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FS11 Idea; Config Files

Lionheart

SOH-CM-2014
Hey guys,


Here is an idea for FS11. Multiple Aircraft Config files for a single aircraft folder, further reducing redundency of common files and folders. Then, ski, float, and wheeled aircraft could all inhabit the same folder.

Just an idea.

If one had 'different named' sets of air and config files, you 'should' be able to do that. Just have to clear the 'folder' name, I would think. Then you could have all sorts of load outs, models, textures, etc, all in one common, simple folder...


:d


Bill
 
Sounds like someone has been doing their Homework.....:ernae:
 
for me that would be an organizational nightmare :isadizzy:


Its funny you say that Stiz, lol....


I have been burning Kodiak models all day long. From my main master file, I have a total of 10 model variants that are pulled from it and compiled. Everything from a floatplane passenger model, to a cargo model with wheels and a cargo pod, to a empty skydiver carrier. It took me from 11:00 AM till 4:30PM to compile them in the FS9 MakeMDL compiler.

Now, that all these must go in two diff folders, means that textures must also scatter between the two. (Yes, you dont use FS9 and FSX people dont have to worry about that). But I still create for FS9 also, so I deal with it. So, I thought I would offer that bit of humble input. For FSX, it would mean lessening folder numbers. That is simplicity. Studying how Apple do things, simplicity is the purist way of making things functionally sound. Seems 'logical' to me. If.... If it can be done. That is the other end of the 'dream' or fantasy.....



Bill
 
I think that this is a very good idea, which may bring more realism with different variations of a model that visually look the same... I really like the possibilities which this brings up....
 
I would prefer attachable geometry, just like in Strike Fighters.
So you could have just the basic fuselage and attach skis, wheels or flaots ad lib.

Winglet upgrade kits would also make more sense then...
 
I would prefer attachable geometry, just like in Strike Fighters.
So you could have just the basic fuselage and attach skis, wheels or flaots ad lib.

Winglet upgrade kits would also make more sense then...


Dang.. That would be brilliant! I had always wondered about that, like with Freight Dogs, how one could add cargo and bits to a MDL.

One could bypass the limitation of polycount totals on a FS9 model if one could have addon model bits, based on a models geometry local.

Probably it would need to be at a X,Y,Z location.

Wouldnt it be cool if you could add a scenery object as an 'effect' and give it a location on your model? Use a light to 'turn it on'. :d



Stiz,

I didnt mean to sound the way I did on FS9 compilations... I was 'frazzled' by having to sacrifice an entire day to compling several models. Man, how I wish I had a compiler for FS9 that kicks boot.



Bill
 
I thought you could already do that? There are certainly methods of attaching and detaching objects to/from models "on the fly" using weight and balance points, etc... The big problems would be things like contact points.

Ian P.
 
"Attaching things on the fly" is possible with FSX, but cannot be done for FS9...

...at least not with separate model objects...
 
Here is an idea for FS11. Multiple Aircraft Config files for a single aircraft folder, further reducing redundency of common files and folders. Then, ski, float, and wheeled aircraft could all inhabit the same folder.
That's a really good idea. For example, I've had cases where I wanted to create a modern panel variant of a plane which required me to alter the [radios] section of the aircraft.cfg file. So instead of just creating a new panel folder, I had to create a whole new variant.

That said, in FSX you can alias virtually everything so while it adds folder clutter there don't really have to be any duplicate files.

Thinking as a programmer, what I'd really like to see would be the concept of inheritance in config files; only specifying what's different from the base model. In my case I would have just had to specify some number of [fltsim] sections and a new [radios] section and everything else would come from the 'base' model. That way if I wanted to update something common to all like a camera definition I'd only have to change it in one place.

Another thing that might be handy would be the ability to specify additional repaints in a separate file. That way if a developer provided an updated .cfg file it wouldn't wipe out the variants I've added.

As a possible implementation, maybe the variants and config files should be completely separate. There would be a file (e.g., variants.cfg) that consisted entirely of [fltsim] sections, and each variant would specify its own config file(s). In Bill's case, some could specify:

config.0=wheeled.cfg

and others:

config.0=float.cfg
config.1=wheeled.cfg

where float.cfg just contained the differences from the wheeled variant. In my modern panel example, I might have:

config.0=modern.cfg
config.1=wheeled.cfg
 
Sounds pretty cool George.


I do have that issue when doing updates where the config file is renewed. Would be nice to have repaint registry configs and things. For me, just being able to have multiple AIR and CFG file sets in the same folder would be brilliant.

I might experiment with this and see if its possibe.



Bill


EDIT: LOL... I forgot that the aircraft config file has to be called 'aircraft', lol.. arrghh.. That is the one key component that needs to be multiplied. I guess its hardwired. So, as it stands, it would be cool if FS11 had this ability to have multiple config files and perhaps multiple air files.
 
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