Getting Started with Project Sicario Merger (PSM)
Downloading PSM
You can download and install Project Sicario Merger from either Nexus Mods or GitHub. Both sources have the same file but note that if you install with Vortex, you'll only get notified of updates if you install from Nexus Mods.
Installing PSM
Vortex
Vortex (with WingVortex 0.2.1+) has integrated support for merging mods with PSM. Just install PSM from Nexus Mods like any other mod, enable it and then turn on the PSM integration in Settings > Interface. Vortex will automatically run PSM after each deploy and manage your merged mod like any other mod in your mods list.
Manual Installation
While its easier to use with Vortex, you can still use PSM manually as well. Download the archive above then extract the ProjectSicario.exe inside. You can actually have the merger "installed" wherever you like, but we recommend installing it to your game's install folder. Once it's in place, double-click the app file to run with the default options and it should create your merged mod.
How does it work?
At its core, PSM does the same thing that the regular Project Sicario does, but entirely on your PC. So it loads a set of instructions (patches) and then applies them to the vanilla game files (extracted directly from your install) and creates a new mod with the specified changes applied. Since it's local, PSM can load patches and presets directly from your install as well as re-creating any other Sicario-built mods you have installed.
After it's finished building, PSM will output a single mod file with the combined result of all the merged mods it loaded either as a new mod in your Mods list (for Vortex) or directly to the game folder (for manual users). Either way, you should now be able to launch your game and assuming no other mod overwrites your merged patch, you should be good to go. Note that you can still use non-PSM-compatible mods, but they can't modify the same game files.
What about skins?
Some skins may either require PSM or provide different downloads of the skin for Sicario users. The reason for this is simple: PSM can dynamically create new skin slots for aircraft during the merge process so that you are no longer limited by the number of skin slots an aircraft has. However, the skins have to be packed correctly to take advantage of this feature, so only PSM-compatible skins can do this. Other skins will still work, they are just limited to replacing existing skin slots.