OMSI Addon Manager
Contents
Concept and Development
leftOriginally it was just meant to be an "update reminder" for OMSI add-ons, but during the development it quickly became a software that simplifies the installation, administration and removal of OMSI add-ons, especially for beginners: The OMSI Addon Manager, or also called: AM.
On May 20th 2011, version 1.0 was released after quite a long beta testing period. Following versions added new functions and features: The scripting language was expanded and updated, a user counter for the developers of add-ons was added, several security features became necessary and AM checked automatically for additionally missing add-ons - these were just a few examples.
The latest version 1.2.3 was released on July 31th and is available for freeat the Aerosoft Download Center.
For the Users
miniatur|right|Benutzeroberfläche des Addon Managers (V1.2.3) For OMSI users, Addon Manager makes management easier, when add-ons are installed using this software. In the following paragraphs, these simplifications will quickly be summarized.
Downloading and Installing an Add-On
An add-on that is compatible with AM is downloaded as *.ams file. Some file hosters unfortunately don't permit the upload of *.ams files, because this file extension is unknown. In some cases it might thus be necessary to extract the *.ams file from another archive first.
AM features an integrated and categorized Download Center, in which users can search for interesting add-ons. When clicking the Download button there, the user will be redirected to the download website which offers the add-on.
When double-clicking the downloaded AMS file, Addon Importer (part of the AM) will start and guide the user through the import process. Eventually the user has to accept some readme conditions. Some add-ons also feature additional options, but the user can decide whether he wants to install them or not.
If the add-on developer has implemented this function, the user will be notified if AM recognizes that required add-ons are missing after import.
Afterwards, the add-on is completely installed and should work properly.
Updates for Add-Ons
Depending on the configuration, AM informs the user at system startup with a small message at the lower right screen corner, if any updates are available for the installed OMSI add-ons. The user only has to hit the download button and is redirected to the corresponding website. From there on, the installation process equals the normal one described in the paragraph above.
Uninstalling Add-Ons
Most of all add-ons can also be removed with a single click, when you are not interested in them anymore (or if you are not content, of course). But still: The add-on developer is responsible for the removal - if any problems occur, in most cases the author of the add-on should be contacted.
Further Features
Some smaller features have not been mentioned yet. For example, all users can send their feedbacks to the developers (if they permitted this function) by clicking "Send My Feedback!" in the "My Installed Add-Ons" section. The behavior of AM (concerning autostart and notification matters) can be adjusted in the settings. Last not least, the path to the OMSI installation can also be changed, if a user has more than one OMSI directories or if the path has not been detected correctly.
For the Developers
...following soon!
