@rlaycock

Hello,

If you still plan to use v2020 for some time, just dont change anything for 2020, your current shortcut will still work.

For v2024 (which can be on another drive without problem), you can have a seperate version of AL, but with the current version, if you don't do the new shortcut 'trick' with a specific configuration folder (see 3rd posts of this thread) both AL.exe will point to the same configuration folder so they will both create the links inside the v2020 community folder which is not what you want.

For your source addons, you will be able to share the same source folders for v2020 and v2024 if the addons are 100% compatible, my guess is that some will probably not be, but you will be able to do whatever you want, either share the same source addons folders or create new ones specifically for v2024. In AL you just specifiy the folders you want to use in the options screen.

Like I said, my plan is to publish a new version quickly which will be specific for v2024 so you wont have to worry with all this technical stuff, just use the EXE you want for the sim you want (you will still be able to share the same source folders if you want by putting the same source folders in the options screens, no need to duplicate the addons if some work for both versions).

Not sure if it's clear enough (probably not 🫢), it's not that easy for me explain all the little subtelties in a few words, but it should be fairly easy to setup. If you have issues when the new version is out, feel free to drop me a little message and i'll try to help.

--- or hmm just thinking out loud, maybe i should publish a temp v2024 version this weekend with just the launch sim option disabled (to enable it i need to know how the v2024 exe can be called and that can only be done after release i guess) and also the map 'live connection' which uses the simconnect client which is probably different for v2024. So people will be able to setup their 2024 AL version without thinking too much about it.

Edited November 15, 20241 yr by Bad_T

@Bad_T

Thank you so much for the quick and detailed response.  It is very much appreciated

If I understand it correctly, All I need to do is be patient for you to either release a new AL for 2024 or the tem fix mentioned in the edit above.  That is perfect for me.

As I say, I have a empty drive where I intend to install MSFS2024 I plan to completely copy all the add_ones to the new drive leaving all the 2020 add-ones intact and unchanged. 

Thanks again for your help.

Best wishes.

Bob

 

7 hours ago, Bad_T said:

@rlaycock

Hello,

If you still plan to use v2020 for some time, just dont change anything for 2020, your current shortcut will still work.

For v2024 (which can be on another drive without problem), you can have a seperate version of AL, but with the current version, if you don't do the new shortcut 'trick' with a specific configuration folder (see 3rd posts of this thread) both AL.exe will point to the same configuration folder so they will both create the links inside the v2020 community folder which is not what you want.

For your source addons, you will be able to share the same source folders for v2020 and v2024 if the addons are 100% compatible, my guess is that some will probably not be, but you will be able to do whatever you want, either share the same source addons folders or create new ones specifically for v2024. In AL you just specifiy the folders you want to use in the options screen.

Like I said, my plan is to publish a new version quickly which will be specific for v2024 so you wont have to worry with all this technical stuff, just use the EXE you want for the sim you want (you will still be able to share the same source folders if you want by putting the same source folders in the options screens, no need to duplicate the addons if some work for both versions).

Not sure if it's clear enough (probably not 🫢), it's not that easy for me explain all the little subtelties in a few words, but it should be fairly easy to setup. If you have issues when the new version is out, feel free to drop me a little message and i'll try to help.

--- or hmm just thinking out loud, maybe i should publish a temp v2024 version this weekend with just the launch sim option disabled (to enable it i need to know how the v2024 exe can be called and that can only be done after release i guess) and also the map 'live connection' which uses the simconnect client which is probably different for v2024. So people will be able to setup their 2024 AL version without thinking too much about it.

Thank you sincerely for creating what I think is invaluable software for MSFS and for making it available to the community for free.

Hi, everyone,

Thank you, Bat_T, for your willingness to adapt the app to the MSFS 2024.
I have been using Addon Linker since day one, and it is the only way, at least for me, to be able to use the add-ons I have collected over the last four years.
Regards

 

Thanks again guys 🍻

I have a little question, not sure if it makes sense. Can someone who has the MS-Store version of the sim AND who has installed the beta/preview version of MSFS2024 or preordered v2024 from the store check his %localappdata%\Packages folder ?

If you have MSFS2020 from the store you should see this folder -> Microsoft.FlightSimulator_8wekyb3d8bbwe

I was wondering if you could maybe see a second 'flightsimulator' folder ? That would maybe be the one related to MSFS2024 (check maybe the creation date) and if i have that folder name i can prepare the new EXE so that it can call the MSFS2024 version of the sim. If there's nothing, or maybe if that folder will change for the final release, then we will need to wait until after the 19th, but well since i have a bit less time during the week i wanted to check if maybe i could prepare things in advance.

I can't check all this myself because i have the Steam version of the sim (for Steam it's already ok because i have the Steam ID for MSFS2024 thanks to the preorder)

I think i'll go with 2 different EXE in the same zip so that there is only one release for both versions and users will just use the one they need or both for some time without needing to install it twice in different folders. Hopefully it will not turn out as being a bad idea 😱

Thank you 🍻

 

Edited November 16, 20241 yr by Bad_T

I'm just planning do another setup of AL-- for 2024. (And leave the AL for 2020 as is... Then as we migrate add-ons (or if) over to 2024 fully, set up any add-ons in AL 2024.. Easy and clean.. No messing about. (AL is 99 mg) so having two occurrences is not huge disk space so just have two AL.. one for 20 and the other for 24.

On 10/13/2024 at 1:59 AM, Bad_T said:

Hello 🍻

With the current AL version, you can already have 2 separates shortcuts, for example one for v2020 and one for v2024 if you plan to use both sims for some time.

You need to install AL only once :

- by default the shortcut has no command line parameter and AL creates its configuration files here for v2020 -> C:\ProgramData\MSFS Addons Linker

- if you want to use it for v2024 before a specific 2024 version of AL is released, you can create another configuration folder (create it manually), for example -> C:\ProgramData\MSFS Addons Linker 2024

- Then create a new shortcut, in the shortcut set the command line parameter configfolder="your folder" .. so in my example it would be configfolder="C:\ProgramData\MSFS Addons Linker 2024" like shown in the image below

- When you launch the new shortcut for the first time, you will get redirected to the options screen, there you will be able to set your custom addons folders (some folder could be shared with msfs2020 if the addons are 100% compatible), then you would need to set your msfs2024 community folder. You can also set a new folder for the presets if those should not be shared between the 2 sims.

So then you have 2 shortcuts, the one you already used for v2020 that will stay the same, and a new one with the command line parameter for v2024 that will have a few different parameters and will create the 'links' in the 2024 community folder. Obviously some features will require a new specific version for 2024 like for example the 'launch sim' option which is for now tied to the 2020 version.

When v2024 is released, i'll certainly try to to improve all that and make a specific version for 2024 (either a different EXE or something to switch sim within the same EXE). A different EXE will probably be easier but I'm still a bit unsure what would be better and how all this will be done but i'll try to get it done quickly (although i'm not sure v2024 will run on my oldish pc which is slightly below min specs 😱 😱).

But even on day one it should be possible to use the current version to create the links for both v2020 and v2024 if needed with this little command line trick until the new version of AL is ready.

If you have ideas or remarks about all this or if something is not clear, let me know, thank you. 🍻

 

 

 

I guess You need to change the path in the Addon Linker Options menu, called "Preset folder:" from "C:\ProgramData\MSFS Addons Linker\Presets" to "C:\ProgramData\MSFS Addons Linker 2024\Presets", inorder to have separate presets for MSFS2020 and MSFS2024.

 

@nbrich1 oh now i doubt even more if i should make 2 completely separated full releases or only 1 release with both EXE inside 😁 .. it's really something i've been thinking and hesitating about for the last 2 days 😱

@Wothan yes because the preset folder, in the current version, by default, will be stuck to the msfs2020 folder (to be precise if you change the shortcut like in my example, the main configuration folder would be ''C:\ProgramData\MSFS Addons Linker 2024\MSFS Addons Linker\Presets', but the presets folder can be anywhere ) ,

But actually, i think you probably won't have to worry about that, the little trick was posted 1 month ago to make sure people would be able to use AL on day 1 if needed for both msfs2024 and msfs2020 but, 1 month later, i think i will be able to publish a new version of AL supporting the main functionalities for v2024 on the 19th (or before) so that you won't have to worry with the shortcut parameter. The only functionalites that will probably not be ready on day one are the 'launch sim from AL for the ms-store version' because i need to know the ms-store package name (see my previous message if someone can help), and the 'connect to sim' function on the map because i will need the new simconnect libraries from msfs2024 which won't be available before the sim is released (but very few users use that feature anyway i guess, i use it mainly to teleport to visit and check addons located the map 😋).

🍻

Edited November 17, 20241 yr by Bad_T

21 hours ago, Bad_T said:

If you have MSFS2020 from the store you should see this folder -> Microsoft.FlightSimulator_8wekyb3d8bbwe

I was wondering if you could maybe see a second 'flightsimulator' folder ? That would maybe be the one related to MSFS2024 (check maybe the creation date) and if i have that folder name i can prepare the new EXE so that it can call the MSFS2024 version of the sim. If there's nothing, or maybe if that folder will change for the final release, then we will need to wait until after the 19th, but well since i have a bit less time during the week i wanted to check if maybe i could prepare things in advance.

 

On my MS Store version i have:

FS2024 in:

C:\Users\vinta\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.Limitless_8wekyb3d8bbwe

FS2020 in:

C:\Users\vinta\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.FlightSimulator_8wekyb3d8bbwe

Edited November 17, 20241 yr by ConairMSFS

oh great thank you very much 🍻, i will try to put that and we'll see if that works ('limitless' seems a bit weird), if not we'll update later.

Yep, I have the same "Limitless".

2 hours ago, Bad_T said:

'limitless' seems a bit weird

Yeah it's  a strange name, but that's it. Took two screenshot for confirmation. First one standard dir, second one the dir where I pointed the install trough xbox app options.

https://ibb.co/rQ9qk2R

https://ibb.co/mvmGFCt

7 hours ago, Bad_T said:

oh great thank you very much 🍻, i will try to put that and we'll see if that works ('limitless' seems a bit weird), if not we'll update later.

I am pretty sure that limitless is a placeholder, to be replaced at release time..  I see it here too, but I doubt it will remain beyond Tuesday.

Edited November 17, 20241 yr by Bert Pieke

On 10/13/2024 at 1:59 AM, Bad_T said:

Hello 🍻

With the current AL version, you can already have 2 separates shortcuts, for example one for v2020 and one for v2024 if you plan to use both sims for some time.

You need to install AL only once :

- by default the shortcut has no command line parameter and AL creates its configuration files here for v2020 -> C:\ProgramData\MSFS Addons Linker

- if you want to use it for v2024 before a specific 2024 version of AL is released, you can create another configuration folder (create it manually), for example -> C:\ProgramData\MSFS Addons Linker 2024

- Then create a new shortcut, in the shortcut set the command line parameter configfolder="your folder" .. so in my example it would be configfolder="C:\ProgramData\MSFS Addons Linker 2024" like shown in the image below

- When you launch the new shortcut for the first time, you will get redirected to the options screen, there you will be able to set your custom addons folders (some folder could be shared with msfs2020 if the addons are 100% compatible), then you would need to set your msfs2024 community folder. You can also set a new folder for the presets if those should not be shared between the 2 sims.

So then you have 2 shortcuts, the one you already used for v2020 that will stay the same, and a new one with the command line parameter for v2024 that will have a few different parameters and will create the 'links' in the 2024 community folder. Obviously some features will require a new specific version for 2024 like for example the 'launch sim' option which is for now tied to the 2020 version.

When v2024 is released, i'll certainly try to to improve all that and make a specific version for 2024 (either a different EXE or something to switch sim within the same EXE). A different EXE will probably be easier but I'm still a bit unsure what would be better and how all this will be done but i'll try to get it done quickly (although i'm not sure v2024 will run on my oldish pc which is slightly below min specs 😱 😱).

But even on day one it should be possible to use the current version to create the links for both v2020 and v2024 if needed with this little command line trick until the new version of AL is ready.

If you have ideas or remarks about all this or if something is not clear, let me know, thank you. 🍻

 

 

Hi, in my AL properties, i have not tab Shortcut? thanks

On 11/17/2024 at 3:18 AM, Bad_T said:

@nbrich1 oh now i doubt even more if i should make 2 completely separated full releases or only 1 release with both EXE inside 😁 .. it's really something i've been thinking and hesitating about for the last 2 days 😱

@Wothan yes because the preset folder, in the current version, by default, will be stuck to the msfs2020 folder (to be precise if you change the shortcut like in my example, the main configuration folder would be ''C:\ProgramData\MSFS Addons Linker 2024\MSFS Addons Linker\Presets', but the presets folder can be anywhere ) ,

But actually, i think you probably won't have to worry about that, the little trick was posted 1 month ago to make sure people would be able to use AL on day 1 if needed for both msfs2024 and msfs2020 but, 1 month later, i think i will be able to publish a new version of AL supporting the main functionalities for v2024 on the 19th (or before) so that you won't have to worry with the shortcut parameter....

🍻

Oh wow! For me this would make things so much easier to test my addons for MSFS2020 in MSFS2024. Just one click to link an addon to either the MSFS2020 or MSFS2024 Community folder. That thought then begs the question, can an addon be linked to both Community folders simultaneously?