Addon Linker

[Doc_Z]

My Addon Linker messed itself up somehow or other.  I think I was doing some things incorrectly in any event.

1. Should ALL addons be moved from the Community folder to the MSFS Addons folder I created when I reinstalled Addon Linker?

2. What about those in Community that are currently links?

3. I have my Orbx products in two places (one for TEs and one for everything else), what do I with those?

 

Thanks for any guidance.

 

Bob Zolto

Edited April 21, 2023 by Doc_Z
adding signature

[Bassman]

You do not do any manual moving yourself. You "tell" the app the path to the  community folder and "tell" it the path to your Addon folder and the app does the rest. When you open the app it immediately looks at your Addon Folder and activates everything so in my case I then untick everything I do not need for a particular flight which cuts down load times dramatically. Once I have done this the app willonly automatically activate new addons. In my Addon folder I have created separate folders for particuar addons. In my case four fiolders titled Full Aircraft, Liveries, Scenery and Utilities and the app picks them up from the link you made to the main Addon Folder you created. The app is very intuitive. You can create any folders you want in the Addon Folder i.e. in your case you might have a folder titles Orbx TE and another Orbx extras etc etc whatever you want. This has either helped or totally confused you😄

 

Edited April 22, 2023 by Bassman

[Rob Abernathy]

This has helped me already Bassman.  I have a folder for N America and within I have separate folders for each state I have scenery.  Also found that it helps if I only install one scenery at a time and run MSFS.  I tried several at once and got a CTD.  Easier to find the culprit if you check one at a time.

 

Here's a screen of how I have it set up.  MSFS is on my G:/ drive as are two other scenery folders.  One for MSFS Community Mods and the other is for Orbx sceneries.  Found it useful to create some presets within Addon Linker to activate various regions to save loading time.  I leave some items like Shipping active in all presets.

 

[Doc_Z]

Bassman,

 

i understand how it works.  My  question is about the fact that I have many, many addons in my Community folder as well as some links from Linker.  AS I  uinderstand it, all addons should be in the MSFS Addons (my name for it) folder and not it Community.  If that is the case, wouldn't I have to move addons that are not in the new folder from Community in order to set up links?

[Bassman]

Ok, sorry Doc_Z I misunderstood your issue. If you know how it works then you should already be able to answer your own query😉 Yes move any folders that are not shortcuts created by the linker across to your Addons folder (or whatever sub-folders you have made therein). 

Edited April 23, 2023 by Bassman

[Bassman]

Hi Rob, you should not get CTD from loading a few sceneries. i.e. if you were doing a cross country vfr flight stopping at say 5 airfields you should be able to safely load all those airfields without any CTD. It might depend on the type of addon. I find that nearly all older Mesh or LOD type addons can cause my system to CTD so it is important to check that those types of addons especially are compatible with the latest MSFS2020 update.

[Doc_Z]

Still have problems.  Should Orbx scenery be in both an Orbx Library and Community Folder?

[pilot100]

Think about it, do you need two encyclopedia's , one on the shelf and another next to your bed , or do you just have one and go and get it when you need it. It's the same for linker / Orbx Lib, just one copy where you know it is (as in where MSFS knows where it is) and it goes and gets it when it needs it. Two copies are likely to confuse.

[Doc_Z]

I realize that I don't need two, but how does MSFS know t go to the ORB X Library folder rather than Community?

[Bassman]

45 minutes ago, Doc_Z said:

I realize that I don't need two, but how does MSFS know t go to the ORB X Library folder rather than Community?

Whatever folder Orbx scenery installs to should be in your Addons Folder. If it installs straight in to your Community Folder just move it to your Addons folder. If you have setup Linker correctly it already knows  to look in your addons folder (where you have placed your Orbx Scenery) and then when you tick that addon in the linker the app creates a shortcut and places it in to your Community Folder. Having a shortcut in your Community Folder "tells" MSFS what to load at startup.

[Nick Cooper]

Hello Bob,

there are very few MSFS addons that need their files to be in the Community folder.
The Addons Linker is the best way to keep your addons away from the Community folder.
This has two advantages:

One, which has now been shown to have been redundant, is to
protect addons from being deleted when MSFS is updated.
In fact, this has only ever happened due to user error.

 

The other is the ability to switch addons on and off at will. 
MSFS can only see Community addons when they are in the Community folder.
If you think of the Community folder as the switch, then
ON   = in the Community folder
OFF = not in the Community folder.

 

The Addons Linker will work best with Orbx Central if you do not move any files.
If you do move files and folders that were placed by Orbx Central, it will no longer be able to work with those files.

 

The Addons Linker can see an Orbx Central Library, so if you have installed into one of those, you need only to tell the Addons Linker where it is.

The easiest way to organise your other addon files is into categories, as chosen by you.
They might be by region, aircraft type or any other parameter that suits you and makes them easy to find and identify.

 

This is my way, there is no right way or wrong way, once it is understood that the files outside the Community folder
are the storage and the links, inside the Community folder, are the place where MSFS can see and use the files.

 

[craigeaglefire]

never used Addon Linker,

 

all my addon files are in MSFS Community Folder,

 

am I missing any extra function/s?

 

(all seems to work very well)...

[Nick Cooper]

Hello,
it's just a matter of choice, unless any of these functions are of interest:

 

[Doc_Z]

Nick,

I set up an MSFS Addons folder in my "I" drive with all of my addons in it.  The Community folder is empty. I set up Linker with the MSFS Addons folder and my Orbx Library MSFS folder much like you have. I keep getting an unhandled exception every time I try to start the Linker.