Time for a new Prop Test Install

[OBIO]

I think I have pretty much reached the limit on the number of planes, MDLs and skins that one can have in a single install of CFS2. My Prop Test install...into which all prop planes are placed for testing, tweaking, converting, skinning, updating....takes about 3 or 4 minutes to start up fully. Currently, I have 576 individual aircraft folders (all empty folders that appear in the stock install have been removed). Within these 576 aircraft folders are an unknown number of MDL files which are actively used (low gloss, mid gloss, low shine, high shine) and too many texture folders for me to begin to even think about counting. Scrolling through the aircraft selection window to find the one plane that I want to fly has become a chore....thank goodness I have a scroll mouse...I am wearing that little wheel out. And I won't mention that insanity that is my Object DP folder. STOP THE MADNESS!

So, tomorrow or the day after, I will start a second Prop Test Install. I have not decided how I am going to organize the two Prop Test Installs Perhaps use Prop Test 1 for planes A through M and Prop Test 2 for planes N through Z.

OBIO

[Dirtman]

I just made an interesting discovery (to me at least) that will benefit Obi & perhaps shed some light on a "changed file extension" problem encountered by Fibber recently.


Yo Obi;

After reading your above thread I had an idea. (I do have one occasionally ya know :isadizzy: )

Instead of creating another complete install; why not just make multiple hangars in your existing Test Sim?? One for each war theater.

I've been using Morton's EXCELLENT: CFS2 - Aircraft and Mission utility v2.0 for a long long time. It's got to be rated right as the top MUST HAVE utility programs for CFS2.

I use it primarily to check new campaigns & missions to be sure all the needed planes & ships are installed. This saves allot of time & "can't find" error messages. Missing items are displayed in red making them easy to identify.

It also allows easy substitution of different planes & ships as it automatically re-writes & saves the mission file.

Because I do separate theater installs, I've never used this function but I believe it allows 6 or 7 theaters (correct me here guys if I'm wrong)

This would allow you to have 600 - 700 planes in yer test sim plus save the 870MB of harddrive space that a 2nd test sim would require.

Get it here:
http://www.sim-outhouse.com/index.php?lloc=downloads&loc=downloads&page=info&FileID=2586 (http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/../index.php?lloc=downloads&loc=downloads&page=info&FileID=2586)

Is this a plan? Are we a happy camper now? Hope this solves your problem easily Bro.



Yo Fibber;

10 days ago you made a thread because you had a problem with changed file extensions.

http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/showthread.php?t=1513

Aircraft CFG's had mysteriously changed to CGF's .... I think I may have discovered WHY.

I was poking around in the multiple hangar section (for Obi) and found that in order to have the different theaters which exceed the 100 plane limit; this program - changes the a/c .CFG to .CGF to disable the planes in all the hangars that are not being used. (see screenshot)

This is how he beat the 100 limit.

A Bloody Clever fellow Morton is!!!


If you are using this app or some other multi-install or hangar program, then this seems like the probable cause.

Please tell me if I'm right or wrong. (I just LUV a good puzzle!!)

I hope this helps BOTH you guys.....:wavey: :wavey:

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ATTENTION ALL:

YES .... I admit I actually read the instructions .. :redf:

PLEASE don't let the women find out ....
This info could permanently damage ALL MEN; because it would prove that what the Ladies say about us ... is RIGHT!!!

:costumes: :costumes: :costumes: :costumes: :costumes: :costumes:
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[OBIO]

Dirty

Morton's Multi-Hangar thingie would work great....except for the Object DP thing. That folder is stuffed plumb bumb full. If I only install planes for testing, tweaking, and skinning that do not have specialized weapons and pylons and pilots and stuff..that will be no big deal. Or if I get around to actually converting all planes to use either Dbolt's US or German weapons packs, or the Ground Crew British or German weapons packs...that way I can eleminate so many of the Object DP files and Weapons BGLs.

870meg...that is a drop in the bucket compared to the amount of space taken up by aircraft....10.4 GIG of aircraft installed in my Prop Test Install, with another 1.9 GIG of compressed planes to get installed.

Oh, yeah...I really need to get my butt out to buy a second HD for this machine. A nice BIG one.

OBIO

[Dirtman]

....10.4 GIG of aircraft installed in my Prop Test Install, with another 1.9 GIG of compressed planes to get installed.

Oh, yeah...I really need to get my butt out to buy a second HD for this machine. A nice BIG one.OBIO

Yo Bro;

An 2nd HD is great to store some working files, seldom used stuff & back-ups.

An external HD is better (in my opinion) because you run it on demand (only when needed) so the drives life span is greatly increased, plus it is less prone to picking up a bug. (primarily because it's not operating all the time)

The concern (to me) is that any machine with 2 or more moving parts will break (stop moving sooner or later)

How often do we learn of one of our members H/D's going for a crap?

A D/L - DVD will hold 8+GB of data. A properly stored DVD will last almost forever & is much less expensive than a new H/D.

The downside of this is that once burned, the DVD cannot be altered. :banghead:

I've been looking at 1TB H/D's (1000GB) but how would you back it up? (to where?) & when (not if) it pukes .... then everything is lost. :banghead: :banghead:

Then I started looking at an NAS - twin 500GB RAID, but now the cost is approaching a value equal of the total yearly beer sales in Kanada!!!!
:banghead: :banghead: :banghead:


What is a poor flight simmer to do????????

:isadizzy: :isadizzy: :isadizzy: :isadizzy:

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[OBIO]

A D/L - DVD will hold 8+GB of data. A properly stored DVD will last almost forever & is much less expensive than a new H/D.

The downside of this is that once burned, the DVD cannot be altered. :banghead:



And there in lies part of my problem. I have 4 or 5 sets of Cds/DVDs of my planes....various back ups from various rescues. If I was not so prone to tinker, mod, skin, tweak, panel, repanel, DP, re-DP, alter, change, mess with my planes...all would be well. I could burn them to CD/DVD and have them forever and ever AMEN. But, I download them, install them, fly them for 2 minutes and spend the next 6 months screwing with them...then fly them for another 2 minutes and find something else I want to change.

My sim life was so much less complicated when I was happy just flying the darn planes!

OBIO