Problems trying to create a VMR file for vpilot

[Lee James]

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Posted 8 hours ago

Hi,

I have a Private Airline and there are just two pilots.   This is a new project and since we both have the same aircraft and our own custom livery on each of those aircraft, I decided to try to create a new VMR file for placing into the vPilot Model Matching rule set so that when we were both online and logged into VATSIM/VPilot, we could see each other in our new paint job.   Here is the code inside the initial XML file that I created - called VAP_Model_Matching.xml

************************

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<ModelMatchRuleSet>
<ModelMatchRule CallsignPrefix="VAP" TypeCode="B744" ModelName="PMDG 747-400 Virtual Airline Pilot | G-VAPB (2020) />
<ModelMatchRule CallsignPrefix="VAP" TypeCode="B738" ModelName="PMDG 737-800NGXu VirtualAirlinePilot.ord (G-VAPD)" />
<ModelMatchRule CallsignPrefix="VAP" TypeCode="B772" ModelName="Virtual Airline Pilot Boeing 777-200(LR) | G-VAPE" />
<ModelMatchRule CallsignPrefix="VAP" TypeCode="A320" ModelName="FSLabs A320X CFM - VirtualAirlinePilot.org G-VAPC" />
</ModelMatchRuleSet>

************************

As far as I can see, this complies with all the requirements of the required Model Matching code.   I tried to add it to vPilot's custom rule set but got the following error -

************************

ERROR LODING RULE SET

Error in XML document (4,1)

FILENAME

C:\USERS\<Myfolder>\DOCUMENTS\VPILOT FILES\MODEL MATCHING RULE SET\VAP_Model_Matching.xml

************************

I then changed the filename extention from XML to VMR to see if it made any difference - it didn't, same error!

Can anyone see if I have done anything wrong here?   Just to be sure, the ModelName= is taken from the title text in each of the aircraft.cfg entries for each installed aircraft, exactly so that vPilot matches it

Any help would be appreciated,

 

cheers,

 

Lee James

virtualairlinepilot.org

[Ross Carlson]

You're missing the closing double quote at the end of the first rule.

Are you sure you want to use PMDG models for model matching? They are very high poly count and will have an adverse impact on your frame rates. I suppose if there's only one of them, it might not be an issue.

[Robert Shearman Jr]

Not sure if this is a typo or correct as shown, but, you also have ".ord" in the second rule instead of ".org" -- wouldn't cause the issue you experienced, but, would probably throw an error if it tried to load that model.

[Lee James]

12 hours ago, Ross Carlson said:

You're missing the closing double quote at the end of the first rule.

Are you sure you want to use PMDG models for model matching? They are very high poly count and will have an adverse impact on your frame rates. I suppose if there's only one of them, it might not be an issue.

Hi there,

Yes, of course - thank you for that!  See it now.   I agree about the PMDG but wondering what other model I could use and how I could use it?

Ok, just added the missing quote mark (") and saved the file.  Upon trying to add it to vpilot, I now get the same error but this time it is (3.110) ....

Not sure what is wrong

Thank you,

 

regards

 

Lee

Edited November 4, 2020 at 10:51 AM by Lee James 816870

[Lee James]

11 hours ago, Robert Shearman Jr said:

Not sure if this is a typo or correct as shown, but, you also have ".ord" in the second rule instead of ".org" -- wouldn't cause the issue you experienced, but, would probably throw an error if it tried to load that model.

Hi,

Yes, this is unfortunately NOT a typo!  When the livery was created for us, the author created the typo and I guess I have kept it.

Below is my P3D install path and I have so much trouble editing cfg files inside these folders due to Windows 10 forbidding me permissions!   I have tried everything to allow me permission to freely make changes inside this - AND the Community folder of MFSF2020 - but even though I am Administrator, it will not work!

c:\PROGRAM FILES\LOCKHEED MARTIN\PREPAR3DV4\SIMOBJECTS\AIRPLANES ....

For P3D, the only way to make edits is to make a copy of the cfg file and place it on the desktop to edit.  Then delete the original cfg file and then place the newly edited file into the folder.  Windows will NOT let me edit and then save directly within the P3D folder path.   And as for the MSFS2020 Community folder, I cannot even copy the contents if I want to make a reinstall!   Hate this about Windows 10!!

Thank you folks,

 

regards,

 

Lee

[Ross Carlson]

5 hours ago, Lee James 816870 said:

I now get the same error but this time it is (3.110)

Please post your file and I'll take a look.

5 hours ago, Lee James 816870 said:

I have tried everything to allow me permission to freely make changes inside this - AND the Community folder of MFSF2020 - but even though I am Administrator, it will not work!

What program are you using for editing? Are you running that program as an admin? I.e., right click the shortcut, choose "Run as administrator". You can't just right click the aircraft.cfg file and choose "Edit" since that will not run your editor with admin privilieges.

Edited November 4, 2020 at 04:29 PM by Ross Carlson

[Lee James]

18 hours ago, Ross Carlson said:

Please post your file and I'll take a look.

What program are you using for editing? Are you running that program as an admin? I.e., right click the shortcut, choose "Run as administrator". You can't just right click the aircraft.cfg file and choose "Edit" since that will not run your editor with admin privilieges.

Ok, here is the content of the XML file -

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<ModelMatchRuleSet>
<ModelMatchRule CallsignPrefix="VAP" TypeCode="B744" ModelName="PMDG 747-400 Virtual Airline Pilot | G-VAPB" (2020) />
<ModelMatchRule CallsignPrefix="VAP" TypeCode="B738" ModelName="PMDG 737-800NGXu VirtualAirlinePilot.ord (G-VAPD)" />
<ModelMatchRule CallsignPrefix="VAP" TypeCode="B772" ModelName="Virtual Airline Pilot Boeing 777-200(LR) | G-VAPE" />
<ModelMatchRule CallsignPrefix="VAP" TypeCode="A320" ModelName="FSLabs A320X CFM - VirtualAirlinePilot.org G-VAPC" />
</ModelMatchRuleSet>

The file was created with NotePad as a TEXT file - then I simply changed the filename extention from TXT to XML.   Upon loading into vPilot, I then got the error.   So again, I changed tohe extention from XML to VMR - and the same error.   So I then corrected the first error byt adding the missing quote (").   Now upon loading, I get the same error but with different lines noted (3, 110).   I am not sure exactly what the error refers to.

I studied this very helpful page, in depth before attempting this -

https://vpilot.metacraft.com/Documentation

 

So how do you edit a normal Notepad text file in this way?   Normally you can just open a TXT file with NotePad and edit and then save the file.  My problem is that Windows 10 will absolutely NOT allow me to edit and resave a simple TXT file in this folder because it says I do not have permission!  I am logged into my PC as ADMIN, yet I cannot edit a TXT file in this folder!   I I right-click the AIRCRAFT.CFG file for example, there is no option to run as Administrator!   Can you recommend a utility that I can use to edit these simple files that will allow me to edit the file and re-save it?

Thank you for your help,

 

regards,

 

Lee

[Lee James]

Hi,

I did some research on VMR files and came up with only this ....

**********************

Opening a VMR File

VMR	File extension: VMR
	File type:	VBMaximizer File

What is a VMR file?

The VMR file type is primarily associated with VBMaximizer File.

How do you open VMR files?

You need a suitable software like VBMaximizer File to open a VMR file. Without proper software you will receive a Windows message "How do you want to open this file?" (Windows 10) or "Windows cannot open this file" (Windows 7) or a similar Mac/iPhone/Android alert. If you cannot open your VMR file correctly, try to right-click or long-press the file. Then click "Open with" and choose an application.

**********************

So do I need this software in order to create and edit any VMR file for vPilot?

I note that under Custom Rules in Vpilot, there is at least one XML file that is accepted and working without being named as a VMR file.   What would I use to edit/save an XML file?   I'm trying to best understand this.  Someone also said that I should use the default 747 or A320 in the rule, as using the PMDG for example, could use up resources and cause my simulator to really struggle!

 

Lee

Edited November 5, 2020 at 11:27 AM by Lee James 816870

[Ross Carlson]

You didn't put the closing quote in the right place. It needs to be at the very end of the model title. You have this:

<ModelMatchRule CallsignPrefix="VAP" TypeCode="B744" ModelName="PMDG 747-400 Virtual Airline Pilot | G-VAPB" (2020) />

It needs to be this:

<ModelMatchRule CallsignPrefix="VAP" TypeCode="B744" ModelName="PMDG 747-400 Virtual Airline Pilot | G-VAPB (2020)" />

As for editing aircraft.cfg files that require admin privileges, it is not sufficient to be logged in as an admin. Even when you are logged in as an admin, every program that you run (such as Notepad) still runs with regular non-admin privileges. This is so that your computer can't be tampered with as easily if you were to run a malicious program that you downloaded, thinking it was safe.

So, you need to run Notepad as an admin, and then open the aircraft.cfg file. There are lots of tutorials on the internet that show you how it's done.

You do not need VBMazimizer. I have never heard of that program. It uses the same file extension (.vmr) just by coincidence. VMR files are just XML files. vPilot will let you load model matching rules with either the .xml or the .vmr extension. It doesn't matter which one you use.

 

[Lee James]

54 minutes ago, Ross Carlson said:

You didn't put the closing quote in the right place. It needs to be at the very end of the model title. You have this:

<ModelMatchRule CallsignPrefix="VAP" TypeCode="B744" ModelName="PMDG 747-400 Virtual Airline Pilot | G-VAPB" (2020) />

It needs to be this:

<ModelMatchRule CallsignPrefix="VAP" TypeCode="B744" ModelName="PMDG 747-400 Virtual Airline Pilot | G-VAPB (2020)" />

As for editing aircraft.cfg files that require admin privileges, it is not sufficient to be logged in as an admin. Even when you are logged in as an admin, every program that you run (such as Notepad) still runs with regular non-admin privileges. This is so that your computer can't be tampered with as easily if you were to run a malicious program that you downloaded, thinking it was safe.

So, you need to run Notepad as an admin, and then open the aircraft.cfg file. There are lots of tutorials on the internet that show you how it's done.

You do not need VBMazimizer. I have never heard of that program. It uses the same file extension (.vmr) just by coincidence. VMR files are just XML files. vPilot will let you load model matching rules with either the .xml or the .vmr extension. It doesn't matter which one you use.

 

Ross, you are a star!   I never knew about having to run Notepad as Admin tobe able to edit these things!   Blimey!  I have learnt something today!

Ok, I'll make the edits in the XML file above and try again.

Thank you for taking the time to help me - it is appreciated.

Regards,

 

Lee

[Ross Carlson]

No problem, let me know what else you need.

[Lee James]

Ok,

 

So I edited the VAP_Model_Matcing.XML file and it got accepted by vPilot!   So now I have removed the file because I want to fine tune all this ....

********************************

I have the following aircraft installed into P3Dv4.5 - for which I also have a VAP modelset:-

PMDG 737 NGXu;    PMDG 747 QOTS II;    PMDG 777-200LRF;    FSLabs A320 X;   MILVIZ MD530F Helicopter;    MILVIZ B407 Helicopter (In Rotorcraft)

In addition to the above, I also have the following sets - but I do NOT have the products installed on my system, but my colleague who flies with me and with whom I will test all this, HAS! 

AEROSOFT AIRBUS A33-300;    AIRSOFT AIRBUS A320;

One of the comments made elsewhere was that if I used the TITLE field from each of the above models, it could slow down my system!   So, I am thinking of using my installed FLAI modelset in place of the actual Product models, to alleviate this.   Now correct me if I am wrong, but all I need to do for each line is to insert the actual TITLE line from the corresponding FLAI model aircraft.cfg file, yes?

For example, I have my P3Dv4.5 installed on C:\PROGRAM FILES\LOCKHEED MARTIN\Prepare3Dv4 ....      And I have my FLAI modelset on E:\FLAI\SimObjects\Airplanes (there is not yet a Rotocraft option).

Currently, in vPilot, I have 3 Custom Rule sets under Custom Rules - BAv_Model_Matching.xml (BAVirtual aircraft set);    FLAi_Model_Matching.VMR;    FlyUL - P3D.vmr

So should I insert the VAP model texture set into the FLAi sub-folders and add it to their aircraft.cfg file, so that vPilot scans and grabs the set?   Or how would I - and would it be better to - contruct the VAP_ModelMatching.XML file to locate the VAP texture set installed in the PMDG folders and noted in the aircraft.cfg file - but ustilise the FLAi model B744 to reduce any slow down issues?  

Sorry to hit you with this, but now I want to set this up properly.

Thanks again for your help,

 

 

Lee

[Ross Carlson]

It sounds like you want to use your PMDG VAP textures on FLAi models. That's not going to work. Textures cannot be moved from one model to the other, unless the models have the same geometry and texture mapping coordinates.

[Lee James]

7 hours ago, Ross Carlson said:

It sounds like you want to use your PMDG VAP textures on FLAi models. That's not going to work. Textures cannot be moved from one model to the other, unless the models have the same geometry and texture mapping coordinates.

Hi Ross,

No, not quite.   I was told that if I point the XML file at the PMDG texture set, it could slow down the system.   So I should let vPilot load the VAP textures, but point it to a different model with less polygons - say, an FLAi one.   That was the advice I got, but not sure if it can be done or how to do it.

To be honest, there are only two of us who use these VAP AIR textures, so the "hit" may be minimal - so I'm happy to keep it linked to the PMDG set anyway.

The other thing I'd like to do is be able to see my colleague's Aerosoft Airbus A330-300 VAP AIR livery - even though I DONOT have the Aerosoft Airbus 330 product installed.   I am told that it is simply a case of installing the Aerosoft A330 texture set into the SimObjects\Airplanes folder and letting vPilot scan and pick it up and I should be able to see his A330 in VAP livery.   Is this correct?

Thanks for your time.  It's appreciated.

regards,

 

Lee

[Ross Carlson]

37 minutes ago, Lee James said:

No, not quite.   I was told that if I point the XML file at the PMDG texture set, it could slow down the system.   So I should let vPilot load the VAP textures, but point it to a different model with less polygons - say, an FLAi one.   That was the advice I got, but not sure if it can be done or how to do it.

That's what I'm saying ... you can't use the texture from one model on a different model. You can't use one of your VAP textures that you use on a PMDG or Aerosoft model and apply it to an FLAi model. You would have to create a VAP texture for the FLAi model, add it to the FLAi model's aircraft.cfg, and then modify your VMR file to use the title from that new entry.

If there's only two of you, then I would just give it a try with the PMDG model and see what happens.

As for the Aerosoft, you will need to have that aircraft installed just like you have your PMDG installed. If the model and texture is not installed, vPilot can't use it for creating aircraft. You can't just take the VAP Aerosoft A330 texture and throw it somewhere inside SimObjects\Airplanes. It has to be matched to an actual 3D model (in this case, the Aerosoft A330 model) in an aircraft.cfg entry. A texture is useless without the model it is designed for.

[Lee James]

Ok Ross,

 

Thank you for your advice.  The situation is clearer now.

 

Cheers,

 

Lee