Solved
Thank you very much !!!
That link you provided was very helpful (I scrolled to the bottom and read this new nugget:
1. Create a folder AICarriers In the P3D v3 directory.
2. Copy Conf.d , AICarriers.CFG and AiCarriers.EXE into it.
3. Copy the file Sample_EXE.XML into the AppData\Roaming\Lockheed Martin\Prepar3d v3 folder
4. Open the XML file (I use Notepad++, it is very easy to use)
5. Click on the Sample_EXE.XML file; in the address bar this will show the file's path as C>ProgramFiles(x86)>.....>AICarriers>AICarriers.exe
6. Click on the address, you will see the file's a address change to C:\Program Files(x86)\.....\AICarriers\AICarriers.exe
7. You can copy this and paste it into the .XML file (after removing the existing text)
8. Save
The advantage of is method is that the path and file name is created by the PC so all the ":" and spaces etc. are correct and there is no confusion over "l" and "1" etc.
I followed all the above and now this is what my exe.dll looks like
BTW when I fired up P3d and saw that little aicarrier icon on lower right corner of monitor (AI CARRIER CONNECTED), I knew it was going to work.
Guess the "wires" were really crossed in getting this to work but glad it's working.
<SimBase.Document Type="Launch" version="1,0">
<Descr>Launch</Descr>
<Filename>exe.xml</Filename>
<Disabled>False</Disabled>
<Launch.ManualLoad>False</Launch.ManualLoad>
<Launch.Addon>
<Name>AICarriers</Name>
<Disabled>False</Disabled>
<ManualLoad>False</ManualLoad>
<Path>P:\Program Files (x86)\Lockheed Martin\Prepar3D v3\AICarriers\AICarriers.exe</Path>
</Launch.Addon>
</SimBase.Document>
Mr. Grey_Eagle, sir,
I believe I have discovered your trouble.
With P3D v3.3 and later (3.4, 3.5, whatever), the AICarriers needs to be IN your P3D folder.
Say your P3D sim is located, for the sake of examples, in P:\games\P3D (Where all the P3D folders are:Add-on Scenery, Modules, effects, and so on)
You then need to have AIC thus: P:\games\P3d\AICarriers
And in your EXE.xml file it needs to be
<Path>P:\games\P3d\AICarriers\aicarriers.exe</Path>
It may work fine in the current location for FSX, or FSX:SE, but it's been found out that for P3D it has to be as I've shown.
For more detailed information on this, try reading http://www.fsdreamteam.com/forum/index.php/topic,11293.msg98911.html#msg98911 and down. Some very good info on AICarriers in the entire thread, but the shown entry and the entries below it (after it, I mean) seem the most applicable to your situation.
Hope this helps
Pat☺