help with properly installing add-ons

[Rumpledumpskin]

I am an avid fan of all the old Mercury, Gemini and Apollo missions and have attempted to download several missions and ship add-ons. But, I can't seem to get any of them to work. Orbiter always crashes and shuts down. I'm pretty sure it's because 1.)I'm not installing the add-ons properly and 2.) I'm not installing the correct add-ons. Can anyone help me with this?? I usually just copy the downloaded add-on files to the correlating Orbiter files. Sometimes this works, sometimes it doesn't.

I have been waiting years for software like Orbiter to come around. I can't believe it's free! I wish Martin Schweiger would release a full, buyable CD-Rom with all the latest add-ons already installed (for those not-so-computer-literate people who still love Orbiter). I would pay good money for that.

 

[Quick_Nick]

I usually just copy the downloaded add-on files to the correlating Orbiter files. Sometimes this works, sometimes it doesn't.

That could be the problem. Most unzip software (WinZip, XP's built-in program, etc.) has an option somewhere to 'Extract to...'. On XP's unzip program, I know you can open up the zip file and right-click somewhere empty inside and get an option to extract. Most, but not necessarily all, addons can simply be extracted to your main Orbiter directory. (ex: C:/Orbiter)
The right downloads by the way are the Earth 1962, Mercury, and Gemini zips HERE plus a Gemini patch HERE. AMSO (Apollo addon) can be found HERE. Note however that there may be one file overwritten when using Mercury AND Gemini, and this may lead to problems using one or both of the programs. Try THIS addon out.

I have been waiting years for software like Orbiter to come around. I can't believe it's free! I wish Martin Schweiger would release a full, buyable CD-Rom with all the latest add-ons already installed (for those not-so-computer-literate people who still love Orbiter). I would pay good money for that.

Unfortunately the Orbiter website is down at the moment, but when it is revived there is a 'Donate' button on the homepage for you to properly thank Martin if you would really like to. You can also click the Donate button on the menu bar at the top of this forum. Assuming there are enough donations already to cover the costs of the forum (likely to be the case for quite a while), all extra donations go to Martin.

 

[Rumpledumpskin]

installing add-ons

thanks for the information and the great links. I'll try to install the add-ons...

 

[YL3GDY]

You can use JoneSoft Generic Mod Enabler. You can just ask Google for it, the first link would be ok. It's free, and allow to turn on and off different updates. Discussion about it was here:

http://orbiter-forum.com/showthread.php?t=1415

Also it's a good idea to extract addons to a temporary folder first, check file structure, and then copy to Orbiter folder. Some excellent and useful addons have no directory structure in their installs

 

[Quick_Nick]

You can use JoneSoft Generic Mod Enabler. You can just ask Google for it, the first link would be ok. It's free, and allow to turn on and off different updates. Discussion about it was here:

http://orbiter-forum.com/showthread.php?t=1415

Also it's a good idea to extract addons to a temporary folder first, check file structure, and then copy to Orbiter folder. Some excellent and useful addons have no directory structure in their installs

I included a link in my post to that enabler available on OrbitHangar.

 

[ar81]

Try [ame="http://www.orbithangar.com/searchid.php?ID=3201"]Orbiter diagnostic V0.2[/ame]

 

[Capt. Speirs]

Try Orbiter diagnostic V0.2

Careful with Orbiter Diagnostics V0.2, it does not report everything, see this post http://orbiter-forum.com/showthread.php?t=3875

 

[ar81]

Careful with Orbiter Diagnostics V0.2, it does not report everything, see this post http://orbiter-forum.com/showthread.php?t=3875

It can't look for DLL hardcoded file names.
To do that the tool should disassemble DLLs and find references to these files. As you might know it is not ethical and doing that would take years of coding.

Also it does not find problems in addons caused by Orbiter version inconsistencies.

This tool finds the most common problems. I never claimed it could find everything.

 

[Capt. Speirs]

It can't look for DLL hardcoded file names.
To do that the tool should disassemble DLLs and find references to these files. As you might know it is not ethical and doing that would take years of coding.

Also it does not find problems in addons caused by Orbiter version inconsistencies.

This tool finds the most common problems. I never claimed it could find everything.

It was not a criticism; it was a warning to not rely on that utility as your only line of defense. I love that utility and I use it often. :sorry:

 

[ar81]

It was not a criticism; it was a warning to not rely on that utility as your only line of defense. I love that utility and I use it often. :sorry:

Do not worry.

 

[Rumpledumpskin]

hmmmm

I sincerely appreciate everyone's posts to my question. Unfortunately, I'm still having an issue with getting any of Mercury, Gemini and Apollo mission scenarios to work. I've tried just about everything. I've even uninstalled and reinstalled Orbiter a few times. Still no luck. I'm very willing to pay someone to make me a complete CD-Rom with Orbiter and all the mission scenarios already properly installed. I just want to plug and play. I love Orbiter and everything it stands for, I just wish it was a little easier to install all the ad-ons properly.

 

[DaveS]

I just wish it was a little easier to install all the ad-ons properly.

It is very easy! In fact, it doesn't get any more easier! You just need a clue on how Windows(and computers in general!) handles files. If you do, you just can't fail to install an add-on properly. It's damn near impossible to do it(IE fail at installing add-ons for Orbiter that is)!

 

[Urwumpe]

Yeah. You rarely have to edit something yourself, you sometimes are just forced to sort files into the right folders. Which is a no-brainer.

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

CHECKLIST TO PROPERLY INSTALL

OK, here's a checklist of exactly what to do to correctly install an add-on.


1. Download the desired add-on.

2. Extract everything in that folder (REMEMBER: if you are using WinZip, select the "Use Folder Names" option)

3. Copy ALL the files you have just extracted into the corresponding folder in the orbiter base package (REMEMBER: Inside the standard folders, IE. config, meshes etc, there are also sub-folders, where things may need the be copied to. IE: DONT JUST PUT ALL CONTENTS OF EXTRACTED CONFIG FOLDER STRAIGHT INTO ORBITER CONFIG FOLDER, MAKE SURE THAT THERE ARE NO SUB-FOLDERS THAT NEED TO HAVE THINGS PUT IN AS WELL)

4. Make sure ALL your settings are correct in the Orbiter menu

5. (BE AWARE, SOME ADDONS REQUIRE OTHER ADDONS TO WORK CORRECTLY)

6. If you do all this, in theory, it should work, there is absolutely no reason at all why it shouldn't. It not as if any registry entries are being changed, it is just simply moving files.


If this still does not work, reply below.

I WOULD SERIOUSLY ADVISE AGAINST PAYING SOMEONE TO DO SOMETHING AS SIMPLE AS THIS!


-Pete

 

[Woo482]

you can pay me for it I charge 1 Billion pounds.
and addons installing is as simple as extracting every thing to your orbiter folder (with most addons some are different) and all ways read the read me it usealy has all the install instructions in it

 

[Goth]

I suggest you to start with a Orbiter base pack, and then try to put your Add-Ons. It's possible that some old mistakes are now making problems with the Add-Ons you want to install now.

 

[Pithecanthropu]

One thing I've noticed is that when I download an add-on, Windows Explorer does not extract everything in the zip file by default; I need to either make sure the checkbox by each folder is selected, or select the overall one at the top. Keeping this in mind has solved some of my problems, but I"m still having problems getting Earth_1962 correctly deployed.

 

[-Pv-]

I think most people who have trouble extracting archives use the XP built in zip which tries to make archives look like Explorer. It's the idea of keeping nested sub-directories sorted out that makes that solution difficult. For some reason Microsoft tries to re-invent everything (wheels should be square, etc.) Third party extractors more often than not look and function the way most people think they should and it's more obvious what going on and how to control the options. Another name for all that verbiage is "intuitive."
-Pv-

 

[Hielor]

I think most people who have trouble extracting archives use the XP built in zip which tries to make archives look like Explorer. It's the idea of keeping nested sub-directories sorted out that makes that solution difficult. For some reason Microsoft tries to re-invent everything (wheels should be square, etc.) Third party extractors more often than not look and function the way most people think they should and it's more obvious what going on and how to control the options. Another name for all that verbiage is "intuitive."
-Pv-

I fail to see how opening the ZIP and seeing all the folders laid out is counterintuitive.