PE Install with only P3D?

SoCal_Pilot
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PE Install with only P3D?

Post by SoCal_Pilot »

I have only P3D installed on a new PC (no FSX/FS2004). When I try to install the PE client, I keep getting a message saying that it needs a valid installation of FSX and/or FS 2004 to function. Is there any way to work around this situation?
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Charath Ram Ranganathan
CFII, AGI, IGI (Blog)
Azusa, CA
Keith Smith
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Re: PE Install with only P3D?

Post by Keith Smith »

Yes, you can make a registry entry to make it think that FSX is installed where P3D is, as well as copying the P3D ini file to the spot were fsx's DLL.xml file would be. That way, the installer can do everything it needs to do, and you can copy the DLL.xml file back over to the P3D version to make the changes take effect. I'll have more detail later this afternoon.
SoCal_Pilot
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Re: PE Install with only P3D?

Post by SoCal_Pilot »

Thanks Keith. Looking forward to the instructions.
-----------------------------------------------------
Charath Ram Ranganathan
CFII, AGI, IGI (Blog)
Azusa, CA
Keith Smith
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Re: PE Install with only P3D?

Post by Keith Smith »

1. Create this path in the registry: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Microsoft Games\Flight Simulator\10.0
2. Add a new String Value: SetupPath ,= c:\program files (x86)\.... (whatever the full path to P3D is, including the trailing slash)
3. Copy P3D's dll.xml file (or its equivalent) into %APP_DATA%\Microsoft\FSX\dll.xml
4. Run the installer and you should be good.

It's going to add entries to that dll.xml file.

5. When installer is done, copy the dll.xml back to the P3D location.

6. You might want to consider editing the dll.xml and remove the PEAIControl.dll reference. This DLL shuts down the AI traffic when you connect to PE, then returns it to its previous level when you disconnect from PE. It does this using a low level hack in FSX that probably won't work in P3D and might introduce instability.
SoCal_Pilot
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Re: PE Install with only P3D?

Post by SoCal_Pilot »

Keith, I followed the steps you suggested and the install was flawless. Thank you. I am now running into an issue where I keep getting an error code (11) when connecting to PE. It tells me that Squawkbox needs to close and then kills the client. Any thoughts on this?
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Charath Ram Ranganathan
CFII, AGI, IGI (Blog)
Azusa, CA
Keith Smith
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Re: PE Install with only P3D?

Post by Keith Smith »

Only issue that can cause error #11 that I know of is if you start without a valid recording device (ie, headset) being available.
SoCal_Pilot
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Re: PE Install with only P3D?

Post by SoCal_Pilot »

Thank you, Keith. That fixed my issue - I had accidentally ripped the microphone out of its socket when I tripped over the wire this morning :)
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Charath Ram Ranganathan
CFII, AGI, IGI (Blog)
Azusa, CA
T182T
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Re: PE Install with only P3D?

Post by T182T »

Hey Keith,

I'm looking to get back into using your Pilot edge service again. It was very helpful in getting my PPL. Now working on my instrument rating. I was using X-Plane but wanted a specific model aircraft that I am flying and was only able to get it for FSX or P3D. I went the P3D route and now need some help getting your pilot edge setup.

I created the path in the registry as shown above with a "new" String Value called SetupPath and a calue of C:\program files (86)\Lockhead Martin\Prepar3D v2\

I went to do the dll.xml stuff, however inside the Prepar3D folder there is no such file labled dll.xml. Do you know which file it is?

I see the following:

AirObjectVisuals.xml
Fluent.xml
license_academic.xml
license_professional.xml
SimDisplay.xml
SlimDX.xml
ThermalDescriptions.xml
WaterConstants.xml
Keith Smith
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Re: PE Install with only P3D?

Post by Keith Smith »

I don't have P3D 2.0 installed. This is something I'll be rectifying soon as I do plan on formally supporting P3D v2 as soon as possible. In the mean time, can someone who did get P3D 2.0 working please post their DLL.xml file (or the p3d equivalent)?
Mark Hargrove
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Joined: Thu Dec 22, 2011 11:42 pm
Location: Longmont, CO

Re: PE Install with only P3D?

Post by Mark Hargrove »

T182T wrote:Hey Keith,

I'm looking to get back into using your Pilot edge service again. It was very helpful in getting my PPL. Now working on my instrument rating. I was using X-Plane but wanted a specific model aircraft that I am flying and was only able to get it for FSX or P3D. I went the P3D route and now need some help getting your pilot edge setup.

I created the path in the registry as shown above with a "new" String Value called SetupPath and a calue of C:\program files (86)\Lockhead Martin\Prepar3D v2\

I went to do the dll.xml stuff, however inside the Prepar3D folder there is no such file labeled dll.xml. Do you know which file it is?

I see the following:

AirObjectVisuals.xml
Fluent.xml
license_academic.xml
license_professional.xml
SimDisplay.xml
SlimDX.xml
ThermalDescriptions.xml
WaterConstants.xml
Kyle,

You're looking in the wrong place. P3D puts some files in a crazy place (as did FSX). Look in c:\users\<your system login name>\appdata\roaming\Lockheed Martin\Prepar3D v2\ and you will either find dll.xml -- or you won't, because it's possible that nothing you're running has created it yet (and I just can't remember if it is always there by default).

In any case, whether it's there or not, here is a basic dll.xml file that happens to include an entry for FSUIPC.

Code: Select all

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="Windows-1252"?>

<SimBase.Document Type="Launch" version="1,0">
  <Descr>Launch</Descr>
  <Filename>dll.xml</Filename>
  <Disabled>False</Disabled>
  <Launch.ManualLoad>False</Launch.ManualLoad>
  <Launch.Addon>
        <Name>FSUIPC 4</Name>
        <Disabled>False</Disabled>
        <Path>Modules\FSUIPC4.dll</Path>
    </Launch.Addon>
</SimBase.Document>
To make PE work, you need to add the following:

Code: Select all

<Launch.Addon>
	<Name>PilotEdge Transponder</Name>
	<Disabled>False</Disabled>
	<ManualLoad>False</ManualLoad>
	<Path>C:\Program Files (x86)\PilotEdge\petrans10.dll</Path>
</Launch.Addon>
<Launch.Addon>
	<Name>PilotEdge AI Control</Name>
	<Disabled>False</Disabled>
	<ManualLoad>False</ManualLoad>
	<Path>C:\Program Files (x86)\PilotEdge\peaicontrol10.dll</Path>
</Launch.Addon>
This can be added right before the last line of the XML file (the one that says </SimBase.Document>).

Tell you what: to make it really easy if there is not an existing XML.DLL file, here is the complete contents of a PE-only XML.DLL file (just create a new file called DLL.XML with your favorite text editor and paste in the following:

Code: Select all

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="Windows-1252"?>

<SimBase.Document Type="Launch" version="1,0">
  <Descr>Launch</Descr>
  <Filename>dll.xml</Filename>
  <Disabled>False</Disabled>
  <Launch.ManualLoad>False</Launch.ManualLoad>
  <Launch.Addon>
		<Name>PilotEdge Transponder</Name>
		<Disabled>False</Disabled>
		<ManualLoad>False</ManualLoad>
		<Path>C:\Program Files (x86)\PilotEdge\petrans10.dll</Path>
</Launch.Addon>
<Launch.Addon>
		<Name>PilotEdge AI Control</Name>
		<Disabled>False</Disabled>
		<ManualLoad>False</ManualLoad>
		<Path>C:\Program Files (x86)\PilotEdge\peaicontrol10.dll</Path>
</Launch.Addon>
</SimBase.Document>
This does assume that you've installed PE into the default location of C:\Program Files (x86)\PilotEdge. Also, just to cover all of the bases, the AppData folder is normally hidden by Windows. If you don't see a folder called "AppData" in your C:\Users\<your login name>, you need to enable viewing of hidden folders within windows folder options. If that's not a thing you're familiar with, I can certainly detail it for you (it's simple), but odds are you know how do that and already have done it.

Let me know if this doesn't help!

-M.
Mark Hargrove
Longmont, CO
PE: N757SL (Cessna 182T 'Skylane'), N757SM (Cessna 337 'Skymaster'), N757BD (Beech Duke Turbine)
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