How do I download and install HD Mesh Scenery in X-Plane 12?

Download the X-Plane HD Mesh Scenery v4 regional archives, extract every required part, and place the resulting scenery package folder directly in X-Plane 12's Custom Scenery folder. Then start and close X-Plane once, check scenery_packs.ini, and keep HD Mesh below airports, overlays and any orthophoto mesh you want to take priority.

Which HD Mesh files should I download for X-Plane 12?

Download only the regional archives covering the places where you fly. Our HD Mesh regional download page and compatibility notes provide the package files and explain their coverage.

HD Mesh Scenery v4 is an X-Plane 11-generation base mesh that X-Plane 12 can load as custom scenery. It does not become native X-Plane 12 scenery, so it may lack features or data found in X-Plane 12's newer Global Scenery. Treat it as an alternative terrain dataset rather than an automatic upgrade everywhere.

• Allow space for both the compressed downloads and the larger extracted files.
• If a region is supplied as a multi-part archive, download every part into the same temporary folder.
• Use an archive utility that supports the supplied format, and begin extraction from the first part only.

How do I install HD Mesh Scenery?

Install HD Mesh by extracting the complete package and copying its actual scenery folder into Custom Scenery.

1. Close X-Plane 12. Do not copy or merge large scenery packages while the simulator is running.
2. Find the simulator folder. Use the folder containing the X-Plane application and directories such as Aircraft, Resources and Custom Scenery.
3. Extract the archive to a temporary location. Never leave the compressed archive itself in Custom Scenery.
4. Identify the package root. The installed folder should contain scenery data such as Earth nav data directly inside it. A wrapper folder containing another identically named scenery folder is one level too deep.
5. Copy the package into Custom Scenery. With the usual package name, the result resembles X-Plane 12/Custom Scenery/zzz_hd_global_scenery4/Earth nav data.
6. Merge additional regions carefully. If several archives extract to the same package name, merge their contents. Do not let a file manager's “replace folder” operation erase regions copied earlier.
7. Start and close X-Plane once. This makes X-Plane detect the package and update Custom Scenery/scenery_packs.ini.

The nested-folder error is the mistake we see most often. If your downloaded package uses an unfamiliar layout, our guide to extracting and placing X-Plane 12 scenery explains how to identify the correct folder level.

Where should HD Mesh go in scenery_packs.ini?

Place the HD Mesh entry near the bottom of scenery_packs.ini, below airports and overlays and below any orthophoto base mesh that should appear instead.

X-Plane reads this file from top to bottom. For each terrain tile, the first suitable base mesh wins; meshes are not combined. A practical top-to-bottom order is:

• Custom airports and Global Airports
• Regional overlays, roads and object packages
• Orthophoto scenery whose imagery and mesh you want displayed
• HD Mesh Scenery

For the standard folder name, the entry normally resembles SCENERY_PACK Custom Scenery/zzz_hd_global_scenery4/. Do not rely on the zzz prefix alone: once scenery_packs.ini exists, its line order controls priority. Also check that the entry has not been changed to SCENERY_PACK_DISABLED.

How can I tell whether HD Mesh is working?

The reliable check is X-Plane's Log.txt, because visual differences may be subtle and only appear inside the downloaded coverage area.

• Load a flight in a region you installed, then close X-Plane and search Log.txt for the HD Mesh folder name.
• If the package is absent from the log, check its folder depth and scenery_packs.ini entry.
• If extraction or scenery-loading errors appear, confirm that every archive part downloaded fully and extract the package again.
• If another base mesh is listed first for the same tile, move the preferred mesh higher in scenery_packs.ini.

If the terrain loads but towns, forests or other objects disappear, this is usually an overlay or scenery-priority problem rather than a failed mesh installation. Follow our checks for missing buildings after installing HD Mesh before reinstalling the package.

Does HD Mesh replace Global Scenery or orthophotos?

No permanent replacement is required: HD Mesh remains inside Custom Scenery, while X-Plane's built-in Global Scenery stays installed as the fallback.

HD Mesh cannot improve the contours underneath an orthophoto tile because X-Plane loads only one base mesh for that tile. Keep the default scenery intact; if it was deleted or overwritten accidentally, use the X-Plane Global Scenery restoration procedure rather than trying to substitute HD Mesh for missing default files.