Install PMDG liveries in Microsoft Flight Simulator using Operations Center, with the correct method for .ptp files, Community folders and consoles.
On PC, install most PMDG liveries in Microsoft Flight Simulator with PMDG Operations Center: extract the download, open Livery Utilities for the exact PMDG aircraft, choose the option to install a .ptp file, and restart the simulator. If the download is a complete Community package instead, copy that package to the Community folder.
Which PMDG livery file should I install?
The file type determines the installation method; PMDG repaints are not all packaged alike.
| Download contents | Correct installation method | Key warning |
|---|---|---|
.ptp file | Import through PMDG Operations Center | Do not place it directly in Community |
Folder containing manifest.json and layout.json | Copy the complete package folder to Community | Avoid leaving it inside an extra outer folder |
.zip, .rar or .7z archive | Extract it first, then inspect the contents | The archive may contain either of the formats above |
| In-simulator Marketplace package | Install and manage it inside Microsoft Flight Simulator | It must support your platform and PMDG aircraft |
A .ptp file is a PMDG livery package, not a normal MSFS Community package. Leave the extracted .ptp intact and let Operations Center unpack and register it.
Before downloading, check the simulator generation, PMDG product and exact airframe. Our guidance on choosing a repaint for the correct developer, model and variant explains why a similarly named aircraft is not necessarily compatible.
How do I install a PMDG .ptp livery?
- Verify the base aircraft. The matching PMDG aircraft must already be installed and enabled. If necessary, first confirm that the base aircraft installation is complete.
- Extract the download. Open the downloaded archive and extract its contents to a temporary folder. Do not try to import the ZIP archive unless its instructions explicitly identify it as the installable package.
- Close Microsoft Flight Simulator. Installing with the simulator closed prevents locked files and ensures that the new package is indexed at the next launch.
- Open PMDG Operations Center. Use the desktop application installed for your supported PMDG PC product and allow any package information to finish loading.
- Select the exact aircraft. Choose the appropriate simulator generation and PMDG airframe, then open Livery Utilities, which may be grouped under Aircraft and Liveries depending on the Operations Center build.
- Import the repaint. Choose Install from PTP, browse to the extracted
.ptpfile and wait for the success confirmation. If the repaint is already listed in Operations Center's available liveries, use its install control instead. - Check it in the simulator. Start Microsoft Flight Simulator, select the exact PMDG model and open its livery or variation selector. A repaint made for a 737-800, for example, will not appear under a 737-700.
If the download is a complete package folder rather than a .ptp file, skip Operations Center. Place the folder containing manifest.json and layout.json directly in the active Community folder; our Community-folder livery installation checks cover the different PC installations and package structure.
Why is my PMDG livery not showing?
A missing PMDG livery usually means the repaint targets a different variant, was installed with the wrong method or went into the wrong Community folder.
- Wrong aircraft variant: match the PMDG model, passenger or cargo configuration, engine option where applicable, and simulator release named by the repaint author.
- Incorrect folder depth: for a manual package,
manifest.jsonandlayout.jsonshould sit inside the package folder placed in Community, not several folders below it. - Wrong simulator location: Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 and 2024 use separate package locations. Steam and Microsoft Store installations can also point to different Community folders.
- Operations Center is unavailable: a
.ptpfile cannot simply be dropped into Community. Use a Community-formatted or in-simulator package explicitly compatible with your installation. - Duplicate packages: remove older manual and Operations Center copies before reinstalling. Two releases of the same repaint can conflict or show duplicate entries.
- Pink, missing or corrupted textures: this normally indicates an incomplete package or a repaint built for an incompatible aircraft release. Reinstall the correct version rather than copying individual texture files between variants.
If the aircraft and package format are correct but the repaint remains absent, work through our systematic checks for liveries that do not appear.
Can I install PMDG liveries on Xbox or PS5?
Downloaded .ptp and Community-folder liveries cannot be installed on consoles because PMDG Operations Center is a Windows application and console users have no access to the Community folder.
On Xbox Series X|S, and on PlayStation 5 for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, only compatible livery packages offered through the in-simulator Marketplace can be installed. Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 was not released on PlayStation. Moving a PC repaint by USB or cloud storage does not bypass these restrictions.
How do I update or remove a PMDG livery?
Remove a .ptp-installed repaint through PMDG Operations Center's Livery Utilities, then import the replacement package. For a manually installed livery, close the simulator and delete its complete package folder from Community before adding the new version.
Do not retain old and new copies under different folder names. Aircraft updates usually leave separate livery packages in place, but a major aircraft or simulator change may require a repaint rebuilt for that release.