How do I install orthophoto scenery in Prepar3D?

To install orthophoto scenery in Prepar3D, extract the package, confirm it contains compiled .bgl files inside a scenery folder, then enable its supplied add-on.xml or add the package through the Scenery Library. Keep airport add-ons above the imagery, restart Prepar3D, and test a flight inside the covered area.

Check the orthophoto package format first

Installable Prepar3D orthophoto scenery normally consists of compiled terrain files, not loose photographs or map tiles. After extraction, expect a package root containing a scenery folder and sometimes a texture folder, installer or add-on.xml.

An FSX-labelled photoreal package may work in Prepar3D when it uses conventional terrain .bgl files, but compatibility is not guaranteed. Old installers are a particular problem: the scenery itself may be usable even when the installer cannot detect a newer Prepar3D version.

How do I install the orthophoto files?

1. Read the supplied instructions. Use the package author's method if it provides an installer or add-on.xml. Do not register the same scenery through both the add-on system and Scenery Library.
2. Extract the complete archive. Never point Prepar3D at a ZIP file. Check for accidental double nesting such as Photo Region\Photo Region\scenery; the folder you register must be the direct parent of scenery. Our regional photoreal scenery example showing the extracted folder layout illustrates the usual structure.
3. Move it to a permanent location. For a supplied XML package, preserve its structure under the version-specific Prepar3D add-ons folder in Documents. A legacy package can live in a separate folder on any reliable local drive. We recommend keeping add-ons outside Prepar3D's core installation directory.
4. Activate the scenery. Prepar3D normally discovers a valid XML package and offers to enable it. For a legacy package, open the Scenery Library, choose the option to add an area, and select the folder immediately above scenery. Ensure the resulting entry is enabled.
5. Set its priority. Place local airport scenery above regional orthophoto coverage. Keep the orthophoto above default terrain and any competing regional imagery unless the package documentation specifies another order.
6. Restart and test inside the coverage boundary. Load a daylight flight at an airport known to be included. A package can be installed correctly yet remain invisible when the aircraft is outside its relatively precise coverage area.

Prepar3D menu wording and package discovery vary slightly between releases. For the broader distinction between XML packages and legacy registration, see our version-specific explanation of P3D v5 scenery folders and layer priority.

Where should orthophoto scenery sit in the layer order?

Regional orthophoto should normally sit below detailed airport add-ons but above default terrain scenery. An entry nearer the top of the Scenery Library generally has higher priority.

• Highest: airport scenery, airport ground polygons and local city packages.
• Middle: regional orthophoto or photoreal imagery.
• Lower: broad landclass and default scenery.

Terrain mesh controls ground elevation, while orthophoto controls the image draped over that ground. A higher-resolution mesh can improve mountain and valley shapes, but it cannot sharpen low-resolution imagery. If the region needs better elevation data, install a P3D-compatible global terrain mesh package separately and follow its priority instructions.

Why isn't the orthophoto scenery showing?

Missing imagery is usually caused by an inactive entry, incorrect folder selection or testing outside the package's coverage.

• The scenery entry is absent: confirm that add-on.xml remains at the package root, or add the correct parent folder through Scenery Library.
• The entry is active but nothing changes: verify your coordinates and move competing regional photo scenery below it temporarily.
• Only part of the region appears: check that every archive part was downloaded and extracted into the same package structure.
• Tiles are black or textures are missing: restore any supplied texture folder and re-extract the archive. Do not merge several scenery packages into one folder.
• Prepar3D reports incompatible scenery: the files may target another simulator or require a converter. X-Plane orthophoto tiles cannot be copied into Prepar3D.
• The package appears twice: remove one registration. Loading the same files through XML and Scenery Library can create duplicate entries and make troubleshooting harder.

Blur, missing autogen and seasonal colour

Blur, flat terrain and unchanging seasons are often limitations of the package rather than installation failures. Increase Prepar3D's texture-resolution setting only as far as the source imagery and your hardware justify, and keep large photo packages on a fast local drive to reduce delayed texture loading.

Default autogen does not automatically populate every orthophoto package. Custom buildings and vegetation require matching autogen annotation files, commonly supplied in the package's texture folder. Likewise, daytime-only or single-season imagery will retain the same appearance at night or in another season unless the author included those variants.

Can I install raw JPG or GeoTIFF orthophotos?

Prepar3D cannot load raw image files as scenery merely by placing them in an add-on folder. The source must have valid geographic coordinates and be compiled into Prepar3D terrain .bgl files with the appropriate SDK scenery tools.

Compilation requires more than converting the file format: you must define the coverage bounds, resolution, projection and any seasonal or water-mask data correctly. Our explanation of the setup and tools required for the Prepar3D SDK covers the prerequisite installation. You must also have a licence permitting the source imagery to be redistributed if you plan to share the finished package.