Some doubts from a newbie in modding

[Boresight]

Hello everyone, would appreciate your "enlightment"  on some doubts please.

 

1 - After installing some modded add-on aircraft on my SF2 merged install, eventually when installing another aircraft some files and folders ask to be overwritten.

 

So is it natural, that because these frequent file / folder overwrites, sometimes in game some aircraft camouflages get corrupted ?

Edited October 20, 2015 by Boresight

[MigBuster]

Like with any files don't just overwrite them...........e.g. you could be copying older versions of the files for a start.

 

Make backups of folders/files before changing things........or test the aircraft without overwriting any files......in most cases the files already there are the best ones.

[Boresight]

Like with any files don't just overwrite them...........e.g. you could be copying older versions of the files for a start.

 

Make backups of folders/files before changing things........or test the aircraft without overwriting any files......in most cases the files already there are the best ones.

 

Yes, I've seen that sometimes the original (or first modded) folder already there, is even bigger than the new one and has some more images and a different LOD file within. For instance: folders inside the "Pilot" folder.

 

Sometimes I choose to not overwrite some files / folders, but when you have a message asking you to confirm that, on 30 or 40 of them...

 

I was thinking about renaming same name files / folders according to each different aircraft, but that might be tricky, as then one would have to rename accordingly every other files in which they are related, like for instance: " MIG-21SMF_DATA ".

 

Is that right?

[yakarov79]

folder name must be same as aircraft ini file.

example

folder - F-15C_super_strike_eagle.

and in this folder is file :

F-15C_super_strike_eagle.ini

if u wil rename folder u have to rename ini file also.

 

My way for testing is - after downloading aircraft from web same as i have already in my instal - old folder rename like ( by adding 0 )  : 0F-8C_Crusader. - so it is disabled. And then copy new F-8C_Crusader so I got new aircraft with same name in my instal game. Then I can decide which one will remain.

[Boresight]

folder name must be same as aircraft ini file.

example

folder - F-15C_super_strike_eagle.

and in this folder is file :

F-15C_super_strike_eagle.ini

if u wil rename folder u have to rename ini file also.

 

My way for testing is - after downloading aircraft from web same as i have already in my instal - old folder rename like ( by adding 0 )  : 0F-8C_Crusader. - so it is disabled. And then copy new F-8C_Crusader so I got new aircraft with same name in my instal game. Then I can decide which one will remain.

 

Thank you yakarov79,

 

Now I see, the one which is renamed is the old one.

(So that it's same name files & folders don't get changed by the new aircraft ones).

 

But you still can use both planes in the game right? Even the renamed 0F-8C_Crusader?

[Wrench]

 

But you still can use both planes in the game right? Even the renamed 0F-8C_Crusader

 

no. read what yakarov just wrote

 

 

after downloading aircraft from web same as i have already in my instal - old folder rename like ( by adding 0 )  : 0F-8C_Crusader. - so it is disabled.

 

if the folder name does not match the name of the main ini, the object is now invisible to the game engine. the same is true by renaming the main ini, but not the folder.

[Boresight]

no. read what yakarov just wrote

 

 

if the folder name does not match the name of the main ini, the object is now invisible to the game engine. the same is true by renaming the main ini, but not the folder.

 

Ok, so if I match the "new" name also in the main .ini I can keep the 2 aircraft ?

 

Explaining better:

 

- what I aim for most of the times is for instance, add to my merged install some brand new MiG-21 from CombatAce, but already having other CombatAce MiG-21 versions;

 

- eventually some files and folders will have exactly the same name, so my point is: I want to keep both aircraft, whitout having to overwrite any files or folders in order to not corrupt textures; airframes; camouflages; etc.

 

How should I do that ?

Edited October 20, 2015 by Boresight

[Sheriff]

Yes. As stated rename the new version's main folder, then edit  data and config  ini.files and you will see new and baseline versions available in game.

Edited October 20, 2015 by Sheriff

[Boresight]

Yes. As stated rename the new version's main folder, then edit  data and config  ini.files and you will see new and baseline versions available in game.

 

Hello Sheriff, I've tried already with the P-51 Mustang (only didn't edit the " data.ini " at the time) but it appeared to work fine...

 

EDIT:

 

So, about the other files / folders like: Weapons ; Pilot ; Sounds ; etc, the rule of the thumb is: mantain the biggest one ?

Or change their names also?

Edited October 20, 2015 by Boresight

[Wrench]

read this:

 

http://combatace.com/topic/34386-adding-a-3rd-party-aircraft-where-a-stock-one-already-exists/

[Boresight]

read this:

 

http://combatace.com/topic/34386-adding-a-3rd-party-aircraft-where-a-stock-one-already-exists/

 

Thank you Wrench. It was ellucidative - pretty much the idea people was passing above.

 

And about the other files / folders like: Weapons ; Pilot ; Sounds ; etc, the rule of the thumb is: mantain the biggest one ?

Or change their names also?

[Wrench]

AFAIK, there's no need to fiddle with the weapons, pilots, sounds, etc (unless you're replacing an older weapons with a newer version, like some of the things Ravenclaw has been creating). In that case, just rename the folder or create a "z-storage" sub-folder within the /Weapons folder, and move the older ones there.

 

iirc, all pilot figures have "specific" names (RedAir1, Pilot36, USAFMod, etc)

[Boresight]

Ok then, sounds simple.

 

I'll see how I manage. I'll post more doubts here tomorrow.

 

Thank you.

[Wrench]

 

I'll post more doubts here tomorrow

 

oh, thank YOU!

You have no idea just how much I needed that laugh!!

[Boresight]

oh, thank YOU!

You have no idea just how much I needed that laugh!!

 

You're welcome!  

 

(Listen, I don't want to consume all your patience at once.)