Time & Space: Download and Backup File sizes

[Bailout7734]

I downloaded KWYS West Yellowstone (small file) to compare Download and Backup File sizes.

 

The Manual Download file size was 430 Meg

The Backup file size came in at 370 Meg

 

 

Am I wasting disk space and time using the Manual Download option and renaming the file, or should I just use the Backup, put all the files in one location and leave the names alone.  The Download page states  "(but we strongly recommend using FTX Central)" so I'm assuming the latter is the preferred method.  I'm sitting here waiting for a "well Duh!" answer please.

[CrownCityMisfit]

I may be in the minority here, but I think you are wasting space by backing up any of these Orbx addons.

 

The cloud, man. The cloud.

[Matthew Kane]

I am only going to be downloading Base, LC, Vector and the Regions because they are larger sizes. All airports I am leaving on the cloud 

[Tim Harris]

Due to the multiple sim versions the 'full' download is bigger as it is a complete 'quad installer' like the old system

 

This is how FTXCv3 is 'smart' so to speak, for example: you decide to download NSTU for P3Dv3 only via FTXCv3, you only need to download the P3Dv3-only parts making for a smaller download, should you later on decide to also install it into FSX then FTXCv3 will only need to download the extra FSX-only parts

 

This is assuming that you chose the 'Download and install now, then make a backup for later' option,

 

Of course each airport/product will have differing size differences depending on the style/type of development, in NSTU most of the heavy-hitting big files are able to be shared between the different versions (photoreal+mesh etc) thankfully

 

Kind regards, Tim

[Bailout7734]

Thanks Tim, that is just what I was looking for.  I live in the country in Texas and have satellite internet which is fragmented and very slow at best (wish I could say who) with bandwidth limits.  I'll "backup" now a bit at a time so that If I need a total install that it will be much faster than going on-line.  A far as the new FTX Central 3 is concerned all I can say is WOW.  A big thank you to everyone at ORBX.

[Stewart Hobson]

3 hours ago, BladderBoy said:

I may be in the minority here, but I think you are wasting space by backing up any of these Orbx addons.

 

The cloud, man. The cloud.

I tend to agree with this.

[pmb]

7 hours ago, Bailout7734 said:

Am I wasting disk space and time using the Manual Download option and renaming the file, or should I just use the Backup, put all the files in one location and leave the names alone.  .

I am about to install all ORBX scenery into a brand-new machine, and of course I would like to take advantage of FTXC3. Still looking for a proper backup strategy, though.

 

Given (i) we don't need those FSS credentials anymore, (ii) file names are cryptic as of this day, I tend to just put all backup installers into one directory for the next reinstallation, as Bailout7734 ponders. 

 

Does this make sense?

 

Thanks and kind regards, Michael

[dominique]

I'd say it all depends of your internet connexion, your  propensity to reinstall, the number of addons you have and your HD free space. With a slow (half a meg a sec top), unreliable connexion as I have, backing up large addons makes sense for me. Then again, I rarely do reinstall.

 

As for the credentials themselves (excluding the installers), I will keep them for a while.  Won't need them of course but, you know, "stuff" happens... they are  my only proof of purchase after all.

[andy1252]

2 hours ago, pmb said:

I am about to install all ORBX scenery into a brand-new machine, and of course I would like to take advantage of FTXC3. Still looking for a proper backup strategy, though.

 

Given (i) we don't need those FSS credentials anymore, (ii) file names are cryptic as of this day, I tend to just put all backup installers into one directory for the next reinstallation, as Bailout7734 ponders. 

 

Does this make sense?

HI Michael,

 

I am not a fan of the cloud, and have always maintained copies of all source files (plus backups, and second backups for anything I really need) on local disks. Time is precious, space isn't. Ben has said that the "_fulxxxxxx.zip" files that can be obtained via manual download from the new site (not the FTX Central downloads) can be renamed to whatever you want, as if you subsequently want to re-install a product you have to point FTX Central to the file to use anyway.

 

So I am in the process of downloading all my ORBX products, renaming them to the appropriate product name, and using them to replace all the FSS files I previously maintained.

 

I have a reasonable broadband connection, probably the best I can get without going fibre (which I can't get without taking an unwanted bundle of other rubbish anyway), and it still takes me an hour to download Vector, for example. So I want all my files to hand, even though I may never use them. It simply means that when Microsoft or LM (or even me) does something stupid and I do have to reinstall everything, I don't have to spend a couple of days downloading everything.

 

[pmb]

Thanks Andy, thats a helpful contribution. I didn't realize you can rename those  "_fulxxxxxx.zip  files without making them unusable.

 

Kind regards, Michael

[FransKes]

Installing from renamed "_full" zip files works perfectly. I have already done so.

 

Frans

[sightseer]

So is the 'manual download' option better for those who like to do backups? (better than 'download and install and save a backup'?)

 

I haven't done the switchover yet but I was assuming that all backups made through FTXCentral3 would go into some folder that you could then backup onto an external hard drive for future reference.  is that not the case?

[andy1252]

Dave, my understanding is that the "manual download" is the full multi-sim installer (i.e. FSX, FSX/SE and all the supported P3Ds) whereas the "download and install and save a backup" is just the files for the sim you're installing into at that time. So which version is best to use depends on your setup - do you run more than one sim?

 

You have to tell FTXC3 where to put any backups you save that way, so it's no different from downloading in that sense. Put 'em wherever you want and backup accordingly.

[BrianT]

17 hours ago, andy1252 said:

You have to tell FTXC3 where to put any backups you save that way, so it's no different from downloading in that sense. Put 'em wherever you want and backup accordingly.

I think I'm missing something then, I can't find anywhere that gives me the option to set the backup location.

[Tim Harris]

15 minutes ago, BrianT said:

I think I'm missing something then, I can't find anywhere that gives me the option to set the backup location.

 

When you click on a product, look for the 'Installation options' button, click this and choose 'Download and install now, then create a backup for later' after that you get the button to select a location, I suggest making a single folder somewhere for all your Orbx product backups

[pmb]

Tim, does anythiong speak against just putting all 130 files into one folder? Will FTXC3 find the proper file automatically among the lot when I am going to install, say, Sedona, the next time?

 

Thanks and kind regards.

[BrianT]

Thanks Tim, that explains it all. My stuff is already installed and so I don't see any of those options. It would be nice to have the option to download backups as a separate entity bt that's one for the future maybe.

Other than that loving the new set up.

[Tim Harris]

27 minutes ago, pmb said:

Tim, does anythiong speak against just putting all 130 files into one folder? Will FTXC3 find the proper file automatically among the lot when I am going to install, say, Sedona, the next time?

 

Thanks and kind regards.

 

There are two ways of doing it

 

1.

'Download and install now, then create a backup for later'  point FTXCv3 to a single folder when doing this, next time you wish to uninstall and reinstall something you simply browse to this same folder and FTXCv3 will find the files automatically (this is my preferred way, its the simplest method)

 

2.

Manually download the zip from in your account page at the OrbxDirect website, save the downloaded zip somewhere, then when you want to install it choose 'Install from my manually downloaded zip' and browse to the zip, this method creates more work for yourself

 

I hope that helps, Tim

[pmb]

Not yet. I know about both methods. The question is, when I'll do the next reinstall, will I have to go through all the 130 directories and look up the corresponding files? Saving them all into one directory, I could tell FTXC3 just go into this directory and look for the proper file, whichever its name is.

 

I guess thats's not the way it works (yet) but I'd like to organize things in a way saving hassle during the next reinstall, whenever this will be.

 

Thanks and kind regards, Michael

[Jon Clarke]

Best backup method is to use Central 3 as it will pick the sim version file to suit your sim rather than the quad full version as explained by Tim previously.

If you already have backups from FSS days the empty the contents of those files but keep the folder only. It will still have the name of the product on the folder.

Open Central 3 and choose whichever addon you want to backup. Then choose Uninstall. Then you will immediately get the Install options appearing.

Choose the Download, install and make a backup option. Choose your now empty but still correctly labeled folder (from your previous FSS backup) as the backup location.

Central will then download the addon, install it and place a copy of the backup in your previous FSS back up folder. To reinstall at any time, choose in Central 3 the option to install from a backup copy. Done.

If you have removed all your previous backups then make a new folder with the title of the addon e.g. KPSP and then follow the process I gave above, this time pointing the new KPSP folder as the location for your back up to go in.

[pmb]

Thanks, jjaycee1, yes I still have the original FSS-files directory structure. I think I'll go that way.

 

King regards, Michael

[sightseer]

22 hours ago, andy1252 said:

Dave, my understanding is that the "manual download" is the full multi-sim installer (i.e. FSX, FSX/SE and all the supported P3Ds) whereas the "download and install and save a backup" is just the files for the sim you're installing into at that time. So which version is best to use depends on your setup - do you run more than one sim?

 

You have to tell FTXC3 where to put any backups you save that way, so it's no different from downloading in that sense. Put 'em wherever you want and backup accordingly.

 

thanks, Andy.  I've only got the one sim installed and judging from what I read Tim say (thanks, Tim, as well) I can just (and should) make one backup folder and then backup that entire folder.