EECH 1.15.4/1.16.0 Dual Install Tutorial

Hello chopper fans!

EECH, while being easy to install, doesn't like multiple installations, what makes flying both 1.15.4 and 1.16.0 a bit complicated.
Just like Viper1970 warned me, one has to install the game to a EECH folder, add the 1.15.4 mods, rename the folder to EECH1154, then install the game again to a new EECH folder, add the 1.16.0 mods and rename the folder to EECH1160.
Choosing which version to fly implies renaming the selected version's folder to EECH, flying, then renaming the folder back to its previous name.
Not very complicated, but a bit tedious.

The installation part can not be skipped, bur I have just found a way to make the version selection and game launching much
easier.
I have written a batch file, that asks me which version I'd like to fly, then rename the folder to EECH, launch cohokum.exe, then when the exe quits, renames the folder back. ALL BY ITSELF.
I have just tested it, and it works great!
Let me translate it from French to English, and add a few explanations about the paths required, and I'll post it here.

I was just too happy not to share it tonight straight away!

Oct, 12th update:

This tutorial is now added to the EECH Central wiki.
So please visit http://eechcentral.simhq.com/index.php?title=Dual_Install !

that is serious approach)) thanks for sharing. could be added to the wiki after being properly tested.
do you have access to the source code? you may be interested to start with applying minor changes from your wish list.

Hey Rhugouvi,

real good idea!!! Makes parallel installations a lot easier to handle. As thealx said just ask for the source code. Would be nice to see you helping with the project, too!

Cheers Viper

Hello / privet !

I am glad you like the idea, and it would be a great honour to contribute to the wiki which is such a goldmine!
Testing is still needed because I noticed a glitch yesterday. I created three batch files with the same code on three different locations : one on the K: drive, and two on the desktop on the C: drive. The K one worked fine but both C ones crashed (windows can not find cohokum.exe).
Must the batch file be located on the same drive as the game in order to have the code working?

About the source code, I am afraid it would be a bit too much for me at the moment. I am commited to several other simming projects (mainly with FSX), and I'd rather improve the cockpit textures of the Ka-52 as my first mod for EECH.

By the way, can one choose his helo's livery?

Tested the issue, and I confirm that the batch file has to be located on the same drive as the cohokum.exe.
I have updated the tutorial.

Hello Rhugouvi,

just finished my KA-50 cockpit, but the instruments have to be fixed and made working again. This is a job I couldn't do at the moment, because it must be done in the code and seems to be really complicated. I hope that someone of the code gurus can help here .

I also wanted to make the KA-52 the next I'm working at. I wanted to change the MFD's 3D-shape (make them a little more wide in size and put a new bezel-texture on them) to make them look more realistic. I've tried to change the textures only and make some small fast improvements but there isn't really much you can do with the textures alone, so I decide to change the complete shape and do some new textures if possible (I'm new to 3D and I must learn a lot here ).

My objective is to improve the russian helos a little bit more and fix there instruments with less effort as possible but in a useable and little bit more realistic looking way, so that we can use them for the next time. Maybe someone else is then making a "real thing" e.g. like the US choppers cockpits are or the MI-24. This is what I'm not able to do with my limited knowledge and experience. I only made texture work for repaints the last years before I started with Allmods now.

Maybe we can work together at the KA-52 if you like?

I also wanted to change the MI-28 pit again, if there is a relatively easy way to do a new pit (respectively changing and improving the original cockpit), which corresponds the real thing (two MFD's etc.) a bit more and maybe a gunner cockpit also, to equate the other helos which have a two men crew (MI-24 gunner pit exists already but have to be integrated in 1.16.0). But as said my intention is to be as realistic as possible with an commensurate amount of work, so that we have all helicopters in an useable state to enjoy them in the simulation as fast as possible.

Making real good looking and more exact cockpits is very time consuming and most people have a RL too, so it can take months or even years to see some advancements or sometimes the project never gets finished.

But in the meanwhile we have no fully working helicopters in an attack helicopter simulation. Not a good solution I think. There maybe even more to be fixed in Allmods, but the helicopters are a central content of an attack helicopter simulator and for that reason have to be in a useable and relatively realistic state. That's what I think and why I'm trying to get this done as far as I'm able to do.

Hurrah, the "batch file on same drive as EECH" constraint is no more!
The command prompt just needed to be switched to the EECH drive right from the start. Otherwise, Windows tries to open H:\Plane Games\...\cohokum.exe instead of K:\...\cohokum.exe.
The code is updated in the second post.

Viper1970, I have to be honest : I can't get involved in another project for the moment. When things settle down a bit, I'll be happy to contribute.

Thanks for the instructions. If you don't have time to put them on the wiki, then I'll add a page for them if that's ok with you.

Actually, this thread has given me an idea. I wonder how much work it would be to create a GUI launcher, as you get in a lot of games, and it would have a dropdown to let you select which version to launch. It could also allow some of the eech.ini settings to be changed without having to edit the ini file itself.

Something else to add to the backburner...

Hello,
I am done, EECH has a new entry, listed in the Tutorials category. Hurrah!

I just tried using this. I added a few more options, as I have versions 1.15.0, 1.15.2, 1.15.4, and 1.16.0.

When I run it, I get the cmd window for he script, but another cmd window also opens.

I'm also getting shown the message below just above the options line.

'question' is not recognized as an internal or external command,operable program or batch file.

When I enter a choice, the cmd window closes, but nothing happens. The folder is not renamed.


I'm using Windows 10

Thanks for your report.
I tested the batch file on W7 64bits only.
I'll give it a try on my W10 laptop.
Pretty probable that commands have changed.

Inhave just tested the batch file on my W10 laptop, and everything has worked as expected.
Could you please post the code here (or send it to me by PM)?
I am quite puzzled

you lost : before "question", "a" and so on

What if in EECH folder is 1.16.0, and you trying to play 1.15.4. as a result in EECH1154 folder will be 1.16.0. my point - "dual install" is important condition.

The colon : must have been stripped from the wiki page.



Yeah, good point. It doesn't rename the folder back before it exits after you exit the game. It is in the batch file, but doesn't seem to work.

You need to change the cd C: to cd / as so;

I've updated the wiki page, and wrapped the script in <nowiki> tags so it doesn't get formatted. I hope you don't mind me updating it.

How dare you !

Of course I don't mind at all. Thank you for that, and thanks thealx for finding the culprit colon.
By the way, I just can not format the code in the example section of the wiki page with the box and the returns. I wrapped it with nowiki tags though. Could you explain me how you do it? Thank you.

You indent the first nowiki by a single space. It's a subtle trick, and not sure why it works.

I found the information in this page...

https://m.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Formatting

Look at the Preformatted Text Block section

Computer sciences will remain magic for me I am afraid...
I have added the magical space, and lo and behold, the code box is now right before your eyes (well in the wiki).
Thanks for the trick messyhead.

All the original EE stuff is in a folder called Razorworks.

Hey guys.
So I tried the steps in the Wiki Page, however I'm stuck at "Install EECH again". Since the Installer detects the previous install, it wants to uninstall it first. I tried to hide / rename folders and executables, but I guess it's looking up the registry.
So, any Ideas what I'm doing wrong?

Hi GAFflyer,

Did you remember to rename the EECH folder to something else before you tried to install another version ?

i.e.

As I understand it you:

Install EECH and mod to whichever version you want (1.15.2)
Rename the EECH folder to EECH1152
Install EECH again and mod to another version (1.16.0)
Rename EECH folder to EECH1160

Hope that helps,

Andy

You could try using the EECH installer from thealx. It lets you have more than one install.

You get it from http://eech.online