Dovetail Publisher Weekend for FSX:Steam

[Bjoern]

http://store.steampowered.com/app/31..._Steam_Edition

Many discounted DLC/Add-Ons. Spotting a few of Alabeo's birds, some of Virtavia's, of JustFlight's, Active Sky Next, the Aerosoft Airbuses, some Wilco/Feelthere titles...




- Edit:

Bought the Feelthere ERJ 135/145 Bundle.

- The engine sound on the 135LR and 145XR DLC will not work because the sound.cfg points to the 145LR, which is not present in the same folder as it is a separate DLC. So you have to buy the bundle and then edit the sound.cfg if you want any engine sounds at all on these birds
- Dovetail forgot to pack the light effects. An aircraft.cfg edit is needed to point to the default lights as a workaround.
- There is only one livery, so additional liveries will have to be downloaded from the Feelthere site (http://feelthere.com/download)
- The aircraft configurator needs to be installed with some extra effort from Library\Tools in Steam.The alternative is manually editing the erj.ini in DLC\379567\FeelThere\Erj or DLC\379566\FeelThere\Erj

Cripes almighty, Dovetail! Add-on file management is no black magic. How in hell does one manage to screw this up so badly?!

Or is this the punishment for the frequent sales?!

[Bjoern]

Update. I got the ERJs back to the state they're in when bought anywhere but Steam and wrote a tutorial on it for others (see the respective discussion thread in the Steam forums).
Also, I was wrong about the nonworking sound. Having the ERJ-145LR DLC installed is enough, despite having the sound.cfg of the 135LR/145XR point seemingly nowhere.


I still can't quite get to grips with the BBoB that's the DLC management. Why can't I move the aircraft folders out of the depths of the DLC folder and why the heck does Steam lock down all files in the "DLC" folder when FSX is running?! That way, the aircraft configuration tool has no chance of working at all, because it alters the payloads in the aircraft.cfg. Doing quick panel.cfg edits is also not possible.
And don't even get me started on the encoded .mdl files...


On the other hand, the ERJs themselves are top notch once you've dialed down the refresh rate for the displays. Absolutely no complaint there.

[fsafranek]

My only issue with DLC aircraft is that it can't be used anywhere else than FSX-SE. Plus they remove all the textures I did for Alphasim/Virtavia aircraft.

But more to your concern, watch this video by NovaWing24 to see how to fix the DLC problem. Hope this helps. Has worked for me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNoNHxLcGUk

[Bjoern]

Thanks for trying to help Frank, but that's not the issue I was talking about.

When working on any other aircraft, I can freely edit its .cfg files while FSXSE is running. I can immediately save and inspect my changes in the simulator after reloading the aircrafte. This isn't the case with aircraft running from within the "DLC" folder as (probably) the FSXSE's DLC DRM module locks write access to the entire folder and all its subfolders and files. In order to make changes, I have to quit FSX, save the change to the file and restart it. Mildly annoying, to say the least.



- Edit:

Just found a thread full of complaints about FSXSE's DLC handling. From 2015.

[spokes2112]

Maybe try...
Copy the complete aircraft folder from DLC and place into a normal simobjects\aeroplanes folder then change the "title=" for each repaint so it is slightly different than the DLC version.. Maybe even change the UIManufacturer too so you can differentiate upon selecting the aircraft.

Just ideas is all, don't have steam.
If it works you can go to town on the bugger.

[fsafranek]

Thanks for trying to help Frank, but that's not the issue I was talking about.

Ah, yes. I've experienced that myself.
Never put two and two together though to realize why sometimes I can edit on the fly (ha) and sometimes I can't.

Maybe the trick, along the lines of what spokes2112 suggested, is to copy the aircraft folder from \DLC to where they usually are and then
move the DLC version into a "Backup" folder where it will be ignored. But they are clever so it might not work.

Just found a thread full of complaints about FSXSE's DLC handling. From 2015.

Yep. Old news.

[Bjoern]

Copying the aircraft folders someplace else is the first thing I actually did. But since the .mdl files in DLCs are encoded (try to open one with MCX), FSX threw a "Visual model could not be displayed" message right in my face every time I tried to select any of the ERJ versions in the UI.

Being sick of Steam's iron fisted rule on rightfully purchased DLC, I replaced the .mdl files with the ones from the non-Steam version (source: classified) for testing and lo and behold, I can put the add-on folders anywhere I want.

Using the new found freedom, I got productive added the bezels with the control buttons to the pop-up screens and implemented an XML based load manager. Without having to restart FSX after each and every cfg or gauge edit.

Maybe I'll dumb it down again once I'm done with that. Maybe...


All in all, I'm not inclined to purchase from DTG's Steam store again. Which is a bit of a shame, because the ERJ itself is great and the frequent sales do make a click on the "Purchase" button easier.

[Tom Burnside]

I dont trust the Steam Store I got the Alphasim/Virtavia F-104 from them and some of the textures are broken never bought another product from them yet.

[blanston12]

I did an experiment trying to import a Virtaiva model (B-70 cheapest on on steam) into P3D and it would not work, of course then I had to get the normal version (50% off at PCAviator) to make sure it worked, it did.

I think Bjoern's hypothesis is correct that the MDL files are encoded so they can't be used outside of steam.

[Bjoern]

I did an experiment trying to import a Virtaiva model (B-70 cheapest on on steam) into P3D and it would not work, of course then I had to get the normal version (50% off at PCAviator) to make sure it worked, it did.

I think Bjoern's hypothesis is correct that the MDL files are encoded so they can't be used outside of steam.

It's not just a hypothesis. A side by side comparison of a DLC-sourced .mdl file and basically any other non-DLC one in a hex editor will make it pretty evident that the former is encoded. Normally, one of the first things in the data stream is the compiler version (XMDLH). This is replaced with an encoded hexadecimal string in the DLC .mdl. Same for anything other in the .mdl file that should be human readable.
ModelConverterX also regards encoded .mdl files as an "unknown format" and, as I've said, trying to load the file from outside the "DLC" folder will yield an error message.


One good thing about Steam purchases is that you can get a refund within two weeks of purchase and less than two hours of the add-on*.
And I figure that refundability is the prime reason for having such a strict ruling on the location from which DLC purchases may be run.



*Careful though, as general use of the parent program may count as add-on use.

[blanston12]

It's not just a hypothesis. A side by side comparison of a DLC-sourced .mdl file and basically any other non-DLC one in a hex editor will make it pretty evident that the former is encoded. Normally, one of the first things in the data stream is the compiler version (XMDLH). This is replaced with an encoded hexadecimal string in the DLC .mdl. Same for anything other in the .mdl file that should be human readable.
ModelConverterX also regards encoded .mdl files as an "unknown format" and, as I've said, trying to load the file from outside the "DLC" folder will yield an error message.


One good thing about Steam purchases is that you can get a refund within two weeks of purchase and less than two hours of the add-on*.
And I figure that refundability is the prime reason for having such a strict ruling on the location from which DLC purchases may be run.



*Careful though, as general use of the parent program may count as add-on use.

Good tip, I was able to request a refund on it.
And I am sorry if I offended by using calling your conclusion on DLC content a 'hypothesis'.

[fsafranek]

One good thing about Steam purchases is that you can get a refund within two weeks of purchase and less than two hours of the add-on*.
And I figure that refundability is the prime reason for having such a strict ruling on the location from which DLC purchases may be run.

That's two hours in the game. Not just on that add-on. They don't track what you fly just that you are in the game.
You need to fly it as soon as you buy it and decide. If you get side tracked with some other add-on and go past two hour's you are SOL.

[fsafranek]

I dont trust the Steam Store I got the Alphasim/Virtavia F-104 from them and some of the textures are broken never bought another product from them yet.

Steam has nothing to do with it but that's a common misunderstanding. It's Dovetail Games (DTG) you are buying from via the Steam store.

If the lack of national or unit markings is what you mean by broken then you need to understand that DTG does not allow any markings on military aircraft in their store. Not even the text "NAVY".
It drives me nuts because I researched and painted a lot of those aircraft they sell.

So don't buy Virtavia products from DTG (the only one you have no choice on is the E-2C). They have no markings and you can't use them anywhere else but FSX-SE (not even boxed FSX and certainly not P3D).
They are typically available at PC Aviator of FS Pilotshop at half off anytime they have a sale, which is often.

[Bjoern]

Good tip, I was able to request a refund on it.
And I am sorry if I offended by using calling your conclusion on DLC content a 'hypothesis'.

Don't worry, none taken.

That's two hours in the game. Not just on that add-on. They don't track what you fly just that you are in the game.
You need to fly it as soon as you buy it and decide. If you get side tracked with some other add-on and go past two hour's you are SOL.

In that case, I have no other choice but to welcome the ERJs to my collection.
On the upside, I've never seen them on sale for that little money in other shops. And they come with vastly more up-to-date nav data as a small consolation.

[blanston12]

That DTG does not allow national markings on military aircraft is just bizarre. On the Valkyrie they even removed the NASA labels. But it is one way to solve the problem that certain markings on German WW2 aircraft are illegal in some countries, if they can’t show some markings they won’t show any.

[bazzar]

It is not a case of allowing markings etc, it is a case of licensing. If DTG don't have the license for use of certain brands, markings, insignia or other assets, they cannot use them. There is a very strict legal policy on this issue. It covers everything from makers' names to individual aircraft registration codes. Without permissions it a no-show.

[Bjoern]

That explains the missing liveries on the ERJ.

[blanston12]

Thanks for the explanation Bazz, I did a unscientific survey of the images in the steam store. I see national markings for both British and German aircraft (without the nazi symbol), but not American. Even the JustFlight wildcat shows British roundels but no stars

[bazzar]

Yes I believe JF have a license from the RAF. We were to publish our F3F for FSXSE but no liveries were allowed with US military markings and symbols. We couldn't see the point of releasing the F3F with nothing but fictional liveries.