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    IL-2 File Structure

   The IL-2 file structure is fairly easy. In short, there are a number of folders that always have the same names, you have seen those already: 3do, i18n, com, etc. There can be lots of folder with these names: they are found in the Files directory, and in a whole bunch of subdirectories of the MODS folder.

Originally, when the first Wrapper came out, all the modded files and folders were stored in the Files folder, but as the mods community grew so did the number of available mods, and the Files directory started looking very much like a mess, not mentioning the infamous fileslist.txt file where one typo equates a missing file...

Fortunately, QTim saved us once again: he released the "new" wrapper (it *was* new when it was released) that reads from 2 folders in sequence. First the MODS folder, and then the FILES folder, but the real change was that the new wrapper doesnt read directly into the MODS folder: it reads from all the folders stored *inside* the MODS directory one by one, in alphabetical order, making possible to install each mod in its own folder (not really needed if you know what you're doing, but it surely helps a lot when you dont. And while you're learning, of course)

So, let's go trhough iy again, real quick: the game needs its file structure which is made of all these folders called 3do, i18n, com, blahblahblah. They are stored in the Files folder or in the MODS folder.

The difference between FILES and MODS directories is that the wrapper will read game folders and files (3do, com, i18n, blahblahblah) stored into the Files folder, but in order for the wrapper to read in the MODS directory, games folders (3do, come,. blah) must be stored in another folder, which in turn is stored in the MODS folder. This 'extra' folder can be called any name as long as it doesnt begin in - or some other characters (dont remember what carachters can be used at the beginning of a file or folder name. Just make all your names begin in letters or numbers and you'll be OK)

You still with me?
Well I didnt really expected that you would

Let's make an example, that will be much easyer. We make a one-file mod that replaces a file in the FW190 A4's cockpit. A simple mod that only replaces one picture in the cockpit.
The file in question will have to be installed in 3do/cockpit/fw-190a-4. We know that the game will read the file if we put it in 3do/cockpit.fw-190a-4, but where do we place the 3do folder, so the game can see it?
The answer is that the 3do folder (and other game folders like com, i18n, maps, gui...) may be installed either in the MODS directory, or in the Files directory. So far so good. However, there is a small difference between MODS and FILES folders: if we decide to install it in the mods folder it'll need another folder to contain it. So, our example of a file called somefile.fil can be installed in the FW190 A4 cockpit using this path:

x:\your-pc\il2sturmovik\MODS\neuro-190a4Cockpit\3do\cockpit\fw-190a-4\somefile.fil

Installing in the Files folder, however, there no need for any additional directory to contain the game folders (in our case 3do), and our example file will be installed like this:

x:\your-pc\il2sturmovik\FILES\3do\cockpit\fw-190a-4\somefile.fil

Still following?
Now, what if we have 2 versions of the same file, one in Files and one in MODS?
   -The version used in the MODS folder is used.
And what if we have 2 different versions of the same file in 2 different subfolders of the MODS directory?
   -The file contained in the first folder in alphanumerical order is used (0 though 9, then alphabetical order), e.g. if both MODS\neuro-190-a4Cockpit and MODS\aaNeuro190pit exist, the latter will be used as it's the first one alphabetically.

The game reads first all the subfolders into the MODS folders in alphabetical order, then it reads the Files folder, then the modded .sfs files, and finally the stock sfs files.
Only the first file in that order will be used. Once a file is loaded the slot is taken and the game can't load another version of the same file. That is the point of all those folder names starting in 0_, the leading zero is meant to make them load before the game finds different versions of the same file somewhere else.
And that's also the point of the ZZ before some Fusion Pack folders, like zzFUSIONpack and zFusionSounds: if you install a different version, your version will load and the one that came with FP will be overridden.

Well that's pretty much everything about file structure. Best way to learn: look into some mods and try to change stuff. Good luck.