Cleaning up scenery folders

[martinlest2 58]

I have been trying to clean my FS9 setup of unnecessary duplicate files and have some questions, if the experts wouldn't mind helping out.Firstly, there are a surprising number of 3rd. party scenery add-ons which have installed bgl files in the texture folders. I am right in believing that they are completely useless there, aren't I?Secondly, if I have texture bitmaps installed in the main FS2004/scenery folder (e.g. scenery/generic/texture), are exact duplicates of these same files necessary in individual scenery software folders in my Addon scenery folders? I remember reading re. Gerrish Grey's tree library that duplicates can cause unnecessary memory use in FS and should be deleted. If not, should I delete any - and which?Lastly, what can I do about the large number of duplicate bgl files I have in different folders? Some of these are large files. For instance, I have a lot of bgl files duplicated in my Runway12 Static Objects Library folder and in Vista Australis/VOZ EZ library folders. Do I need to leave them all as they are for my scenery to work? I'm not short of disc space, so could do so, but not sure if there are going to be any conflicts or memory issues with all these duplicates around.Thank you in advance for your advice.Martin

[tasmanet 0]

>Firstly, there are a surprising number of 3rd. party scenery>add-ons which have installed bgl files in the texture folders.>I am right in believing that they are completely useless>there, aren't I?Yes

[arno 1]

Hi Martin,>Firstly, there are a surprising number of 3rd. party scenery>add-ons which have installed bgl files in the texture folders.>I am right in believing that they are completely useless>there, aren't I?Yes, they can go, as they are not read anyway.>Secondly, if I have texture bitmaps installed in the main>FS2004/scenery folder (e.g. scenery/generic/texture), are>exact duplicates of these same files necessary in individual>scenery software folders in my Addon scenery folders? I>remember reading re. Gerrish Grey's tree library that>duplicates can cause unnecessary memory use in FS and should>be deleted. If not, should I delete any - and which?No, that won't always work. When a BGL file is loaded the texture will only be searched in the texture folder belonging to the scenery folder where the BGL is and in the main texture folder of FS. So if it is in the generictexture folder it will not be found. So in general it is best to leave them there, unless you are sure that the BGL file calling them can find them elsewhere.>Lastly, what can I do about the large number of duplicate bgl>files I have in different folders? Some of these are large>files. For instance, I have a lot of bgl files duplicated in>my Runway12 Static Objects Library folder and in Vista>Australis/VOZ EZ library folders. Do I need to leave them all>as they are for my scenery to work? I'm not short of disc>space, so could do so, but not sure if there are going to be>any conflicts or memory issues with all these duplicates>around.For such library BGL files it should be a solution to all move them to a "library" folder or so (that is the default approach of Rwy12 libraries). As long as this folder is active, the sceneries using these objects will be able to find them. Having duplicate copies of libraries on your system is a bad idea anyhow, as having duplicate IDs can give trouble.

[martinlest2 58]

Thanks forthe reply Arno. You say "will only be searched in the texture folder belonging to the scenery folder where the BGL is" but also "unless you are sure that the BGL file calling them can find them elsewhere.". Are these statements compatible though? How could the latter work if the first is true?Will have a look at my bgls as above - though they are not AFCADs I should say, all 'sceneries'.M. :-)

[arno 1]

Hi,I meant to say that if you have a copy in the main texture folder as well, then you could remove them from the individual folders. Or if they belong to a library that is also available elsewhere (with its own texture folder), then you can remove them as well. But in most other cases you should leave them where they are.

[jonpatch 1]

Hi Arno,Another exception to files being placed in a texture folder outside the addon scenery folder: phototiles and associated autogen may be placed in SceneryWorldTexture.There are sometimes specific reasons why scenery files may be in scenery folders outside of the addon folder. That doesn't seem to be in question here.Jon

[martinlest2 58]

Maybe I could give an example: I certainly don't want to delete stuff and find I should not have done so!I have the file FenceLib.bgl in the scenery folders of the following:Rwy12 Static Objects Library/British Airports/KJFK/Vista Australis/VOZ EZ library/LLBG_2004/ (Ben Gurion scenery)If I were to remove all duplicates and leave the Rwy12 bgl in place, would the other sceneries locate them OK? From what you say Arno, the answer should be 'yes' ...Thanks again.M.

[arno 1]

Yes, if you are sure all these BGL files are the same version (same date and size), then that should work fine.

[martinlest2 58]

Yes, they are identical. I'll try it, but make a note where they came from, just in case!M.