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mdlenames.txt file - Did you know?

Captain Kurt

Captain Kurt

Administrator
Staff member
Hi all

Ravenna and I have been working on a WWI airfield figures set we will release soon. The subject of the mdlnames.txt file came up. I've seen some conversations about it but not this from particular angle.

So I'd like to get some feedback.

What I've seen discussed so far is this --

Some people report that they need to add object names to their mdlnames list, but others have said they no longer even make any changes to the list and it has no effect even with MB. It seem that MB gets the object name from the dp file, not the mdlnames list, and the objects show up just fine.


Further, the mdlnames list can cause problems. The game does use the mdlnames list to check for the presence of objects when the game loads. If you remove a stock plane that is on the list for example, the game won't load. But if you also remove the plane name from the list when you remove it from the AIRCRAFT folder, the game loads with no problem.

There also seems to be a limit as to how many names you can have on the list before it starts causing issues with loading QC and missions.


What I haven't seen reported is this -



In fact,at least on my installs, I can put a dummy mdlnames.txt file - one with no content at all - in the CFS2 folder and remove all of the stock planes and ships files from the folders and both the game and MB works fine. It allows me to save room to add more theater specific aircraft and ships before I hit the maximum game limit and it eliminates the issues above.


Does anyone else use this? If not, you might try it and see if it works for you. Please post and let the rest of us know about it, thumbs up or thumbs down.
 
I've been guilty of automatically adding mdlname entries even though a prior visit to the MB has shown the particular object/s to be selectable without a mdlnames entry. Put another way, it does seem that a lot of additions to mdlnames are redundant.
I also keep a notebook for objects dp where the DP name isn't immediately recognisable as the object I'm looking for. For example I have a long list of Robert John's rail sections listed with a description next to each entry. The INFO pics help, but sometimes that still means a bit of a hunt until I come up with the needed section.
 
I only add entries in the MDL Names for weapons, so I can easily see which kind of ordnance I am selecting inflight.
 
Reply...

Kurt,

I did not know this; there's always something new to try in this sim. Off to investigate...:ipepsi2:
 
BTW, it's worth mentioning that a lot of add on aircraft will alias the sound file to one of the stock planes, usually the A6M2 Zero. To allow the alias to work and still not have the Zero count in the AIRCRAFT folder total number, just remove all the Zero folders and files EXCEPT for the sound folder.
 
CK these are great little snippets of info. Makes you wonder why they used the mdlnames file in the first place though..:icon_question:
 
UncleTgt said:
CK these are great little snippets of info. Makes you wonder why they used the mdlnames file in the first place though..:icon_question:
Click to expand...

I think its only function is to tell you in plain English what weapons you have selected and what targets you have destroyed.

The maximum size of the file is around 37kb.
 
An interesting thread , As a long time user , I can vouch for , there are differences in opp system,s , As an example , I still maintain a back up box with window,s 98 system , the platforms do differ from xp, on how thing,s get processed , Air files and entries could be read different between the two , The model names entries , I thought were needed for mission builder ,
And this goes back 7-8 years , when the Ai-bombs were developed , people could not see the stock bombs M$s dropping from enemy
Ai,s ,, It was at that point I started , putting weapon,s into mdl names , and ever since had no issues with enemy Ai,s showing
bombs dropping , I have nothing past Xp-Pro , so I would ask , please post your opp system , as the differences may come from opp system integration , and not work for older platform,s ,
I use an alis system outside of the main gui root folder , that combines , both sound and panel files in the same folder , cut,s the load time considerably,
 
Just tried a little test with my WW1 mdlnames file. I changed the AF revetment names after the "=" to Revetment_AF_xxx (where xxx= the particular revetment). In MB the new names showed up as a block of entries when I scrolled down to entries starting with "R". It seems to me that mdlname entries can make a difference to organising objects in classes, such as revetments, walls or trees, although I haven't tried this with either walls or trees. Of course, where there are no entries, the sim takes its objects list from the DPs.
 
Captain Kurt said:
BTW, it's worth mentioning that a lot of add on aircraft will alias the sound file to one of the stock planes, usually the A6M2 Zero. To allow the alias to work and still not have the Zero count in the AIRCRAFT folder total number, just remove all the Zero folders and files EXCEPT for the sound folder.
Click to expand...

Hi Captain
Very useful info.
I think that a few twin engine aircraft use the Lightning as an alias sound file.
Cheers
Stuart
 
CK....

:wavey:. In regards to your last post, several years ago I was bored and set up a central sound folder within the MS CFS2 file similar to Jaxon's setup but I think a little less confusing. I then scoured the internet for any, and all, available freeware sound files for ALL aircraft and catagorized them by mfg. Within the catagory I had sub folders for single/twin/tri/quad and jets. Made aliasing any theater plane to a sound just by dropping in the alias\blah\blah.... redirects. Saved A LOT of space and makes changing sounds very easy.
Might try that with panels also.
 
Fibber

Panels work too. If you ever use my 354th FG campaign you'll see I used that trick for both sound and panels on the P-51s and P-47s.
 
CK........

....my avg doesn't like the self installer. Won't even allow it on the computer. Keeps giving me a PUP warning. Tried a lot of different methods but can't get it on. Even takes it off when I put it on a stick to open it on a old laptop and transfer it to the big box.. Had to settle with doing the planes individually from the library just for the eye candy.
 
Hi Fibber

Your AVG should allow you to temporarily disabled it so you can run the installer and load the campaign. Right click on the program and it should open the options. It will automatically re-enable itself after the time you chose or you can manually do it by right clicking on it again.:wavey:
 
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