P3D v3 Issues with ACM... need help

[Clutch Cargo]

That makes sense. You can't see it in the sim as you do not have the project, doh! Silly me.

So I am trying to use that spb2xml app to decode the file after your app makes the changes to check on any abnormalities. Problem is I cannot get even that to work (not a good day I guess ). I have installed it as I think it should be but all I get is "Access Denied " when I try to open an spb file. Will keep trying. Attached it the AutogenDescriptions.spc AFTER my edits have been added using your tool. Is it possible you can provide me with an .xml version? (Is it possible that my edits are not being placed in the groupings section but rather the models section?)

 

[Clutch Cargo]

Update... I can see my vegetation fully if I hand edit the AutogenDescriptions.xml file in P3Dv4. If I use the ACM tool I see nothing. If I decode the spb file that ACM creates my edits appear to be inserted correctly.

Could this have something to do with encoding? Could my segment be encoded incorrectly and inserted into the AD file? In Notepad++ the AD file says its encoded as <?xml version="1.0" encoding="Windows-1252"?> but Notepad ++ does not offer the option to save as Windows-1252. Is there an equivilant so I can test?

 

[Clutch Cargo]

After two days of testing, experimenting these are my observations:

If I manually edit my AutogenDescriptions.xml and manually add my segment it works both for P3Dv4 and P3Dv3.
If I then convert those xmls into spb files they also work
If I use ACM I get no errors but they do not work.

One thing I did notice that seemed interesting:
When I manually edit in my own segments I put them at the bottom of the <Autogen.AutogenGroupings> only because it was just the easiest to copy/paste at the bottom of the file.
ACM places my segments as the first listing under <Autogen.AutogenGroupings>.

So as an experiment:
I started with the default P3Dv3 AutogenDescriptions.spc
I then ran ACM which added my .xml segment into and updated the .spc - Ran P3Dv3 - No vegetation.
I then decoded that .spc into an xml and tested again in P3Dv3 - No vegetation
I then took that same xml file and moved my segment from the first listing to the last - this time the vegetation worked.
I then processed that same xml file back into an spb file - the vegetation worked.

As a final little test I converted my segment xml to and spb first, then has AMC merge to see if that would do anything. It did not work.

Could it be that placement of the segment into the file determines whether it will work or not? Arno, would it be possible for you to create a version of ACM that places the added segments at the bottom of the file and not the top so I can test my theory?

Also, if you want, I can compile a sample section of my project, email it to you and you can see/test for yourself.

 

[arno]

That makes sense. You can't see it in the sim as you do not have the project, doh! Silly me.

So I am trying to use that spb2xml app to decode the file after your app makes the changes to check on any abnormalities. Problem is I cannot get even that to work (not a good day I guess ). I have installed it as I think it should be but all I get is "Access Denied " when I try to open an spb file. Will keep trying. Attached it the AutogenDescriptions.spc AFTER my edits have been added using your tool. Is it possible you can provide me with an .xml version? (Is it possible that my edits are not being placed in the groupings section but rather the models section?)

Thanks, I'll have a look at the file tonight.

 

[arno]

Could it be that placement of the segment into the file determines whether it will work or not? Arno, would it be possible for you to create a version of ACM that places the added segments at the bottom of the file and not the top so I can test my theory?

Also, if you want, I can compile a sample section of my project, email it to you and you can see/test for yourself.

That's what I meant last time with the order. It seems your groupings depend on other groupings and should be placed below them. Maybe I should make ACM insert things at the end by default when an entry does not exist.

 

[Clutch Cargo]

Yea, that's what I am thinking... placement may be the key. As soon as you can muster up a version that places them at the bottom let me know so I can get this project out of the hangar, ha!

 

[arno]

I'll try to change the code tonight...

 

[arno]

Hi,

Here is a new build. Please use it for testing only. If it works fine for you, I'll promote it to the official release.

Edit: file removed, new version available in the official download thread now.

 

[Clutch Cargo]

Thx Arno. So far so good but I will spend the next several days testing more. Does/should encoding of our custom xml inserts have any bearing on whether they work correctly when merged? Testing varous Windows-1252, ANSI, UTF-8, etc.

 

[arno]

Hi,

I don't think the encoding matters that much. Only for some exotic characters I might make a difference.

Let me know if you find more during testing. I'll release a new stable version of ACM in a few days.

 

[Clutch Cargo]

As I test further a few questions arise:

1. Would it be possible for ACM to install for multiple platforms?

I noticed one can only select one FS version. My add-on is allowing the User to select multiple platforms during the install. Why? Well, mine is a very large scenery add-on (50GB), where the User might want to use it in, for example FSX and P3Dv4. Due to it's size I am sure user would prefer to install it only once but then activate it for several platforms.

My thinking is ACM is installed in its central location but modifies the exe.xml files for each version the User selects (much like my install).

Further thinking out loud here, I guess If I can get ACM to run silent (have not been able to yet), I can just run ACM several times to place the proper exe.xml edits for each platform and would not require any mods for ACM on this but wanted ask anyway of the possibility.

2. Speaking of installing, how would a User know to update ACM if there is a change/new version?

3. Does ACM check for a previous version installed and path?

 

[arno]

Hi,

1. I assumed a scenery would also be installed to one sim at a time.

Of course I can change it, but you can also install multiple times. If ACM is already installed and you run the installer for another sim it should be quiet (let me double check that).

2. That would be up to the developer, not the end user.

3. Yes, it checks if already installed. And also when you try to install an older version it will stop and not overwrite.

 

[Clutch Cargo]

What switches are you using for the install to run silent? /s, /q, /qn /quiet? Still wrapping my arms around subject this as I continue. Would it be easier to run silent if ACM's execution was an .msi file as opposed to an .exe?

 

[arno]

I think if ACM is installed already you should not be prompted for install path, so that makes it silent. And you can set the FS version already when you trigger the install.

I don't plan to make an installer for ACM. The current way is easier to maintain and works fine.

 

[Clutch Cargo]

I think you might have misunderstood my question above. I am talking about a first time install of ACM. In your documentation you said you can run ACM in silent mode that is why the question of what switches work for silent mode for ACM? Not sure if there is a standard of switches or it depends on how the developer compiles the code?

This may be my lack of knowledge on how exe, msi with switches work. You say you don't plan to make an installer for ACM (which is fine), but isn't the fact ACM is an .exe file is an installer in and of itself?

 

[arno]

I'm not behind my pc know, but all command line options are in the manual, including the quiet mode. But if I remember right, quiet means show no GUI about restart needed after merge. It's not about quiet install.

The ACM exe might look like an installer, but it's not. The exe is also what's run by FS. In install mode it copies itself around.

 

[arno]

Hi,

I checked in the code, the silent mode also prevents the form to select the installation folder in install mode. So you should be able to run the installer multiple times in silent mode without the user noticing. The command line option for that is SILENT.

 

[Clutch Cargo]

Update on testing:

Arno, since I last posted here I have been testing the version of ACM you attached. I tested it as a stand alone install and with my custom installer with FS platforms FSX, FSX SE, P3Dv3 and P3Dv4. All work great. I have not tested with P3D or P3Dv2 just because I have not installed them yet and I expect results will be the same when I conduct a full beta test with a team of testers. I am not expecting any anomalies since the AutogenDescriptions.spb are exactly the same size for P3D thru P3Dv4.

Placing the modifications at the bottom of the file made the difference. SILENT works great. I am able to recurse through ACM as many times as selected by the User with no displays. What I do like is your small "updating" window still does appear when there are modifications needed to be made to the files.

I do have one question. As per your manual, P3Dv4 does not use the exe.xml file but instead an add-on.xml file. Excuse my ignorance, but I am assuming inside ACM is that xml file? So where is that being written to? I cannot find any add-on.xml so I am assuming it is being written into other files? If not where is the path?

 

[arno]

Hi,

Glad to hear the testing goes well. Seems like I can release this version as an official ACM update.

The add-on.xml file to install ACM in P3D v4 is placed in: MyDocuments\Prepar3D v4 Add-ons\AutogenConfigurationMerger.