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[ansons]

 :)Hello everyone,

New Release !
Plane_Selector Readme  Version 2.1 March 10th, 2012 by S.Ansons
March 10th, 2012 Release 2.1

-Add a new feature to manage MapSets like PlaneSets. This allows the user to overcome the limitation of Maps being displayed in the FMB Map Selection form or the issue of having Maps displayed outside the form.

The Menu tab has new buttons to create/install/backup Mapsets.
A "Maps" subfolder has been added to contains Mapsets Backups and command files.
The Param tab has been updated to contain paths for the all.ini file. Check it to be sure that it matchs your install.
2 Tabs have been added in the tool "Maplist" and "All".
The "All" tab contains the data per Map to be stored in the All.ini  file. The "Maplist" tab contains the list of Maps to be grouped as a Mapset. To Create a Mapset, it is just the same way as for Planesets. Select the Maps in the "All" tab by typing  a "X" in the first column , then click on the button "Build_Maplist" at the top of the tab. The "MapList" tab will be updated with your selection.
Then go to the "Menu" tab, Click on the "Build Map file" button then on the "Install New Map file" button to install it. You will be prompted to make a backup first. As for Planeset you have to enter a keyword (No space, no _) to identify your Mapset. You can use the - as a separator character.
To add a new Map it is fairly simple: Just add it into the "All" tab, check that the data cell is correct and include it in a MapSet and install it. Note that sometimes modders put "tab" characters in the  instruction pointing to the map's load.ini file

I provide also a map_ru.properties file to "clean" a bit the "titles" in the FMB MapList. This file must be copied manually in the  #DBW\STD\i18n folder. copy/rename your old one first just in case of...

Other change: The Air tab has been updated with correct Country and Type per Aircraft. Thanks to kleinnak for providing me the updated list.

S.Ansons

Jan 25th, 2012 Release 2.0 ! I have modified the tool to include the stationary and ships objects...

- A "Menu" tab is added in the plane_selector.xls file to access the different functions. There is no more buttons in the PlaneList tab.

- Add a feature to allow the user to backup and edit/install files used to add stationary objects and/or ships in the game. A "Stationary" subfolder is created in the main Plane_selector folder to store the backuped files thus avoiding mixing up the backups with the plane's backuped files. The 6 backuped files are chief.ini, stationary.ini, technics.ini,  ships.ini, static.ini,technics_ru.properties .

- To backup these files, click on the "Backup_stationary_files" button in the Menu tab.
Same principle as for plane's files, you can add a keyword (no _, no space character) instead of the date to identify the backuped files.

- Editing/Installing files:  Click on "Edit/Install_stationary_files" button. A form will pop-up with the available backups . Select one in the list. You have 6 buttons allowing the user to edit separately each file. Warning: To avoid overwriting backuped files, use "Save as" and add new in the filename once you have complete the editing. Once your edits are completed, mark the check boxes for each file you want to install. Click on the "Install" button and you are done !

The main advantage of this feature is to centralize backups and file editing/installing thus you can rollback easily if the addon does not work or if you messed up the game !

S.Ansons

Jan 09th, 2012 Update 1.1 I made a small change in the Restore_backup function to use the EOF VB function to detect the end of the Plane_selector directory file. For those who downloaded the archive before Jan 09th, do it again.

ansons

Here is my small contribution to this community. I have designed a small utility based on XL to manage the planesets in IL2 1946. With this tool, we can overcome the plane number limitation of the game. you will able to select planes, create new planesets, make backups, restore backups, add new planes in the game etc... I have tested it successfully in my DBW1.6 install. Now the Ba65 and Ro37bis work perfectly in my install. Here below the full readme.txt. If you have any question let me know.

ansons2
link http://www.stephaneansons.net16.net/downloads/Plane_Selector.7z

Readme.txt

Plane_Selector Readme  Version 1.0 Jan 07th, 2012 S.Ansons

What does this tool ?
This is a small utility based on a XL file to generate custom plane sets in IL-2 Sturmovik 1946
avoiding the user to manually edit and copy/paste the 3 usual files :  air.ini, plane_ru.properties and weapons_ru.properties. The tool allows to overcome the nb of mods limitation !
It is configured for DBW1.6 but it can be adapted easily to other installs.

How it works ?
Instead of editing manually the air.ini, plane_ru.properties, weapons_tu.properties files and making manual backups and copy/paste in the target directories, the tool will allow the user to :
1. Create a set of selected aircrafts from a main list containing all installed aircrafts

The main aircraft list is stored in the Air tab
The First row contains the column headers
1 Row per aircraft
Col 5 contains the usual statement stored in the air.ini file
Col 1 is used to selecta plane: Just put a character like X into this cell to select the plane
Col 2 contains the aircraft's country
Col 3 contains the aircraft's type : Fighter, Bomber, Dive bomber, Attack etc...
Col 4 contains a formula to extract the plane name from the data stored in col 5
Note that the formula uses the space as a separator thus when adding new planes in this list (addons) you might need to insert a space into the air.ini statement stored in col 5 to get the correct plane name.

You can use the XL filtering feature to filter the planes by country, aircraft's type to ease the selection process

The plane_ru tab contains the usual plane_ru.properties statements
Row 1 contains the column headers
Col 2 contains the usual statements stored in the plane_ru.properties file
Col 1 contains a formula to extract the plane name

The weapons tab contains the usual weapons_ru.properties statements
Row 1 contains the column headers
Col 2 contains the usual statements stored in the plane_ru.properties file
Col 1 contains a formula to extract the plane name
Of course for a single aircraft you might have several rows , each one containing a weapon load
Important: Keep that tab sorted by aircraft, the rows contaning the weapons for the same aircraft must be adjacents !

The param tab contains the paths to the usual folders containing the air.ini, plane_ru.properties
and  weapons_ru.properties files.
Note that there are paths to a Files folder located in #DBW, it used by the FMB.
The last path points to the Plane_Selector folder which can be installed in the main game directory.
If you want to open the Plane_selector.xls file from another location, just create a shortcut.

The PlaneList tab contains the generated plane set

How to generate a new planeset ?
1.Just put for each plane you want to select a X in col 1 of the Air tab
Don't forget to clear first the column (not the header in row 1 !)  if  you want  to start a new list from scratch

2. Click on the button Build_PlaneList
A macro with read the Air tab and pick up all planes with a X and create the planeset in the PlaneList tab. Display the PlaneList tab to check that you have all you desired planes

3.Click on the button Build_new_files to create in the Plane_Selector folder the new Air.ini,
plane_ru.properties and weapons_ru.properties files. This might take a few seconds depending on the number of selected aircrafts.

3. Backup your original game files by clicking on the Backup_old_files button
A macro will copy your game files into the Plane_selector folder
By default the files are renamed with the backup date as a keyword (but you can choose another one with no space/blank nor _ in it!) in order to allow multiple backups.
Ex: 20120107_Air.ini is the backuped air.ini  done on Jan 07, 2012

4. Click on the Copy_new_files to install the generated files.  In the case of you have forgotten to make a backup (step3), the macro will prompt you to do it now.

5. Run the game, you should have only your selected planeset active.

How to install addons planes into the tool :
That's very easy:
1.Add the usual statements for the new plane  in the data column of the Air, plane_ru  and weapons tabs.
2.Copy/paste a formula from an existing aircraft to get the plane name.
3.Indicate the country and aircraft type in the appropriate cells of the Air tab. That's it !

It is quite easy to build and save different plane sets for different theaters.

How to restore a backuped planeset ?
In the PlaneList tab, click on the "Restore_backup" button
A form will pop-up with all the backuped air.ini files located in the Plane_selector folder
Click in the List on the backup you want to restore
The selected backup will be display in the top field.
Click on the "Restore" button.
Your backuped files have been restored in the game
 
Install procedure: Unzip the archive into your main game directory.  Open the plane_selector.xls file allowing macros, check the param tab to be sure that the paths are correct for your install. You might create a shortcut to the XL file to open it from another location.

Reminder: The tool is free and cannot be used for making money.

S.Ansons France Jan 07th, 2012

[Korrigan]

Ansons, it seems very interesting, now I need to get a working XL to test it ! (tried in OpenOffice without success).

[Artiglio]

I'm going to try it now, then I'll know, this is a good idea 

[agracier]

seems like a very good idea ... but i don't know if my brain can wrap itself around it ... sincerely hope so ...

[LuseKofte]

I have installed it, and thank you. I will maby get around to use it later on

[OberstDanjeje]

Very interesting, thank you

[ansons]

 :)Jan12th, 2012 Update 1.2 :  I have Implemented the following changes
1)Rename the Copy_New_files button into Install_New_files (more meaningful).
2)In the Restore_Backup function, add a 2nd button to allow the user to reset  the PlaneList tab and the Air tab's Selection Column (Col 1)  from the restored backup.  This is useful when you want to add new planes to an existing planeset or create a new planeset from an existing one.

Link : See first post

I will improve the tool as new ideas come up !
Happy flying !

ansons

[ansons]

 :)Release 2.0 is out ! Check the top post to see the new features

S.Ansons

[LuseKofte]

Whwn I got better time and my head working rigt I will take my time learning your system and try to make use of it.  I think this is an ideak\l way to maintain the plainlist

[kleinnak]

I love the idea of this mod, though I haven't been able to get it to work but I'm fully willing to admit that it is most likely 100% my fault.  It won't save the ini files to the right location, and when I copy them in to the right places, I get 70% ctd.  So I'm sure I'm doing something wrong somewhere because it does seem to work for others, just wanted to say I definitely love the idea! I've been saying someone with far more technological know how than myself should design something like this!

That being said, I do have something to add that I think we need to spread really far and wide in the Il-2 community... because this keeps popping up anytime I see this plane listed... and my apologies for seeming like a nitpicker, but the aviation historian in me just can't keep my peace on something easily fixable...

The Gloster J-8/J-8A was the Swedish version of the Gloster Gladiator Mk I/II, which were used by Swedish volunteer force Flygflottilj 19 during the Winter War between Finland and the USSR¹... not by Japan as many, many people seem to think.  I mostly put this blame on the original game creators for calling it the "J8A" instead of the actual title "J-8A".  Funny what a difference a hyphen can make, hahaha.  Although it has a similar seeming designation, it is NOT a Japanese plane.  The J stands for "Jakt" or "hunting" (aka, Fighter)², not from the Japanese designation of J which was used for land-based fighters.³  And the A simply stands for variant "A", not Aichi manufacturing code as it would in the Japanese Naval system.4  Again, sorry, don't wanna seem like I'm jumping on you here, because I definitely like this mod and I'll keep fiddling with it till I get it to work because I'm sure it's something I'm screwing up, I just think this matter with the J-8A needs to be settled once and for all!  There's a few other country issues but I really feel like I'm sounding like enough of a whiner as is, but I could pm you an updated list if you'd like?

I know these are things I can change myself in my own version, but I don't see any reason to deny it to the rest of the community... sorry, historian rant over!

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Gloster_Gladiator_operators#.C2.A0Sweden
2. http://translate.google.com/#en|sv|hunt
3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_military_aircraft_designation_systems
4. Ibid.

[ansons]

 
Hi Kleinnak,
Are you using v2.0 of the tool ?
To get the tool to work, you have to allow executing macros when opening the file.
1) the Plane_Selector folder must be installed in your main game folder like C:\Il-2 Sturmovik 1946\Plane_Selector
2) check that the paths in the param tab are pointing to the right locations of your install. The values in the param tab are mine. 3) Check that you have a #DBW\Files folder containing the subfolder com\maddox\il2\Objects and i18n subfolder as well. I am using DBW1.6 with more than 600 planes and now many add-ons . You do not have to copy manually the generated air.ini file. Just make a backup first of your main game files #DBW\STD\com\maddox\il2\Objects\Air.ini and #DBW\STD\i18n\plane_ru.properties and #DBW\STD\i18n\weapons_ru.properties
To make a backup of your current game files : Select Menu Tab, Click on the "Backup_old_aircraft_files" button, provide a keyword (No space, No _).
Once you have selected planes (X in the 1st row) in the Air tab, click on the "Build_PlaneList" top button, that will create the PlaneList in the PlaneList tab 2) Select the Menu tab, Click on "Build_New_Aircraft_files" button, then Click on "Install_New_Aircraft_files" that's  it.

About the Plane classification, You can change the countries as you want. It is just an easy way to make a first selection of planes. I did not check the J8A, of course the Gladiator is not a japanese plane, I will reallocate it to Sweden. Thanks for pointing out my mistake.

I inform you that I got CTDs when using a pure japanese+american planeset (ie no british, no german, no soviet planes) but when including several british planes it worked well ... strange...
I have successfully tested the SAS late corsairs addon.  My Eastfront, Westfront planesets are working well.  FYI I have devised a way to manage the Map sets (With DBW I got maps outside  of the FMB Map Selection screen), I will upload the new version of the tool in a few days .

I hope that my answer will help you.
Best regards
ansons

[kleinnak]

Yeah, I redownloaded 2.0 to make sure that's what i have, and am going to give it a whirl this evening when things settle down for me a bit.  Have your instructions from this post copied and pasted now too.  I had to manually move the ini files because for some reason it wasn't copying things like the Air.ini file to "DBW\STD\com\maddox\il2\Objects\" it would copy it to just "DBW\STD\com\maddox\il2\" for some reason.  The same for the plane and weapon files, it would copy them to the folder outside the folder they had to be in... but first time though I went through the original air.ini and only activated planes in your file that were already in the air.ini file (this was coming off of a fresh reinstall of il-2 4.101 with DBW after testing out 4.11) and still got the 70% ctd... but again as said, I'm sure it was a mistake i made somewhere.  I'll try again this evening and hopefully get better results when i can better apply myself to working the files!

Sorry again if I seemed like a whiney know it all about the Gladiator too, it's just something that has bugged me ever since I can remember, so this was sort of a "okay someone has to say something" moment, haha.  And I'm sure the now inclusion of the J8M Japanese knock-off of the Me 163 adds to the confusion for many people.  And I know I can change them in the file (though until I get it working i'm reluctant to mess with much understandably, haha) but thought maybe others would like to know that info too.  Did a quick read through and typed up the ones that need to be changed, though I could update them in the file and PM it to you if changing just the countries won't affect anything and make your mod useless?