Links to Directories

[SeaSoft Systems]

>>
>>I have a large scenery database (Roughly 100 directories
>>each containing roughly 100 files) which is used by
>>several copies of a flight simulator I am helping to
>>beta-test (X-Plane). The database is a couple of
>>gigabytes, and I have been trying to get the various beta
>>versions (each contained in their own separate
>>directories) to find the data without actually having to
>>make multiple copies of the database.
>>
>>- OSX aliases of the database folders do not work (the
>>simulator evidently can't follow the aliases for some
>>reason).
>>
>>I have fussed around with ln, but the man entry is a
>>little vague about whether I can use it to link
>>directories. I am working under the assumption that I can,
>>but I haven't been able to get it to work so far.
>>
>>The top-level scenery folders all have a leading "+"
>>(e.g., are named +50+020, etc.; they are
>>latitude/longitude based).
>>
>>I first tried, from within the database root directory, to
>>do a
>>
>>	ln +* /Destination/Directory/
>>
From: "Kuestner, Bjoern" <Bjoern.Kuestner at drkw.com>
>
>Short story:
>
>You can use symbolic links with directories but not hard links.
>
>The syntax of ln is that of cp or move "command options source target"
>
>Example:
>
>ln -s version0.8/scenarios version0.9/.
>
>creates a symbolic link "scenarios" in the "version0.9" folder.
>
>Does that help?
>

Yes, thank you for setting me straight on ln usage; this created the 
directories with a single command line as I wanted.

However, the simulation won't follow these directory links either 
(just as it would not follow a finder alias); it just refuses to see 
the scenery files unless I physically copy the entire directory/file 
hierarchy into the designated place.

Can anyone offer other suggestions and/or explain why aliases and 
these symbolic links don't fool the simulation into using the 
out-of-place scenery files?

Gratefully,

Richard