Making CFS2 standalones

[wsmwsm]

Is there a tutorial anywhere for making CFS2 standalones, i.e. employing different skins on the same aircraft without causing texture or model conflicts?

I know how to do this with CFS3 aircraft, but not CFS2.

Thanks.

[PomBee]

The method that I use is.......

1. Copy the aircraft folder in question.
2. Change the folder name to represent the new aircraft skin.
3. Copy/paste the new texture into the texture folder and overwrite as required.
4. Open the aircraft.cfg with notepad or wordpad.
5. Change the aircraft name to the new version.

...and Robert is your father's brother, hopefully.

Cheers,

PomBee.:ernae:

[Seagull V]

wsmwsm

CFS2 standalones are much easier then CFS3, NO HEX EDITING IS REQUIRED.

When setting up your standalone make sure that you have model, panel, sound, & texture folders. You can-not have 2 texture folders of the same name.

If doing multiple texture folders the first name can be left as "texture", any further texture folders should be as follows "texture.Buck Blitz Korea", "texture.FF-592 Korea", "texture.FF-647 Mouse Meat Korea"

Then modify the aircraft.cfg folder so it looks like:-

[fltsim.0]
title=P-51D 12FBS FF-592 Korea (AWai)
sim=P51d
model=
panel=
sound=
texture=FF-592 Korea
checklists=P51d_CHECK

[fltsim.1]
title=P-51D 12FBS FF-647 MouseMeat Korea (AWai)
sim=P51d
model=
panel=
sound=
texture=FF-647 Mouse Meat Korea
checklists=P51d_CHECK

[fltsim.2]
title=P-51D 941 BuckBlitz Korea (AWai)
sim=P51d
model=
panel=
sound=
texture=Buck Blitz Korea
checklists=P51d_CHECK

(NOTE that in this case I did not use the "texture" folder in which case the coding would be:-

[fltsim.0]
title=P-51D
sim=P51d
model=
panel=
sound=
texture=
checklists=P51d_CHECK

In the event that you want standalones of each of the above, copy the aircraft folder, then edit the aircraft.cfg so that there is only one of the following for each standalone -

[fltsim.0]
title=P-51D "NEW NAME DIFFERENT FOR EACH AIRCRAFT"
sim=P51d
model=
panel=
sound=
texture="name"
checklists=P51d_CHECK

Also make sure that the contents of any sound/panel folders if "aliased" to another plane actually exist in the directy you are installing into.

Trust that has not completly bamboozled you.

[Seagull V]

Also forgot to mention that if being installed as individual stand-alones each aircraft folder will need a different name, and the texture folder name can stay as "texture" with the aircarft.cfg as

[fltsim.0]
title=P-51D "NEW NAME DIFFERENT FOR EACH AIRCRAFT"
sim=P51d
model=
panel=
sound=
texture=
checklists=P51d_CHECK

However I usually rename the texture folder to texture."name" and texture="name" when doing multiple installs for each aircraft as it is easier to keep track of what has been installed and where it has been installed.

[Devildog73]

The method that I use is.......

1. Copy the aircraft folder in question.
2. Change the folder name to represent the new aircraft skin.
3. Copy/paste the new texture into the texture folder and overwrite as required.
4. Open the aircraft.cfg with notepad or wordpad.
5. Change the aircraft name to the new version.

...and Robert is your father's brother, hopefully.

Cheers,

PomBee.:ernae:

Because I am a Campaign/Mission builder, I use PomBee's method. I go a couple of steps further though. I take the new folder (aircraft) name and rename everything to that name. I rename in the Model folder, rename the air file, rename the dp file, rename the simname in the aircraft.cfg

Seagull V's method works great for just flying, but MB does not like two or more texture folders.

[Seagull V]

Quick Combat also has issues where there are 2 or more textures in the one aircraft folder as well.

The advantage of having more than one skin in the aircraft folder is that it helps to cut down on storage size, something that was an issue 10 years ago but less of a problem now with high capacity storage drives. If using individual stand-alones, "aliasing" can be used to reduce size if that is a problem.

The disadvantages of multiple textures in the one aircraft folder is that a number of the CFS2 options (MB/QC) can get upset. Choose the best method for what you want out of CFS2 !!!!!! :wavey:

If stuck/confused ask questions.

[wsmwsm]

The method that I use is.......

1. Copy the aircraft folder in question.
2. Change the folder name to represent the new aircraft skin.
3. Copy/paste the new texture into the texture folder and overwrite as required.
4. Open the aircraft.cfg with notepad or wordpad.
5. Change the aircraft name to the new version.

...and Robert is your father's brother, hopefully.

Cheers,

PomBee.:ernae:
Well, gave it a try, but no go. I was trying a standalone of Akemi's Ki-61 Hei (mz-ki61-hei). Here's what I did:

1. Copied the existing aircraft to a new folder.
2. Changed folder name to represent the new skin. [Not certain what this meant but renamed the folder to "Ki-61 Hei".]
3. The chosen textures - by Morton - were copied to the aircraft texture folder and the existing textures were overwritten.
4. Opened the aircraft CFG.
5. Changed "title=" and "Sim=" to Ki-61 Hei.

Installed aircraft, but it doesn't appear. And, no, there is no sound file issue.

Must be missing something. Should the names of the .air and .dp file be changed too?

[Talon]

You only change the title name and not the sim name.Change the sim name back to what it was originally and it should work.


Talon

[Seagull V]

wsmwsm (http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/member.php?u=36523)

Check in the sound file open the Sound.cfg file to see if mz's aircraft is alisaed to the A6M2_Zero, then check that you have the A6M2 Zero aircraft folder installed with a full sound file. If required copy a full sound file in and overwrite the existing Sound.cfg in your standalone. Often it is an aliased file that causes the problem.

Will do a quick standalone of mz's aircraft then post the aircraft.cfg file here so you can check whats been done.

[Seagull V]

Okay, are you using Morton's mk_mz-ki61-hei or his mk_mz_ki61-hien repaint ?
He also has a mk_mz-ki61-otsu repaint

I have used the both the mk_mz-ki61-hei or his mk_mz_ki61-hien repaints as they provide good examples of the process.

Firstly, the mk_mz_ki61-hien has 2 repaints, Morton has also provided an aircraft.cfg folder in both, I have used the mz-ki61-1st Lt Mitsuyo Oyake repaint.

After having copied the mz-ki61-hei aircraft folder and renamed it to mz-ki61-1st Lt Mitsuyo Oyake, I then copied Mortons textures into the new texture folder, and copied his aircraft.cfg in over-writing the original.

In his aircraft.cfg he has the following:-

[fltsim.0]
title=mz-ki61-No 83 18 Sentai-6 Shinten Lt Oyake
sim=mz-ki61-ko
model=
panel=
sound=
texture=
kb_checklists=

What the "sim=mz-ki61-ko" means is that it is referring to the MODEL named "mz-ki61-ko" so the model name in the model folder will need to be renamed to "mz-ki61-ko.mdl", you will then need to open the model.cfg folder and change it to "normal=mz-ki61-ko". Next you need to go to the main aircraft folder and rename the .air and .dp files to "mz-ki61-ko.air" & "mz-ki61-ko.dp"

Cross fingers and then hopefully everything will work.I also did a standalone of the "mk_mz-ki61-hei" repaint, same process as above except for NOT having to rename the model, airfile, and dp.
After having copied the "mz-ki61-hei" aircraft folder and renamed it to "mz-ki61-hei 244thS 1stC Nr15 Cpl Seiichi Suzuki", I then copied Mortons textures into the new texture folder, and copied his aircraft.cfg in over-writing the original. In this aircraft.cfg file he has not overwritten the original model name with another name.

Hope this helps. :wavey:

Check the screenies below:-

[Seagull V]

Also meant to clarify in the above example, "that it is an Example", anyone who has spent some time in the CFS2 community will be aware that Morton's work is always "Top-Notch".

The required aircraft model for the mk_mz_ki61-hien repaint is the mz-ki61-ko which Morton does point very clearly to in the very first line of his read me.

Only used that example because if fitted in perfectly with the "How to" as described by Devildog73. :salute:

[wsmwsm]

You only change the title name and not the sim name.Change the sim name back to what it was originally and it should work.


Talon

Thanks. Switched back to the original sim name (mz-ki61-hei). This worked.

[PomBee]

I must admit that the method that I use is a bit space-hungry. This would probably explain why I've now got 18 seperate CFS2 installations on my machine (my ETO installation is now subdivided into 3 seperate ones!!).

PomBee.:salute::salute::salute:

P.S. If you use this method, then use DPEd, you will get a "model error" message. Just click "OK", and ignore it! It still works fine.

[wsmwsm]

I must admit that the method that I use is a bit space-hungry. This would probably explain why I've now got 18 seperate CFS2 installations on my machine (my ETO installation is now subdivided into 3 seperate ones!!).

PomBee.:salute::salute::salute:

P.S. If you use this method, then use DPEd, you will get a "model error" message. Just click "OK", and ignore it! It still works fine.

So far, no model error messages or duplicate skins (which, having worked with CFS3, I kind of expected). This method you described is simple and seems to work well.