What is photoreal scenery in FSX, and how do I install it?

Photoreal scenery in FSX and FSX: Steam Edition replaces the simulator’s generic ground textures with aerial or satellite imagery compiled into scenery BGL files. To install it, extract the package, keep its scenery and optional texture folders together, add the parent folder through FSX’s Scenery Library, then restart the simulator.

What photoreal scenery changes in FSX

Photoreal scenery, also called photo scenery, places geographically aligned photographs over the terrain. Roads, fields, coastlines and buildings visible in the source image appear where they exist in the real world, making it particularly useful for visual flight rules flying.

The imagery is still flat. Buildings and trees visible in the photograph do not become three-dimensional objects unless the developer has supplied custom autogen or models. Some packages also include water masks, night imagery or seasonal variations, but these features should never be assumed.

Resolution and coverage vary considerably. A detailed city package may look sharp at circuit height but cover only a small area, while a regional package may trade some detail for a much larger footprint. Imagery can also contain baked-in shadows, clouds, colour changes or outdated airport layouts.

Photoreal scenery, mesh and autogen compared

Photoreal ground textures do not replace elevation data. If you want more accurate terrain beneath them, the FreeMeshX installation and scenery-priority notes explain how a separate terrain mesh is registered and used with regional scenery.

Install FSX photoreal scenery step by step

1. Read the supplied instructions. Check that the package supports FSX or FSX: Steam Edition and note whether it contains one scenery area or several. Packages built exclusively for another simulator are not automatically compatible.
2. Extract the complete archive. Do not run the scenery from inside a ZIP, RAR or other compressed file. Place it in a permanent folder outside the Windows-protected FSX installation directory where possible.
3. Find the scenery-area root. The folder you register should normally contain a subfolder named scenery and, when required, another named texture. For example, register Photo Region, not Photo Region\scenery.
4. Open the Scenery Library. In FSX, open Settings, choose Scenery Library and select Add Area. Browse to the scenery-area root, give it a recognisable name and confirm the selection.
5. Check its priority. Keep detailed airport packages above broad photoreal regions. Global mesh and other general coverage normally belong below local airport and regional scenery, though a package’s own instructions take precedence.
6. Restart and test inside the coverage area. Load a supplied airport or the centre coordinates listed in the documentation. Looking elsewhere and seeing default terrain does not indicate a failed installation.

For a closer look at how imagery is compiled and arranged into installable folders, see our workflow for creating and packaging FSX photoreal ground textures.

Which photoreal scenery folder should I add?

Add the parent folder immediately above scenery and texture. Selecting the wrong directory level is the installation mistake we see most often.

• If the package contains Region Name\scenery and Region Name\texture, add Region Name.
• If it contains only loose BGL files, create a permanent parent folder with a scenery subfolder and place the BGL files there.
• If it contains several areas, each with its own scenery folder, register each area in the order specified by the developer. A large regional download such as the Cyprus photoreal package and its installation guidance illustrates why multi-part scenery must be checked carefully.
• If it uses an installer, verify that the detected FSX path is correct and confirm afterwards that the scenery area appears in the library.

A texture folder is not always required. Many photo textures are stored inside the BGL itself; the compact Lexington BGL-based scenery package is an example of that structure. Never move scenery BGL files into FSX’s main Texture directory simply because the package has no separate texture folder.

Why is FSX photoreal scenery not showing?

Missing photoreal scenery is usually caused by the wrong folder level, an inactive library entry or testing outside the package’s coverage area.

• No visible change: confirm that the library entry is enabled, open its folder and check that BGL files are inside scenery. Restart FSX after correcting it.
• Add Area will not complete: some Windows versions expose an old FSX file-dialog quirk. After selecting the correct root and pressing OK, opening that folder and clicking an empty part of the file list can complete the registration.
• Default terrain covers the imagery: move the photoreal entry above broad landclass or conflicting regional scenery. Keep individual airport scenery above the photo layer.
• Black or missing sections: extract the archive again and check for omitted texture files or incomplete multipart downloads. An incompatible BGL format can produce similar symptoms.
• Blurry imagery: set FSX’s scenery Texture Resolution no coarser than the package requires. The Level of Detail Radius, storage speed and FSX’s texture-loading limits also affect how quickly sharp tiles appear, but no setting can add detail absent from the source imagery.
• No trees or buildings: this is normal when the package has no custom autogen. Raising the Autogen Density setting cannot create annotations that were never included.
• Misaligned airport or elevation step: place the relevant airport package above the photoreal region and use any supplied compatibility or flatten files. Photo imagery often exposes differences between FSX’s older airport position and newer aerial photography.

Boxed FSX and Steam Edition compatibility

Conventional FSX-format photoreal BGL scenery generally works in both boxed FSX and FSX: Steam Edition. The main difference is installation detection: an older automatic installer may look only for the boxed edition’s registry entry or installation path.

If an installer cannot find Steam Edition, extract or install the files to a separate permanent folder when the package permits it, then register that folder manually in the Scenery Library. Do not direct an uncertain installer into the simulator’s core folders, as unnecessary overwrites make removal and troubleshooting much harder.