Installation Addon Installation?

[Shadownailshot]

Hi, I just started playing Orbiter about a week ago. I haven't tried to install any addons yet, as I know that if done wrong, this may cause some unfortunate issues with the game install.

My question is this: What is the general process for installing an addon? What I am mostly interested in is the new crafts and scenarios that come with them, and quite a few of them say the requires some .dlls and SDKs. If anyone could give me just a quick rundown of what I'm supposed to do, that would be great.

P.S. I did a quick search for this and couldn't find anything with a general rundown/tutorial.

 

[PhantomCruiser]

I use a mod enabler myself. After a while you'll find that there are some add-ons that will "step" on one another and can cause some conflicts. There is the Jonesoft Gemeric Mod Enabler (a quick Google search will bring it up, or it should anyway...).

Pretty much standard is Orbiter sound, along with the DG-IV and UCGO http://orbiter.dansteph.com/index.php?disp=d

These I plop into Orbiter without going through the mod tool.
From then on, I'd recommend Spacecraft3, and Multistage2 http://users.swing.be/vinka/

After that, they sky is no longer the limit; World of 2001, Space1999, Trek... You name it. Many add-ons are self supporting, meaning everything you need is in the download, many others will have a list of dependencies (of these SC3 and/or multistage is often one of them).

Ah! Here you go...
There is a newer version out there though... [ame="http://www.orbithangar.com/searchid.php?ID=2701"]Generic Mod Enabler v1.4.0[/ame]
I don't know much about this though, but here is an enhancement to Jonesoft... [ame="http://www.orbithangar.com/searchid.php?ID=5779"]Orbiter MODS Manager for JSGME 0.95[/ame]

Happy Orbiting, and Welcome to the forum!

 

[Shadownailshot]

I use a mod enabler myself. After a while you'll find that there are some add-ons that will "step" on one another and can cause some conflicts. There is the Jonesoft Gemeric Mod Enabler (a quick Google search will bring it up, or it should anyway...).

Pretty much standard is Orbiter sound, along with the DG-IV and UCGO http://orbiter.dansteph.com/index.php?disp=d

These I plop into Orbiter without going through the mod tool.
From then on, I'd recommend Spacecraft3, and Multistage2 http://users.swing.be/vinka/

After that, they sky is no longer the limit; World of 2001, Space1999, Trek... You name it. Many add-ons are self supporting, meaning everything you need is in the download, many others will have a list of dependencies (of these SC3 and/or multistage is often one of them).

Ah! Here you go...
There is a newer version out there though... Generic Mod Enabler v1.4.0
I don't know much about this though, but here is an enhancement to Jonesoft... Orbiter MODS Manager for JSGME 0.95

Happy Orbiting, and Welcome to the forum!

I can't get JSGME from that link. I wont need sound either (unless it's required for some strange reason) as the sound on my computer is currently non-working, and I don't feel like fixing it for the older crash-box it is.

How do I install DG-IV and UCGO? You say, plop them in. Does this mean just unzip them in my main orbiter directory? Or is there more to it? This is what I mean by my question. I want to get DG-IV, XR2, XR5, and the Skylon. I'm not so interested in the super-fictional craft yet. I would imagine the mods I mentioned are relatively simple and come with their own scenarios.

 

[jangofett287]

You can run without OrbiterSound, but a lot of vessels will throw errors at you because they want to access Sound's Functions and can't.

 

[PhantomCruiser]

All of Dan's add-ons have their own installer. Easy-peasy, just follow the prompts to install them into your own Orbiter directory.

Doug's XR-(series) need to be unzipped (keeping directory structure intact) into Orbiter.

 

[Shadownailshot]

So as far as I can see, there's not a "one way fits all" solution?

If I don't install sound, and a craft throws errors at me, does that mean it wont work at all?

I think I understand how this is going though, what are the first things I should install? Sound, I'm guessing, as well as spacecraft 3.

I think my orbiter came with DG IV, unless there's a different one (I've seen many posts about DG IV 2).

Also, does UCGO come with scenarios, or do I need to edit the scenarios to include the ships? Excuse me if I'm completely clueless, I can't find anything particularly descriptive anywhere.

 

[Ripley]

JSGME here
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=204594

or here
http://www.tuttovola.org/index.php?action=downloads;sa=view;down=989

How-to
http://www.kingtiger.co.uk/kingtige...ksp-using-jonesoft-generic-mod-enabler-jsgme/

 

[dbeachy1]

So as far as I can see, there's not a "one way fits all" solution?

Don't worry, for the vast majority of Orbiter add-ons you only need to unzip the add-on file into your root Orbiter directory (e.g., C:\Orbiter), making sure to preserve subdirectories. However, you should of course check each add-on's readme file to see if anything else is necessary.

If I don't install sound, and a craft throws errors at me, does that mean it wont work at all?

If you're referring to XR vessels, they work fine without OrbiterSound installed. They will by design display a warning on startup, however, to let you know that the sound effects will not work without OrbiterSound.

 

[Shadownailshot]

So you just unzip it and hit yes when it asks, and it wont break anything, correct?

 

[Face]

So you just unzip it and hit yes when it asks, and it wont break anything, correct?

No. Unfortunately it is not that simple.

Let me start with a bit history. Orbiter started with what is commonly called "XCopy-deployment", meaning that it was "just" a bunch of files in specific directory-structure. As long as you preserve the directory-structure (and of course the file names), you can copy Orbiter to whatever directory you want, and run it. This also means that you can create 2 or more Orbiter "installations" on your machine by simply - well - copying your first Orbiter directory to a second.

The means of transport of this "bunch of files" of course was a ZIP archive, that's why before Orbiter 2010 there was no "official" MSI package. Simply unzipping Orbiter to an arbitrary folder by using the "restore path structure" feature of your ZIP tool was enough to restore the files from the transport medium.

Of course, add-on developers started to use this method, too. So in the early days, you just had ZIP archives, some with the directory-structure resemble that of Orbiter itself, some with flat structure, some with proprietary structuring. Most add-on ZIP-archives came with read-me files (inside the archive) that described the installation procedure. Normally it came down to something like "copy the DLLs into /Modules/, the meshes into /Meshes/ and the configuration into /Config/". Simple as that, but certainly far from "one fits it all".

Nowadays, though, even Orbiter itself has veered off of the "XCopy-deployment" way. Even if there is a ZIP archive alternative to the MSI package, there is still some kind of "installation" process involved: the orbiter.exe of a fresh "extraction" is not the Orbiter executable itself, but a placeholder that runs a prerequisite wizard to get the run-times installed. After its execution, this orbiter.exe changes place with the "real" orbiter.exe in /Install/orbiter.bin.

And so did some add-on developers, too. Most prominently DanSteph is publishing his work wrapped in custom installers. While this really enhances the installation experience for new users, it unfortunately also adds to the palette of installation procedures currently in use for Orbiter add-ons, because there is no "rule" whatsoever.

In addition to this already confusing situation, add-ons often produce collisions with other add-ons, especially if authors do not pay attention to namespaces. I.e.: if add-on A uses a texture "goldfoil.dds" in the /Textures/ folder, and add-on B also uses a file with this name there - but with totally different content - installation order decides which add-on will win and which add-on is corrupted. That's why regulars often coin the phrase "try with vanilla Orbiter first" in debugging situations.

Versioning of add-ons only adds fuel to the fire here: imagine a version 2.0 of a base add-on that changes the base.cfg file to refactor the textures used. While the author takes care about the migration path of his add-on, of course, he might not take into account that another add-on could very well use the same line in that configuration as he was using. Thus his installation advice "remove the line Solpanel under BEGIN_TEXTURES and replace it with SterlingMot" has good chances to blow up the full Orbiter setup.

All the mod enablers mentioned here will also not guarantee avoiding collisions, as they can't inspect the packages and sniff out the intention of the author. They help in organizing the mess, but are certainly no silver bullets.

Being a coder, I personally use a version control system to manage my Orbiter installation. This way I don't have to fiddle with collisions manually, but let the system work out the merger of 2 add-ons. This way I can also host different "environments" or copies of Orbiter, one for historical settings, one for near-future, one for Sci-Fi, and so on. Added value is - of course - the version controlling of my own (and others) source code and/or binaries.
Unfortunately this method is more complex than simple package managers or ZIP archives, so I can't recommend it for newcomers (yet).

regards,
Face

 

[Shadownailshot]

So, Face, I'm used to doing your suggestion of version management with KSP (Kerbal Space Program), and my computer is all but empty of any content on the hard drive. Perhaps I will use your recommendation. This seems to work out a lot of kinks. I can have my original orbiter install, and then ones with certain addons like you were suggesting. If something get's broken, I can just replace it from the original.

So to be more careful, if i get an addon that is just in a zip archive, I will follow the readme, or just unzip to a different location and copy files into their respective directory paths, and this should be sufficient, no?

 

[paddy2]

If it helps I also am a new boy to orbiter. I have down loaded more than a few addons.

All I have had to do is use XP to extract a zip file and quote the orbiter root or top directory and every thing just falls into place.
Meshes go into meshs textures to textures without batting an eyelid.

Some zips make there own directories when needed and drop "there" files there and orbiter finds them next time around. These boys make it soooooo easy.

( worst case, you do still have a copy of all the files you downloaded so far!!! I have never needed them mind )

There are a few downloads which you need to help others run but the download pages always mention them them. Plus they make orbiter even more fun in any case ( i.e. "Sound" "UGCO"), so chances are you have already done this. If not look for Dan's Sound, download and unzip it, as its so easy you will think " Did it work?" but it will have.

Next get yourself a copy of DeltaGliderIV (4) and unzip that into place. Before you know it your doing it in your sleep.

Good Luck and ENJOY

 

[Shadownailshot]

I actually haven't downloaded anything yet, I wanted to use this safety net first to make sure I didn't screw up the install.

 

[Wrangler]

I actually haven't downloaded anything yet, I wanted to use this safety net first to make sure I didn't screw up the install.

Welcome aboard Shadow. The install screwup will happen now and then, no matter how hard you try. Here is how I go about managing my Orbiter install (not the most storage efficient way). I install one add-on at a time, and get familiar with it. Before I do any add-on install, I simply make a copy of my orbiter folder, which serves as my gold copy (I use Microsoft RichCopy. Not a bad tool). Whenever an add-on brings any undesired results, I delete my primary Oribiter folder and move the gold copy to replace it. After that I either try and understand why the Add-on messed my orbiter up or avoid using that add-on completely.

It works for me. Just accept the fact that sooner or later, you will encounter this scenario. Happens in community-based development projects.

Happy orbiting.

 

[Ripley]

I actually haven't downloaded anything yet, I wanted to use this safety net first to make sure I didn't screw up the install.

As pointed above, you can go the professional way as Face suggests, or the more casual.
I go with the casual one.
After you find out which are your essential must have MFDs (and other add-ons) you'll have a working Orbiter backup with all of them.

Do start downloading something, unzip it in a new, empty folder, check what it contains, match its folders with Orbiter's.
Some add-ons (not many) have a readme.txt file in their root folder which WILL overwrite Orbiter's own readme. It's up to you to detect them and rename them first...others require you manually edit some cfg files...it's routine job.

I mean, the worst thing it can happen is that you will have to reinstall Orbiter, and we all did it many, many times...

Do make backups, though.

&


Edit: I found this thread about JSGME
http://www.orbiter-forum.com/showthread.php?t=18607

 

[Shadownailshot]

Thanks for all the help guys, I think I can get started with the installs now and feel relatively comfortable about it!

I think I'll start with sound, DG IV 2, UCGO, and spacecraft 3. I'm still learning the MFDs that Orbiter came with, so I'll stick with those for now. I was wondering, the addons that have crews, do they have limited O2 supply? That sounds anything but enjoyable to me.

Also, what is this D3D9 I keep reading about?

 

[paddy2]

As one newbi to another, dont worry to much about the O2 supply, I have killed my traveling friends long before the air runs out...... Enjoy

Actually Dans DGiv allows you to set the O2 supply so should be ok there.

 

[Ripley]

...I was wondering, the addons that have crews, do they have limited O2 supply? That sounds anything but enjoyable to me.

Try the awesome XR fleet then. Highly customizable through their config files. Already D3D9 compatible.
http://www.alteaaerospace.com/

And Dansteph's DGIV-2 of course (version 3 is behind the corner, and it'll be D3D9 compatible).

...Also, what is this D3D9 I keep reading about?

In your Orbiter folder you should have a couple of exes:
1) orbiter.exe
2) orbiter_ng.exe

Number one is the plain, standard Orbiter, which uses its inline D3D7 graphics engine.
Number two is the "No Graphics" version of Orbiter, which interfaces itself to an "external graphics client", thanks to the wise modular architecture chosen by Dr. Martin.

So, if you download an "external graphics client", like Jarmonik's excellent D3D9Client (as of today, latest version is R3) and "install" it (as any other add-on) you have to launch orbiter_ng.exe, configure its tabs, particularly in the Modules tab you must activate the "D3D9Client" module, and then you'll enjoy Orbiter in glorious D3D9 graphics. Obviously, your graphics card must be D3D9 compliant.
The most direct benefit of using this client over the standard one, is an incredible fps boost!

Note that each exe has its own separate configuration.

Now, the complex Orbiter internal calculations suffer in precision if your pc isn't capable of outputting decent fps rate, so if your HW supports it the choice is rather simple.

And there is also a D3D11 client in development, which supports IIRC graphics cards from D3D10 and up.


As proof of concept to demonstrate the feasibility of this modular architecture, there is in fact a downloadable D3D7 external graphics client too, to be used coupled with orbiter_ng.exe.
Graphically-wise, results are the same as using the plain Orbiter.exe.

 

[Shadownailshot]

Well my FPS is already 60+ at all times, I'm not particularly worried about that. Although if it'll allow it to look better, I'll take it.

 

[Shadownailshot]

When I install orbiter sound 3.5, Orbiter crashes. It's really quite annoying.