VIACOM Pro with multiple DCS installs

[ShaunX]

I've recently created an additional DCS installation (I now have 2.7.6 and 2.7.7 in seperate folders)

VIACOM doesn't appear to work correctly when I run the newly created 2.7.7 version. The comms menu constantly pops up and although my voice commands are recognised, they have no effect.

I'm assuming this is because it is pointing at my original installation. Is it possible to make it work with either/both DCS instalations ?

There is definately the VIACOMPRO folder and export.lua entry in the new installs Saved Games (because I copied the Save Games folder from the original installation), and I can see the VIACOM entry in the DCS Options, special tab..

I know's there's the "Use custom DCS path" option on the config page..but does that mean I have to change this every time I want to use a different DCS installation ?

 

[MAXsenna]

33 minutes ago, ShaunX said:

I've recently created an additional DCS installation (I now have 2.7.6 and 2.7.7 in seperate folders)

VIACOM doesn't appear to work correctly when I run the newly created 2.7.7 version. The comms menu constantly pops up and although my voice commands are recognised, they have no effect.

I'm assuming this is because it is pointing at my original installation. Is it possible to make it work with either/both DCS instalations ?

There is definately the VIACOMPRO folder and export.lua entry in the new installs Saved Games (because I copied the Save Games folder from the original installation), and I can see the VIACOM entry in the DCS Options, special tab..

I know's there's the "Use custom DCS path" option on the config page..but does that mean I have to change this every time I want to use a different DCS installation ?

 

I'm running Stable and OB side by side. That's your goal I assume. Set your sliders to Standalone and OB in VAICOM settings. 

Did you install, or merely copied things? In that case settings in the Windows Registry is probably incorrect, and VAICOM might struggle a little.

But you can test first. Close VA and DCS. Rename the export.lua, and repair DCS. Then start VA, and VAICOM should recreate files. 

Then start DCS  and see if it works. If it does your good to go. Just close DCS and VA, copy back missing entries in the old export.lua, start VA and then DCS.  

 

[ShaunX]

My goal was actually to retain OB 2.7.6 for now and update the copy to 2.7.7, as 2.7.7 is costing ~8 FPS with little visual enhancement in VR which, if you're just managing to maintain locked 45 FPS with high graphics (even with my rig) in complex scenarios without modding the f*&k out of it, is a lot ! Rant over

Thanks for the suggestions. I did actually use the copy method (altering dcs_variant.txt in the copy and then copying my saved games). I never considered registry entries for VIACOM .. eediot !!

"Rename the export.lua, and repair DCS. Then start VA, and VAICOM should recreate files" - presumably it won't recereate them until I start the DCS copy ? Otherwise how will it know that I've made changes to the copy ? or does a DCS repair create a new registry entry ?

 

 

 

 

[sthompson]

10 minutes ago, ShaunX said:

Thanks for the suggestions. I did actually use the copy method (altering dcs_variant.txt in the copy and then copying my saved games). I never considered registry entries for VIACOM .. eediot !!

 

 

DCS creates the registry entries when you use the default DCS installer, but then ignores them. VAICOM uses them if they are there, but will also ignore them if you have the custom path checked. (VAICOM will "fix" them if you ask via the custom path options.) But when you start VAICOM it has no idea where you are going to be starting DCS if there is more than one version. It will try to update whichever copy of OB is pointed to by the custom path or OB registry entry, so you need to make sure those are set properly first. In other words, to switch DCS OB versions you will need to start VAICOM, set the custom path options, then restart VAICOM, then start the corresponding DCS version, in that order.

17 minutes ago, ShaunX said:

"Rename the export.lua, and repair DCS. Then start VA, and VAICOM should recreate files" - presumably it won't recereate them until I start the DCS copy ? Otherwise how will it know that I've made changes to the copy ? or does a DCS repair create a new registry entry ?

You are confused. A DCS repair will restore all files to what ED thinks they should be but it does NOT fix the registry. Furthermore, the modification to those files that is needed by VAICOM happens when you launch VAICOM (assuming you have the registry or custom path set correctly), and this must happen BEFORE you start DCS. DCS itself does not modify those files and loads them once only when it starts, which is why you need to run VAICOM, so that it can edit those files, before you start DCS.

[ShaunX]

3 minutes ago, sthompson said:

DCS creates the registry entries when you use the default DCS installer, but then ignores them. VAICOM uses them if they are there, but will also ignore them if you have the custom path checked. (VAICOM will "fix" them if you ask via the custom path options.) But when you start VAICOM it has no idea where you are going to be starting DCS if there is more than one version. It will try to update whichever copy of OB is pointed to by the custom path or OB registry entry, so you need to make sure those are set properly first. In other words, to switch DCS OB versions you will need to start VAICOM, set the custom path options, then restart VAICOM, then start the corresponding DCS version, in that order.

That was my concern in my first post. However, @MAXsenna above is running 2 installs without having to do that

[sthompson]

1 minute ago, ShaunX said:

That was my concern in my first post. However, @MAXsenna above is running 2 installs without having to do that

Yes, but one is stable and one is OB. He isn't running two OB versions. 

[ShaunX]

1 minute ago, sthompson said:

Yes, but one is stable and one is OB. He isn't running two OB versions. 

ah right, and presumably the stable-OB slider needs to be set depending of which is being used.

OK, I'll use the custom path option as you suggest. Not a big deal as I won't be switching from one to t'other often. Just wondered if it was possible without that.

Thanks for the assistance.

[MAXsenna]

4 minutes ago, sthompson said:

Yes, but one is stable and one is OB. He isn't running two OB versions. 

Yes, I assumed incorrectly what you were up to @ShaunX.

The variant text file just points (force) DCS to what save game folder that installation it will use for the session. If it does not exit or is blank. Stable will use DCS and OB will use DCS.openbeta

Which means you can use the same for multiple installations. I don't currently use it, as I rather share some of the folders like mods and inputs, but through symbolic/hard links in Windows itself. 

I was going to test a setup like yours since the cloud update broke SLI support for me, but then one of my GPUs died in the process, and I haven't had time to bake it yet. So I didn't progress in that venture. 

But I'm sort of positive it might be done, maybe adding some paths in the registry manually.  

[sthompson]

1 minute ago, ShaunX said:

ah right, and presumably the stable-OB slider needs to be set depending of which is being used.

OK, I'll use the custom path option as you suggest. Not a big deal as I won't be switching from one to t'other often. Just wondered if it was possible without that.

Thanks for the assistance.

There is a DCS registry entry for each of the three versions: stable, open beta, and Steam. I suppose you could change the stable registry entry to point to an OB install if you do not have a stable version installation. VAICOM does not know which version you are going to run and so tries to update all three if it finds the corresponding registry entries. I don't know if this approach would work but it might be worth a try.

[ShaunX]

42 minutes ago, MAXsenna said:

Yes, I assumed incorrectly what you were up to @ShaunX.

The variant text file just points (force) DCS to what save game folder that installation it will use for the session. If it does not exit or is blank. Stable will use DCS and OB will use DCS.openbeta

Which means you can use the same for multiple installations. I don't currently use it, as I rather share some of the folders like mods and inputs, but through symbolic/hard links in Windows itself. 

I was going to test a setup like yours since the cloud update broke SLI support for me, but then one of my GPUs died in the process, and I haven't had time to bake it yet. So I didn't progress in that venture. 

But I'm sort of positive it might be done, maybe adding some paths in the registry manually.  

Yeah , I just read up on it at the weekend and set it up this morning. Thought about using the original saved games for both then that it might be safer to keep them seperate intiailly.

40 minutes ago, sthompson said:

There is a DCS registry entry for each of the three versions: stable, open beta, and Steam. I suppose you could change the stable registry entry to point to an OB install if you do not have a stable version installation. VAICOM does not know which version you are going to run and so tries to update all three if it finds the corresponding registry entries. I don't know if this approach would work but it might be worth a try.

..now that is a thought, thanks !

[ShaunX]

14 hours ago, sthompson said:

There is a DCS registry entry for each of the three versions: stable, open beta, and Steam. I suppose you could change the stable registry entry to point to an OB install if you do not have a stable version installation. VAICOM does not know which version you are going to run and so tries to update all three if it finds the corresponding registry entries. I don't know if this approach would work but it might be worth a try.

This looks like the OB registry entry, but I don't have a stable release one (I guess coz I've never installed or switched to stable)

I assume the Stable one should just be an additional entry with just "DCS World" pointing at the stable folder ? Can you confirm please ?

 

[sthompson]

4 hours ago, ShaunX said:

This looks like the OB registry entry, but I don't have a stable release one (I guess coz I've never installed or switched to stable)

I assume the Stable one should just be an additional entry with just "DCS World" pointing at the stable folder ? Can you confirm please ?

 

From memory, I think that is correct. You can create the registry entry using VAICOM itself. Specify the "use custom path" option and specify the directory you want, move the sliders to "stable" and check "fix registry entry" and then I think VAICOM will create the registry entry when you restart it. You will need to change those settings back (and in particular uncheck the custom path box) and restart again afterwards.  

[ShaunX]

6 minutes ago, sthompson said:

From memory, I think that is correct. You can create the registry entry using VAICOM itself. Specify the "use custom path" option and specify the directory you want, move the sliders to "stable" and check "fix registry entry" and then I think VAICOM will create the registry entry when you restart it. You will need to change those settings back (and in particular uncheck the custom path box) and restart again afterwards.  

You're a wealth of helpful knowledge. Thank you sir !

[ShaunX]

..oh man, that worked perfectly !

I  expected that I'd then have to use the slider to switch between installs but no, it now works in both without needing to do that. I guess, as you suggested, it tries to update both entries it now finds!

Thanks again