AERIS

AERIS Advanced Usage Guide

This guide is intended for repository maintainers and advanced users who want to host AERIS livery packs and manage multiple presets or repositories.

Repository Rules

Repository Location A single AERIS repository must reside entirely within a single folder. All files that belong to the repository must be in this folder.
Repository Membership AERIS only manages files explicitly listed in the repository’s version file. Any other files in the folder are ignored.
Subfolders Subfolders can be used to organize multiple repositories. Each subfolder contains a complete, independent repository with its own version file and zip files. If subfolders are used, the user’s config.json must set remote_subfolder to point to the correct subfolder.
Multiple Repositories Multiple repositories can technically exist in the same folder if all their files are unique and do not collide, but this is strongly discouraged. The preferred method is one repository per folder.

Example structure with multiple repositories using subfolders:

<repo-root>/
 ├─ aeris_f4e/                # Repository 1
 │   ├─ aeris-f4e_version.txt
 │   ├─ F4E_PhantomII.zip
 │   └─ ...
 └─ aeris_f16/                # Repository 2
     ├─ aeris-f16_version.txt
     ├─ F16C_FightingFalcon.zip
     └─ ...

Version File Format

Naming The version file must be prefixed with the preset ID as configured in the preset. Example: aeris-f4e_version.txt where aeris-f4e is the preset ID.
User-Facing Information The top section of the version file should be readable by users. It can include:
- Changelog description
- Notes about the repository
- URL to the repository
- Support contacts

Example:

# Example Squadron Liveries — F-4E Phantom II (DCS)

This is the changelog for F-4E Phantom II liveries in DCS World.
It lists all file changes for each release so you can see what has
been added, updated, or removed.

The livery updates are provided by Example Squadron.
You can always check the latest version online:
https://example.com/dcsrepo/liveries/f-4e_version.txt

For questions or support, contact support@example.com.

Release Lines Each release starts with a line release-<version>. Subsequent lines list file changes in a semi-colon separated format:

action;filename.zip;optional message

action: new, update, delete
filename.zip: exact file name on the server (case sensitive)
optional message: any notes for the user

Example:

release-2.1.1
update;COMMON_SEA_WRAP.zip
delete;Old_Livery_Folder.zip
new;COMMON_E1.zip;New Euro One files

release-2.1.0
new;COMMON_SEA_WRAP.zip
update;COMMON_SEA.zip

release-1.0.0
new;COMMON_SEA_WRAP.zip
update;COMMON_SEA.zip
new;Old_Livery_Folder.zip

Zip File Layout Guidelines

AERIS can handle several common zip layouts, but following these standards ensures predictable behavior.

Alternative Acceptable Layout

Zip contains a single folder named after the livery:

F4E_PhantomII.zip
 └─ F4E_PhantomII/
     ├─ description.lua
     ├─ texture.dds
     ├─ texture2.dds

Files are extracted into the folder in the zip.

Layouts to Avoid

Multiple liveries in a single zip or multiple top-level folders within a repository are discouraged. If unavoidable, AERIS will wrap them in a folder named after the zip, but predictable behavior is not guaranteed.

Presets and Multi-Repo Management

AERIS uses a /presets folder and *.set files to manage presets. Multiple presets are supported in a clean, modular way.

Preset File Format

Preset files are YAML by default (*.set), though JSON is also supported. Each preset file must be named after the preset ID it contains (e.g., example_preset.set). The first line/key is the preset ID.

Example example_preset.set content:

example_preset:
  preset_version: 2
  name: Example Preset
  folder: example
  remote_subfolder: https://86thvfw.com/aeris/example_preset/
  date_created: '2025-11-18T01:46:50Z'
  last_edited: '2025-11-18T01:47:51Z'

Field explanations:

preset_version - Indicates the version of the preset file. Not currently used but required.
name - Friendly name of the preset, shown in the UI.
folder - Target folder in the user’s liveries folder (eg. f-16c, f-4e-45mc).
remote_subfolder - Absolute URL to the remote repository containing the version file and zip files. This folder must be flat relative to the version file.
date_created - Timestamp of when the preset file was first created.
last_edited - Timestamp of the most recent edit.

Date Format: ISO 8601 in UTC. Example: 'YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SSZ'

T separates the date and time.
Z indicates UTC time.

Creating Presets

Presets can be created entirely inside the program via the config menu. You can also import preset files into the /presets folder. The program will recognize them and allow you to import them. Once imported, a preset can be set as default.

Presets can also created manually following the shown format. Make sure the preset imports correctly and displays correct in the program before distributing it.

Best Practices

Keep version files human-readable; include preamble with contact info and repo URL.
Only files listed in the version file are managed by AERIS.
Always update the version file before uploading new zips.
Test zip layouts locally before publishing.
Use clear naming conventions for zips and version files.
Ensure remote_subfolder points to a valid, flat URL structure for downloads.

Troubleshooting

Missing or incorrect filenames in version files prevent updates. Check case sensitivity.
Zip layout errors may cause files to end up in unexpected folders. Follow recommended structure.
Multiple repositories in one folder: avoid collisions; using separate folders is strongly recommended.
Invalid Presets are usually caused by a mismatch of the id of the file and the filename, or invalid formatting inside of the *.set file.

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