How do I install orthophoto scenery in X-Plane 12?

To install orthophoto scenery in X-Plane 12, extract each ready-to-use scenery folder into X-Plane 12/Custom Scenery, start and close the simulator once, then edit scenery_packs.ini so airports and overlays load above the orthophoto tiles. Keep the package’s internal folder structure intact and confirm that it is compatible with X-Plane 12.

Install a ready-to-use orthophoto package

1. Check what you downloaded. A finished orthophoto tile normally contains an Earth nav data folder plus terrain and texture data. If you only have source imagery, an Ortho4XP project or cache files, the scenery still needs to be built before X-Plane can load it. Our X-Plane scenery library includes packaged scenery, but always read its stated simulator compatibility and installation notes.
2. Close X-Plane 12. Extract every archive completely rather than trying to run the scenery from a ZIP or other compressed file. Multipart downloads must all be present before extraction.
3. Find the actual scenery folders. The folder placed in Custom Scenery should normally contain Earth nav data directly inside it. A common mistake is leaving that folder inside an extra wrapper, such as Custom Scenery/Downloaded Package/zOrtho.../Earth nav data. Our folder-placement and nested-folder guidance covers this problem in more detail.
4. Copy every required component. Put the orthophoto tile folders and any supplied overlay folder in X-Plane 12/Custom Scenery. Do not place them in Global Scenery, Resources or an aircraft folder. Packages covering a large region may contain many separate tile folders.
5. Let X-Plane register the scenery. Start X-Plane 12, wait until it reaches the main screen, then exit normally. New folders should be added to Custom Scenery/scenery_packs.ini.
6. Correct the loading order. Open scenery_packs.ini in a plain-text editor and arrange its entries using the order below. Save the file without changing its name or extension.
7. Test inside the covered tile. Load an airport or location known to be within the package’s coverage. Orthophoto folders are often named using latitude and longitude, so the presence of a nearby tile does not mean it covers the airport you selected.

How should scenery_packs.ini be ordered?

X-Plane reads scenery_packs.ini from top to bottom, with higher entries taking priority over lower ones. A practical order is:

Packages with several airport, overlay and mesh folders may require a specific internal order, so follow their documentation where it differs. Avoid deleting scenery_packs.ini as a routine fix: X-Plane can rebuild it, but doing so discards your carefully arranged priorities.

Only one base mesh can control a given one-degree tile. If two orthophoto or mesh packages overlap, the higher entry wins for that tile; X-Plane cannot blend both meshes simply because both are enabled.

Do I need an overlay with X-Plane orthophotos?

An overlay is optional for loading the imagery, but it is usually needed for roads, buildings, power lines, forests and other three-dimensional details. Without one, the photography may appear correctly while the area looks unusually empty.

Install a supplied overlay as its own scenery folder and place it above the orthophoto entries. An overlay can also depend on scenery libraries; if X-Plane reports missing objects, check the package requirements rather than moving the ortho tile itself above the overlay.

Why is X-Plane still showing default scenery?

Default terrain usually means the tile was not loaded, does not cover that location or lost an overlap conflict to another mesh package. Check these faults in order:

• Extra folder nesting: Earth nav data is buried one or more levels below the folder listed in scenery_packs.ini.
• Wrong coverage tile: the installed latitude-and-longitude tile does not include the airport or viewpoint being tested.
• Disabled entry: the line begins with SCENERY_PACK_DISABLED rather than SCENERY_PACK.
• Competing mesh: another orthophoto or regional mesh sits above the intended tile. Disable one overlapping package and test again.
• Incomplete extraction: DSF, terrain or texture files are absent because an archive part was missing or extraction failed.
• Load error: open Log.txt in the main X-Plane folder and search for the scenery folder’s name or a failed-load message.

If the ground photography appears but airport buildings do not, the ortho tile is working; the airport or overlay priority is the problem. If buildings appear but the photographic ground does not, investigate the tile coverage, folder structure and mesh conflicts.

Will X-Plane 11 orthophotos work in X-Plane 12?

Many X-Plane 11 orthophoto packages load in X-Plane 12, but compatibility is not guaranteed. Older mesh, coastlines and water masks may produce hard shorelines, flat photographic water or transitions that do not match X-Plane 12’s water and weather rendering.

Baked aerial photography also cannot fully follow seasonal ground changes. Prefer a package explicitly prepared or confirmed for X-Plane 12, especially around coasts, lakes and airports that require mesh corrections.

Can I keep orthophotos on another drive?

Yes, large tile folders can live on another drive if you place a working operating-system symbolic link, junction or supported folder alias inside Custom Scenery. Confirm that the link opens the real folder and that X-Plane lists it in scenery_packs.ini; an ordinary broken shortcut will be ignored.

Orthophotos consume substantial storage and can increase loading time and texture-memory use. If performance falls after adding high-resolution tiles, use fewer active regions or lower-resolution scenery before applying the broader changes in our X-Plane 12 performance troubleshooting guide.

Streamed or cached imagery tools use a different installation and conflict model from manually installed tile folders. If that is the approach you want, our Map Enhancement setup explanation covers its cache, imagery overlap and scenery-order requirements.