CFS3, ETO, PTO, MAW, etc. install instructions?

[johannesl]

Has anyone tried to collect all the best practices that have been found in the above stickys for installing CFS3 and it's assorted expansions into Win 10 in one document? I'm not talking about writing "War and Peace" but a few step by step instructions to add to or supplement the original installation instructions. Things to do and not do to make an install go fairly well could make life easier for everyone in the future.

One example might be, I've installed CFS3 as per the sticky, to C:\CFS3\, but the ETO installation instructions for Win 7 64 bit say you must install ETO to C:\Program files (x86)\ or it will fail. Is this correct for Win 10 also or can it be installed in C:\CFS3\ or are there some tricks I can do to make it work smoothly in

C:\Program files (x86)\

? The answer is probably in a sticky but you have to dig through a lot of trial and error and opinion before you find it and the same probably goes for all the other expansions too.

We're all trying to have a little fun here, but if we have to spend multiple hours trying to rediscover what someone else has already done successfully a good many might just throw up there hands in frustration and head for the exits and that's not good for anyone.

[alcanallen]

These installations are on video at U Tube,easily followed instructions,i found them most helpfull and have had hours of playing all.
alclnallen.

[sixstrings5859]

Followed instructions given in sticky and followed sticky for win10 also. Running win7 64bit and all runs smoothly. You will need the "thingy" to get CFS3 to run in win10. Optional for win7 but useful here too. To heck with win10. Sticking with win7 for good. Does all i want so why change. Good luck and take your time to read all available material including videos.This will help greatly.Have everything available and some custom installs and have no problems whatsoever.Wish there was a single pdf file to walk through.Maybe some one in the future will do it. Good idea. IL-2 '46 can be picky but is much easier to install some expansions. Care needs to be taken to get old sims to work but well worth it.Many have gotten the expansions to work. Hang in there and don't give up yet ! Regards,Scott

[johannesl]

This isn't just for me I'm asking about this for all, including you. Videos can be helpful and I've used them in the past for other things but they aren't perfect as they may answer your question but you might have to watch 20 min. of it before you get there. Would it have been any more work to make a printable PDF than a video? When it comes to reading material I very much prefer the physical to the digital. Give me a real book to an e-reader any day.

This wasn't really a plea for help as a question as to weather anyone had tried or even thought of trying to do this. Every one has their own way that works for them, for some it's videos, others multi-page and entry forums, and still others the physical. I just happen to be in the last group ( I still have the printed instructions from the earlier installs that I can study without ever turning on a computer).

[MajorMagee]

The difficulty is that there are too many differences between how the various mod teams put their packages together for it not to become War and Peace.

For a long time everyone took an approach to modding that required making permanent changes to CFS3, and so for example, both ETO and Rising Sun took a black box approach to making one install do five different things in one package. It was intended to simplify things for the end user, but for me this led to countless corrupted installs until I gave up on the Year/Theater Changer programs entirely. I now have 16 separate installs.

When I discovered that JSGME could be used to safely manage multiple mods it was a Godsend in keeping my smaller customizations organized, but even that tool requires an intimate knowledge of CFS3's file structures.

Then there's AnKor's mod. At its core the whole thing is just 15 files. I had to write two not insignificant documents to explain how to install it, and to go through all of the information needed to take full advantage of its powerful new capabilities. If you really want to update CFS3 to the new standard AnKor provided us you're looking at customizing thousands of files by hand. Because I don't have rights to re-publish most of those files I can't do anything more that provide instructions and examples of what I've done for people to follow in making their own changes.

[sixstrings5859]

MajorMagee ,don't know why you have had such problems with theaters or periods as i have had no problems at all. Could it be because i use Win7 ? Is this a problem with Win 10 only ? Have spent many hours with ETO and PTO-RS and they have all been functioning properly. Regards,Scott

[mongoose]

The problem with eras is often related to having to re write various batch files (and others) if one changes even the HD used; let alone if one adds eras as I have done. Win 10 is not really an issue.

[hairyspin]

There are installer programs which automate the entire installation process, but anyone who has tried getting to grips with them soon finds the procedure tougher than expected. Only MAW had its own overall installer and that was in XP days. I well remember when Win 7 was seen as “the problem” too.

[johannesl]

I followed all the instructions very carefully and got all the expansions working okay under Win 7 [Program Files (x86)]. Then came Win 10 and I've had to uninstall EVERYTHING (dreading doing FSX too, though it does still run but could use some cleaning up) and I only hope I can get it all reinstalled and working okay again.

As for AnKor's mod that's a whole different issue that I haven't even attempted tackling yet. As I understand it the WOFF guys are using it on the front end of their WW 2 product so it should be a nice looking thing when it comes out.

[MajorMagee]

I followed all the instructions very carefully and got all the expansions working okay under Win 7 [Program Files (x86)]. Then came Win 10 and I've had to uninstall EVERYTHING (dreading doing FSX too, though it does still run but could use some cleaning up) and I only hope I can get it all reinstalled and working okay again.

As for AnKor's mod that's a whole different issue that I haven't even attempted tackling yet. As I understand it the WOFF guys are using it on the front end of their WW 2 product so it should be a nice looking thing when it comes out.

Don't miss out on the fact that with just a handful of files you can quickly get the most visible benefit of AnKor's Shaders (self-shadowing) without waiting. That's one of the reasons I broke the instructions into two documents, so users who don't want to modify anything can get the basic improvements without much effort. Then if you want contrails, or dynamic reticles, or cockpit lights, or specular lighting, or reflective glass, or bump mapping, or sea foam, or special lighting effects you can take it to the next step, as you have time and desire. Then there are the hidden benefits like multi-processor support that generally goes unrecognized.