Better folder structure for all addons.

[Sherrif of Nottingham]

Alright, every time I download an addon I get problems putting them together, because the files overwrite each other.

This is more of a general request, I'm asking any future addon developers to place their files in structured folders. This way your files won't get overridden by other developers who like the same name. I've seen people hint that they wanted this to happen in other topics, but they never really placed a true request.

This is an example file structure of what I call a very hated addon, I've yet to find an addon this general in its names. But its to show how easy it is for people to have overlapping names:

~Root
  Orbiter.exe
  Readme.txt
  Config
    Spaceship.cfg
  Meshes
    Mesh.msh
  Textures
    Texture.dds
  Modules
    Spaceship.dll

Thats a little bit dramatized, but you see how easy it would be for somebody to name their files generically. The things that are killer (and I've seen these before) are mesh.msh, very common name... texture.dds, again common... readme.txt in the ~root... sigh (woah, dude typed that right as a depression commercial came on :lol: depression hurts, Symbalta can help)

I'm not saying that these common names are a bad idea, but if you set everything in folders specific for your addon, you would have fewer incompatibilities.

EX

~root
  Orbiter.exe
  Doc
    Nottinghammer
      Readme.txt
  Config
    Nottinghammer
      Nottinghammer.cfg
  Meshes
    Nottinghammer
      Mesh.msh
  Textures
    Nottinghammer
      Texture.dds
  Modules
    Nottinghammer.dll

As you can see having the folder structure makes the tree much larger, but as a developer in training I would see it as easier to compile needed files if they are placed in a folder for the name of the addon.

Also note that Nottinghammer is the name of my ship I've been modeling, I don't know crap about C++, but spacecraft3 looks way to obnoxious for me to use (not the creation part, but the fact that I have to use .ini files)

Sorry to be annoying, but this would be wonderful for me, especially for multiple addons on one install of orbiter. Since I like to run Orbiter off a flash drive, the multiple installs is almost impossible (it IS an 8 gig but still)

 

[tl8]

I have not had your problem before. Most addons have folders and/or use descriptive names

 

[Jarvitä]

Use a mod manager.

 

[Sherrif of Nottingham]

Jones Soft, except the problem is that anything with identical names gets their "guts" destroyed when I remove the troublesome addons.

I was just hoping everybody could sub-folder all of their addons, at least under their name.

I know that textures/models/modules are pretty much ok, but I was really hoping that the config files for addons could be separated, and the readme's in the root IS getting annoying, even if they have a unique name.

 

[NukeET]

Jones Soft, except the problem is that anything with identical names gets their "guts" destroyed when I remove the troublesome addons.

Jones Soft isn't perfect...IMHO it still should be the first add-on after loading a clean install of Orbiter.

I was just hoping everybody could sub-folder all of their addons, at least under their name.

I don't know if this would work for all of the different data types that exist in Orbiter.

...and the readme's in the root IS getting annoying, even if they have a unique name.

This has always been a pet peeve of mine, so I have, in my Apollo scenario packs for AMSO, set up the documentation to load into their own directories, i.e., for Apollo 16, the docs wind up in \Add-on Docs\A16 Scenario Pack Docs\.

When I install an add-on (using Jones Soft) that isn't set up this way, I change the directory structure after the unzip and before the enable in Jones Soft.

 

[GregBurch]

I've been using subfolders for all my addons since at least Project X-15 and the "second" wave of my own independent addons. I agree that their use should be considered to be a standard of quality for addon developers.

All of my meshes and textures go into "burchismo" subfolders, and the documentation goes into an addon-specific subfolder. The .cfg/.ini files are a different matter, though, because of how various other programs like to call on them. But they're the smallest number of the files that get distributed with an addon, anyway.

 

[Sherrif of Nottingham]

...
When I install an add-on (using Jones Soft) that isn't set up this way, I change the directory structure after the unzip and before the enable in Jones Soft.

I guess that would make sense, but correct my if I'm wrong: You are not supposed to redistribute Spacecraft3 files, or any other addon files that you DIDN'T create?

All of my meshes and textures go into "burchismo" subfolders, and the documentation goes into an addon-specific subfolder. The .cfg/.ini files are a different matter, though, because of how various other programs like to call on them. But they're the smallest number of the files that get distributed with an addon, anyway.

I understand the .ini files, but I can usually change the scenario files to allow your cfg's to go into a Burchismo Aerospace Folder. Its just a lot of cut and paste really, but hey... I wasn't saying your addons though. I was saying some addons I download have the unstructured no subfolders deal going on, I understand some files need to be in the main folder.

I was just hoping for a general request for all future\current developers to put their files in folders. Really... all of the Readmes that go into the ~root\ usually never even get read, especially when they're called readme.txt.


-----Posted Added-----


Hey, where can I get JSME? They took it off the Recommended addons list... Never Mind, found It thanks to NukeET. Man, forgot to look at the sticky thread itself.

 

[NukeET]

I guess that would make sense, but correct my if I'm wrong: You are not supposed to redistribute Spacecraft3 files, or any other addon files that you DIDN'T create?

How is the technique I described redistribution of files I didn't create?

Especially if I'm just loading them onto my hard drive?


BTW, glad you found JSME.

 

[Sherrif of Nottingham]

I was saying that some addons include spacecraft3 files in them, like the SpaceCrafr3.cfg in the vessels folder. I already have that there.

NukeET, I wasn't saying anything was wrong with what you did/suggested, I just noticed (older addons more than the newer onces) that some addons include them. Causes major meltdown when I remove these addons.

Not saying who... I just now have to prune every addon I place in the MODS folder.

Thank you everybody.