FSX to Prepar3D Migration Tool

[virtuali]

All our FSX products supports Lockheed Martin Prepar3D natively, up to the most current 1.4 version, without any need to do any special installation procedure. The installers correctly detects Prepar3D, and configure our software to run in Prepar3D mode.

Since there are still many 3rd party addons that don't support Prepar3D, there are tools available to fool installers and software modules that were made for FSX only, to install and run into Prepar3D as if it were FSX. One of these tools is the "FSX to Prepar3D Migration Tool" program.

The way it work in FSX Legacy mode, while allowing to run non-Prepar3D compliant products, it will create problems with our own software, which IS 100% Prepar3D compatible, since it needs to rely on the actual file version in order to change its working mode between different FSX releases ( SP2 or X-Pack ) and different P3D releases too (1.3 or 1.4).

We now updated the Addon Manager .DLL so that it can be configured to recognize this unusual situation (Prepar3D disguising itself as being FSX), here's how to proceed to configure our software to run with the "FSX to Prepar3D Migration Tool" program in Legacy mode:

• Disable the FSX to Prepar3D Migration Tool Legacy mode and the Virtual FSX folder

• Install any FSDT product in Prepar3D normally (our installer will detect P3D as such as will ask to install there)

• Create a batch file to start Prepar3D that will set an Environment variable to configure the Addon Manager and force the version detection:
  
  set AddonManagerForcedVersion=4747
  start FSX.EXE
  set AddonManagerForcedVersion=
  
  You can save this file as Prepar3D.BAT in the Prepar3D root folder and start Prepar3D from that one, instead of the main .EXE. Find an already made Prepar3D.BAT file attached to this message, if you don't want to create a new one, simply copy it in the Prepar3D root folder

• You can now turn the FSX to Prepar3D Migration Tool Legacy mode back on, so it will be able to run other non-compliant software

It's suggested you install all your FSDT software at once, and then do this configuration as the final step. If you are still running P3D 1.3, the value of the AddonManagerForcedVersion variable should be set to 3708 instead.

[richard99]

Hello Umberto and thanks for this (helpful) topic.
I am a new P3D user and need some clarifications about your post.
First of all, should the new Addon Manager be installed in FSX prior the installation of the FSDT scenery on P3D?
Secondly, I didn't understand if P3D must be always run by the .bat file instead of .exe one.
Thanks, bye.

Riccardo

[virtuali]

First of all, should the new Addon Manager be installed in FSX prior the installation of the FSDT scenery on P3D? Secondly, I didn't understand if P3D must be always run by the .bat file instead of .exe one.

This post is ONLY relevant to users of the "FSX to Prepar3D Migration Tool", you normally don't have to worry about anything or pre-installing anything to have our products working into P3D, since they are all 100% FULLY P3D COMPLIANT.

The posts only instructs how to proceed if you use the "FSX to Prepar3D Migration Tool", so our P3D compliant installer is not fooled by that program that will otherwise prevent it to recognize P3D properly.

If you read my post carefully, everything you need to know and do to use the "FSX to Prepar3D Migration Tool" together with our products, it's explained there. You don't need to do anything more that was explained there.

If you don't use that program, you can disregard this post entirely and simply run the installers.

[N69204]

Will this fix FSInn issues of not being able to show other planes? Are we talkin about the freeware FSXtoP3D program, or the payware FSX2P3D?

[virtuali]

Will this fix FSInn issues of not being able to show other planes? Are we talkin about the freeware FSXtoP3D program, or the payware FSX2P3D?

I don't see how any of our installers could fix something in FSInn.

As I've said, this discussion is ONLY relevant for users of OUR products which are ALSO using the "FSX to Prepar3D Migration Tool" program, and explains how to deal with the fact that product could confuse an installer made for P3D natively (which is the case of all our installers) and how to deal with it.

[Paavo]

Hi,

just to let you know - newer versions of Migration Tool automatically set AddonManagerForcedVersion to proper values and no manual tweaking is necessary.

[virtuali]

newer versions of Migration Tool automatically set AddonManagerForcedVersion to proper values and no manual tweaking is necessary.

That's good to know.

[twharrell]

So, does this mean we can now disregard this thread since the migration tool does it automatically?

Todd