Welcome to this hobby and enjoy it to the max. You have receive excellent advice and if you listen to it you will fine.
My advice on how to install new AC into CFS2!
HOW TO INSTALL THIRD PARTY PLANES INTO CFS2
This post will be dedicated for those who are having problems in installing AC into CFS2.
Installing AC into CFS2 is real easy once you have learn what to look for and how this program works.
The first thing I recommend is for you to get familiar with the inner working of CFS2.
Go to: Mycomputer C/Local Disk(C
/Program
files/Microsoft Games/Combat Flight Simulator 2
Get familiar the all the its folder the names of the files before you start to down loading anything.
Now find the Website you want to down load your new plane from.
You can start by browsing through this post. It has many Website dedicated to the improvement of CFS2 in it.
1.
http://www.simviation.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=cfs2;action=display;num=11...
Lets start with the CFS2 section dedicated to AC in this Wedsite.
2.
http://www.simviation.com/cfs2aircraft1.htm
There are many more Websites with AC for CFS2 as well.
The next thing for you to do is to down load the new third party plane into a New folder created by you. You place this folder any where you like. You can call it New AC if you want or give it any name you like. Now you go to your Web site that you want to down load the new AC. Down load it to this new AC folder or directly load it to the AC folder.The AC forlder is call AIRCRAFT.
You need to get familiair with the content of the AC and what is needed to make it work properly.
Every AC has this basic folders inside their respective AC folder. I picked the A6M2_ZERO as example:
1.MODEL: the configuration of the AC.
2.PANEL:The panel and its working
3.SOUND: Sound of the AC.
4.TEXTURE: The texture of the AC.
they also have this basic files.
aircraft CFG: It give the AC its Identification and name within the CFS2 program. It also has some other basic information.
a6m2_zero DP: Damage properties and weapons points and load.
a6m2_zero AIR file: its Arial abilities. In other words how this plane should fly according to its developers.
a6m2_zero CDP : This files keeps a record of the AC previous files. Now this is replicated every time you fly with this AC. You can and should deleted it every time you add somthings new like weapons to the AC. Do not worry it will replicate itself evey time Automaticaly. If you do not deleted it the new weapons or other install may not show up.
Now down load your new AC in to the folder you chose by routing it through Save and not Open option.
Go inside the new AC folder and look for the AC folder and see if it has the all of its proper folder and files. Some times you may find additional folder within the AC folders and some times the AC is insde the folder with the same name. You always need to go inside the AC folder to make sure if the AC is inside of it.
If it has additional folders you need to copy and paste them to their respective folder to enable the AC to show and fly properly in this program.
After you have done that you need to go inside the new install Aircraft folder and see if in has additional folder you need to install. Sometimes within the Aircraft folder there are additional folder that need to be install. Like gauges and weapons. If its gauges all you need to is to copy the content inside the Gauge folder and copy them into the main gauges folder. You need to make the to do same steps with any aditional folder you might find inside the Aircraft folder.
If you need to add new weapons you need to go inside the SCENEDB folder and look for a folder call weapons. Go inside of it and you will find two folders call scenery and texure. Copy and the new weapons in the appropiate folder.
This way your new addon plane will show up in the game. Most planes doe are install ready. In other words all you need is to install them and they will show up in the Sim.
make sure they have the appropiate content inside of them. The most common missing element is no sound inside the Sound folder. Thats easy to fix. All you is get a new sound from another plane of the same model with sounds and copy and paste inside the new planes sound folder.
Now you should be able to fly the legandary Wildcats and Hellcats plus the Avengers and SBD and sink enemy carriers like out for fathers had to do in World war two.
If you take them to the next level you feel the thrill of shooting down a Zeros or been shot down by one. You will feel the danger of Naval arial combat during that Era. Believe it or not the Pacific Arial war was a lot tougher than what we have been told.
I also recommend you scroll through this post. It may help improve your enjoyment of this Sim:
1.
http://www.simviation.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=cfs2;action=display;num=11...
How to add planes into CFS2 by Jaxons:
2.
http://www.michael-reimer.com/CFS2/CFS2_Tips.html
By Hagar:
BGL files go in CFS2\SCENEDB\weapons\scenery
BMP textures in CFS2\SCENEDB\weapons\texture
& DP files in CFS2\OBJECTS_DP
With this c
I also recommend you learn how to Build missions and campaings. Thats where this Sim really rocks. Look for Coyotes Mission Builder Ttorial:
http://www.simviation.com/cgi-bin/syb2.cgi?section=cfs&file=cc_handbook.zip
You may ask:what is the MODEL_DBG file that is inside the stock AC folder.
I would not worry about it. The addon planes do not need this folder to be able to work properly in this Sim.
I recommend you install only three to four AC at any one time for them to show up in the Sim.
Thre is also a limitation of one 90 to 100 planes per Hangar. Hangar it simply means inside the AIRCRAFT folder.
There is a utility that will enable you to install a lot more planes per install.
With this program you can install more than one thousand planes. Its call AC man:
http://fly.to/mwgfx
You need to look for the CFS2 AC utlilities section. Its real easy to install and use. this utility will make it possible for the user to have as many as eighteen Hangars within one install. You can use it in different installs. This will allow you to have unlimited amount of AC to fly with in this program.
How to install new texure so will show up to the Mission Builder. That real easy. All you need to do is to install the new texutes in to the AC Texure folder. If you want to use it as new texure in a new plane like for example you want the stock plane with the new texute to show up as a addon in the Mission Builder. All you need to do is to create a new AC folder. Here I will explain it in a step by step process.
1.Go inside ADDON folder
2.Create a new folder
3.Give the new folder the AC name plus the new texure name.
4.Copy and paste the content of the original plane inside the AIRCRAFT you wanted to chage the texure from into the new AC folder foder inside the ADDDON folder.
5.Go and copy and paste the new TEXURE call kamuri into the texure folder.
6.Go inside the new AC folder and look for the file call CFG and open it up with your notepad.
[fltsim.0]
title=A6M2 Zero
sim=A6M2_Zero
model=
panel=
sound=
texture=
KB_checklists=a6m2_zero_check
Change the title name form A6M2 Zero to A6M2 Zero Kamuri.
[fltsim.0]
title=A6M2 Zero kamuri
sim=A6M2_Zero
model=
panel=
sound=
texture=
KB_checklists=a6m2_zero_check
Now you have a new AC that will show up as a new AC with a different TEXURE.
7. Now cut the new plane and paste it inside the AIRCRAFT Folder.
Thats it!
I hope I have been helpful
If you have any question do not hesitate and come back to this forum and I and other members will more than thrill to help you out.
Are scenery and ground objects made for CFS workable in CFS2?
