[Guide] How to set up -homedir and other startup parameters

[Reef]

How to use the -homedir feature with ETS2 or ATS (exact same process)

Ok firstly you will need to create some desktop shortcuts, this is now made a little more complicated recently if you use Steam due to an annoying little "Custom parameters check" popup that has been introduced, but don't worry there is a way around this (thanks to Josh0).

We will first apply this tutorial as if you are a Steam game version owner and then afterwards I will explain the different parts for the non Steam Digital Download or Disc version owners.

Steam:

1) You will first need to create a desktop shortcut through the Steam client, this is to determine what the applaunch ID number is, for ETS2 it's 227300 and for ATS it's 270880 for me, and I'm reasonably sure it will be the same for everyone else but follow the images and instructions below to find out for sure.


1a) Open your Steam client and find the game in your library, then right click on the name and click on "Properties"

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1b) Click on "CREATE DESKTOP SHORTCUT"

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1c) Click OK to close dialogue box

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1d) Now go to your desktop and right click on the shortcut and select "Properties"

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1e) Here you will see the id number (in my case and possibly all other cases 270880 regarding ATS)

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Now we have gotten the applaunch ID number we can move on to the next stage.

2) Either return to the Steam client and in the properties window (where you created a desktop shortcut) select the "LOCAL FILES" tab and then press the "BROWSE LOCAL FILES" button, or navigate through explorer (usually C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Euro Truck Simulator 2 or American Truck Simulator)

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2a) This will open the main folder in this case American Truck Simulator but it's exactly the same procedure for Euro Truck Simulator 2 too.

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3) You now need to open the "bin" folder and then the win_x86 (32bit) or the win_x64 (64bit) folder, (note: ATS only has the win_x64 folder as it is a 64bit only game)

4) Right click on the .exe (either eurotrucks2 or amtrucks depending on game of course) and select "Create Shortcut"

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4a) Now move that shortcut to the desktop.

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4b) right click on the shortcut and select "Properties"

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4c) now I recommend that you open notepad and copy the Target: text into notepad, it just makes it clearer to read and edit.

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5) Ok now we get down to editing and also adding our custom startup parameters..

firstly to combat that annoying Steam popup you need to change *steamapps\common\American Truck Simulator\bin\win_x64\amtrucks.exe"* to *Steam.exe" -applaunch 270880* (without the *'s and double check that you are using the correct ID number as per the start of this guide)

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Ok that's the popup taken care of (again thanks to Josh0 for that tidbit)

6) Now to add the startup parameters.

Here are some you can use:

-64bit (always launch the game in 64bit irrelevant for ATS of course)
-nointro (as it says on the tin, skips the intro)
-homedir (this is so that you can set a custom Euro Truck Simulator 2 or American Truck Simulator folder exactly like the one in your Documents folder but in a location of your choosing, it will contain its own profile folders, mod folder, music folder, config.cfg file, game.log.txt file and even screenshot folder just exactly like the original one in your Documents folder)

When you add a parameter it goes on the end of the text BUT MAKE SURE YOU ALWAYS HAVE A SPACE AT THE START OF EACH AND EVERY PARAMETER YOU ADD!!

example:
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\Steam.exe" -applaunch 270880 -homedir

7) Now a little word about the homedir peramiter, you must ensure that you write an absolute path to the new directories folder location, in other words you will need to specify the drive letter (if you have more than one hard drive or SSD) and any other existing folder that you want the new directory to be created in.

for example:
My O.S. and programs and Steam and games are all on C drive as per most normal PC setups, but I would like my new home directory for ETS2 (or ATS) to be on my secondary drive which is called E drive, Also I want my ETS2 and or ATS home directory to be within a file I created called "Truck Sims", therefore my homedir path would have to be set out as follows..

-homedir "E:\Truck Sims" (you must have the quote marks)

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Copy the contents of your notepad back into the Target: field

Click "Apply" and close the Shortcuts properties window.

Now what will happen is that when you then launch the game for the first time using this shortcut it will then create the American Truck Simulator (or Euro Truck Simulator 2) folder and all it's containing files and folders as mentioned above being a complete replica of the one in your C:\**User**\Documents folder

So you will then have in your destination drive E:\Truck Sims\American Truck Simulator

Also take note that when you first run the game using this custom shortcut it will be like starting from a fresh install, you will be asked to create a profile and set up your controller options and will have the beginning tutorial and first job, don't worry because you can save and exit the game at this point and then copy your existing profiles and mods and even the config.cfg from your original directory into the new directory and carry on where you left off.

Ok that's explained the whole process for hopefully even the complete computer novice to follow I will now add the differences for the non Steam users, which isn't that much really.

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Additional info for non-Steam users (Direct Digital Downloads from the official website or for those that bought a physical disc in a bricks and mortar store)

The main differences are,
Obviously no Steam client so those instructions are invalid, no need to worry about the popup fix as there are no popups to fix, folder locations are slightly different.

If you are on a 32bit only system (applies to ETS2 only) then navigate through Explorer to C:\Program Files\Euro Truck Simulator 2\bin\win_x86\eurotrucks2.exe

if you are on a 64bit system then navigate to C:\Program Files (x86)\Euro Truck Simulator 2\bin\win_x64\eurotrucks2.exe for ETS2 or C:\Program Files (x86)\American Truck Simulator\bin\win_x64\amtrucks.exe for ATS

Now right click on the .exe as explained for the Steam users from image 4) and create the shortcut and follow the tutorial through to 4c) and then follow 6) and 7)

All you need to do with the non Steam shortcuts is just add the parameters (not forgetting the space at the start of each one though!)

Example:
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Euro Truck Simulator 2\bin\win_x86\eurotrucks2.exe" -homedir -nointro

and that's it, any questions just ask.

[Dogface]

Cool, thanks.

[Cadde]

Well done!

[DaStig]

Very, very useful my friend ... I'm also using this method to keep my different profiles nicely separated ... each profile with its own mod-map and game directory ... very convenient and useful.

DaStig

* thread got bookmarked here

[ohaha]

Handy little tip there. Nicely put together, too.

[igor90]

-64bit (always launch the game in 64bit irrelevant for ATS of course)
-nointro (as it says on the tin, skips the intro)
-homedir (this is so that you can set a custom Euro Truck Simulator 2 or American Truck Simulator folder exactly like the one in your Documents folder but in a location of your choosing, it will contain its own profile folders, mod folder, music folder, config.cfg file, game.log.txt file and even screenshot folder just exactly like the original one in your Documents folder)

Can You ditinguish that parameters (bold text or smthn). There is a lot of text int the first post and I missed it first time I was looking for it.

It would be nice if we have all the startup parameters we can set in one place. There are other parameters people would like to know f.ex. -edit europe (to open map editor), some resolution parameters, but sadly I don't remember how exactly it was going...

[taffypride1983]

Hi, can we use the same trick to move the Screenshots and Music folder, or does this work automatically when we swap homedir?

[Reef]

@taffypride1983

Everything, the Euro Truck Simulator 2 folder and all of its contents including profile, music & screenshot folders, config.cfg, game.log.txt files the whole lot is re-created in the new directory, the Euro Truck Simulator 2 (or American Truck Simulator as it works for that too) folder that is in your Documents folder will be replicated at the new directory path, you can still use the original by clicking the original shortcut too.

[Cadde]

And if you really want to customize on what drives/paths your various folders are stored you could always use symlinks.

[Reef]

Thanks Cadde, you'd just reminded me of something I'd been meaning to do for a while, I've just symlinked my workshop mods folder off of my SSD that Steam is on to my 2Tb HDD using the Command prompt method.