Long file name for A380 textures

[alxcpt]

Aircraft Version

Stable

Build info

{
    "built": "2024-11-09T16:34:34+00:00",
    "ref": "refs/tags/v0.12.3",
    "sha": "7c0bb7fee6051b07edd3435d923b7acf1cec2945",
    "actor": "FoxtrotSierra6829",
    "event_name": "manual",
    "pretty_release_name": "stable/v0.12.3",
    "version": "a380x-v0.12.3-rel.7c0bb7f"
}

Describe the bug

I am one of the few livery creators for the A380,

this report is probably rather a suggestion, but I want to file it as bug, because the A380 is done different here in comparison to other addons.

Since release of my liveries some users report they can't copy the livery files into the community folder because of the windows restriction not to copy a folder resulting in a file path longer than 256 characters.

I have never seen this happening with other addons so I took a look into it.

The longest file name I used was, is "A380_COCKPIT_WINDOW_STRUCTURE_4K_ALBEDO.PNG.DDS.json" which is 52 characters.

To compare: The PMDG 777 got rather short (but rather unrecognizable) name: e.g. 77WGDEC_C.PNG.DDS.json which is 22 characters.
The freeware A310 got long but recognisable name e.g. A310_EXT_DECALS_HARDWARE_ALBD.PNG.DDS.json which is 42 characters.

The default location for the Community folder is rather long already (108 characters for me with a 5 characters long username).

If we livery creators want your liveries appear close to the FBW A380 main folder and have got a recognisable name inside the community folder (so developer of the aircraft, airline, special marks, and registration), you hit the Windows 256 character limit rather quick.

My latest example is my Emirates Foundation livery: https://flightsim.to/file/84614/flybywire-a380x-emirates-the-emirates-foundation-a6-eep-4k-8k/603913

If I copy it into the default MSFS community location i got 254 characters (104 community location, 94 characters into texture folder, 52 characters longest used file). The username can't be longer than 7 characters until the windows path limit strikes.

So in short: I suggest the team to take a look at the long file names inside the A380 texture folder (especially the exterior textures, used in liveries) and try to shorten them (e.g. cockpit to int, albedo to albd or just a, window structure to win struc)

Expected behavior

Texture file from 3rd party liveries should be able to be copied into the community folder without the windows error of too long file path resulting in failure.

Steps to reproduce

1. Take a livery from flightsim.to e.g. the one I linked inside the description. (Make sure altered the cockpit window frames, ones without mask)
2. Copy it into the default MSFS community location
3. Count the characters for the A380_COCKPIT_WINDOW_STRUCTURE_4K_ALBEDO.PNG.DDS.json file path (I used MS Word for this) and see how close you come to the 256 limit (take your username into account as this is the one which is varying)

References (optional)

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Additional info (optional)

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Discord Username (optional)

goaround2018

[2hwk]

Unfortunately I don't see this not being a breaking change with all the existing liveries, so this would only be considered if there is some other major breaking change that is unavoidable.

[alxcpt]

Unfortunately I don't see this not being a breaking change with all the existing liveries, so this would only be considered if there is some other major breaking change that is unavoidable.

understandable, I only got it reported by some users and it highly depends on your win username and community location. Speaking for myself I never ran into the mentioned problem myself.

Maybe I can give you two alternatives not breaking all liveries (as being a creator myself I could live with those changes, as I have done similar to other developers changes on file structures)

1. alternative: only shorten the A380_COCKPIT_WINDOW_STRUCTURE_4K_ALBEDO.PNG.DDS + json name, cause this is one of the longest + necessary for liveries without masks.
2. alternative: slightly adjust the texture structure of the base A380:

• put a white cockpit window structure texture into the FlyByWire_A380_842\texture folder, remove this folder from aircraft.cfg as it is only for storing the textures.
• add a e.g. texture.FBW with a black cockpit window structure texture + fallback to the FlyByWire_A380_842\texture folder
• optional: add the texture.FBWPRIDE there as well with fallback to the texture folder (payware developers usually do this, you could simplify the structure of the folders and probably help maintenance in this area.

second alternative wouldn't break a single livery, we creators could just remove the window structure texture from our liveries and have a default option for using white or black cockpit windows by fallbacking to the regular texture folder for white and to the FBW House for black.

[tracernz]

You can still copy the files FYI, just not with windows explorer. It's not actually a Windows kernel or NTFS limitation; those can support 65,535 character long paths.

[alxcpt]

You can still copy the files FYI, just not with windows explorer. It's not actually a Windows kernel or NTFS limitation; those can support 65,535 character long paths.

I haven't encountered a problem there as well. I remember this was a problem of older operating systems. I just put the 'issue' up here, so you are aware of it as some (2 or 3 users of my liveries reported it to me)

It probably shouldn't be marked as bug but rather as suggestion.