Config Studio is a "Swiss Army Knife" for your Prepar3D config files (CFG & XML).
Developers and enthusiasts alike often need to tweak a configuration file to get the sim running just right, or perhaps troubleshoot an FS add-on that might not be loading.
This utility allows you to easily locate, edit, save, backup and restore these important files in a code editor, similar to an IDE (Integrated Development Environment) with syntax highlighting to improve readability of the files.
You can work with the files in Expert Mode by directly typing into the Code Editor, or in Guided Mode by clicking the Navigation Tree and the XML Tool Panel buttons.
XML File Validation can also be performed to ensure the format is correct. The Code Editor will endeavour to highlight any lines that have potential problems.
All editions of Prepar3D (v1 to v5) are supported, these are the files handled by this utility:
Some of these files are generated by P3D, others not, but either way Config Studio has you covered if you need to work with any of them.
Config Studio takes very special care not to change your original files and handles them as outlined in the Your Config Files Are Sacred! part of this User Manual.
Config Studio has very modest requirements:
Config Studio is a self-contained or standalone app (.exe), so there is no need for a setup program.
Simply extract the ConfigStudioP3D.exe file from the ZIP you downloaded from TweakFS to any folder of your choice, even to the Desktop if you wish.
Alternatively, you can place it in a folder and create a desktop shortcut, or pin it to your Taskbar.
Conversely, to uninstall Config Studio simply delete the ConfigStudioP3D.exe file.
The latest build of this utility will always be available on the main TweakFS Downloads page.
However there is a quicker, more convenient way to keep the app updated. On startup, Config Studio performs a check for any newer version of the utility.
If there is a new version available a message will appear along the lower status bar, beside the version number. You can click that message to download the latest build to your desktop. You can also perform this check any time by clicking the version number.
Simply extract the ConfigStudioP3D.exe file from the ZIP archive and replace your existing copy.
Launching Config Studio is easy, you just need to execute the application file:
Config Studio comes as a free 30-day demo. If you have purchased a registration key (thanks!) you can unlock it this way:
To purchase a key, please visit TweakFS or one of the 3rd-party vendors who distribute on our behalf.
If you're an expert and are very comfortable directly editing config files, knowing exactly what you want to achieve, then just type away into the code editor!
If you are not entirely sure how to edit the config files, or would like some guidance you can do so without touching the code editor at all.
For the CFG Files, double-clicking on the Navigation Tree will display a panel and allows you to edit the value you have selected.
For the XML Files, use the XML Tool Panel buttons to add/remove entries.
Button | Name | Description |
---|---|---|
Sim Version | Allows you to quickly switch between the supported versions of Prepar3D (v1 to v5). | |
SDK Links | Gives you easy access to several key pages from the Prepar3D SDK web site. This menu is customisable, see the Custom SDK Links Menu section below. | |
User Manual | Opens your web browser to display this User Manual. | |
TweakFS | Opens your web browser to the TweakFS Website. | |
Options | Displays the Options panel. This is also where you can add your registration information. |
Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, the URL of a page can change or you may wish to point these menus to other web addresses, or perhaps even your own.
To customise the links in the SDK toolbar button menu, open your Config Studio settings file (ConfigStudioP3D.ini) with a text editor. You can find it here (shut down Config Studio first):
C:\Users\YOUR_USERNAME\AppData\Roaming\TweakFS\Config Studio P3D\ConfigStudioP3D.ini
Then add these options as required (listed here in the same order as in the menu):
[URLS]
SDKMainIndexUrl=ADD_YOUR_WEB_URL_HERE
SDKPrepar3DCfgUrl=ADD_YOUR_WEB_URL_HERE
SDKSceneryCfgUrl=ADD_YOUR_WEB_URL_HERE
SDKTerrainCfgUrl=ADD_YOUR_WEB_URL_HERE
SDKCamerasCfgUrl=ADD_YOUR_WEB_URL_HERE
SDKDllExeXmlUrl=ADD_YOUR_WEB_URL_HERE
SDKSimConnectXmlUrl=ADD_YOUR_WEB_URL_HERE
In between the Toolbar and the Tabs is an area that displays status messages:
It displays notifications on XML File Validation results and file operations (save, backup & restore).
The files are loaded into dedicated Tabs for quick, easy switching:
Along the top under the Tabs are a series of controls, from left to right:
The Navigation Tree on the left panel of the Code Editor displays a visual representation of the structure of the file. It allows you to quickly jump to the relevant section of the file:
On double-clicking, the Edit Value dialog appears, and makes changing a setting easy:
The Code Editor displays the file contents with Syntax Highlighting to make it easier to see the structure of the file. You can also enable a Dark Mode option if you prefer it (see the Options panel).
If the file is not detected, a message in the Code Editor will confirm it. To create one you can:
Clicking the Backup button will display a panel with the full folder & file path to the backup file.
The format for the backup filename is based on a timestamp:
filename.extension.YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS.backup
An example of this format follows:
exe.xml.20191103_111441.backup
You can also add an optional comment to more easily identify the restore point (recommended):
Clicking the Restore button displays any available backups, including the Original Backup:
On selecting a backup you can also see the associated comments.
You can also remove any unwanted backups by selecting them and pressing DEL on your keyboard.
Deleting the Original Backup is also possible, but please see FAQ - How Do I Generate a New Original Backup File? if you intend using this feature.
When viewing XML files (DLL or EXE variety), the lower panel will display set of handy tools:
Button | Name | Description |
---|---|---|
Validate XML | Runs the XML File Validation on the code in the editor. | |
Insert Section* | Inserts a new section. | |
Remove Section* | Remove a section by selecting it from a list. |
Any of modifications via these tools are performed on the XML that is in the Code Editor, they are not written to the actual XML file until you click the Save button.
Clicking the Insert button will bring up a Wizard to easily add or update an add-on (DLL or EXE) or a server (SimConnect).
For DLL add-ons it will look like this:
For EXE add-ons it will look like this:
For SimConnect Servers it will look like this:
Clicking the Remove button displays a panel where you can select the add-on or server:
The XML file tabs include a Validation button. Clicking it will perform a syntax check of the XML code that is currently shown in the editor.
As you may know, a single character out of place can render the XML file unusable and prevent the add-on(s) from loading. This feature can help you fix up the XML if an error is found.
A status message will appear in the top message panel to indicate if the validation passed. If a problem was found it will report the issue. The validation will also attempt to highlight the offending line in red.
Things to keep in mind regarding how XML Validation works:
It will not alert you to any incorrect values you may have entered relating to an add-on (e.g. wrong path or other configuration settings). It only checks the XML code structure for the correct syntax (i.e. makes sure it is formatted correctly).
Sometimes the line that is highlighted in red may appear to be fine, but it could be pointing out a closing tag (e.g. </Launch.Addon>
) that does not have a corresponding opening tag (e.g. <Launch.Addon>
) a few lines further up.
The following is a brief description of each file and its function(s). More detailed information can be found by clicking the SDK Info inks (v4 referenced).
File | Default* | Description | SDK Info |
---|---|---|---|
Prepar3D.Cfg | Yes | Main configuration file for Prepar3D which stores simulation and graphics options. It is automatically generated when you first run the sim, or after the file is deleted. Any changes made to the settings from within the sim are saved to this file. You can also add some custom tweaks to this file. | View |
Scenery.Cfg | Yes | The scenery library is stored in this file. The scenery layers are numbered and stacked in order of display from lowermost (lower numbers) to topmost (higher numbers). It can also be used to exclude certain types of scenery. | View |
Terrain.Cfg | Yes | Maps texture information for vector data, contains flattening information and controls the placement of some features. | View |
Cameras.Cfg | Yes | Contains camera definitions. | View |
Dll.xml | No | Loads DLL (Dynamic Link Library) type add-ons. Usually installed by or added to by a 3rd-party add-on installer. | View |
Exe.xml | No | Loads EXE (Executable) type add-ons. Usually installed by or added to by a 3rd-party add-on installer. | View |
SimConnect.xml | No | SimConnect server communication information. Usually installed by or added to by a 3rd-party add-on installer. | View |
OK, maybe not quite, but this utility still treats them as such.
Editing your simulator's config files can be a daunting task and making a mistake can cause issues.
With Config Studio, your files are handled with the utmost respect as follows:
An initial set of original backup files are made the first time you run Config Studio. *
Your original config files are sacrosanct, Config Studio does not edit them directly. #
Config Studio will only save changes if you explicitly tell it to (i.e. clicking the Save button).
Any change can be rolled back to the original file, or a user-created backup (click Restore).
You can make multiple backups and have any number of restore points.
Config Studio will display the full folder paths of files being worked on, including the backups.
Absolutely not! As described in the section above entitled Your Config Files Are Sacred!, this utility preserves the original files so you can roll back any changes with a few clicks. Config Studio uses a "working" file that is essentially a copy of the originals.
So you've been tweaking a lot, and now have a config file set "just so". You now want it to be the new Original Backup, but it differs from the first original file created by Config Studio.
How do you elevate this new file to the hallowed Original status? Simply click the Restore button, select the original backup file and press the DEL key on your keyboard. The next time you start Config Studio, your current file will become the new original backup restore point.*
No, but if there is sufficient interest we may consider it. We actually already have a number of free utilities which cover some of the files handled by Config Studio. You can find them in the Free Tools section of our website.
Sometimes the validation flags a line that is not the one that, for example, is missing an opening tag (e.g. <Launch.Addon>
) or part of it is missing. That is how XML validation works, it could be simply pointing to a closing tag (e.g. </Launch.Addon>
) that does not have a corresponding opening tag further up.
Absolutely! If there is a feature you would like to see implemented in a future update, or you want to report a bug please don't hesitate to Contact Us, we'd love to hear your feedback.
TweakFS has been providing many free and commercial utilities to Flight Sim developers and the general community for over 15 years. Our expertise and technologies can be found in some of the top FS products, including FS2Crew, MegaSceneryEarth and FSWidgets.
Need help, want to report a bug or is there a feature you would like to see implemented in a future update? Don't hesitate to Contact Us, we're here to help.
Version 1.2.0.0 (18 Oct, 2021)
Version 1.1.0.0 (20 Apr, 2020)
Added - Support for Prepar3D v5
Fixed - Assorted minor fixes and improvements
Version 1.0.0.0 (16 Dec, 2019) - Initial Release