.vp files are sort of like .zip files, except they have no compression; they are used only to group files. So, one file contains many files/folders. Now, the actual folders you see in the FS dir are the same as those in the .vp files... some vp files have files in them that are located in the /data/tables directory, for example. Those files are .tbl and .tbm You can do the same for any other type of file - CBAnims are Command Briefing Animations; they are in tango1_fs2.vp, tango2_fs2.vp, & tango3_fs2.vp
If you have AniView installed, as well as VPView, and VPView knows where to get AniView (IIRC, if you use Turey's Installer, it does...), then if you double-click an ani file in VPView, it will extract it to a temporary directory, and call AniView to look at it. From there you can save it to another location. (File - save as ani...) Of course, if you know which one you want, you can just extract it from VPView. But you don't need that to just view the file; close AniView when you're done, and then close VPView (or the temporary file might not be deleted).
An overview of how .vp files / actual directories work:
If there is a file with the same name in the actual data tree (\freespace2\data\tables\ships.tbl , for example) it will override the file with the same name in the .vp file directory tree (\freespace2\root_fs2.vp /data/tables/ships.tbl)
If you are running a mod (using -mod mod1,mod2,mediavps or using the "mod" option in the launcher - more on that later), then the running mod's actual files (freespace2\mod1\data\tables\ships.tbl) override its .vp files (freespace2\mod1\mod1tables.vp /data/tables/ships.tbl) Mod1's .vp file file or its actual file ships.tbl will override either of mod2's files, be it .vp or real. mod2 overrides mediavps (or mod3, whatever), and mediavps overrides default fs2 actual / vp file files.
So: within a mod level (mod1 or other, or default fs), actual files override .vp file files. Whichever one is active in that mod level overrides any mod level beneath it. If something is not found (eg, ships.tbl), then the next available file in the hierarchy is used (first actual file, then .vp file file, then onto next level down actual, then .vp file file, then next level... you get the picture).
Ok, now: the -mod switch allows you to specify mod levels, eg -mod dem,fsport,mediavps tell FS Launcher that you want to play the Deus Ex Machina mod, which requires the FSPort mod, which requires the mediavps mod, which of course requires FS2 dem files take precedence over fsport files, which take precedence over mediavps, which take precedence over default fs2. Of course, if you just want the mediavps extra effects and you want to play FS2, then just use -mod mediavps similarly, to use FSPort, use -mod fsport,mediavps
Now, in each mod directory, there is / should be a mod.ini file. This file simplifies things greatly:
[quote author = Deus Ex Machina ("dem") mod.ini][multimod]
primarylist = ;
secondarylist = fsport,mediavps[/quote]
This allows you to just select "dem" in the MOD tab in the Launcher: then it does the rest for you, as it looks at dem's mod.ini for the rest. (The only thing it uses is secondarylist = fsport,mediavps primarylist isn't used.)
Help any?
