Author Topic: FTX Central  (Read 7154 times)

Dieter

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Re: FTX Central
« Reply #30 on: November 06, 2017, 03:15:47 AM »
I get the disagreeable feeling that there might be a huge misunderstanding with this addon organizer. It's not the Lorby programmer who "invented" the possibility to use the xml coding.
It was LM who offered this possibility already in P3Dv3, but many users didn't know it and most of all, many of them even had problems to create a correct and working xml file for a scenery or an aircraft.
Additionally it's LM who strongly recommends using the "add-on.xml method" and saving these datas in
C:\Users\Name\Prepar3D v4 Add-ons\
This is also a recommendation of "Poppet" Elaine Dixon and other reputable P3D specialists.

For example have a look at this video by Matt Davis:

Oliver Binder, the Lorby creator, provided with his software an easy method to handle this procedure.
This software is still in an updating phase. If there are suggestions for improvements why not sending him a message on his web page.

And as I wrote above, this must be said unequivocally again, it is Orbx FTXCentral which is not able to "recognize" and to handle sceneries that are saved in xml format. FTXCentral is made for Orbx software only and only reads thoses sceneries that are saved in the scenery.cfg file. And it's Orbx (and other third party scenery designers) who doesn't follow LM's recommended way with their auto installers.
 
Addon designers have to follow the procedures of the simulator producer. Their software must be adapted to the new system. That's what we did with Mircosoft Flight Simulator for many, many years and we got used to it. Now it's the era of LM and they turn things inside out. As a result addon designers and us the users we have to follow the new rules. They still dwelling on the former FSX method. (I don't say it was bad.)
And, P3D is not exclusively programmed for Orbx software. It's just us with our field of activity who "depend" on Orbx software for our VFR flights.

Btw, I'm not being related to Oliver Binder, I even don't know him personally.
« Last Edit: November 06, 2017, 03:17:32 AM by Dieter »
Many greetings
Dieter

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Dieter

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Re: FTX Central
« Reply #31 on: November 06, 2017, 06:12:59 AM »
Additional to above:
Basically Orbx Vector will not recognize P3Dv4 .xml scenery (at this time)!

Solution:
- How to make Vector recognise P3Dv4 .xml scenery
https://orbxsystems.com/forum/topic/138358-how-to-make-vector-recognise-p3dv4-xml-scenery/?tab=comments#comment-1265556
Many greetings
Dieter

Intel(r) Core(TM) i7-7700K CPU 4,5 GHz - MSI Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 - RAM 16GB - 3 SSD je 500GB - 1 SSD 1TB - 1 HD 1TB - Win10 Pro 64 bit - MSFS Premium Deluxe - Thrustmaster Hotas Warthog - Thrustmaster TFRP Pedals

Doug

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Re: FTX Central
« Reply #32 on: November 06, 2017, 08:13:47 AM »
Now I see where this is going. And no wonder things were so easy to add when I started V4 and used adding organizer. The only problem is FTX Central and Vector can’t read the xml files, they haven’t learned the new/more efficient language. So for a person like me, it made it look like the Lorby program was defective because FTC Central couldn’t read the xml files Lorby was creating and using. The video gives us more to learn, and I’m going to spend the morning trying to understand all of it. There is good info in the link too.

UPDATE: Watched the Video. One thing that I saw that was very important was the uninstalling and re-installing of the modules. (Dex dragged me kicking and screaming through this process) ... going to a new version is literally "minutes" instead of an hour.  So be sure to note that toward the end of the video. P3D has made it easy by creating this modular format rather than you having to do a complete re-install. Basically you do the following:

In Control Panel ...
1. uninstall the P3D client module
2. uninstall the P3D content module
3. uninstall the P3D scenery module

In the "setup folder" you get for the new version ... you do not run setup, instead you:
1. Install the Client module
2. Install the Content module
3. Install the scenery module

You then "activate" the new version and it's done!
That's all it takes! The video walks you through this process nicely.

Back to Lorby ...

The Lorby Addon Organizer allows you to add locations into the scenery.cfg that are in the Prepar3Dv4 Add-ons folder. Using Lorby Addon Organizer, I moved all my locations to the Scenery.cfg. The result, everything now shows in my FTX Central (the list) and I can put in the insertion points correctly.  For those of us "tethered" to ORBX (FTC Central), it isn't an easy choice to move to this new method. For me, without the list showing up in FTX Central, any time you do a new install, the insertion points are fixed and always put FTX and ORBX LC at the BOTTOM of the scenery folder ...screwing everything up! So if you install ORBX Payware PAVD, after installation, when you look at your scenery library, you'll see those folders have shifted to the bottom (again!). So you have to put them back where they belong ... basically, the ORBX FTX Central insertion tool does not work unless all locations are in the scenery.cfg, so you can "insert" into the list rather than where Lorby puts them ... "outside" in the Prepar3Dv4 Add-ons folder. (where they will be if ORBX catches up!).

What would be helpful for people like me would be if Lorby could "batch move" multiple locations to the scenery.cfg folder. I have over 500 scenery locations with RTMM and Hawaii, so moving EACH one individually was tedious. But this would quickly solve the problem for those of us still tethered to FTC Central's insertion point tool.  (I've sent the suggestion to the author).

It is still confusing for me. But basically, we seem to need have locations in the scenery.cfg to satisfy ORBX (FTC Central). But otherwise, these add-ons would all be located in the Prepar3Dv4 Add-ons folder ... What then would be in the scenery.cfg folder?

Ah ... more to learn.  Dieter is a good teacher and taskmaster ... so instead of having fun flying today, I'm hitting the internet to learn more about all of this. :-)  I hope I have most of the above correct. So consider this thread a "discussion" as we zero in on the target.

Doug

 



« Last Edit: November 06, 2017, 10:04:43 AM by Doug »