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FSXA 'tools' does not show

jyarddog

jyarddog

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us-washington
Went to Win 7 (64) reinstalled all programs. Installed FSX and the SDK.

Could not get SP1a to install from my acceleration disk ( This was after I successfully installed Acceleration from the same disk (of course). [btw- before i bought Win 7 I did install Acceleration on my machine when I had XP. When I did so I saw tools show up in the game.]

Finally wen ton line and found SP1a and installed it. Went back to my Accel disk to install the Accel SDK.... mouse icon just sits there and spins.

finally figured out to just drag Accel SDK installer onto desktop from disk. This worked...... double clicked on the icon now on desk top and it all worked. 'Tools' still does not show up. Please help. (sounds like I have a crummy dvd drive. Bob
 
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Clarification - when I read that the "tools" does not show, I'm thinking gmax, not ADE. From the screeshot, you're talking about ADE only, I take it?
 
Your first mistake was to install in C:\Program Files. This is a protected folder in W7 and you will have all sorts of problems.
 
Actually I am refering to the word "tools" on the menu bar on the top of FSX.

My FSX is installed in program files (x86). My SDK is also in program files (x86) Bob
 
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You have to open up your dll.xml and change <Disabled>True</Disabled> to <Disabled>False</Disabled> for the tools you want to show up in the sim.

Jim
 
I think that from Acceleration you intall Sp2 and acceleration itself. anyway always is good to install all services packs for the Sdk, allways forget how many they are. and what is said above is a good advice too. look at the dll file
 
Jim and Tejal- I made the change but tools still does not show. I fouind this in simconnect\cor utilities\config - hope it's the right one. did not know where to find it. Bob

<?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>True</Launch.ManualLoad>
<Launch.Addon>
<Disabled>False</Disabled>
<ManualLoad>False</ManualLoad>
<Name>Addon DLL</Name>
<Path>C:\MyPath\Addon.dll</Path>
</Launch.Addon>
</SimBase.Document>
 
Last night I tried it out... the instructions on doing what you indicate - are actually in the FSX-SDK help file - I looked under "Object Placer" . But, once I checked it (it was actually already enabled) I, too, note that the Scenery Object Placer tool doesn't show up.

I'll have to check some more.
 
George- Looking back, you said program not to install in program files... not program files (x86). In fact when installing Win 7 recognizes that FSX is a 32 bit program so it installs automatically into (x86) Accel did the same thing. Bob
 
jyarddog said:
In fact when installing Win 7 recognizes that FSX is a 32 bit program so it installs automatically into (x86) Accel did the same thing. Bob
Click to expand...

That's the problem, you should not install it to the default location.
 
George- The default location was in fact program files.... in Win XP. In win 7 the new OS sees that FSX is a 32 bit program and therefore install to x86.

Anyway- It was stated here to look in appdata\roaming\etc.I thought this was in SDK. In fact I found it in what is named under my name (which used to be docs and settings)

I found the dll.xml in question - opened with notpad and changed all diable <true> entries to False and saved.

Opened FSX and went to a location. BINGO! Tools shows up. I have traffic tool box and object placer!

Hope all else is still working. :) Thank you all for the help. Bob
 
Just for the record, this information is in the Wiki, Tools section where you'll find info on installing the SDK and troubleshooting the SDK. Saves lots of aggravation. ;)
 
jyarddog said:
I fouind this in simconnect\cor utilities\config - hope it's the right one. did not know where to find it. Bob

<Launch.Addon>
<Disabled>False</Disabled>
<ManualLoad>False</ManualLoad>
<Name>Addon DLL</Name>
<Path>C:\MyPath\Addon.dll</Path>
</Launch.Addon>
Click to expand...

That one's just a decoy apparently, look at the path (C:\MyPath), it's obviously meant as an example.

To make sure you're editing the "real" dll.xml go to "Start > Programs > accessories > Run" and paste the exact line below:

notepad %appdata%\Microsoft\FSX\dll.xml



When it opens in Notepad, find some lines similar to those below:


<Name>Object Placement Tool</Name>
<Disabled>False</Disabled>
<ManualLoad>False</ManualLoad>
<Path>..\Microsoft Flight Simulator X SDK\SDK\Mission Creation Kit\object_placement.dll</Path>
</Launch.Addon>

<Launch.Addon>
<Name>Traffic Toolbox</Name>
<Disabled>True</Disabled>
<ManualLoad>False</ManualLoad>
<Path>..\Microsoft Flight Simulator X SDK\SDK\Environment Kit\Traffic Toolbox SDK\traffictoolbox.dll</Path>
</Launch.Addon>

<Launch.Addon>
<Name>Visual Effects Tool</Name>
<Disabled>True</Disabled>
<ManualLoad>False</ManualLoad>
<Path>..\Microsoft Flight Simulator X SDK\SDK\Environment Kit\Special Effects SDK\visualfxtool.dll</Path>
</Launch.Addon>
<Launch.Addon>
Click to expand...

Change <Disabled>True</Disabled> to <Disabled>False</Disabled> for each tool you want to see in the tools menu.

Jim
 
tom- Also just for the record I read all. It gets confusing when someone tells you what to do with this file or that file but neglects to tell you where to find that file. i went through instructions everywhere. I found onlyi one item which may or may not have helped, but I took care of that; however, the issue still did not resolve. Changing the xml file solved it, but I didn't know where to fiind that correct dll.xml file. Looking through my own sdk help I just happened.... and I mean, just happened to find out where this file was, and between it and the help here I corrected the issue. Bob
 
Then it's time the Wiki was updated (hint). That's the idea of a Wiki, after all... :)


EDIT: About time I checked this, the Wiki does include info on where to find DLL.XML in the section on Troubleshooting the FSX sdk
 
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Tom- Believe me- that's the first thing I read. Unless I missed it I didn't see anything about change true to false, maybe there is. the only thing I saw that I did not have was msxml4 sp3 or something. I check Nd did not have that. so i foui nd it and installed it. Things still didn't show, but I figured then that I needed that anyway but perhaps one or two more steps.

That was when I got everyone else's help about true-false.
 
I hope I'm not intruding. I'm on a Windows XP 32-bit and I have the following lines of code in my appdata's dll.xml file. Yet, I do not have the tools menu in FSX.

Code: 
<?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>Traffic Toolbox</Name>
    <Disabled>False</Disabled>
    <Path>..\Microsoft Flight Simulator X SDK\SDK\Environment Kit\Traffic Toolbox SDK\traffictoolbox.dll</Path>
  </Launch.Addon>
</SimBase.Document>
The code is straight from the SDK document.

SDK Version: SP1 (without acceleration pack)
 
Never intruding. We're family here. As I mnetionied, I barely got mine working. I think that code you posted is an example which is in the sdk. The indeticle one you want to alter (like you showed here) in in documents and settings\your name\(or userss) appdata something like that.

I forget the path for xp but mine which might be similar is (whereever you find appdata\roaming\microsoft\fsx then yoiu will find the dll.xml. As I say yours will be in docs and settings.

In the Wiki follow those instructions- make sure you have all the net framework stuff, the msxml stuff. Have you downloaded all the ADE programs? I believe that is where you get an app called OWL. Run that and it gives you a report if you have everything to run ADE. This also helps others who look at the report to see if you have everything for tools and the other two utilities to show up. Scruffyduck or Rhumbaflappy might be able to help at that point.

I faintly remember you not only need the right SP@ stuff for the sdk but you also need to make sure you have the right sp for fsx and - or for your machine. I am being a bit vague here because what I remember what I needed for XP is in faint memory (not my machine.... my brain). :)

Bob
 
The code I posted is the one I copied into my FSX appdata. (Documents and Settings/<username>/Application Data/Microsoft/FSX). There is no Tools Menu.

SP for FSX itself?
 
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