General Discussion

P3D v3

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Category: Just Flight Products
Forum Name: General Discussion
Forum Description: For discussion relating to Just Flight and other products or simulators
URL: http://forum.justflight.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=27329
Printed Date: 06 May 2024 at 1:44pm

Topic: P3D v3

Posted By: gingerterry1
Subject: P3D v3
Date Posted: 30 Sep 2015 at 3:57pm

Hi there, do you know if your products will install 'off the shelf' with the new version of P3d out today. or will we have to wait for new installers? thanks

Replies:

Posted By: snave
Date Posted: 01 Oct 2015 at 5:42pm

As L-M now recommend NOT installing anything into ANY of the core folders, it will necessarily mean new installers for most things, I would think

Posted By: MartinW
Date Posted: 02 Oct 2015 at 9:20am

As snave said, pretty sure everything will need new installers. Add-ons are now outside the old folders. PMDG have their installers out already I believe, and I recall ASN had their new installer done, but LM released a different version 3.

Posted By: snave
Date Posted: 04 Oct 2015 at 6:47pm

Just to explain this a little more clearly, so simmers can understand the implications, L-M have introduced a `priority tiering` system to addon installation with V3, completely dissimilar to <2.5 or FSX.

Under the old system you could generally on;y have only a single version of a file in the core system structure and if was overwritten, well, the new one took its place. Good example being building textures, or mesh files (where highest active resolution `wins`).

Starting with V3 there is now a priority layer, under which you can have multiple instances of the same file name, even if it is actually a different file.

Details are in the SDK

http://prepar3d.com/SDKv3/LearningCenter/add-ons/add-on_configuration.html" rel="nofollow - http://prepar3d.com/SDKv3/LearningCenter/add-ons/add-on_configuration.html

But the snippet that matters is

Content

The priority for how add-on content configuration files are initialized are as follows:

Local: Configuration files found at: %LOCALAPPDATA%\Lockheed Martin\Prepar3D v3
Roaming: Configuration files found at: %APPDATA%\Lockheed Martin\Prepar3D v3
ProgramData: Configuration files found at: %PROGRAMDATA%\Lockheed Martin\Prepar3D v3

If multiple configuration files are found, then the list of paths are merged together when processed according to the above priority.

Using the .cfg files one can prioritise different textures for different addons, and the sim reads them in the above order, starting with the Local configs. The following are examples of filetypes that no support multiple-instancing

The are many different aspects of Prepar3D capable of being managed by Prepar3D's add-on management system. Supported categories of add-ons capable of being managed are below:

Libraries (dll.xml) - Used to configure add-on libraries.
Executables (exe.xml) - Used to configure add-on executables.
Effects (effects.cfg) - Used to configure additional effect directories.
Fonts (fonts.cfg) - Used to configure additional font directories.
Gauges (gauges.cfg) - Used to configure additional gauge directories.
Scaleform (scaleform.cfg) - Used to configure Autodesk® Scaleform® directories from which to load Adobe® Flash® content.
Scenarios (scenarios.cfg) - Used to configure scenario directories in addition to the default Prepar3D v3 Files location.
Scenery (scenery.cfg) - Used to specify additional scenery locations. Please see the http://prepar3d.com/SDKv3/LearningCenter/environment/scenery_configuration_file.html" rel="nofollow - Scenery Configuration File article.
Shaders (shadersHLSL.cfg) - Used to configure additional shader directories.
SimObjects (simobjects.cfg) - Used to configure additional SimObject directories.
Sound (sound.cfg) - Used to configure additional sound directories.
Texture (texture.cfg) - Used to configure additional texture directories.
Weather (weather.cfg) - Used to configure additional weather directories.

In addition, the Terrain (terrain.cfg) system supports being configured but there is not a native way of installing, uninstalling, or modifying the associated configuration file.

What this means is that developers can use their files with their addons, while no longer intruding on someone elses addon. `My buildings are for my bit, and dont change the buildings in someone elses bit`

The goal is simple: Keep the core files for P3D unmodified to facilitate updates, using the same module-based installation system while delivering greater variation and flexibility for the aftermarket. If followed, the new system should enable not only the core platform, bu also addons for the platform to be updated, refreshed or modified independently - without impacting on the whole system - no more having to reinstall the entire sim and all your addons just because the version number goes from 3.0 to 3.1..!!!

Hope this explains things more clearly, as well as highlighting the selfishness and idiocy of developers who won't follow the guidelines. IF the recommendations are followed, EVERYONE gains. A good example might be to create more diversity in shaders, suitable for a particular addon. Mmm, shiney..!

Using `self contained` files the developer may now mess with their product, while leaving everyone elses alone - including Lockheed Martin.

This hasn't been well-publicised or documented so its hardly surprising some addon makers are missing the entire point and spitting their dummies. It should also see an end to `every sim version update requiring addon version update`, unless the developer wishes to link the product to the sim variant. From here, they will only need to update their addon when the `hooks` they use to the main platform demand it.

Posted By: Herky
Date Posted: 15 Dec 2015 at 11:36am

snave wrote:

Just to explain this a little more clearly, so simmers can understand the implications, L-M have introduced a `priority tiering` system to addon installation with V3, completely dissimilar to <2.5 or FSX.

Starting with V3 there is now a priority layer, under which you can have multiple instances of the same file name, even if it is actually a different file.

Details are in the SDK

http://prepar3d.com/SDKv3/LearningCenter/add-ons/add-on_configuration.html" rel="nofollow - http://prepar3d.com/SDKv3/LearningCenter/add-ons/add-on_configuration.html

But the snippet that matters is

<h4 style="font-size: 10pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 22px; color: rgb1, 83, 145; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Content</h4>The priority for how add-on content configuration files are initialized are as follows:

Local: Configuration files found at: %LOCALAPPDATA%\Lockheed Martin\Prepar3D v3

Roaming: Configuration files found at: %APPDATA%\Lockheed Martin\Prepar3D v3

ProgramData: Configuration files found at: %PROGRAMDATA%\Lockheed Martin\Prepar3D v3

If multiple configuration files are found, then the list of paths are merged together when processed according to the above priority.

Using the .cfg files one can prioritise different textures for different addons, and the sim reads them in the above order, starting with the Local configs. The following are examples of filetypes that no support multiple-instancing

The are many different aspects of Prepar3D capable of being managed by Prepar3D's add-on management system. Supported categories of add-ons capable of being managed are below:

Libraries (dll.xml) - Used to configure add-on libraries.

Executables (exe.xml) - Used to configure add-on executables.

Effects (effects.cfg) - Used to configure additional effect directories.

Fonts (fonts.cfg) - Used to configure additional font directories.

Gauges (gauges.cfg) - Used to configure additional gauge directories.

Scaleform (scaleform.cfg) - Used to configure Autodesk® Scaleform® directories from which to load Adobe® Flash® content.

Scenarios (scenarios.cfg) - Used to configure scenario directories in addition to the default Prepar3D v3 Files location.

Scenery (scenery.cfg) - Used to specify additional scenery locations. Please see the http://prepar3d.com/SDKv3/LearningCenter/environment/scenery_configuration_file.html" rel="nofollow - Scenery Configuration File article.

Shaders (shadersHLSL.cfg) - Used to configure additional shader directories.

SimObjects (simobjects.cfg) - Used to configure additional SimObject directories.

Sound (sound.cfg) - Used to configure additional sound directories.

Texture (texture.cfg) - Used to configure additional texture directories.

Weather (weather.cfg) - Used to configure additional weather directories.

In addition, the Terrain (terrain.cfg) system supports being configured but there is not a native way of installing, uninstalling, or modifying the associated configuration file.

What this means is that developers can use their files with their addons, while no longer intruding on someone elses addon. `My buildings are for my bit, and dont change the buildings in someone elses bit`

The goal is simple: Keep the core files for P3D unmodified to facilitate updates, using the same module-based installation system while delivering greater variation and flexibility for the aftermarket. If followed, the new system should enable not only the core platform, bu also addons for the platform to be updated, refreshed or modified independently - without impacting on the whole system - no more having to reinstall the entire sim and all your addons just because the version number goes from 3.0 to 3.1..!!!

Hope this explains things more clearly, as well as highlighting the selfishness and idiocy of developers who won't follow the guidelines. IF the recommendations are followed, EVERYONE gains. A good example might be to create more diversity in shaders, suitable for a particular addon. Mmm, shiney..!

Using `self contained` files the developer may now mess with their product, while leaving everyone elses alone - including Lockheed Martin.

This hasn't been well-publicised or documented so its hardly surprising some addon makers are missing the entire point and spitting their dummies. It should also see an end to `every sim version update requiring addon version update`, unless the developer wishes to link the product to the sim variant. From here, they will only need to update their addon when the `hooks` they use to the main platform demand it.

Thank you for this "snippet". More then that it explains the direction taken by LM. Having just "moved" from FSX, the new platform excellent in stability. That is, provided the simmer doesn't abuse the view system an eat up VAS at a rate that the new code optimisation has introduced.

Thank you for the post.

Regards
David

-------------
You Tube at HERKY231 or David Herky

Posted By: Christopher Low
Date Posted: 15 Dec 2015 at 12:25pm

This is all well and good in theory, but plenty of developers have released updated P3D v3 installers that completely ignore it. The situation will no doubt improve with future products, but I wouldn't count on this being universal.

Posted By: Herky
Date Posted: 15 Dec 2015 at 5:27pm

Christopher Low wrote:

This is all well and good in theory, but plenty of developers have released updated P3D v3 installers that completely ignore it. The situation will no doubt improve with future products, but I wouldn't count on this being universal.

At least its a good beginning.

If devs don't adhere to the LM protocol, when the next update comes along, their product may get wiped!

At the moment, I am impressed with the code optimisation in P3dv3. Ooms are still possible, but only if you abuse the view change.

Hopefully, we are in a good place as flight simmers!

Regards

David

-------------
You Tube at HERKY231 or David Herky

Posted By: Christopher Low
Date Posted: 16 Dec 2015 at 9:06am

The VAS management has indeed been considerably improved in P3D v3. I suffered from these in FSX and P3D v2, so I am very impressed with what LM have done in this department.

Posted By: clivedrake
Date Posted: 02 Feb 2016 at 11:11am

I am sorry if this seems a silly question but will the VFR Photographic Scenery Generation X Version 3 run in P3D v3? I have a number of volumes and would be a bit upset if they are not compatible. I am thinking about moving to P3D but if the scenery is not compatible this could be a stopper.

Thank you.

-------------
Clive

Posted By: gingerterry1
Date Posted: 03 Feb 2016 at 8:54am

Hi there. Yes they will run in p3d, I have all of mine installed installed on a seperate hd and just point the scenery library to that location.
Also what you can do is once you have made the leap to p3d, just copy and paste you're scenery library cfg to the new installed cfg in p3d and it will all be there. The file structure of the cfg is the same.regards.

Posted By: clivedrake
Date Posted: 03 Feb 2016 at 9:40am

Thank you for this, I will follow your instructions and let you know what happens.

Regards.

-------------
Clive