Fix custom photo scenery not showing in X-Plane 12 by checking folder nesting, DSF coverage, scenery_packs.ini order, mesh conflicts and Log.txt.
Custom photo scenery in X-Plane 12 usually does not show because X-Plane is reading the wrong installation, the package is still zipped or nested one folder too deep, its DSF does not cover the test location, or another base mesh has higher priority. Verify those points, then read Log.txt for the exact failure.
How do I fix photo scenery that is not appearing?
Check the installation from the active X-Plane folder outwards; changing graphics settings will not repair a missing or overridden scenery package.
- Find the X-Plane 12 copy being used. If you have a demo, backup or second installation, launch the simulator and then inspect each root-level
Log.txt. The file with the new timestamp identifies the active copy. - Extract the complete download. X-Plane does not load scenery directly from ZIP, 7z or RAR archives. Multipart archives must also be complete before extraction. Our downloaded-scenery extraction and installation checks cover wrapper folders and active simulator copies in more detail.
- Locate the actual package root. A typical photo-mesh path is
X-Plane 12/Custom Scenery/Package Name/Earth nav data, often withterrainandtexturesbeside it. Move the inner package if the result isCustom Scenery/Downloaded Folder/Actual Package/Earth nav data. - Confirm that the required DSF exists. Photo meshes are divided into one-degree tiles. The DSF filename represents the south-west corner of its tile, so an airport near a boundary may need a neighbouring tile that was not included or generated. Correct installation cannot compensate for absent coverage.
- Make X-Plane register the package. Start X-Plane after installing the scenery, reach the main screen, then close it. Open
Custom Scenery/scenery_packs.inionly after the simulator has exited. - Check that the package is enabled. Its line should begin with
SCENERY_PACK, notSCENERY_PACK_DISABLED. The path on that line must match the package folder. - Move the photo mesh above competing meshes. Keep airports and overlays above it, but place the photo package above any other custom base mesh covering the same tile. As a diagnostic, disable the suspected competing mesh rather than deleting it.
- Restart and inspect the log. Scenery packages and changes to
scenery_packs.iniare not reliably hot-switched during a flight. Fully restart X-Plane, load inside the tile and then searchLog.txtfor the exact package name.
Do I need to download scenery_packs.ini?
No. If “I need that file” means scenery_packs.ini, X-Plane creates it automatically from the packages it finds inside the active Custom Scenery folder.
If it is absent, run X-Plane once and close it normally. If it still does not appear, you are probably checking the wrong installation or X-Plane cannot write to that folder because of permissions or security software. Do not download somebody else’s copy; it contains package names, paths and priorities specific to their installation.
If the file exists in two locations, establish which simulator copy updates it before editing anything. Our guide to identifying the scenery_packs.ini file X-Plane is actually reading explains that common multiple-installation problem.
For a damaged file, close X-Plane, keep a backup and rename the original. X-Plane should build a fresh file at its next launch, but you will need to restore the correct scenery order afterwards.
What should the scenery_packs.ini order be?
Entries nearer the top of scenery_packs.ini have higher priority than entries below them.
| High-to-low position | Scenery type | Why it belongs there |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Custom airports and local airport scenery | Airport details must remain above broad regional layers and meshes. |
| 2 | Road, building, vegetation and other overlay packages | These add objects and networks over the selected terrain mesh. |
| 3 | Photo or orthophoto base mesh | This supplies the terrain shape and ground imagery for its DSF tile. |
| 4 | Other custom regional or replacement meshes | Only the highest-priority usable base mesh for the tile is selected. |
X-Plane does not combine two base meshes covering the same DSF tile. If a higher entry supplies a mesh, the orthophoto below it may be recognised without being displayed. Folder prefixes such as y_ or z_ are naming conventions; once scenery_packs.ini exists, the order saved in that file is what matters.
An airport package containing its own mesh is a special case. It cannot simply be blended with a separate orthophoto mesh for the same tile. Use a compatibility patch supplied for those packages or choose which mesh should have priority. For mixed packages, our overlay and base-mesh ordering guidance explains which layer belongs where.
Is it a base-mesh tile or a local photo overlay?
Identify the package type before changing its priority because base meshes and draped photo overlays fail for different reasons.
| Scenery type | How to recognise it | Likely reason it is missing |
|---|---|---|
| Orthophoto base mesh | Contains tiled DSF scenery, commonly with Earth nav data, terrain and textures | Missing DSF coverage, incomplete textures or a higher-priority mesh |
| Local draped photo overlay | Covers an airport or small area and was exported as positioned scenery | Invalid export, broken image resource or another local package drawing above it |
| Source imagery only | Contains JPEG, PNG, TIFF or downloaded image files but no usable scenery structure | It has not been converted, positioned and exported as X-Plane scenery |
Placing a raw aerial image in Custom Scenery does not make it appear. X-Plane needs a valid scenery package whose DSF or draped-polygon definitions reference the converted textures.
What does the visible symptom tell me?
The symptom usually separates an installation failure from a missing overlay or texture problem.
| What you see | Most likely cause |
|---|---|
| Default terrain across the entire tile | Wrong installation, disabled package, missing DSF or competing base mesh |
| Most photo tiles work but one remains default | That DSF was not downloaded, generated, copied or completed |
| Imagery appears but roads and buildings do not | The separate overlay package is missing, disabled or below the photo mesh |
| Black, blank or corrupted areas | Missing textures, failed conversion or broken resource paths |
| Imagery appears but is blurred | The scenery has loaded; source resolution, mipmaps, haze or texture settings affect its clarity |
Why does the terrain not switch（切り替わりません）?
If the ground remains default — 「切り替わりません」 means “it does not switch” — X-Plane has not selected the photo mesh for that tile. Confirm the matching DSF first, move the package above competing meshes and fully restart the simulator. Lower texture quality can blur imagery, but it does not normally replace a valid custom tile with default terrain.
“Não tem nada” / “nao tem nada”: why does the extracted folder look empty?
If there is nothing recognisable inside the extracted folder, it is not yet an installable X-Plane package. Look one folder deeper for Earth nav data, make sure every part of the archive was downloaded, and extract it again with enough free disk space.
A folder containing only a readme, preview images, source imagery or an unfinished project does not contain the DSF and resources X-Plane needs. Obtain the complete package or finish its scenery-building process; downloading an isolated DSF or texture from an unrelated package will create mismatched references and further errors.
How can I confirm that X-Plane loaded the package?
The root-level Log.txt records which scenery packages X-Plane found and which resources failed while loading the flight.
Start inside the advertised coverage area, close X-Plane and search the log for the exact scenery folder name. Interpret the result this way:
- The package name never appears: check the active installation, archive extraction, wrapper folders and
scenery_packs.inientry. - The package appears with a DSF or texture error: restore the missing files or reinstall the complete package. Reordering cannot repair an incomplete download.
- Only object-library resources are missing: buildings or objects may fail while the underlying photo mesh still loads. Treat that separately from default terrain.
- The package appears without an obvious error but default terrain remains: verify the exact DSF coverage and disable competing custom meshes one at a time.
On a case-sensitive file system, differences in capitalisation between a resource path and its real filename can also cause missing-texture errors. Preserve the package’s original names when copying or moving files.
What if the missing scenery was made with Ortho4XP?
An Ortho4XP project is not usable scenery until the tile’s DSF has been built and every referenced terrain texture is present.
The source-image cache and an unfinished build directory are not substitutes for the generated tile package. Follow the complete Ortho4XP tile creation and installation process, then place the resulting tile package in Custom Scenery. Any generated overlay package should sit above the orthophoto mesh in scenery_packs.ini.
If only one area fails, inspect that tile’s build output rather than rebuilding an entire region immediately. A stopped conversion may leave some images on disk without producing the final DSF or all of its textures.
Can graphics settings stop photo scenery from loading?
Graphics settings affect the sharpness and memory use of loaded orthophotos, but they do not normally make X-Plane substitute default terrain for a valid photo mesh.
If the imagery is visible but soft, review texture quality, viewing distance, haze and the resolution of the source package. If the whole tile is default after a full restart, return to package location, DSF coverage, file completeness and mesh priority.
Are unrelated simulator error searches pointing to this scenery fix?
Aircraft-system messages and errors from other simulation games are not controlled by X-Plane’s scenery_packs.ini.
Is “ini A350 OIS not available” a scenery_packs.ini problem?
No. An iniBuilds A350 OIS not available message concerns that aircraft’s Onboard Information System in Microsoft Flight Simulator; the word “ini” in that search does not refer to X-Plane’s scenery_packs.ini.
Confirm that the complete aircraft package and its required content are installed in the simulator edition you launched. Restart after an installation or update, test with the default aircraft livery and temporarily remove aircraft-specific modifications. If the OIS is merely blank, establish aircraft power and allow its systems to initialise; if it explicitly remains unavailable in a clean installation, repair or reinstall the aircraft through the simulator’s package-management route.
What does “PC Building Simulator incomplete case” mean?
In PC Building Simulator, incomplete case means the computer case has not been fully reassembled; it is unrelated to X-Plane scenery or a missing INI file.
Enter the game’s installation mode, rotate the case and refit every removable case part taken off during the job. The usual omissions are a side panel, front or top cover, dust filter, expansion-slot cover or case locking piece. If a part will not fit, remove the component obstructing it, install the case part in the required order and then refit the component.