Fix custom photo scenery not showing in X-Plane 12 by checking folder structure, scenery_packs.ini order, tile coverage, competing meshes and Log.txt.
Custom photo scenery in X-Plane 12 usually fails to appear because its package is nested incorrectly, disabled or misplaced in scenery_packs.ini, lacks the DSF tile for your location, or is being overridden by a higher-priority base mesh. Check those four points first, then use Log.txt to identify missing files.
How do I fix photo scenery that is not appearing?
The fastest fix is to verify the installation from the package folder outwards, rather than repeatedly changing graphics settings.
- Find the active X-Plane 12 installation. Put the package inside that installation’s
Custom Sceneryfolder. If you have multiple copies or a demo installed, check which root-levelLog.txtreceives a new timestamp when X-Plane runs. - Remove any extra wrapper folder. A base-mesh package should normally have a structure such as
X-Plane 12/Custom Scenery/Package Name/Earth nav data, withterrainandtexturesalongside it. X-Plane will not find scenery buried atCustom Scenery/Downloaded Folder/Actual Package/Earth nav data. Our orthophoto package placement and ordering checklist covers the installation details. - Confirm that the required DSF tile exists. The package must contain a DSF covering the one-degree tile in which the aircraft is located. A package can be installed correctly but still have no coverage at the airport being tested.
- Let X-Plane register the package. Start X-Plane after installing it, reach the main menu, then quit. Open
Custom Scenery/scenery_packs.iniwith the simulator closed and find the package’s folder name. - Check that it is enabled. Its entry should begin with
SCENERY_PACK, notSCENERY_PACK_DISABLED. Do not edit the file while X-Plane is running, because the simulator may overwrite the change when it exits. - Correct the scenery priority and restart. Photo base meshes belong below airports and overlay packages but above any competing base mesh that you want them to replace.
What should the scenery_packs.ini order be?
In scenery_packs.ini, entries nearer the top have higher priority. A practical high-to-low order is:
- Custom airports and local airport scenery
- Road, building, vegetation and orthophoto overlay packages
- Custom photo or orthophoto base meshes
- Other regional or replacement base meshes
X-Plane does not blend two base meshes covering the same DSF tile. The higher-priority mesh wins, so an orthophoto package placed below another mesh can be installed and recognised without ever appearing. Folder prefixes such as y_ and z_ are useful conventions, but the saved order inside scenery_packs.ini is what controls priority.
An airport package containing its own base mesh is a special case. It cannot simply be combined with a separate orthophoto mesh for the same tile; use a compatibility patch if the package supplies one, or choose which mesh takes priority.
Is it a base-mesh tile or a local photo overlay?
Base-mesh orthophotos and local draped imagery fail for different reasons, so identify the package type before changing its priority.
| Scenery type | How to recognise it | Typical reason it is missing |
|---|---|---|
| Orthophoto base mesh | Contains tiled DSF scenery, usually with Earth nav data, terrain and textures | A competing mesh has priority, the required DSF is absent, or the tile build is incomplete |
| Local photo overlay | Usually created for an airport or small area and exported as draped scenery | The image was not exported into a valid scenery package, or another local package is drawn above it |
Dropping a source JPEG, PNG or GeoTIFF into Custom Scenery does not make it visible by itself. It must be imported, positioned and exported as valid X-Plane scenery; our WED scenery creation and export process explains that workflow.
What does the visible symptom tell me?
The way the failure appears usually narrows the cause quickly.
| Symptom | Most likely cause |
|---|---|
| Default terrain across the whole tile | Wrong folder, disabled package, missing DSF or a higher-priority mesh |
| Most tiles work but one remains default | That tile was not generated, copied or completed |
| Imagery appears but roads and buildings do not | The separate overlay package is missing, disabled or ordered below the base mesh |
| Black, blank or obviously corrupted patches | Missing textures, failed image conversion or broken resource paths |
| Imagery appears but looks blurred | The scenery has loaded; texture resolution, mipmaps, haze or graphics settings are affecting clarity |
How can I confirm that X-Plane loaded the package?
The root-level Log.txt is the authoritative record of what X-Plane attempted to load. Start a flight inside the package’s coverage area, close the simulator, then search the log for the scenery folder name and nearby error messages.
If the package name never appears, X-Plane is probably scanning a different installation or cannot see the package because of nesting. If the log reports missing resources or a failed DSF load, restore the missing files or reinstall the package. If the package is recognised without errors but default terrain remains, concentrate on tile coverage and competing mesh priority.
What if the missing scenery was made with Ortho4XP?
An Ortho4XP tile is not complete until its DSF has been built and all referenced terrain textures exist. Downloaded source imagery or an unfinished project folder is not the installable scenery package.
Follow the Ortho4XP tile-building and installation workflow, placing the generated tile package in Custom Scenery. If you generated overlays, keep that overlay package above the orthophoto base mesh in scenery_packs.ini.
When only certain areas are blank or a build stopped before producing the DSF and textures, use our checks for failed or incomplete Ortho4XP downloads. Reordering an incomplete tile cannot replace files that were never downloaded or generated.
Can graphics settings stop photo scenery from loading?
Graphics settings can reduce orthophoto sharpness, but they do not normally make X-Plane substitute default terrain for a valid custom mesh. If the entire tile remains default after a full restart, treat it as an installation, coverage, file or scenery-priority problem rather than a rendering-quality issue.