How to Correctly Install Your Mods

Question:

 

If I use the :

 

mklink /d Liveries source_path_to_stuff

 

option

 

Can I have a folder Liveries or Mods in Saved games and one somewhere else and DCS use them both?

No, you cant use both ... because the mklink command wont work if there is already a folder called "Liveries"

... you have to delete Liveries and then execute the mklink command, it will create a "Liveries" hard link to the real folder located somewhere else.

I regret I'm just being led further away from using any mod at all

I regret I'm just being led further away from using any mod at all

¿? .. why? .. I find that now they are so much easier to use, the custom liveries and custom cockpits just need to be stored on "saved games", ditto the ship & aircraft Mods.

I hope that ED will improve this, so that more kind of Mods can be stored on saved games too, like the terrain mods.

Regarding my liveries, I actually didnt put them on Saved Games because of space constraint on that hard drive, so I used the mklink /J command to create a link from "Saved Games" pointing to the actual location ... this also allows me to use a single Liveries folder for my three DCS installs (standard, openbeta & openalpha), I just create three links rather than one (one on each DCS folder).

Thanks Rudel_chw for the answer.

For no I see no urge to switch. All my cokpit mods work IC fine loaded in DCS main directory it seems. At least for 2.1.

I have just started playing 1.5.6 again and none of the terrain mods I have used in the past work anymore, whether in JSGME, or in the Saved Games folder. DCS starts, I get the first logo and then it is black.

I've tried Mustang's textures and the Terrain switcher mod.

Where is everyone putting their terrains now? The OP section on where to put terrains makes no sense. I had always used JSGME for terrains before.

Where can we put the TempTextures folder in saved games?

We have squadron liveries and the basic skin is in the Temptextures folder. The custom nosearts are placed in the normal liveries folder.

...DCS starts, I get the first logo and then it is black...

Rename the DCS folder in Saved Games, temporary to allow DCS to re-create its own folders. Something must be wrong there.

Question: some mods have a folder "Sounds". Can I create a folder ""Sounds" like ...\Saved Games\DCS\Sounds to make the mod working ?

Question: some mods have a folder "Sounds". Can I create a folder ""Sounds" like ...\Saved Games\DCS\Sounds to make the mod working ?

Yes, I have markindel's battleships set up that way, and the gun's firing sounds work well.

Ok thanks :thumbup:

Nope, still don't get it!:cry:

Have been through all these threads but still cant seem to get any mods to work.

Have been trying to get ai submarine and dc3 into DCS 2 and although folders appear where they should (I think) the items don't show in mission editor at all.

I am using OvGME so new mods are saved in the Saved Games folder but definitely get transferred to the main mods folder when activated. Maybe someone could advise where the other assets available to the mission editor reside and I will see if I can sort it from there.

@Demon_Den, you don't need to transfer the mods to your main mods folder from Saved Games. You can just leave them in Saved Games and DCS will pick them up. For example, I have the DC3 installed at C:\Users\Chump\Saved Games\DCS.openalpha\Mods\aircraft\Douglas DC3. I hope this helps clear up some confusion. I think you are unnecessarily copying files that you do not need to be. The only files that need to be installed in the main DCS folder(s) are ones that overwrite existing files, or new cockpits, for example. Add-on mods such as DC3, Cruise Ship, etc. can reside safely in your Saved Games folder under the DCS version that you want to use. Certain mods go in aircraft, and certain mods go in the tech directory under Mods. Please ensure that you are using the correct one for the mod that you are trying to get working.

There is also a way to reduce the redundancy of files in the Saved Games folder if you have multiple DCS versions installed, as I do (three at current count). I would like to make you aware of this, but let's get your DC3 working first before we do anything crazy! :thumbup:

Thanks Chump, DC3 now working..

Now for something like the ship North_Carolina. I put the Tech folder and its sub folders into the Saved Games\DCS.openalpha\Mods folder but this prevents DCS from starting and I am unsure where to put the sound folder. I would expect it to be something like...

Saved Games\DCS.openalpha\Sounds but am unsure.

Guess this old fella is just confusing himself?

Oh well, bed time down under.

... I am unsure where to put the sound folder. I would expect it to be something like...

Saved Games\DCS.openalpha\Sounds but am unsure.

That is actually the correct path :) I have all of Markindel's ships working on DCS 2.1 that way.

Now for something like the ship North_Carolina. I put the Tech folder and its sub folders into the Saved Games\DCS.openalpha\Mods folder but this prevents DCS from starting and I am unsure where to put the sound folder. I would expect it to be something like... Saved Games\DCS.openalpha\Sounds but am unsure.

Here are the correct paths for the North Carolina mod:

• C:\Users\Chump\Saved Games\DCS.openalpha\Mods\tech\WWII NorthCarolina
  
• C:\Users\Chump\Saved Games\DCS.openalpha\Sounds\Sounders\GroundUnits\WeaponSystem\Navy
  
• C:\Users\Chump\Saved Games\DCS.openalpha\Sounds\Sounders\GroundUnits\WeaponSystem\Tools
  

We're getting you there! You will find that this way of doing things is much easier (in my opinion) than tinkering with the actual main DCS directory.

Good to hear mods are working for some. I have yet to find the version of the program that allows mods, but will keep trying.

As it is now, I can put whatever I like in "Saved Games".....direct whatever I like to "Saved Games"

All I get is what was installed on "D" drive. That's it. It does run, that's a plus.

Does anyone know the correct path under saved games for the „TempTextures“ directory?

Can‘t get my skins to work where files are placed in TempTextures

https://forums.eagle.ru/showpost.php?p=1221006&postcount=8

With the new integrity check, you can no longer add textures to Temptextures.

So the only workaround is to place all textures in the liveries folder?

We have around 20 skins for our squadron, and 9 out of 12 textures are identical for everyone.

It would save alot of disk space if you could use the same textures for all skins instead of adding them to each skin.

With the new integrity check, you can no longer add textures to Temptextures.

So the only workaround is to place all textures in the liveries folder?

 

We have around 20 skins for our squadron, and 9 out of 12 textures are identical for everyone.

It would save alot of disk space if you could use the same textures for all skins instead of adding them to each skin.

If adding a TempTextures folder under DCS/DCS.openalpha doesn't work, rename the conflicting textures to something other than what the 'default' texture used by DCS is named. If you have multiple liveries that use a specific texture, place only one copy of that texture in a livery folder you designate as the primary (master) livery. Open the description.lua for all the liveries and change the texture name (not material name) for that texture to the new name. Set every livery but the primary livery to "true" meaning the texture for those liveries is outside of that specific folder. For the primary livery keep that texture as "false".

Thanks Chump,

That's what I thought. Will try with a different file later.

You have been amazingly helpful.

is it OK to make a symbolic link (hard or soft) to the bin folder? what will happen when there is a repair or update?

Can we still use jmsge to use mods through the game install folder?

Is doing that illegal? Is it ok with Eagle?

I found this to be of great help

https://forums.eagle.ru/showpost.php?p=3257851&postcount=142

is it OK to make a symbolic link (hard or soft) to the bin folder? what will happen when there is a repair or update?

I wouldnt recommend using any symbolic link on the "Program Files" path

... however, I do use them on the "Saved Games" path, so my three DCS installs (stable, openbeta & openalpha) can share the same Screenshots, Tracks, Liveries, Kneeboard, Input & View Folders.

I even have a hard link to the Mission Editor folder, so I can use a common Pilot Logbook for all my DCS installs :)

Best regards.