multiple installs - keeping addons separate among them

How do you keep scenery, aircraft etc. from sharing with other installs?

I want to have a ' test ' install to see if I like an addon - fw or pw - before adding it to the main install.

Change the fs9 config ?

Sign in as another user ?

Hi,

You can indeed sign in as another user to keep things separate.

But aircraft and scenery will not be automatically shared between installations, even with the same user. The only things shared will be Flights, Flight Logs, and the fs9.cfg file (AFAIK). Scenery can only be shared if you add them both to the respective Scenery Libraries, and aircraft cannot be shared at all.

EDIT

No need to log on as another user

END EDIT

With scenery it is very simple......

You don't have to install scenery into the default Addon Scenery folder - it can be placed anywhere, even outside of the sim, as long as it meets two basic requirements:

1. The files that make up the scenery must be placed in a correctly formatted folder structure - i.e .bgl files must be placed in a Scenery subfolder and .bmp and other texture related files must be placed in a Texture subfolder.........for example

C:\My Test Scenery\Scenery and C:\My Test Scenery\Texture

2. The folder must be activate in the sim i.e activated using the Scenery settings page as you would normally do - simply navigate to the folders location.

EDIT

Info removed as not applicable to FS2004

END EDIT

EDIT

WRT to payeare stuff - I suggest that you point the installers to a dummy install folder so that you can see what is installed where and then replicate it where possible into your test area. However, if should be noted that some payware stuff will not install unless it detects a valid fs9.cfg file so you may have to place a copy in the temp foder

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SimObjectPaths.0=SimObjects\Airplanes

SimObjectPaths.1=SimObjects\Rotorcraft

SimObjectPaths.2=SimObjects\GroundVehicles

SimObjectPaths.3=SimObjects\Boats

SimObjectPaths.4=SimObjects\Animals

SimObjectPaths.5=SimObjects\Misc

No such entries exist in FS9.

You're in the wrong forum.

Just ignore anything about SimObjects. That's NOT for FS2004!

Install your test scenery into a folder called 'Test Scenery'. This folder can be anywhere.

Then, just tell your Scenery Library to go to that folder to add scenery.

This way, you can have multiple installs, with only a single add-on scenery folder.

Aircraft is a different story, & cannot be installed into a 'Test Aircraft' folder.

@ mauser3.....

Apologies - My bad WRT the aircraft info - I got ahead of myself on that one:mad:

Have edited the post so as not to confuse anybody else who may view this thread.....

The statement: 'make a folder called 'Test Scenery'' seems to imply that all the *.bgl's go in there (ie: are 'lumped' together).

For clarity: 'make a folder called 'Test Scenery' and then place 'individual scenery' under that folder. The 'individual scenery' would then each have it's own folder, with a unique name, with the 2 folders ('scenery' folder and 'texture' folder) added under 'Test Scenery'. This will keep 'individual scenery' seperate from each other in case you run into problems and have to delete it so as to troubleshoot. And instead of 'Test Scenery' you can name it 'Add On Scenery 2', or 'My Addon Scenery', etc. 'Test' implies it is 'Temporary': it's not.

'Activating' a scenery doesn't do anything more than establish the PATH to where the scenery is located so that the sim can find it (and use it). It is not, in any way, a 'validation', or 'screening', process which one might wrongly assume. (Am I erodite or what! (hehe)).

Chuck B

Napamule

............ (Am I erodite or what! (hehe)).

...........

Seemingly NO - especially as the word your are using is misspelt - its erudite........

As to the comments in general, from the 'tone' of the intimal OP, it seems clear that the requirement is for a 'temp' location in which to store/test something.....

Quote Originally Posted by napamule2 View Post

............ (Am I erodite or what! (hehe)).

...........

Seemingly NO - especially as the word your are using is misspelt - its erudite........

;) ;) ;)

I have, as well as my (hugely bloated) FS9 folder, a copy of the out-of-the-box FS9.1, no addons, both in exactly the same location (D:\). I simply rename my full FS9 folder to FS9xxx or whatever, and the 'vanilla' folder, which I call FS9-Clean, to FS9. Either folder, when named FS9, sharing the same locations in the registry, works fine. I even have a batch file which renames the folders at one click and restores the clean version to pristine when I have finished using it to test sceneries or aircraft. My full FS9 installation is of course untouched and safe. (And everything loads ultra fast too, of course, with no addons/AI a/c...).

Simple... though you sometimes have to use 'Unlocker' to unlock processes that were using the folders before they will rename... ('Access Denied' and all that &^%$!)+

Well heck. I don't 'run' a spell checker. I go by memory (hehe). But at least I know this is not FSX Forum (ha).

Scenery (and aircraft - NOT simobjects/airplanes), etc 'addons' are ALL temporary. You install them and if it don't act right you can remove it. So, why the 'Temp' folders baloney?

Chuck B

Napamule

Scenery (and aircraft - NOT simobjects/airplanes), etc 'addons' are ALL temporary. You install them and if it don't act right you can remove it. So, why the 'Temp' folders baloney?

Chuck B

Napamule

It's not 'Baloney'. My method (as above) means when testing, the sim loads several times faster (no AI traffic etc. to load). Moreover, if you are testing software that comes with a setup.exe, files can be put all over the place - Effects, Gauges, Scenery, Texture etc. Sometimes very hard to clean up afterwards, 'cos it's not always obvious which files were installed and where... I never install software I don't know into my main FS9 setup (from bitter experience of, for instance, incompatible gauges causing CTDs at FS startup).

We each have our preferred way of doing things - if you prefer to install test stuff straight into your main FS9 folders, no problem - for us, anyway :)

I ALWAYS put ALL 'addon' files into a 'temp' folder. Including 'exe' installed files. Then I copy/paste to where they belong. So I DO NOT install directly to 'main FS9 folders'. OK?

So, like I said: ALL 'addon' files are 'temp' files. No matter WHERE you put them. You don't need to go to all the trouble of having multiple FS9 installs just to take care of, or handle, the 'addon' INSTALLATION files.

And like I also said: I copy/paste to where they belong. I save the files in 'temp' folder (that is given a RELEVENT, or distint NAME) so I know WHICH files (by NAME) I may need to remove if it (effect, gauge, or scenery) causes any problems. Then if they work as intended I then delete the 'temp' (which has a RELEVENT or distint NAME) folder. OK? Ok!

Chuck B

Napamule

Chuck, some of us actually do have multiple installs of FS2004.

I'm confused when you say all addon files are temp files.

Your 3rd paragraph is correct, & is something we should all do.

I always install/unzip into a temp directory, so I can read & see what there is.

Then I move it to wherever I want to put the files.

Often, I install addon scenery, certainly not temp files, into my 'normal' FS2004 install, then, in my other FS2004 install, I just tell the scenery library to look for that particular folder/scenery in the 'normal' FS2004 install.

I also did this by installing scenery into FSX & then telling P3D where to look for it.

This way, you can test scenery & also not have duplicates.

You say 'tell the scenery library (?) to look in the 'normal' FS2004 install'.

You tell the SIM to look where ever you put the files. It does not differentiate between 'other' and 'normal' FS2004 installs. It doesn't even know, or care, if you have FOUR FS2004 installs. It only wants to know WHERE you put the scenery so it can find it. It could be just about anywhere (it DOESN'T have to be in 'Addon Scenery' folder) in any of 3, or 6, hard drives. I made a new folder, called 'Addon Scenery CB' and put all my scenery under that folder with the 'default' Addon Scenery folder remaining empty! Noda! Zilch file there.

In FSX I do the same for ALL scenery (which, again, are ALL Temporary (ie: not required) to ME (as I can remove it/them anytime and not upset FSX operation). Plus I make folders under 'Sim Objects' called 'FS9 Aircraft' (for 'port overs'), 'FSX Airplanes' (no default ac, just 3rd party), and 'FS9 & FSX Vehicles' (race cars). I make entry in FSX cfg to point to those folders, Sim finds them, I use them, and there is no conflicts. Knowledge is power.

Chuck B

Napamule

Edit: And as far as duplicates.. I have tons of duplicates. I make temp folders, regular folders, folders for 'work in progress' types, folders for 10 years ago, last year and this year, and can have the same AC in all of them. I just don't EVER run any program that removes duplicates ('to save disk space') as that would ruin my installs. I love dupe's.