How do I create and install Ortho4XP scenery in X-Plane 12?

To create Ortho4XP scenery for X-Plane 12, select a one-degree tile and imagery source, choose sensible zoom levels, build the mesh and textures, then generate overlays. Install the resulting tile and overlay folders in Custom Scenery, with airports and overlays above the orthophoto mesh in scenery_packs.ini.

X-Plane 12 compatibility checks

Use an Ortho4XP release or branch intended to produce X-Plane 12-compatible scenery. Older tiles may load, but coastlines, water transitions and other mesh features can behave differently; rebuilding is preferable when the package offers explicit X-Plane 12 support.

Ortho4XP is a separate scenery-building tool, not an X-Plane plug-in. Keep its application and working folders outside Custom Scenery, in a writable local directory. Installation requirements differ between packaged and source-based builds, so follow the setup instructions supplied with your particular build rather than mixing files from different releases.

Allow plenty of storage before starting. Every increase of one zoom level requires roughly four times as many image tiles for the same area, although the final disk usage varies with latitude, water coverage and image compression. Imagery also retains baked-in clouds, shadows, colour differences and the season in which it was photographed.

Check the imagery provider's terms before downloading or sharing anything. A provider appearing in Ortho4XP does not automatically grant permission for bulk downloads or redistribution.

How do I build and install an Ortho4XP tile?

1. Prepare Ortho4XP. Extract or install it in a short, writable path and complete any runtime or dependency setup included with that build. Avoid cloud-synchronised folders, which can lock files during long builds.
2. Set the X-Plane paths. Point Ortho4XP to your main X-Plane 12 directory. For overlays, select the default scenery directory containing Earth nav data, normally inside Global Scenery/X-Plane 12 Global Scenery.
3. Select the tile. Open Ortho4XP's tile map and choose the one-degree square containing your airport or route. Tile coordinates refer to the south-west corner, which is easy to misread in western and southern hemispheres; selecting it on the map is safer than guessing the folder name.
4. Choose imagery and zoom level. Preview the available authorised imagery and inspect it for clouds, missing sections and strong colour seams. Use a moderate base zoom level for the full tile, adding higher-resolution zones only around airports or places where you fly low.
5. Build the terrain. Run the vector-data, base-mesh, mask and final tile stages in order. Their labels vary slightly between Ortho4XP builds; an all-in-one option performs the same sequence. Beginners should retain the supplied mesh and curvature settings unless a specific coastline or elevation problem requires adjustment.
6. Extract overlays. Run the overlay-building function against X-Plane 12's default global scenery. This normally produces or updates a folder named yOrtho4XP_Overlays, containing roads, buildings, forests and other objects that do not belong in the photographic base mesh.
7. Check the output. A standard tile folder has a name similar to zOrtho4XP_+37-123 and directly contains scenery data such as Earth nav data, terrain and textures. If those items are buried inside another identically named folder, remove the extra nesting.
8. Install the folders. Move or copy the completed zOrtho4XP_... tile and yOrtho4XP_Overlays into X-Plane 12/Custom Scenery. Large tiles may remain on another drive if an operating-system symbolic link or junction is placed in Custom Scenery.
9. Correct the scenery order. Start X-Plane once, close it, then open Custom Scenery/scenery_packs.ini. Keep custom and global airports above yOrtho4XP_Overlays, and keep all zOrtho4XP_... base meshes near the bottom. An airport package containing its own mesh may need to sit above the ortho tile, but that mesh can replace the orthophoto across the affected tile.

For unusual package layouts, external-drive installations and ordering details, see our guide to installing and ordering X-Plane 12 orthophoto packages.

Which Ortho4XP zoom level should I use?

Zoom level 16 is a practical starting point for broad coverage, with level 17 or 18 reserved for selected airport zones where the source image genuinely contains more detail.

A high requested zoom level cannot create detail absent from the provider's original photography. Preview the source first and use polygonal high-resolution zones rather than building an entire one-degree tile at level 18.

Why are roads and buildings missing from my orthophoto?

Missing roads, trees and buildings usually mean the overlay was not generated, installed or placed above the orthophoto mesh.

• Confirm that yOrtho4XP_Overlays contains Earth nav data rather than another nested folder.
• Verify that Ortho4XP's overlay source points to the X-Plane 12 default global scenery folder containing its own Earth nav data.
• Place the overlay above every zOrtho4XP_... tile in scenery_packs.ini.
• Keep airports above the overlay so their exclusions, objects and ground layouts take priority.

Roads and buildings can be offset from the photograph even when everything is installed correctly. That usually reflects differences between the age or alignment of the aerial image and the vector data used for the overlay.

Why is my Ortho4XP tile not showing in X-Plane 12?

A tile that does not appear is most often caused by an incorrect coordinate, extra folder nesting, a disabled scenery entry or another base mesh taking priority.

• Default terrain remains: check that the selected tile covers your actual position and move the ortho mesh above any competing regional mesh.
• Tile is disabled: replace any SCENERY_PACK_DISABLED entry with an enabled scenery-pack entry, or let X-Plane rebuild the file before restoring the correct order.
• Missing-texture warnings: inspect X-Plane's Log.txt and the Ortho4XP build output for absent or failed image conversions, then rebuild the incomplete stage.
• Blank or corrupt imagery: preview the source again and confirm that the download completed. Do not bypass provider restrictions; select another permitted source if access is unavailable.
• Bad coastlines or water: rebuild masks with an X-Plane 12-compatible configuration rather than copying an old tile's terrain files into the new build.

If the imagery server returns access errors, time-outs or empty files, our Ortho4XP download and server-error fixes cover the checks that do not involve evading provider limits.