Fun with XML!I know. Everyone's jumping up and down in excitement. Sure.What I'll be showing you is how to start several programs ALONG WITH FSX or Prepar3d (any version).Don't get all shaky. In practice, you'll be working with something as simple as this;
There are only four fields;
CalcFalseFalse, and
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Calculator Plus\CalcPlus.exeFirst off - I know next to nothing about programing in XML.What I am going to show you is as simple as I am.
And best of all, it works.So why would you want to start one or more programs with FSX/Prepar3d?Because you may always run them one after another, and that can be a pain in the butt.
What do I "Always run"?
1)
FSX (or Prepar3d V2)2)
SPAD - A program that operates the Saitek hardware far better than the Saitek software does, and lets you do more too.
3)
Plan-G - Basically a moving map, airport info center, and ....
4)
TrackIR - A device & software that lets you look around the cockpit just by turning your head.
5)
Whatever you wantAs far as I can tell you can keep on adding things until you go loony.
Side note ============================================================================================
I used to watch all these TrackIR demos before I bought mine. I also used to think that the videos were GREAT!
Not any more.
Compared to the reality of being able to simply turn your head
just a little and see out the side windows, or to tilt your head down, and off to the side, to look at the landing strip as make your turn into a landing...
Well, it's a whole new sim every time I fly.
Check this out, or read
LOOK NOW!End of note ============================================================================================
Both FSX & Prepar3d have a file called
exe.xml.
They'll be in
C:\Users\yourusername\AppData\Roaming\Microsoftand
C:\Users\yourusername\AppData\Roaming\Lockheed Martin respectively.
Before you even look at them, make backup copies and put them in a safe place or two.To open them, just right click and choose
Edit.
Short side note - especially at the beginning they are almost identical. And because I couldn't get my Saitek Flight Instrument Panel to work I copied the FSX content into the Prepar3d exe.xml and everything worked.This is my Prepar3d V2 exe.xml file at the moment.
The "
Calc" was put there just for fun, and to show that any program can be added in.
I had best explain what some of that means. No remember I have no concept of XML programing, so if I use the wrong words feel free to correct me.
This is the "calc" portion that I color coded.
It isn't color coded in real life.And remember:
There are only four fields;1)
Calc2)
False3 )
False, and
4)
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Calculator Plus\CalcPlus.exe<Launch.Addon> & </Launch.Addon> simply say "
This is where it begins"
& "
This is where it ends".
I told you it was easy.
<Name> & </Name> Says "The name of this whole section is called Calc." It starts after
<Name>, and ends here -
</Name>.
By now you've caught on that "
/" means STOP what ever you were doing...
The name that I used can be anything that makes sense to you. Instead of "Calc", I could have called it "Snowball".
I'm not sure just what "
<Disabled>False</Disabled>" means so I'll skip that.
Now here's the important part. You need to tell where AND what program to run.
I'll right click on a shortcut and choose properties. right click on the highlighted location & choose "copy".
You'll paste that PLUS the actual name name
(CalcPlus.exe in this case) between
<Path> & </Path>.
Like this - <Path>
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Calculator Plus\CalcPlus.exe</Path>
All you have to do now is to tell it that you're done by adding -
</Launch.Addon>