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P3D v4 Installer and activating scenery. How?

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us-arizona
Hey all,

How on Earth does one install AND 'activate' scenery through an installer?

Is there an easy way to tell FSX or P3D that it has a new scenery installed and to activate it? How might one 'edit' the Scenery config, placing your new addon scenery into a simulator?

And can Install Creator do this or does it require a mystical software device that few people know about?



Bill
LHC
 
I have been searching on this in the forum and found a couple of installers that people are using that one needs to basically have C++ background in writing/creating the installer. This is over my head. Perhaps I can just have the person installing this scenery do the basic 'activation' in their sim. I wish that Install Creator could do this. Oh well.

Thanks anyways, everyone.


Bill
LHC
 
I've always used NSIS. which is scriptable. Scripting can be a bit daunting, but it is worth making a start, as there isn't a lot that you can't do with it. I do have my own scripts for this, which have worked for a while, but I'm not a coder, so they are not very elegant:)
I've suggested before that developers here put together a proven, sharable script for common install tasks, based on NSIS.
 
Hi!

The sequence of a scenery-registriation as an addon package in my installers is always the same.

First, the Prepar3d.exe must be located. This is done by searching the registry for the value "SetupPath". The result is then automatically converted into a propertie (P3DV4_Path) ...

installer_addon_package_p3dv4_path.jpg


Next the propertie "P3Dv4_Path" will be linked with a "Custom Action". Here, the Prepar3d.exe determined by search is executed with the command lines documented in the SDK. In the example shown, additional properties will be used: (MY_APPDIR and Szeneriename). As a result, the user has the option during the installation to freely choose the location and the name of the scenery ...

installer_addon_package_add_package.jpg



To the background
Various routines are stored in Prepar3D.exe. One of these many routines (Operation=Add) is there to register a scenery as an Addon Package in the P3D. Another routine (Operation=Remove) removes the scenery again. These are the routines stored in the Prepar3D.exe for those who do not have the skills to program their own routine.

I hope it helps a little bit further :)
 
Hi!

The sequence of a scenery-registriation as an addon package in my installers is always the same.

First, the Prepar3d.exe must be located. This is done by searching the registry for the value "SetupPath". The result is then automatically converted into a propertie (P3DV4_Path) ...

View attachment 49762

Next the propertie "P3Dv4_Path" will be linked with a "Custom Action". Here, the Prepar3d.exe determined by search is executed with the command lines documented in the SDK. In the example shown, additional properties will be used: (MY_APPDIR and Szeneriename). As a result, the user has the option during the installation to freely choose the location and the name of the scenery ...

View attachment 49761


To the background
Various routines are stored in Prepar3D.exe. One of these many routines (Operation=Add) is there to register a scenery as an Addon Package in the P3D. Another routine (Operation=Remove) removes the scenery again. These are the routines stored in the Prepar3D.exe for those who do not have the skills to program their own routine.

I hope it helps a little bit further :)

What software is this?
 
Hi!

The sequence of a scenery-registriation as an addon package in my installers is always the same.

First, the Prepar3d.exe must be located. This is done by searching the registry for the value "SetupPath". The result is then automatically converted into a propertie (P3DV4_Path) ...

View attachment 49762

Next the propertie "P3Dv4_Path" will be linked with a "Custom Action". Here, the Prepar3d.exe determined by search is executed with the command lines documented in the SDK. In the example shown, additional properties will be used: (MY_APPDIR and Szeneriename). As a result, the user has the option during the installation to freely choose the location and the name of the scenery ...

View attachment 49761


To the background
Various routines are stored in Prepar3D.exe. One of these many routines (Operation=Add) is there to register a scenery as an Addon Package in the P3D. Another routine (Operation=Remove) removes the scenery again. These are the routines stored in the Prepar3D.exe for those who do not have the skills to program their own routine.

I hope it helps a little bit further :)
Hi Christian!
Could you make a template (or share your own), not for free of course?
Or to make a tutorial?
Also, it will be great if in the installer I could choose the version of the prepar3d I want to install to (with checkboxes), since P3D v4 and v5 can't share the same AFCAD (?)
Thank you in advance.
What software is this?
It's called Advanced Installer
 
I'm sorry, at the moment I just don't have the time to even begin to explain something. The topic is complex, from my point of view it cannot be explained briefly :)
 
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