Installing individual Firepower Aircraft

W

wsmwsm

Charter Member
I want to install individual Firepower aircraft in certain CFS3 installs. For example, the B-29 and its weapons and effects. How do I do so? I don't want to simply install Firepower into my "vanilla" CFS3 and then copy them over. Nor do I want to create another "vanilla" install for this purpose. I've tried to direct the Firepower installation program to a newly-created folder, but the application won't let me do so in any folder other than CFS3.

Is there a way to do this?
 
wsmwsm said:
I want to install individual Firepower aircraft in certain CFS3 installs. For example, the B-29 and its weapons and effects. How do I do so? I don't want to simply install Firepower into my "vanilla" CFS3 and then copy them over. Nor do I want to create another "vanilla" install for this purpose. I've tried to direct the Firepower installation program to a newly-created folder, but the application won't let me do so in any folder other than CFS3.

Is there a way to do this?
Click to expand...

:kilroy:Wsmwsm, it looks like it's "dummy install" time again!

1. Temporarily rename your Combat Flight Simulator 3 folder found in Program Files/Microsoft Games. You only need to add one character.

2. Make a new folder named Combat Flight Simulator 3. Make sure that the spelling is correct.

3. Run the FirePower disc. It will follow the "default" (lol) path.

4. Re-name the new FirePower dummy install to som,ething other than Combat Flight Simulator 3.

5. When you've done that, simply re-name your original Combat Flight Simulator 3 folder to its original name.

You're now done and have all the FP stuff in a folder by itself, and you have lost or changed nothing.

Regardless of where you wish to copy certain FP planes, you will still need to transfer weapons and effects from the dummy to the install where you want them.

Copy the fxtextures from the dummy FP effects folder to the install where you want them, being careful not to overwrite, in the case of ETO, PTO, MAW.

The comes the hardest and most time-consuming part of the whole operation: tracking down the proper effects lines found in the FP weapons XDPs and copying them from the FP effects.xml file to the preferred effects.xml file in the proposed install.

It can be done, but it can also be frustrating and time-consuming at times. Take your time and don't get in a hurry.

Rule #1 for any modding: BACKUP everything you intend to replace or change before you start modding.

Good luck.:d
 
Thanks. But I need a little more guidance.
1. I follow the path C/Program Files/Micrsoft Games/CFS3 and then rename CFS3 slightly.
2. I create a "dummy" CFS3 folder (correctly named, but empty).

But where does the dummy folder go? Doesn't it have to follow the same path? And if so, what happens to the renamed CFS3 folder?
 
Hi wsmwsm,

Your empty folder goes in the same spot as your original folder, so it should look like this

C:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Combat Flight Simulator 3_orig

C:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Combat Flight Simulator 3

when you run the FP installer nothing will happen to your original CFS3 install as the installer is only looking at the dummy folder you created.

when you have finished the FP install rename your dummy folder to

C:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Combat Flight Simulator 3_firepower

and then rename your original folder back to the defualt name.

C:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Combat Flight Simulator 3

as for weapons if you did not want to go to all the trouble of chasing down effects, you can edit individual aircraft xdp files and change the weapons being called for to weapons already included in your game.

If your installing teh planes into an ETO install then every weaopon you require is already there, I believe.

HTH's

regards Rob.
 
Well, I tried, but no go. I now get a message that there is no "valid" installation of Combat Flight Simulator 3. I've named the dummy folder precisely and renamed the original so that C/Program Files/Microsoft Games pathway contains both.
 
Hi wsmwsm,

sorry mate you need to copy the files from your cfs3_orig folder into your new cfs3 folder as well, its not just an empty folder.

it should work now.

regards Rob.
 
I have loaded the firepower aircraft and effects, etc..into my Advanced ETO and CFS3 set up and had no problems..I used a dummy folder..I then Ran the Firepower stuff into the dummy folder..Afterwards I then Cut and Paste the wanted files to the CFS3 or ETO set up..MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THE Pylons and Guns and Weapons files set up also..Or all you will get is your Desktop when you try to run The Flight sim..They will not Load with something missing or put into the wrong place..Back everything up and becareful how you load everything..Run the BDP Zapper and go and fly your aircraft..:applause:
And i shall admit these flight sims are very touchy about what they will accept..I just spent a Month trying to work out what I messed up in My ETO set up..I found it and corrected the files..
Our beloved CFS sims are as picky as a Ex-Wife in divorce court so do be careful..:applause:
Listen to Grizzly and Capt. Winters they are Masters in all these matters..
If it can be done They will know How..
 
Thanks for all of the help. I've managed to install the FP files in a separate folder.

I generally understand how to read the XDP folder to determine what pylons and weapons are needed with each aircraft. But what about effects? I'm concerned that installing the effects files in ETO or PTO may create a problem. Are they needed? Will there be a conflict?

Any advise would be great.
 
Grizzly50:

In your post, as to the effects, you say to be careful not to overwrite in the case of ETO, PTO or MAW. Thus far, I have not installed any effects from Firepower to ETO - although I've copied over FP aircraft, weapons and pylons. (I installed the entire fxtextures to DPC Korea without any seeming ill effects. I assume I was able to do so since the Korea install contains only stock CFS3 effects, not enhanced stock effects.)

So, two questions. (1) In order not to overwrite, should I explore the "dummy" CFS3 effects folder in an effort to cull out only FP effects before installing them and (2) what if I don't employ the FP effects at all in order to avoid this issue entirely, i.e, how will it effect the sim?

Any assistance would be great.
 
wsmwsm said:
Grizzly50:

In your post, as to the effects, you say to be careful not to overwrite in the case of ETO, PTO or MAW. Thus far, I have not installed any effects from Firepower to ETO - although I've copied over FP aircraft, weapons and pylons. (I installed the entire fxtextures to DPC Korea without any seeming ill effects. I assume I was able to do so since the Korea install contains only stock CFS3 effects, not enhanced stock effects.)

So, two questions. (1) In order not to overwrite, should I explore the "dummy" CFS3 effects folder in an effort to cull out only FP effects before installing them and (2) what if I don't employ the FP effects at all in order to avoid this issue entirely, i.e, how will it effect the sim?

Any assistance would be great.
Click to expand...

:kilroy:Wsmwsm, in answer to your questions:

1:

Yes. You will also need to check the FP effects.xml for lines that are not in the stock CFS3 effects.xml.

2:

a. You would have to modify the aircraft XDP files to loadout stock weapons,

or

b. modify the FP weapons XDP files to reflect the stock (non-FP) effects.

For the record, the Korean Skies install has some new, non-stock-CFS3 effects in it. You would also have to search through the KS effects.xml for effects lines that are missing from the stock CFS3 effects.xml.:d
 
Ugh. Changing lines doesn't appeal to me. I hope I didn't mess up the DPC install, although I can detect no problems.

What if I don't install the effects at all? What impact will it have? For example, in ETO I installed the FP Me410 (plus pylons and weapons) and it seems to perform correctly.
 
Hi wsmwsm,
don't forget to check what sound files the Firepower aircraft aliases to. If for instance (hypothetically) the b29 aliases to the b24 and you haven't installed the b24 you will get problems.
cheers
D
 
I realized that the sound files might be an issue so I was careful about that.

I don't see any impact in not installing the effects files thus far. Except for the nuclear ordinance for which you do not see a true explosion. However, even when I had a full Firepower install in CFS3, I didn't see it either.
 
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