I love EDScout. It is 100% necessary for exploration since it tells you which planets on your route are worth money and which are not. It also gives you some indication of whether a system has been explored.
Problem is that I don't want to switch from my game to the EDScout tab on my computer to check that information.
The dev of EDScout has a solution. You can run EDScout in such a way that it opens up an internet window and you can access the url on a second screen. So, you don't have to switch tabs on your pc.
Problem is that to run this online version of EDScout you have to open up your command window and enter the EDScout.exe file, your IP address, and port number every time you open up Elite Dangerous.
Hell no, I am way too lazy to do that shit every time I start Elite. I want that shit to open with one click. That is our motto in this thread: "I want that shit in just one click".
I have the solution. You create a .bat file that will open the Elite Dangerous launcher and EDScout in one click. In fact, I set it up to also open TrackIr and EDMC. You can set it to open whatever else you want when you click the EDLauncher, music, other third part programs, whatever you want. I will show you how.
Basic Guide for just EDScout:
(1) Open notepad.
(2) Copy and paste:
EDScout.exe -port 2000 -host 192.xxx.x.xxx <-fill in the x's with your ip
@ECHO OFF
START "EDLaunch" "D:Program Files (x86)FrontierEDLaunchEDLaunch.exe" <-this may be a different location depending on where your game is saved.
(3) Save as a .bat file instead of a .txt file. Name it Elite Dangerous (or whatever you want).
(4) Save the .bat file in your C:Usersyour name Folder <-this is the location that opens up for me when I open my command window. If the command window opens up in a different location, then save the file there. You can find out the default place your command window is opening up by searching Command Prompt and clicking on the Command Prompt program. A little black box will pop up and you will see a location. Save your .bat file there.
(5) Create a shortcut on your desktop to the .bat file.
(6) Now when you click the .bat file it will open the online version of EDScout and also open the EDLauncher.
Optional extra: I don't like the .bat file icon on my desktop. I want the ED icon on my .bat file. No problem, just follow these steps.
(7) Go to the desktop shortcut you created of the .bat file.
(8) Select the shortcut and right-click.
(9) Go to properties.
(10) Near the bottom there are three buttons: Open File Location | Change Icon | Advanced
(11) Click Change Icon.
(12) Click Browse.
(13) Find the EDLauncher .exe file.
(14) Select it, click open, click OK, Apply, OK, and you're done. The .bat file looks exactly like my usually EDLauncher but now it opens the EDLauncher, EDScout, EDMC, and TrackIR for me in just one lazy click.
Like me, you can add any additional program you choose to open up with one click using this method. I will explain in baby steps how to add any additional program you want.
Detailed Guide to add more programs:
In the notepad, start a new line underneath the START "EDLaunch" "D:Program Files (x86)FrontierEDLaunchEDLaunch.exe" line.
Type START, then add a space.
Find the .exe file of the program that you want to open with one click along with the EDLauncher and EDScout. We will use TrackIR as an example.
Copy the name of the file. For Trackir the name is TrackIR5.
In the notepad, after START, paste the name of the .exe in quotes, in this case "TrackIR5". So, the line should look like this: START "TrackIR5".
Add another space.
Then select the .exe and right click the .exe file.
Go to properties, click on the security tab, at the top it says object name, copy the object name. In my case, it is C:Program Files (x86)NaturalPointTrackIR5TrackIR5.exe <-make sure it has the .exe file at the end. Sometimes you right click and you end up looking at the folder and not the file itself. You have to make sure the file is selected before you right click and go into properties.
In the notepad, in quotes paste the object name, "C:Program Files (x86)NaturalPointTrackIR5TrackIR5.exe".
So, the file should have a new line that looks like this: START "TrackIR5" "C:Program Files (x86)NaturalPointTrackIR5TrackIR5.exe"
The entire .bat file should now look like this:
EDScout.exe -port 2000 -host 192.xxx.x.xxx
@ECHO OFF
START "EDLaunch" "D:Program Files (x86)FrontierEDLaunchEDLaunch.exe"
START "TrackIR5" "C:Program Files (x86)NaturalPointTrackIR5TrackIR5.exe"
Add as many other programs as you want following the same instructions. Very easy, even a dummy like me who knows nothing about coding can do it.
Hope this guide helps. I know nothing about coding, if I have made any mistakes please feel free to correct me. I would also love suggestions for other programs that could be added to start with ED.
o7 CMDRs.
EDIT: Weird formatting problems messing with the step numbers.
