How do I install Orbx scenery with Orbx Central?

Install Orbx scenery by signing in to Orbx Central, selecting the correct simulator, opening the product in My Products, choosing an installation location, and pressing Install. Keep the simulator closed while Central downloads, extracts, verifies and registers the package, then launch the simulator and confirm the scenery is active.

This general workflow covers Microsoft Flight Simulator on PC, Prepar3D, FSX and supported X-Plane products. Compatibility, installation targets and required base packages vary, so check our overview of Orbx product families, compatibility and Central’s role if you are unsure what a product includes.

Orbx Central installation steps

The reliable method is to let Orbx Central extract and register the package rather than copying its files into the simulator by hand.

1. Run the simulator once. A newly installed simulator may not create its package paths and configuration files until its first launch. Close it again before installing scenery.
2. Open Orbx Central and sign in. Use the Orbx account that owns the product, and allow Central itself to update if prompted.
3. Select the exact simulator. Check both the simulator name and version. If it is missing, use Central’s simulator settings to locate the correct installation rather than selecting a similar edition.
4. Open My Products. Select the scenery and confirm that it supports your chosen simulator. Do not assume that a package built for one simulator generation is compatible with another.
5. Start the installation. Choose an Orbx Library or direct simulator installation when those choices are offered. Install any dependency requested by Central, such as shared Orbx libraries.
6. Let Central finish completely. It must download, extract, verify and register the files. Extraction can temporarily require considerably more free space than the compressed download.
7. Launch the simulator. Accept an add-on activation prompt if Prepar3D displays one, and allow FSX or another simulator to rebuild its scenery index when required.

A mistake we see constantly is launching the simulator while Central is still installing. That can lock files, prevent package links from being created or leave an incomplete scenery registration.

Where should Orbx Central install the scenery?

Choose an Orbx Library on a fast local drive when Central offers it; use a direct simulator installation only when the product or simulator requires one.

• Orbx Library: Best for large packages and limited space on the simulator drive. Central stores the files externally and creates the registration or links needed by the simulator.
• Direct installation: Often required by older simulators or particular products. It is simpler, but consumes space inside the simulator installation and can encounter permissions problems under protected Windows folders.

Do not manually move an Orbx Library, rename it or place one library inside another. Avoid cloud-synchronised, network and routinely disconnected drives. If the drive letter or library path changes, Central may still report the product as installed while the simulator can no longer reach its files.

What changes between MSFS, Prepar3D, FSX and X-Plane?

The Central workflow is similar across simulators, but package registration and scenery ordering are platform-specific.

Marketplace purchases are separate. An Orbx product bought through the MSFS Marketplace is normally installed and updated through the simulator’s own content system, not Orbx Central. Ownership does not automatically transfer between distribution channels. Orbx Central also cannot install PC files on Xbox or PlayStation consoles.

Why is my Orbx scenery not showing?

Missing Orbx scenery is usually caused by the wrong simulator target, an incomplete installation, a disconnected library or a competing copy of the same area.

1. Confirm the simulator and version. Central may have detected several editions or an installation that is no longer used.
2. Verify the product files. Use Central’s verify or repair command where available. Missing textures, absent objects and unusually small installations commonly point to an interrupted extraction or quarantined file.
3. Check the library path. Make sure its drive is connected and still uses the same path. If the library was moved outside Central, restore it or reinstall the product to a registered library.
4. Remove duplicate installations. Do not keep both an old manual copy and a Central-managed copy. In MSFS, check for duplicate packages in Community; in X-Plane, inspect Custom Scenery.
5. Review scenery priority. Airport scenery should normally sit above broad regional packages and mesh. FSX, Prepar3D and X-Plane are particularly sensitive to order.
6. Install dependencies and updates. Shared object libraries or regional components may be required. Central should identify these, but a cancelled dependency installation can leave the main product present without all its objects or textures.
7. Check space and permissions. The download drive, temporary extraction location and final library all need free space. If security software blocks a verified Central component, permit that component rather than disabling protection permanently.

How do I update, move or uninstall Orbx scenery?

Use Orbx Central for every change to a Central-managed product so that its files, links and simulator registrations remain consistent.

• Update: Close the simulator, apply the update shown by Central and verify the product if the update was interrupted.
• Move: Use Central’s library move or migration function when offered. If it cannot move that product, uninstall it and reinstall it into the new library instead of dragging folders in File Explorer.
• Uninstall: Select the product in Central and use its uninstall option. This removes the managed files and registrations; any separate manual copy must be removed independently.

For X-Plane installations with a carefully edited scenery_packs.ini, keep a backup before moving or reinstalling packages. For the other simulators, recheck scenery priority after a major regional package or mesh update.