The Dangerous Config File Thread

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The Dangerous Config File Thread

Postby de Carabas » Sun Jul 05, 2015 6:20 am

This thread is intended to be the place to go to when you looking for hints and tips or what you can change in Elite Dangerous through playing with the various configuration files used by the game. Please feel free to add other changes that you use, or are aware of and I will add the references in this first post. Also, feel free to point out who I should be crediting!

Some of the file locations assume a default installation path. You may have changed the install location. Loriath points out here that there is a tool created by realdragnet on the Frontier Forum that can help to make some of these changes. At the moment, changes made by this tool would need to be redone after an upgrade.

Backup Bindings

First up, always make sure you have a copy of your bindings file. This holds the buttons, keys, toggles etc that you have defined for the various controls used when flying your ship. If you make a bad change to your settings or lose them when starting the game without the right controller plugged in, it's great to simply copy your backup to the original location and load up the game again.

The file is C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Frontier Developments\Elite Dangerous\Options\Bindings\Custom.binds on Windows (can anyone confirm for OSX?). If you can't see your AppData folder then check that windows is showing Hidden folders.

HUD colours

By changing some values in an xml file you can change the look of your HUD colours. This can be done in two ways. The first is by editing <install directory>\EDLaunch\Products\FORC-FDEV-D-1001\GraphicsConfiguration.xml. The second is to update (or create) C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Frontier Developments\Elite Dangerous\Options\Graphics\GraphicsConfigurationOverride.xml .
My suggestion would be to go for option two as this allows entered values to persist through upgrades. All details and links to the info (including a tool to help choose colours) can be found here
viewtopic.php?f=5&t=679
https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthrea ... ost1224653
https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthrea ... ost1226693
https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthrea ... ost1243966
(links from Flip)

My GraphicsConfigurationOverride.xml looks like

Code: Select all

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
<GraphicsConfig>
    <GUIColour>
        <Default>
            <LocalisationName>Standard</LocalisationName>
            <MatrixRed> 0.35, 0.15, 3.5 </MatrixRed>
         <MatrixGreen> -0.5, 2, -1.25 </MatrixGreen>
         <MatrixBlue> 1.75, -1, -0.4 </MatrixBlue>
        </Default>
    </GUIColour>
</GraphicsConfig>


Galaxy Map Preferences

This may only effect those that have been playing for a while that don't have the right options defined in their xml file. However, if you find that the default navigation method resets from fastest every time you start the game you can stop that happening.
The easiest way to fix this is to find the following folder and delete it (just the Player folder!).

C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Frontier Developments\Elite Dangerous\Options\Player\

When you next start the game it will be recreated and allow your Galaxy map choices to be saved, without impacting anything else.

Verbose Logging

Some 3rd party tools use information from the games log files to record where you have travelled to or other information.
If you want to enable this you need to add VerboseLogging="1" to the Network section in <install directory>\EDLaunch\Products\FORC-FDEV-D-1001\AppConfig.xml

mine looks like

Code: Select all

 
<Network
Port="0"
upnpenabled="1"
LogFile="netLog"
DatestampLog="1"
VerboseLogging="1"
>

For error reporting Frontier have asked that you also add ReportSentLetters="1" and ReportReceivedLetters="1" to that section.

This is also where you would make a change if you want to use a specified port for the game instead of allowing upnp to sort it all out for you. However, according to this thread https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=11361 this may no longer be valid.

Persistent AppConfig

For ensuring that changes to AppConfig.xml persist after upgrades, the values can be added to AppConfigLocal.xml in the same directory.
Details below from Loriath
viewtopic.php?p=27166#p27157
Last edited by de Carabas on Sun Jul 05, 2015 6:52 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: The Dangerous Config File Thread

Postby Loriath » Sun Jul 05, 2015 8:28 am

The one issue I have is that with every update, Frontier overwrites the AppConfig.xml file with their defaults. This is problematic if you require changes in there for logging or network settings. Most of the Third Party apps will now check and change the file to enable verbose settings. But it is still a pain.

To get around this, I would suggest putting your changes in the AppConfigLocal.xml file. This file gets read after the regular AppConfig.xml and will override any settings in the standard file. Its format is similar to the standard file but is much less detailed. Here is the example of mine so you can see the format:

Code: Select all

<AppConfig>
   <PlanetNoiseTextures
   Enabled="1"
   ShaderWarmingEnabled="0"
   ShaderWarmingDialogAnimTimeInMs="600"
   />
    
    <Network
   Port="0"
   upnpenabled="1"
   LogFile="netLog"
   DatestampLog="1"
   VerboseLogging="1">
   </Network>
</AppConfig>


As you can see I have the standard Verbose Logging enabled, but I have also included some texture settings that are specific for my system.

The benefit is that this file is not changed by updates so it will persist in settings.
NOTE: There has been some reports that during some of the latest updates that this file is being deleted. This is a bug, but to ensure that it cannot be deleted you should mark this file as read only. I only know how to do this on the PC as I have no idea how to do it on the MAC.

1. Right Click on the file and choose properties.
2. At the bottom of the General Tab, check the box that says Read Only.
3. Click OK.

This will keep it from being deleted or changed by any updates. If you have to make later changes, you will not be able to unless you repeat the steps above and UNCheck the Read Only, edit and save changes, then repeat and make it Read Only again.

I hope this helps some of you with the annoyance of having to edit the AppConfig file every update because if you are like me, you forget.
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Re: The Dangerous Config File Thread

Postby de Carabas » Sun Jul 05, 2015 9:59 am

Nice one Loriath. Does that new file go in the same location as AppConfig.xml?
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Re: The Dangerous Config File Thread

Postby Loriath » Sun Jul 05, 2015 10:31 am

de Carabas wrote:Nice one Loriath. Does that new file go in the same location as AppConfig.xml?


Yes same location. If you do a search in the FD forums for AppConfigLocal.xml you will see where even Michael Brookes suggests using it. I only found out about it about a week ago.
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Re: The Dangerous Config File Thread

Postby TorTorden » Sun Jul 05, 2015 12:34 pm

Excellent writeup, I'm bookmarking this :D
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Re: The Dangerous Config File Thread

Postby JohnLuke » Sun Jul 05, 2015 4:30 pm

de Carabas wrote:Galaxy Map Preferences

This may only effect those that have been playing for a while that don't have the right options defined in their xml file. However, if you find that the default navigation method resets from fastest every time you start the game you can stop that happening.
The easiest way to fix this is to find the following folder and delete it (just the Player folder!).

C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Frontier Developments\Elite Dangerous\Options\Player\

When you next start the game it will be recreated and allow your Galaxy map choices to be saved, without impacting anything else.


OMG! Thank You!! :D The map preferences thing has been nagging at me since day one. I never could understand why it wouldn't save my preferances! i renamed the player folder just in case.... and it saves my settings now. Just like a good little galaxy map should. :D

Can't wait to see what other gems pop up in this thread.
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Re: The Dangerous Config File Thread

Postby Loriath » Sun Jul 05, 2015 5:44 pm

For those that want a quick no hassle way to enable Verbose Logging, and be able to backup your keybing files I will point to this handy utility that I had been using until I learned of the AppConfigLocal trick.

It's called EDConfig. https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=116684

It allows you to add whatever lines you need such as custom port and upnpenabled=0 and verbose logging =1 and then each time there is a patch, after you are up to date, run the util, hit apply and it will quickly add the changes back to the AppConfig.xml file.

It will also find your custom bindings folder and will back them up to a folder you specify so that you can have a copy in case something gets hosed. If you find yourself with a screwed up binding file, you run this, hit restore and it will put the backup back in place. Easy.
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Re: The Dangerous Config File Thread

Postby de Carabas » Sun Jul 05, 2015 6:54 pm

Loriath wrote:For those that want a quick no hassle way to enable Verbose Logging, and be able to backup your keybing files I will point to this handy utility that I had been using until I learned of the AppConfigLocal trick.


Nice. Added it to the start of the first post. I'll also drop the author a note that it might be good if his app wrote to the two xml files that keep the settings after an upgrade.
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Re: The Dangerous Config File Thread

Postby Loriath » Sun Jul 05, 2015 7:03 pm

I am a wealth of knowledge of crazy things. I think it stems from others getting ideas and me thinking there has to be a way and start to exercise my Google Fu powers. I end up with all sorts of stuff being jammed into my head that then gets triggered by someone else asking the same question. Then it falls out of my brain.

But I can't remember where I left my car keys.
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Re: The Dangerous Config File Thread

Postby de Carabas » Sun Jul 05, 2015 7:07 pm

Loriath wrote:I am a wealth of knowledge of crazy things. I think it stems from others getting ideas and me thinking there has to be a way and start to exercise my Google Fu powers. I end up with all sorts of stuff being jammed into my head that then gets triggered by someone else asking the same question. Then it falls out of my brain.

But I can't remember where I left my car keys.


If I ever need to know a lyric of an obscure 80's band I'll let you know. If I remember it was you that might know.
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