Dealing with .xml filenames

Farming Simulator uses xml files for it’s configuration. Just about everything the game engine needs to know is in an xml file somewhere.

Here are some tips for working with xml filenames:

On Windows computers in their default configuration, telling which file is an I3D file and which is an XML file is pretty difficult, especially if the files have the same base name. The only noticeable difference is the file’s icon because Windows tries to be helpful and friendly by hiding the file name extensions (the last few letters in the filename after a period, for example in modDesc.xml, the .xml is the extension).

In my opinion, this helpful hiding feature of Windows causes more confusion than help. Fortunately, there’s a fix. From Windows Explorer, click the Organize button in the upper left of the window and choose Folder and search options. In the Folder Options dialog that pops up, go to the View tab and look for a checkbox labeled “Hide extensions for known file types.” Disable that checkbox, and you can then see file extensions in any Windows Explorer window or file browser dialog.

Also note that the game doesn’t like spaces in xml filenames. Instead of a space, use an underscore (my_mod.xml). If the game comes across a file with spaces, it will give an error and won’t load the mod.