Allow to save the Hardware information in Export or add a backup function.

[nnyerges]

One of the reasons we write the hardware information directly in the scripts and we don't use NAMES as you recommend, is because Air Manager doesn't save them when exporting an instrument or hardware nor does it have a function to create a backup of everything.

Imagine that you have a system with hundreds of inputs and outputs, with many instruments and hardware definitions. When using NAMES, you have to do them one by one and yes, they are recorded in the Air Manager, but what happens if for some reason a file is damaged or you accidentally deleted hardware that had hundreds of I/O's defined by NAMES and you didn't have a backup of the entire folders of Air Manager?

By the way, we have no idea where AM saves the correlative information between names and hardware.

If you did an export, at least you didn't lose all the programming, but you do have to redefine the hardware. If you put the hardware information directly inside the script, that's not lost.

If it is not possible to add that correlative to be recorded in export, at least allow the user to make a backup of each instrument or hardware, where the information of that correlative between NAMES/hardware is recorded.

Nicolas

[SimPassion]

Hi Nicolas

agree with the feature request
waiting for this, we have to backup at least the config.sqlite3 file located in "C:/Users/%username%/Air Manager/" (or similar if installed in a custom location) and even more, a good practice is to backup the whole "C:/Users/%username%/Air Manager/" folder, as there's also some persistence we wouldn't miss

[Sling]

I’ve been giving this advice for anyone with a non transferable hardware setup since I realised the same in the early days of named hardware. The wiki recommendation is misleading and should really be re-written. Named hardware comes into its own when you are sharing instrument and now the newer hardware functions but there have been enough instances of people loosing their named hardware settings or wanting to move them that it should be made clear that named hardware is only preferred when the intention is to share the instrument/hardware function. For sole use cockpits embedding the board and pin detail into the code in the traditional way is absolutely the way to go.

As far as adding something to capture named hardware settings then yes that would be useful. The current export/import will correctly not retain them as a new install would want a clean slate but perhaps as an export option a tick box that when enabled actually saves the current settings so they can be imported. This would only be used by those wishing to transfer or backup their personal setup and I therefore do wonder how many users would actually use that vs the time/effort it would need to implement.

[nnyerges]

The wiki recommendation is misleading and should really be re-written. Named hardware comes into its own when you are sharing instrument and now the newer hardware functions but there have been enough instances of people loosing their named hardware settings or wanting to move them that it should be made clear that named hardware is only preferred when the intention is to share the instrument/hardware function. For sole use cockpits embedding the board and pin detail into the code in the traditional way is absolutely the way to go.

Sling correct.! That statment in the wiki its OK for a home user, but not for a pro user where involves docens of cockpits with thousends of I/O's, so for now, we better use direct hardware ID's to avoid all the trouble, until you make the NAMED HARDWARE "backupable"

[nnyerges]

Hi Nicolas

agree with the feature request
waiting for this, we have to backup at least the config.sqlite3 file located in "C:/Users/%username%/Air Manager/" (or similar if installed in a custom location) and even more, a good practice is to backup the whole "C:/Users/%username%/Air Manager/" folder, as there's also some persistence we wouldn't miss

Thanks SimPassion, nice tip. But this is not the supposed way. Adding a simple new menu option to save your work is a simple task to approach this issue in the new future version 4.2

[nnyerges]

For now we are very happy with how Air Manager/Air Player works (with its details and small problems), but among all the programs we have tried (MobiFlight, Realsim, etc.), you Ralph/Russ at Sim Innovations, have achieved a excellent work, serious, professional and that has and will have a great future. Thank you!

[Ralph]

I got a similar issue at a simulator I'm working on for a flight school. I don't think they have any back ups...
As Gilles mentioned, the easy way to make a back up is to copy the complete Air Manager folder in C:/users/your username/
I'm not really sure if there's even a better way to do it. I'll discuss it with Corjan. It won't be a 4.2 feature in any case, that release is already way too big.

[nnyerges]

It won't be a 4.2 feature in any case, that release is already way too big.