Best way to add sceneries, Add-ons or Scenery Library?

[bachian]

After migrating to P3Dv4.1, I started do add some sceneries that does not have a installer using the "Add-ons" method, like modern companies (A2A, FSDT, Flightbeam) are doing. In that way, I don't need to copy effects files to the sim folder, keeping the installation folders cleaner.

But after adding about 15 sceneries this way, I noticed some collateral effect. Some GSX vehicles loose their textures and even some aircraft like A2A and PMDG stoped to load their textures (and became black). Removing all the sceneries xml from the add-ons directory, makes everything comes back to normal.

Now, I'd like to know how you guys are doing. What's the best way to add manually installed sceneries?

1. Use the modern way, through Add-ons folder and xml
2. Use the old way, through Scenery Library

[downscc]

I use only the addon xml method for all except Orbx, and I have over 80 installed. If you have a textures problem, look for texture addon component with a global type and remove the global type line to see if that fixes it. The type declaration is optional, and global types can have unexpected problems.

[bachian]

What do you mean with "texture addon component with a global type"? Is that a property or parameter in the xml? Can you share an example?

I'm looking for a documentation that decribes what is possible with the add-on.xml. Any idea?

[downscc]

What do you mean with "texture addon component with a global type"? Is that a property or parameter in the xml? Can you share an example?

I'm looking for a documentation that decribes what is possible with the add-on.xml. Any idea?

Use the Learning Center to navigate to the SDK then look for the Addon sections, of which there are about four. There is quite of bit of information there.

The texture addon component has an optional property labeled TYPE and can be World, Global or UI. I have not found an explanation of what these types are or how world and global differ. I haven't pursued it because I generally don't assign separate scenery and texture folders.

[Kosta]

Dan, what are you doing with addons that change/edit autogen.xml in the P3D\Autogen folder?

[downscc]

Dan, what are you doing with addons that change/edit autogen.xml in the P3D\Autogen folder?

I have not run into this as a problem, I don't have an autogen.xml only the default.xml in that folder and I recall an addon providing instructions to add or modify several entries but I don't recall which, and I have several entries for FT Libs and Orbx. However, the addon\autogen folder I provide for global use is empty. It very well could be that addon autogen objects are not working as intended but I've not noticed.

I install all my addons to D:\Addon and it includes a few global folders such as effects and simobjects. I have a folder in the P3Dv4 Addon documents folder named aaGlobal, to make sure it is read before all other addon xml files and in it the addon xml is:

Code: Select all

<SimBase.Document Type="AddOnXml" version="4,0" id="add-on">
	<AddOn.Name>Global Data</AddOn.Name>
	<AddOn.Description>AddOn Scenery Global Elements</AddOn.Description>
	
	<AddOn.Component>
		<Category>Autogen</Category>
		<Path>D:\Addon\Autogen</Path>
	</AddOn.Component>
	<Addon.Component>
		<Category>Effects</Category>
		<Path>D:\Addon\effects</Path>
	</Addon.Component>
	<AddOn.Component>
		<Name>AddOn Scenery World</Name>
		<Category>Scenery</Category>
		<Path>D:\Addon\scenery\world</Path>
		<Layer>1</Layer><COMMENT> Causes non sequential error</COMMENT>
	</AddOn.Component>
	<AddOn.Component>
		<Category>SimObjects</Category>
		<Path>D:\Addon\SimObjects\Boats</Path>
	</AddOn.Component>
	<AddOn.Component>
		<Category>Sound</Category>
		<Path>D:\Addon\Sound</Path>
	</AddOn.Component>
	
</SimBase.Document>

I doubt this answers your question. Maybe you could be more specific?

[downscc]

Dan, what are you doing with addons that change/edit autogen.xml in the P3D\Autogen folder?

I have not run into this as a problem, I don't have an autogen.xml only the default.xml in that folder and I recall an addon providing instructions to add or modify several entries but I don't recall which, and I have several entries for FT Libs and Orbx. However, the addon\autogen folder I provide for global use is empty. It very well could be that addon autogen objects are not working as intended but I've not noticed.

I install all my addons to D:\Addon and it includes a few global folders such as effects and simobjects. I have a folder in the P3Dv4 Addon documents folder named aaGlobal, to make sure it is read before all other addon xml files and in it the addon xml is:

<SimBase.Document Type="AddOnXml" version="4,0" id="add-on">
<AddOn.Name>Global Data</AddOn.Name>
<AddOn.Description>AddOn Scenery Global Elements</AddOn.Description>

<AddOn.Component>
<Category>Autogen</Category>
<Path>D:\Addon\Autogen</Path>
</AddOn.Component>
<Addon.Component>
<Category>Effects</Category>
<Path>D:\Addon\effects</Path>
</Addon.Component>
<AddOn.Component>
<Name>AddOn Scenery World</Name>
<Category>Scenery</Category>
<Path>D:\Addon\scenery\world</Path>
<Layer>1</Layer>
</AddOn.Component>
<AddOn.Component>
<Category>SimObjects</Category>
<Path>D:\Addon\SimObjects\Boats</Path>
</AddOn.Component>
<AddOn.Component>
<Category>Sound</Category>
<Path>D:\Addon\Sound</Path>
</AddOn.Component>

</SimBase.Document>


I doubt this answers your question. Maybe you could be more specific?

[downscc]

Dan, what are you doing with addons that change/edit autogen.xml in the P3D\Autogen folder?

I have not run into this as a problem, I don't have an autogen.xml only the default.xml in that folder and I recall an addon providing instructions to add or modify several entries but I don't recall which, and I have several entries for FT Libs and Orbx. However, the addon\autogen folder I provide for global use is empty. It very well could be that addon autogen objects are not working as intended but I've not noticed.

I install all my addons to D:\Addon and it includes a few global folders such as effects and simobjects. I have a folder in the P3Dv4 Addon documents folder named aaGlobal, to make sure it is read before all other addon xml files and in it the addon xml is:

<SimBase.Document Type="AddOnXml" version="4,0" id="add-on">
<AddOn.Name>Global Data</AddOn.Name>
<AddOn.Description>AddOn Scenery Global Elements</AddOn.Description>

<AddOn.Component>
<Category>Autogen</Category>
<Path>D:\Addon\Autogen</Path>
</AddOn.Component>
<Addon.Component>
<Category>Effects</Category>
<Path>D:\Addon\effects</Path>
</Addon.Component>
<AddOn.Component>
<Name>AddOn Scenery World</Name>
<Category>Scenery</Category>
<Path>D:\Addon\scenery\world</Path>
<Layer>1</Layer>
</AddOn.Component>
<AddOn.Component>
<Category>SimObjects</Category>
<Path>D:\Addon\SimObjects\Boats</Path>
</AddOn.Component>
<AddOn.Component>
<Category>Sound</Category>
<Path>D:\Addon\Sound</Path>
</AddOn.Component>

</SimBase.Document>


I doubt this answers your question. Maybe you could be more specific?
[/quote]

[Kosta]

I have not run into this as a problem, I don't have an autogen.xml only the default.xml in that folder and I recall an addon providing instructions to add or modify several entries but I don't recall which

I made a mistake. I meant default.xml. And it is being changed by some addons.

I know of another addon-dev, who put default.xml along another libraries, which seem to insert nicely.

It would be nice if one could somehow extract the changes made to the default default.xml and save them separately.

Seriously, I'm already thinking of dropping the whole thing ;-)

[Darren Howie]

I have this issue now with FSLabs and the Pmdg 747 coming up missing textures and black carbon fibre like textures.
In another post it was hinted that GSX and the FSDT scenery Louisville may have a hand having tried uninstalling GSX and deactivating Lousiville i stil have the issue.
Anyone found a resolution other than adding sceneries via the old method which apparantly fixes the issue by lowering the number added via xml?
To be honest i HATE the new method and now we have a situation where a limit can be reached which is different to each user with no predictability.
Any solutions?

[downscc]

Anyone found a resolution other than adding sceneries via the old method which apparantly fixes the issue by lowering the number added via xml?

Really, this is what you hate?

Most scenery installers create a separate folder and xml file for each product. I combine all products from a developer into one xml file. There is no limit that I have found to the number of AddOn.Components you can have in a file. I've got a large number of addons but only about a dozen add-on.xml files.

[Ebertr]

I have got an add-on scenery which adds a file to ..\Global\Scenery. How can I install that scenery using the add-on.xml method? The crucial point is that the P3D V4.1 SDK only supports the type 'Global' for 'Texture', not for 'Scenery'.

Ruediger

[downscc]

More information please... what scenery? Is it only installing a few bgl files there or the whole product?

Generally, addon sceneries that put a bgl file in the <p3d>\scenery\global\scenery folder, such as Orbx or NMG, are simply putting commonly used things used by multiple sceneries. In this case, there is no need to provide a reference to the global location. The 'parent' scenery that those files belong to will know how to access them [this isn't precise but gets the idea across I hope].

If it is the whole product...., depends. You might look for documentation from the developer. Also, you cannot declare scenery global but it does accept a layer number but I caution against using that unless you know what you are doing.