably means they have been build with some path expectations.

Cheers

 

 

[Butch1 11]

11 hours ago, Rogen said:

There should be a Milviz folder in the P3d main root and within that are various folders and ini files for their various aircraft.

e.g. for the F-86 there will be \Milviz\F86\F86_init.ini in the P3D root.

I would imagine if installed to a path outside of the root that the Milviz folder would be located in where ever the install path was.

What happens if the Milviz folder and contents are moved into the P3D root ?

I also note the gauges are actual dlls, which probably means they have been build with some path expectations.

Cheers

 

 

Not sure what you mean however, the ini is in the P3D root as are the other ini files for their other products. The installer will only offer to install up to

P3D V4 - I have P3D V5.4, I can point the installer to the core P3D V5.4 and it does its install thing to that directory namely P3DV5.4/simobjects/aircraft/

and then it adds the F86 to the MVAMs folder.

[Rogen 1,095]

9 hours ago, Butch1 said:

Not sure what you mean however, the ini is in the P3D root as are the other ini files for their other products. The installer will only offer to install up to

P3D V4 - I have P3D V5.4, I can point the installer to the core P3D V5.4 and it does its install thing to that directory namely P3DV5.4/simobjects/aircraft/

and then it adds the F86 to the MVAMs folder.

I have a number of Milviz's aircraft installed via an addin path outside of the P3D root, however the NVAMS was typcially an issue as was sound in some instances.

Mostly I opted for a hybred type of install, where the install location is in a custom addins path (H:\Addons_P3D\01.Aircraft\Milviz), where the add-on.xml is used for the reference of everything other than "SimObjects" and where SimObjects is added to the P3D root, either directly or via a symbolic link.

The exception being the Milviz MVAMS folder which i would manually copy directly into the P3D root.

Also some were too much trouble and I didn't bother with such a hybred install and just installed directly into the P3D root, like the F-86 for example.

The Milviz aircraft, while great aircraft in themselves, show that often more than just an installer needs to be tweeked to support an add-ons path.

But hey, whatever works for youself is the best option.

Always installing to an add-ons path is not always the best option, as on occasion other products from the same developer will install updated content (effects, gauges, textures, etc.) which maybe referenced by their other products, mostly though this affects scenery and a good example is the old vertical waves issue with Orbx scenery as not all their scenery packages have been updated.

The good part is once the files are installed outside of the sim, you can easily review what files are included within the package.

Cheers

Edited September 10, 2023 by Rogen

[Butch1 11]

42 minutes ago, Rogen said:

I have a number of Milviz's aircraft installed via an addin path outside of the P3D root, however the NVAMS was typcially an issue as was sound in some instances.

Mostly I opted for a hybred type of install, where the install location is in a custom addins path (H:\Addons_P3D\01.Aircraft\Milviz), where the add-on.xml is used for the reference of everything other than "SimObjects" and where SimObjects is added to the P3D root, either directly or via a symbolic link.

The exception being the Milviz MVAMS folder which i would manually copy directly into the P3D root.

Also some were too much trouble and I didn't bother with such a hybred install and just installed directly into the P3D root, like the F-86 for example.

The Milviz aircraft, while great aircraft in themselves, show that often more than just an installer needs to be tweeked to support an add-ons path.

But hey, whatever works for youself is the best option.

Always installing to an add-ons path is not always the best option, as on occasion other products from the same developer will install updated content (effects, gauges, textures, etc.) which maybe referenced by their other products, mostly though this affects scenery and a good example is the old vertical waves issue with Orbx scenery as not all their scenery packages have been updated.

The good part is once the files are installed outside of the sim, you can easily review what files are included within the package.

Cheers

I really appreciate your replies and candor on this topic. The part you mentioned about about the updated content (effects,gauges etc) is perhaps one of

the main reasons I wanted to keep the Milviz "goodies" isolated in an addon folder to avoid conflict with similar files from either the stock P3D files or

some other Devs goodies. within the core of P3D.  On once occasion, I noted that Milviz (F-100) installed its panel config as you see it here in P3DV5.4

and guess what....it is installed in my addon directory and not P3D Core.  What gives? To me, it is an enigma wrapped in a mystery. In my first post you will

see a black and blank config panel that if installed in the core of P3D will have a visible, functional config panel..

 

Here is LM P3D recommendation on installing aircraft to P3D

I know you know this but here is a link to LM's take on where to install addons:

https://www.prepar3d.com/support/add-ons/.

[Rogen 1,095]

22 minutes ago, Butch1 said:

I really appreciate your replies and candor on this topic. The part you mentioned about about the updated content (effects,gauges etc) is perhaps one of the main reasons I wanted to keep the Milviz "goodies" isolated in an addon folder to avoid conflict with similar files from either the stock P3D files or some other Devs goodies within the core of P3D.

Generally you don't have to worry about stock or other companies items as typically such are uniquely named or are within a folder dedicated to the aircraft.

I note the F-86 the gauges are dlls, meaning they are likely written in C/C++ and probably have particular pathing expectations for finding dependancies within the P3D root.

dll gauges generally offer greater sim functionality and are complied for speed, however are not easily editable without the source code meaning sometimes there is a need to live within whatever dependancies are needed to run the application.

I personally don't run the default P3D addon path as it is a windows user path applicable only to the current logged in user, I surmise LM uses the default Windows user pathing to avoid Windows permissions issues in a default install senario.

Myself (being an I.T. professional), know how Window's applies file access permissions and I run 29 add-on discovery paths spread over 3 drives with one of those drives being a ram disc for speed.

Microsoft do have a tool to record real time file access which can be handly for finding paths applications maybe looking for, it does record a quite huge amount of data though but it can be filtered.

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/procmon

Cheers

[Rogen 1,095]

Ok, I've removed the F-86 from the root of the P3D install (completely including the SimObjects\Misc, sound and effects).

• Then reinstalled to my Milviz addon discovery path outside of P3D.
• Ran ProcessMonitor to see what the F-86 is looking for.
• And it is looking for the aformentioned gauge images inside the root of P3d, e.g.
• H:\Lockheed Martin\Prepar3D v4\SimObjects\Airplanes\Milviz F-86\Panel\misc.png
• As a workaround I created a folder in the root of P3D and copied the gauge image files only into the newly created path, e.g.
• H:\Lockheed Martin\Prepar3D v4\SimObjects\Airplanes\Milviz F-86\Panel
• And the gauge images now display fine.

During the review process I found sound was an issue where to resolve I copied the Milviz\Sound folder to H:\Lockheed Martin\Prepar3D v4\Sound

Note some of the effects files the F-86 installs are used by some of their other aircraft, which was the type of thing I was talking about that typcially affects product lines of a single developer or publisher e.g. reuse of existing assets.

Otherwise all seems good so far, and if there are other problems that crop up it's easy enough to just copy the whole kit and caboodle back into the P3D root paths.

Tthe pics are with the aircraft installed to my addin's path.

Cheers