*************************************************************************
* Hangar Manager Version 2.4
* Author: Mark Schilberg
* For use with Microsoft Flight Simulator 2000 and 98
* Platforms: Win95/98/ME/NT/2K
* Support Website: http://members.home.com/hangarmanager
* Support email: hangarmanager@home.com
*************************************************************************



==========
Quickstart
==========

After you've set up the directories that Hangar Manager asked you to, you can add a package (any combination of an aircraft, panel or sound configuration) to the "Hangar" (your collection) by selecting the "Process ZIP File Into Staging" toolbar button.  Select the zip file to process and select "Open" or just double click the zip file.  Repeat if there is more than one zip for the package.  If the files aren't contained in a zip file, just copy them to the Staging directory with Windows Explorer and hit "Refresh" in the Staging area in Hangar Manager.

This will place the package into the Staging area.  Have a look to see if everything is in order.  Select the category that the package will belong to.  When ready, make sure the "Copy package to Hangar" option is selected and select the "Go!" button.

Once the package is in the Hangar you can, among other things, quickly and cleanly copy and remove packages to and from Microsoft Flight Simulator.

(Note:  Instead of processing a ZIP file as mentioned above, if you already have some aircraft installed in MSFS, you can select the "Import package from MSFS" option in the Staging area, then the "Go!" button and then select a package to import.)



======================================
Limitations For Unregistered Shareware
======================================

Here are the limitations for Hangar Manager if it is not registered.  If you find Hangar Manager useful, please register it.  If you register, you'll never have to register any future versions. 

- There will be a ten second evaluation reminder at the start of the program.

- The "Copy package to Hangar" option in the Staging area will be disabled if there are ten or more packages already in the Hangar.



================
1.  Introduction
================

Hangar Manager is a complete solution for taking care of your aircraft, panels and sounds.  It automatically unzips and recognizes packages you download from the internet or import from those already installed in MSFS.  It allows you to categorize (customizable) your collection, to easily recognize and select packages by images, to keep the MSFS aircraft directory free of aircraft you don't currently want to fly, to keep the MSFS gauge directory clean,  and to keep your collection compressed so that it takes up less hard drive or CD rom space.



NOTE:  I will use the word "package" to mean a set of files which are included in an aircraft and/or panel and/or sound configuration.  When I mention "aircraft" I mean the set of components that are composed of the flight model, aircraft model and texturing of the aircraft model.

NOTE:  I use the word "directory" to also mean "folder".  Newer computer users who have initially been introduced to MS Windows probably won't know what a directory is since it is a word from the MS DOS days (and other current OS's).



=======================
Hangar Manager Features
=======================

+  Unzips aircraft / panel / sound packages (i.e. files that you download from the internet), recognizes nested zip files (zips within zips) and prompts you for approval before unzipping them.
 
+  Recognizes and organizes components into standard directory structure.

+  Imports packages already installed in Microsoft Flight Simulator into the "Hangar". 

+  Images (usually included in the authors distribution) are displayed to help you easily select the package you need. 

+  Intelligently installs packages into the Microsoft Flight Simulator (MSFS) directory. You are notified if an aliased package (i.e. a panel) that the package uses is not already installed. 

+  Intelligently uninstalls packages from the MSFS directory. Gauge removal is only done if the gauge is no longer being used. Also, you will not be able to uninstall a package if it is still being used by another package in the MSFS directory.

+  Optionally compresses your packages so that your collection takes up a much smaller amount of disk space.  

+  Includes gauge scan utility.  You can scan your MSFS directory at any time for unused gauges and optionally remove them.

+  Keeps your MSFS directory clean.  Hangar Manager makes it easy for you to only have the aircraft you want to fly during any one session installed in MSFS.  This same feature makes it easy for you to reinstall MSFS for any reason since all your packages are contained in a separate directory (the Hangar) from MSFS.  

+  Lists all the packages in the "Hangar" in a categorized list.  You can quickly access the packages by selecting them from this list.  You can also list installed packages only. 

+  Generates a dynamic photo gallery for all your packages or just the ones in the selected category. 

+  Easily reconfigure aircraft / panel / sound combinations. For example, if you like a panel that was included with an aircraft but don't like the aircraft itself you could easily strip out the aircraft and sound files and add just the panel package to your collection.  The panel could then be aliased by other aircraft in the Hangar. (note that removing sound files will only remove aircraft sounds and not the sound files used by gauges in the panel.) 

+  Up to ten location "profiles" can be saved for quick location switching. Each profile can have a different Staging, Hangar and MSFS directory location. 



=============
2.  Locations
=============

When you start Hangar Manager for the first time it will ask for three directories ...


The "Staging" directory
-----------------------
This is a directory where you initially place (extract, import, copy or move) the files for a SINGLE aircraft and/or panel and/or sound configuration.  If the directory doesn't yet exist, type it in (i.e. c:\staging).  Hangar Manager will ask you if you'd like to create it.

More on the use of the Staging directory ...

Hanager Manager was designed to analyze the contents of the Staging directory and to recognize all files there, regardless if they are in subdirectories or not.  Don't be concerned about the directory structure in the Staging directory or contained within the zip file you're unzipping or even reading the installation instructions for the aircraft, panel or sound configuration (unless you encounter a problem).  All Hangar Manager "sees" and recognizes are the files themselves.  It will also notify you if it finds a duplicate filename situation that it cannot deal with itself.

The "Hangar" directory
----------------------
This is where the aircraft/panel/sound components are stored when they are accepted from the Staging directory.  Think of this as your database or collection directory.  When you first run Hangar Manager the Hangar directory you select should be empty.  If the directory you select contains one or more directories, those directory names will become the categories for your packages and no new categories (directories) will be created for you.  If you'd like to point to an existing "Hangar" directory created with Hangar Manager, go right ahead.

The Microsoft Flight Simulator directory
----------------------------------------
This has to be set to directory where Microsoft Flight Simulator is installed, i.e. C:\FS2000.  (I'll refer to this directory sometimes as the MSFS directory). 



Once you correctly tell HM where the Staging, Hangar and MSFS directories are, you are able to use HM.

Here are all your options once you're in ...



==============================
3.  Viewing Package Components
==============================

The tabbed control in HM is where the components of your package are displayed.  It shows you pictures of the package (if the author was good enough to include  them).  The right and left arrow buttons to the left of the picture box let you select the next/previous picture if there is more than one.  You can also tell HM which picture should be the first to be displayed by selecting the "1st" button.  Delete the current image by selecting the "Del" button.  Hovering over an image will show you the image filename.  The tabbed control also shows you the Aircraft, Panel, Gauge, Model, Texture, Sound, Documentation files and Unrecognized Files.  Note that you are able to double click on files  with extensions of .txt, .cfg, .doc or .diz to immediately view (and change if needed) the files.

The Unrecognized Files "page" shows you files that Hangar Manager does not recognize as files associated with an aircraft, panel or sound configuration.  The  author might have included some other kind of file(s) in his distribution (i.e. weather, situations etc) that HM doesn't deal with, other than plopping them into the Unrecognized Files directory.  You could manually install these files if needed.

NOTE:  If you see a valid file in the Unrecognized Files page that should be in one of the other categories, I'd like to know about it.  Just email me the link to where I can download the aircraft and/or panel and/or sound configuration containing the offending file(s) and the name of the file(s) that are out of place.



===========================
4.  Options on the Menu Bar
===========================

File/Locations
--------------
This will let you change the directory locations you've specified.

File/Location Profiles
----------------------
You can add up to ten different location profiles so that you can change locations quicker.  Once you add a profile, you can select it by hitting the "Profiles" button on the the Locations dialog.

File/Exit
---------
Self explanatory.

Tools/List All Packages in Hangar
---------------------------------
Lists all packages in the "Hangar".  Packages installed in MSFS will have brackets around them (i.e. <>).  You can also use this list as an alternate way to select packages.

Tools/List Packages Installed in MSFS
-------------------------------------
Lists all packages currently installed in MSFS.  You can also use this list to quickly access packages currently installed in MSFS.

Tools/Photo Gallery for Packages in Category
--------------------------------------------
Shows up to sixteen images of the packages in the current category.  Images can be clicked to see the next image if there is more than one.  Images can also be double clicked to select it in the Hangar.  Hovering your mouse over an images shows the package name.

Tools/Photo Gallery for All Packages
------------------------------------
Same as above except for all Packages.

Tools/List Unused Gauges in MSFS Gauges Directory
-------------------------------------------------
This option looks at each gauge file (.gau) in the MSFS "gauges" directory and searches throught the MSFS aircraft directory to see if it is actually used in any of the panels.  The procedure used in this option is also used each time you uninstall a package from MSFS to see if the gauges that were initially installed with the package are still being used.  If the gauge file is still being used, that particular file would not be uninstalled.
You may optionally delete the gauges listed by selecting them (use CTRL or SHIFT + select if needed) and selecting the "Delete" button.

Tools/Import image for package
------------------------------
Use this option to quickly assign a jpg or gif image file to the current package.

Tools/Compress all packages
---------------------
Compresses all files with .bmp (bitmap) and .gau (gauge) for all the packages in the Hangar.  These files can take up a lot of space and are highly compressable.

Tools/Decompress all packages
-----------------------
Opposite of "Compress all packages".

Tools/Uninstall all packages from MSFS
--------------------------------------
Use this tool to uninstall all the packages in the current Hangar which are currently installed in MSFS.

Tools/Run Flight Simulator
--------------------
This runs Flight Simulator and shuts down Hangar Manager.



===================
5.  General Options
===================

Package Name
------------
Every package needs a unique name no matter what category it's in.  HM will initially check for an aircraft name in the aircraft.cfg file, if one exists, and  populate the Package Name with it automatically.  This name can be overridden.  HM will check the hangar and MSFS directories for name duplication and alert you if one exists.
NOTE:  While you're in the "Hangar" area, packages installed in MSFS will have their names enclosed in brackets like this ... <Package Name>

Package Category
----------------
When you start up HM, a set of categories will be created for you.  These categories are simply a set of directories under the Hangar directory and aid in  organizing your packages into groups so that you can easily find what you're looking for.  These directories can be renamed, removed or added to via Windows  Explorer in order to create your own set of categories, even while the directories contain packages, installed in MSFS or not.  (You'll have to restart HM in  order to see category changes).  Note that these category directories will not automatically be created if the Hangar directory contains one or more directories when you start HM.

Options
-------
Pick an option from the dropdown list and hit the "Go!" button to activate it.  More info on these options are listed under the Staging Options and Hangar  Options sections below.

Go To Staging/Go To Hangar
--------------------------
This option toggles between the two areas.

Refresh
-------
This option will display the latest contents of the Staging directory or the latest contents of the currently selected package in the Hangar directory.  This  option is especially useful while you're using the Staging area because it changes frequently while you are unzipping components of an aircraft and/or panel  and/or sound configuration to that directory.

Explore
-------
This option will open the currently selected area (directory) in Windows Explorer if you would like to see more information on files.  
WARNING:  This option should only be used as an informational tool only or if you're familiar with the way Hangar Manager operates.  For example, if you modify  files in the Hangar directory while they are installed in MSFS, you might run into problems when you try to uninstall the package from MSFS.



===================
6.  Staging Options
===================

Copy package to Hangar
----------------------
This will copy the package components as shown in Staging and copy them to the "Hangar" directory.  Note that you should select the category that you'd like the  package to belong to while you're in the Staging area.

Remove all from Staging
-----------------------
This will remove all components from Staging.  If Staging contains files, you'll see words to that effect in the title bar.  It is important that the Staging  area (directory) is clear before files for a new package are put into it.

Remove panel from Staging
-------------------------
This will just remove the panel components from Staging and leave everything else intact, if for some reason you need to do this.  For example, if you want to  replace the panel for the aircraft with another and do not want to use an alias (see below) you would use this option to clear out the original panel before  dropping the new panel files into the Staging directory.

Remove sound from Staging
-------------------------
This will just remove the sound configuration (sound.cfg and .wav files which are used in the sound.cfg) from Staging and leave everything else intact, if for some reason you need to do this.  For example, if you want to  replace the sound configuration for the aircraft with another and do not want to use an alias (see below) you would use this option to clear out the original  sound configuration before dropping the new sound config into the Staging directory.

Remove aircraft from Staging
----------------------------
Same idea as removing the panel or sound configuration from Staging but in this case you will just be removing the aircraft components themselves leaving  everything else in tact.

Process ZIP file into Staging
-----------------------------
Select this option to unzip a package (i.e. aircraft, panel etc.) into the Staging directory.

Import package from MSFS
------------------------
This brings up a list of aircraft that you currently have installed in MSFS which are not in the current Hangar.  From the list, you choose which package to import into the Staging area.  This process first copies the files into the staging area and then scans the MSFS gauge directory for gauges which the package uses and copies them to the Staging area as well.  If you copy the package to the Hangar without changing the name, the package will show up as already installed in MSFS and you can then uninstall it etc.

Notes:  You can use this option on all stock MSFS aircraft.  For aircraft with multiple configurations like the C182 and Mooney Bravo in FS2000 (they have IFR configs etc), you will be prompted which configuration you want but you should not try to use Hangar Manager to remove them from MSFS.  For the rest of the stock aircraft, you can do anything you'd like with them as long as you accept the package name that Hangar Manager assigns since the package name in Hangar Manager and in MSFS has to match for you to use HM to uninstall them.  



==================
7.  Hangar Options
==================

Copy package to MSFS
--------------------
This will take the currently selected package and copy it to Microsoft Flight Simulator.

Copy package to Staging
-----------------------
This will take the currently selected package and copy it to the Staging directory.  This is the option you'd use if you want to rework the aircraft/panel/sounds  with different components.

Remove package from MSFS
------------------------
This will remove the currently selected package from Microsoft Flight Simulator.  This is a "smart" removal process where each gauge that was  initially installed with the package will be checked to see if it is still being used by another panel currently installed in MSFS and will not be removed if so.

Remove package from Hangar
--------------------------
This will remove the currently selected package from the Hangar.  You will be prompted to remove it from MSFS first as well, if installed  in MSFS.

Rename Package/Aircraft
-----------------------
You can used this option to rename the package or the Aircraft name as it appears in MSFS.

NOTES about aliases (re the following options):
-----------------------------------------------
HM is designed such that you could contain an aircraft/panel/sound combo in a single package but this would lead to panel and/or sound file duplication since a  panel or sound configuration can, and often is, used by more than one aircraft.  It is therefore recommended that you store a panel or sound configuration in its  own package and point to it via the alias functions of the panel.cfg and sound.cfg files.  You can set up these alias files easily with the following options:  

Create panel alias
------------------
To use the "Create panel alias" option, just select a package containing the desired panel that you would like to use in another aircraft, select the "Create  panel alias" option and click the GO! button.

Paste panel alias
-----------------
Once you have selected the "Create panel alias" option, you can easily create a new panel.cfg file for any aircraft in the Hangar by selecting this option.  If a  panel.cfg file already exists for the aircraft it will be renamed to oldpanel.cfg so that you can easily restore it with the "Restore old panel" option.  Note  that if an oldpanel.cfg file exists for aircraft selected for subsequent usage of the "Paste panel alias" option, oldpanel.cfg will not be changed and the  current panel.cfg file will be overwritten.

Restore old panel
-----------------
This will restore the original panel of an aircraft that was replaced using the "Paste panel alias" option.  HM will simply overwrite the panel.cfg file in the  package with the oldpanel.cfg file if one exists.

Create sound alias
------------------
To use the "Create sound alias" option, just select a package containing the desired sound configuration that you would like to use in another aircraft, select  the "Create sound alias" option and click the GO! button.

Paste sound alias
-----------------
Once you have selected the "Create sound alias" option, you can easily create a new sound.cfg file for any aircraft in the Hangar by selecting this option.  If a  sound.cfg file already exists for the aircraft it will be renamed to oldsound.cfg so that you can easily restore it with the "Restore old sound" option.  Note  that if an oldsound.cfg file exists for aircraft selected for subsequent usage of the "Paste sound alias" option, oldsound.cfg will not be changed and the  current sound.cfg file will be overwritten.

Restore old sound
-----------------
This will restore the original sound configuration of an aircraft that was replaced using the "Paste sound alias" option.  HM will simply overwrite the sound.cfg  file in the package with the oldsound.cfg file if one exists.

Compress package
----------------
Compresses all files with .bmp (bitmap) and .gau (gauge) for the current package.  These files can take up a lot of space and are highly compressable.

Decompress package
------------------
Opposite of "Compress package".



======
Images
======

You can use the "Del" button beside the Image box to delete the current image or the "1st" button to make the current image the first to be displayed for the package.

Did the author of a package leave out pictures of the product?  You can easily create your own if you have an image converter that can convert .bmp files to .jpg or .gif files.  These image converters are freely available on the internet.  All you need to do is "take a picture" of whatever you'd like in MSFS by hitting the Print Screen button.  This captures whatever is currently shown on your screen into the "clipboard".  Once this is done you can run the Microsoft Paint program and select the Edit/Paste option.  You can then save the image as a .bmp file and use your image converter to convert it to a .jpg or .gif file.  Once this is done, use the "Import image for package" tool to assign the image to the current package.



=======================
NOTES ABOUT COMPRESSION
=======================

I initially took the "disk is cheap" stand on this issue and didn't include compression in Hangar Manager until version 2.3.  I included compression because I found that bitmap (bmp) and gauge (gau) files take up a pathetically large amount of space.  I then found that bmp files could be 97% compressed (!) and gauge files upwards of 70%.  Wav files also take up a good amount of space but I found that they weren't very compressable at all.

Bottom line is you can expect to compress your packages upwards of 75% and your collection should take up less than half the amount of space it used to.  This also helps people who are trying to fit their entire collection on a CD rom.

Package compression is only enabled in the "Hangar" area and optional per package (added two toolbar buttons for this).  You can find "Compress all packages" and "Decompress all packages" options under the Tools menu.

When copying packages to MSFS or Staging, compressed files are automatically detected and decompressed into the destination directory.

Please note that while bmp and gau files are compressed they will not function as their extension specifies.  Instead they are in a compressed state.  The compression format is a "zip" format and is compatible with programs like Winzip but you should never have to unzip any of them manually.