Is there a heirarchy in the Community folder

[jparnold]

Finding freeware scenery for my hometown city (Sydney NSW) I find some scenery files are 'described' say as Sydney and others maybe just for say a landmark in Sydney (eg Sydney Harbour Bridge, Centrepoint Tower, Anzac Bridge) which the scenery file for Sydney might already contain.

What happens if I place all these files in the community folder as there might be 'conflicts'.

Back in FSX there was a method to create a heirarchy so that some files loaded in precedence to others.

Do I need to be worried? Is it a 'suck it and see' eg add a scenery file, start up MSFS2020 and see the effect?

[taree3]

Finding freeware scenery for my hometown city (Sydney NSW) I find some scenery files are 'described' say as Sydney and others maybe just for say a landmark in Sydney (eg Sydney Harbour Bridge, Centrepoint Tower, Anzac Bridge) which the scenery file for Sydney might already contain.

What happens if I place all these files in the community folder as there might be 'conflicts'.

Back in FSX there was a method to create a heirarchy so that some files loaded in precedence to others.

Do I need to be worried? Is it a 'suck it and see' eg add a scenery file, start up MSFS2020 and see the effect?

 

Well I would humbly suggest that you invest in the ORBX Cityscape Sydney on special at orbxdirect.com as it is on special at the moment at $13.99AUD and DO NOT install any other Sydney

freeware at this time. A better than the MSFS Sydney Airport may jump into the arena at some stage

but the current default one is not too bad. You won't be disappointed with the quality of the ORBX version. Good value for sure.

[jparnold]

That could be the best option especially as it is on special and why not support a local industry.

 

But what about areas not yet covered by ORBX for example Melbourne where once again there are multiple freeware scenery files to download some of which might overlap others.

I have not read anything about scenery heirarchy in the community folder or what might happen if scenery files overlap each other.

[taree3]

Yes the pressure is on for ORBX to do MSFS version of their Melbourne Cityscape and Airport also.

I don't think it matters just drop your freeware in and let sort itself. Having said that if you do go the ORBX way, install using ORBX central to be able to get updates as they are available instead of waiting

for MSFS to update it in the store. Most of the sceneries that seem to get broken when MSFS has a major update and trust me there are a few, are freebies. Using ORBX installers is generally painless.

I am afraid I don't use freebies at all now as I find that most of them are less than stella.

[terrylawdinn]

I've often pondered this too - I have quite a library of TP addons which I control with an add-ons manager so that I don't fill up the Community Folder and cause loading delays. I've tried to keep addons that appear to cover the same or similar areas separate and using the same developer helps as they tend to define the areas they've modded to not overlap.

 

But we get so many reports of CTD and instability, often linked to addons in the CF, that I also wonder. They all, of course, have to use the Asobo standards so in theory there shouldn't be a problem........ But it would be nice if we could have some form of official, or officially condoned, opinion on this question.

 

I'm looking forward to the UK update and will then look at slimming down my addon library (it's mostly UK scenery and airports, as that's where I live and do most of my simming).

[jparnold]

I opened my wallet took up the excellent discount and got the ORBX Sydney scenery. Actually a bargain right now.

Thanks for the 'heads up' for using an add-ons manager. I assume you refer to ModManFX as it states it has been updated for MSFS.

Anyway I downloaded and ran ModManFX and set the 'target' as the path to my community folder which I find strangely on my C: drive yet MSFS2020 is on my D: drive.

It does not display the folder of A320 liveries I placed there manually a few days ago or the oRBX scenery I purchased and downloaded yesterday or does it only display entries for stuff installed using ModManFX?

Edited December 28, 2020 by jparnold
add question at end