Free P3Dv4 upgrade for existing A2A P3Dv3 customers

[Ron Attwood]

That's me patted on the head.

I decided to uninstall the 172 and start again. This time leaving it to it's own devices. Load V4 select a 172, fine. Shut down V4 and I get a Content error message.

"[error.0]
error=No add-on.xml found at location: C:\Users\Ron\Documents\Prepar3D v4 Add-ons\add-on.xml"

Sure enough, no add-on.xml. It is in fact in: C:\Users\Ron\Documents\Prepar3D v4 Add-ons\A2A\add-on.xml

[TheEditor]

Was not intending to insult you, just passing along knowledge.

[MarcE]

Ron this sounds like a registry thing to me... do you have any registry cleaning tool such as ccleaner or similar? My advice would be: kick off the whole addon folder, delete the content in the addons.cfg (not 100% sure about the name but its in the folder with the p3d.cfg and cameras.cfg and then if you want run the reg cleaner.. but i messed that addon folder up too with the aerosoft twotter and could get along with deleting the content of this cfg...

Greets Marc

[Ssnake51]

My install of the 172 was without issues. Installed it on a separate ssd drive.
Am seeing the same issue with wing lights as TheEditor.

[taildraggin68]

Scott,

I installed with the C172 with the new installer. The install seems to be fine but the plane has an error in the right wing light. See circled area in the images. This is in v4 with no shader changes. I have not uninstalled the new v4 version and installed the one released originally to see if there is a difference, maybe something different between the planes themselves.

Daytime mode
http://imgur.com/QnUDcMl
http://imgur.com/azRcaHE
http://imgur.com/f91Kp05
http://imgur.com/7uJQX8c

Night mode
http://imgur.com/uFJkTsr
http://imgur.com/nXn1a74
http://imgur.com/a1xQ8Dx


I uninstalled the new one and installed the original release of the C172 for v4 and it has the same issue as shown in the images.

I'm not seeing that on my install. What are your settings? Light bloom special effects etc. I can try to recreate that with some settings info. Still running the test installer version so may be able to rule out a build version.

[rlaycock]

This new installer thing is confusing me.
1/ last week I downloaded the "New" C172 for P3dV4 and installed it. It is working fine but in the my documents folder which I did not want as c:/ is a small 120 gig SSD for windows only
2/ I just downloaded the "New" New installer however I have no option to uninstall the previous install so I took a punt and installed to F:/ P3D V4 thinking it would do as all other A2A installs have and install into sim objects / Airplanes folders
3/ However it did not. It installed to it into its own folder in p3d v4 (A2A) with a bunch of sub folders including simObjects
4/ I have 2 questions
a/ How do I uninstall the "Old New" installation there is no uninstall option in (Programes and Features)
b/ Cant we have an option of installing the old way IE just pointing to P3D v4 then the installer finds the appropriate place
Please note
PMDG 747 Aerosoft Catalina and Twin Otter and ants airplanes 2 new P3D V4 products seamed to have a method of installing in the old way ie registry finding P3D V4 and instaling directly into the P3D V4/simObjects/Airplains folder
It just seams strange to have all the different add ons installing to different folders

Thanks in advance if you can help
Bob

[pcox151]

This is embarrassing. After all the trouble I went to get my account sorted it now turns out that I actually purchased the FSX C-172 and C-182 and not the P3D versions. The only P3D aircraft I downloaded is the Connie. Ahh well I will wait until next month and purchase the P3D planes.

[Adam_NZ]

This new installer thing is confusing me.

Hi Bob

I may be jumping the gun here a bit (as I haven't upgraded to P3Dv4 yet) ... *but* ... I have similar problems, in that not only do I not want my C: drive bloated (for similar reasons to yours) but I'm also running out of space on my P3D SSD drive (no surprises there, eh? ).

In P3Dv3, you could install aircraft/add-ons to folders outside of P3D (even on a separate drive, I think - but I kept mine on the same SSD, outside P3D). Ant's Winjeel was one of the aircraft that did this automatically. The advantage of keeping things separate is all your effects/gauges/sounds are independent (not shared) and can be removed with affecting other add-ons.

The problem was that if the vendor didn't use that approach in the install process, setting it up outside P3D was a bit of a manual affair. Uninstallation was simple (you just deleted the folder) but you also had to edit/re-order entries in add-ons.cfg. Uninstalling via the Windows CP wasn't always an option.

I can't see why an installer/uninstaller can't be configured to accept any path you like (though it could default to something sensible) then honour those paths when you uninstall. If I'm able to do it manually with my poor [old] brain, I can't see how these clever A2A devs can't do it!

Adam.

[Ron Attwood]

Ron this sounds like a registry thing to me... do you have any registry cleaning tool such as ccleaner or similar? My advice would be: kick off the whole addon folder, delete the content in the addons.cfg (not 100% sure about the name but its in the folder with the p3d.cfg and cameras.cfg and then if you want run the reg cleaner.. but i messed that addon folder up too with the aerosoft twotter and could get along with deleting the content of this cfg...

Greets Marc

Yes Marc, I've been down that route. My Twotter installed OK in where I would have expected it to be-Airplanes.

I've given up now, I was getting too angry. I just let the C172 have it's head. At least I'll be able to re-install the sim without any trouble! Ha!

[TheEditor]

I'm not seeing that on my install. What are your settings? Light bloom special effects etc. I can try to recreate that with some settings info. Still running the test installer version so may be able to rule out a build version.

Here are my settings in P3D. I am running vanilla shaders straight out of the box, no graphics enhancements that would affect the rendering of lighting in any fashion.

Options-Display http://imgur.com/Pb0XX2G
Options-World http://imgur.com/x2WpSa8
Options-Lighting http://imgur.com/LraqjeV

As someone with some 3D animation background it almost looks like a stray polygon that is only rendering with an effect applied to it but no actual texture. If that make sense. I have used the same technique in the past, creating a polygon that is essentially invisible and placing a procedural texture on the polygon which is seen by the 'camera' when rendering the image.

[flaviossa]

Guys, i think what A2A staff is trying is to preserve the new way P3D install addons outside it´s files structure. That´s why they are not using the "aircraft" folder. Lockheed Martin says that it´s the best way to go because future simulator updates can be done in a easier way. The installer A2A created manage to do that perfectly and you can install (and uninstall) the plane in whatever folder you desire. For me, a created a folder named "P3Dv4 Addons" in the root of the same partition of my main P3Dv4 install and A2A 172 created a folder there and the needed associations to make it visible inside the simulator. It works for me. At least is what i understand...

@Adam_NZ: Wating anxiously for your new PTA Presets!!! (If you go p3dv4 way)

[rlaycock]

Guys, i think what A2A staff is trying is to preserve the new way P3D install addons outside it´s files structure. That´s why they are not using the "aircraft" folder. Lockheed Martin says that it´s the best way to go because future simulator updates can be done in a easier way. The installer A2A created manage to do that perfectly and you can install (and uninstall) the plane in whatever folder you desire. For me, a created a folder named "P3Dv4 Addons" in the root of the same partition of my main P3Dv4 install and A2A 172 created a folder there and the needed associations to make it visible inside the simulator. It works for me. At least is what i understand...

@Adam_NZ: Wating anxiously for your new PTA Presets!!! (If you go p3dv4 way)

Thanks
I think I get it now
So if I create a folder on F:/ called P3dV4addons and point the New installer at it, and do this for all the upcoming P3dV4 A2A comparable addons, all the A2A products will be in one place?
I guess the occasional updates from A2A will then find them.

So I am down to one question
How do I uninstall the C172 that I installed with the "Old New" P3dv4 installer last week which installed to the c:/ My Documents folder?
Please note there is no uninstall option in Programmer and Features
Thank in advance if you can help.
Bob

[taildraggin68]

I'm not seeing that on my install. What are your settings? Light bloom special effects etc. I can try to recreate that with some settings info. Still running the test installer version so may be able to rule out a build version.

Here are my settings in P3D. I am running vanilla shaders straight out of the box, no graphics enhancements that would affect the rendering of lighting in any fashion.

Options-Display http://imgur.com/Pb0XX2G
Options-World http://imgur.com/x2WpSa8
Options-Lighting http://imgur.com/LraqjeV

As someone with some 3D animation background it almost looks like a stray polygon that is only rendering with an effect applied to it but no actual texture. If that make sense. I have used the same technique in the past, creating a polygon that is essentially invisible and placing a procedural texture on the polygon which is seen by the 'camera' when rendering the image.

Ok, I'm gonna see what I can replicate, but if you haven't already, I would recommend that you start a thread in the C172 support forum to make sure this stays on the radar.

[CitMusJoe]

We put new installers into the A2A store for the Accu-Sim C172 Academic and Professional, that support installing into custom directories. These new installers also include an uninstaller.

All downloads in our store have been reset, so anyone can freely just log in and grab the updated files.
(NOTE that the ZIP download has the same name but within that zip there are two independent P3D installers, one for v1-3, and another for the 64 bit v4).

Please let us know if there are any issues as we still want to be sure these installers are giving our customers 100% of what they need, before we start rolling out the rest of our Prepar3D fleet.

Scott.

Hello Scott,

I've redownloaded the latest P3Dv4 version for A2A's C172.
As requested, here are the results of my 'quickscan'.

o installation to a user selectable path - now OK.
o Switching ON the NAV light on ground (cold and dark, no battery switch in position ON). This works in FSX(A) but not in P3Dv4. In P3Dv4 battery switch must be in position ON first, then you can switch on the NAV light.
o remaining downloads counter NOT reset in store.

Hope it helps.

BFN
Joe

[Adam_NZ]

@Adam_NZ: Wating anxiously for your new PTA Presets!!! (If you go p3dv4 way)

A bit off-topic I know (sorry, folks - but I'll make it quick!!). Though I'm disappointed that we even *need* PTA in P3Dv4, I've had such good results with PTA in P3Dv3 that I'm sure I'll get stuck in as and when I do the P3Dv4 dance (hopefully soon).

Adam.