What has happened to CFS3 ?

[BorekS]

Those of us who work all day, have kids etc. haven't the time to explore and learn fine art of mission building, skining etc.

I would slightly disagree - I belong exactly to such sort of people. having a free time usually 0:00-3:00 AM. its just about the will.

Give Jonesoft Generic Mod Enabler a try. It's a small program that does all the copying of files for you. The only thing you have to do, is to place every file that is in the mod that you want to install in a directory structure similar to the target game.

well, that doesnt sounds to me too much easy approach, if that needs to be achieved manual way a much better would be a tool which just with one button makes a whole old file set backup and can restore then the changes back, with one buton click. so, basically old cood copy / delete event still rulez

 

[gecko]

Yeah, I'd say most of us fall into the job and kids category, nobody has a ton of free time, it's all in what you want to do with it. I get wanting to just play a game rather than tinker. I prefer to tinker.

 

[sixstrings5859]

Thanks Guys for all the advice. Use JSGME in my Il-2 '46 sims and works fine there. Thanks for all the advice. Will get around to installing Ankor's shaders but occupied with "another sim" right now. Nervous about installing but as i said before i do have back-ups in case i mess things up. Beautiful pictures i see from the posts has me excited to try it out. After reading the instructions it doesn't seem all that bad. There is hope for a dummy like me after all. Regards,Scott

 

[MajorMagee]

I use JSGME to manage my mods, and it works flawlessly, but the initial set-up was tricky with 16 different installs set up over 5 different drive locations.

 

[sixstrings5859]

Tried 3 times to install Ankor's new shaders to no avail as even after setting config file still crashes when loading. Restored back to original and am ok. Tried out on Pat Pattle's BoB install. Is it compatible with Pat's BoB ? Will it work on any CFS3 install ? At a loss as to the cause. Would like to get it running.Can wait on a all in one installer because not everybody understands code (dummy me). Can do small things as planes,objects,missions and the like. Thought this was a simple install but apparently not for me.

 

[MajorMagee]

I'm glad you were able to get back to a working game again.

I have it working in Basic CFS3, CFS3 with Firepower, ETO (5x), MAW, PTO, Rising Sun (3x), BoB, WOFF, all WWI, all Jets, and DPC Korea., so I'm not aware of any versions it won't work with.

I would limit the initial attempts to just d3d8.dll, and d3d8.ini in your main directory, and the Shader30 folder and it's contents. You need to run configsys.exe at least once to initialize the graphics driver values, and to turn off dual pass rendering, and then try to run the game. If that works then you can go back and add the more difficult to remove options like the new special effects files, and effects.xml text edits.

Also, RobH was initially having a problem because he was running an older version of the game. It needs to be at least version 3.1a (3.1.0.30203 not 3.0.0.21007) for it to run with the shaders installed.

 

[sixstrings5859]

Tried installing on several installs to no avail. Must be doing something wrong. Get a ctd every time when game is loading. Remove files and sim works perfectly. Giving up till a more concise install is made.

 

[Frosty]

a much better would be a tool which just with one button makes a whole old file set backup and can restore then the changes back, with one buton click. so, basically old cood copy / delete event still rulez [/FONT]

But how would you expect the program to know what goes where? You can't offer a program a bunch of files and expect it to distribute them over the correct folders. (Come and think of it, CFS3 doesn't mind that much - it can still find files placed in the wrong folders. It's just that I like my install to be a little more structured ). In essence JSGME does just what you describe: in- and uninstalling a mod with a click!

@Andy: That must have been a little tricky!! 16 installs! Care to enlighten me? I have a different JSGME for each install but did you use a single one for all of them?

 

[Frosty]

... an all new P47 ...

Ah, yeah, here is a WIP piccie:

 

[Desert Rat]

Rant over, here’s some pics…:0)

Got a soft spot for the suitcase, if your reworking Uncle Ted's model, click on my sig, I reworked it for CFS2, adding Torp variant, etc. Added details, anims, etc. Feel free to use ant bits if they are of any use.

Jamie

 

[Desert Rat]

Also, remapped the nacelles/cowl flaps to allow for undersurfaces to be other than Night, Have a Photoshop paintkit if you need for my new mapping, or use any of the paints I did if you want/can.

TTFN,
Jamie

 

[Desert Rat]

CFS2 screenies......

I added Multi-LODs and breaking parts logic to CFS2, dunno if they will work for CFS3 though. FSDS2 sources available if needed, I think, lol.

Jamie

 

[sixstrings5859]

Nice P-47 Frosty. One of my favorite WWII fighter.What a brute it is. Will a later P-47N be done also ? Can't wait to see it painted . Like the runway too. Thank you Frosty for your work.

 

[Frosty]

Nice P-47 Frosty. One of my favorite WWII fighter.What a brute it is. Will a later P-47N be done also ? Can't wait to see it painted . Like the runway too. Thank you Frosty for your work.

Thanks! Me too (the paint job)
A P-47N will probably not be done by me. I heard there might already be one around on somebody's HD, so there's hardly any point in doing two. It would also require extensive remodelling of the one I am working on, not to mention doing a new airfile (on which I am rather clueless).
The runway might get published some day. It is 'real' PSP (meaning a model with perforations through the texture's alpha layer) but the snag is that you have to model it for each airbase.

EDIT:

For your viewing pleasure; these are in-game screenies:

 

[MajorMagee]

The key to getting JSGME to work with CFS3 is that the MODS folder needs to be outside of CFS3.
http://www.softpedia.com/get/Others/...-Enabler.shtml

I have a single copy of the JSGME program installed, and then created multiple desktop shortcuts for each of my 16 CFS3 install locations.

Open the shortcut and set the Target location to S:\JSGME\JSGME.exe (or wherever you have JSGME.exe located), and the Start In: to "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Games" (or wherever you have the MODS folder located for one of your CFS3 installs).

For the normal location C:\Program Files\Microsoft Games the MODS folder is at C:\Program Files\MODS.

JSGME will create C:\Program Files\JSGME.ini the first time you run the shortcut.

Its contents will look something like this:

[MODS FOLDER]
Name=MODS
[JSGME DETAILS]
FullPath=S:\JSGME\JSGME.exe
[FORM SIZE]
Main Height=529
Main Left=396
Main Top=693
Main Width=676
Main WindowState=0

Inside the MODS folder you will create folders that contain the modified files that you want to add or exchange with the originals.
At the top level (1) the folder needs to have a descriptive name for the individual mod. (For example 25 Feb 17 Shaders - Bob, Weather Mod - PTO, etc.)
At the next level (2) is a folder named the same as your specific CFS3 install. (Combat Flight Simulator 3, CFS3 PTO Rising Sun, DPC CFS3 Korea, etc)
The next levels (3+) are all the various files and folders that make up the mod itself. These need to be structured that same way they are in the game directories.

As you add and remove mods it will write a file at C:\Program Files\MODS\JSGME.ini (I know, using the same name again is confusing, but that's what the programmer chose to do)

Its contents will look something like this:

[DEPENDANCIES]
Feb 2016 Gunsight Shaders - PTO="25 Feb 17 Shaders - PTO"
[MODS]
New Composite Budgets - PTO - No Stutters=1
Weather Mod - BoB=2
Weather Mod - PTO=3
Feb 2016 Gunsight Shaders - PTO=4
25 Feb 17 Shaders - Bob=5
25 Feb 17 Shaders - PTO=6

Don't mess with the !BACKUP or !INSTLOGS folders inside MODS or you will destroy the ability to restore the original state of your game.

*** Once you've created the level(1) and level (2) folders in the JSGME MODS folder, you can directly unpack everything in the the zip file for AnKor's Shader package there to populate level (3+). ***

 

[sixstrings5859]

Have 2 JSGME programs for Il-2 '46 (VP modpack and B.A.T.). They came with the installs and i know how to switch things around but that is it.Neat process for CFS3 but above my paygrade. Rather play and not mod. The expansions for Il-2 '46 are super simple so that a dummy like me can understand and just a few clicks with the mouse and you're done. With CFS3 i can add aircraft,objects,ships and more which i can't do for Il-2 yet. Both do a fine job,once modded properly, and give countless hours of fun. Will hold off Ankor's shaders till it gets more simple. The problem might be the video card i have isn't compatible with Ankor's mod.

 

[ndicki]

Did somebody say something about CFS3 being dead?

 

[sixstrings5859]

Nice work. Looks absolutely lovely. I stand corrected .Thanks to all those who do so much for us.

 

[BorekS]

Did somebody say something about CFS3 being dead?

well, Scotts original point is only a handful of memebers posting into CFS3 thread present day, see:

See only a handful of members in CFS3 General Discussions . Not a good sign. On the other hand i see many in the FSX discussion threads.

the second thing is a lot of the new wips seems is public "hidden" or hardly noticable they are in work.

I would add we barely can hook some new people without a new advertisement (eg. Youtube videos)...

 

[Led Zeppelin]

Did somebody say something about CFS3 being dead?

Talking about Martin 167-F, there is an article in the last edition of AeroJournal magazine dedicated to French Flights with some very interesting details about the action of the two Martin's engaged.