Learn how to install a PMDG livery in MSFS using Operations Center or the Community folder, plus fix liveries that do not appear.
To install a PMDG livery in Microsoft Flight Simulator on PC, extract the download, then import its .ptp file with PMDG Operations Center. If it is supplied as a normal MSFS package instead, place the package folder in Community. Restart the simulator and select the livery on the matching PMDG aircraft variant.
Which PMDG livery installation method should I use?
The supplied file type determines how the repaint must be installed.
| Download contents | Correct installation method |
|---|---|
.ptp file | Import it through PMDG Operations Center |
Folder containing manifest.json and layout.json | Copy the complete package folder to Community |
.zip, .rar or similar archive | Extract it first, then inspect the extracted contents |
| In-simulator Marketplace livery | Install it through the simulator's content library |
A mistake we see constantly is copying the archive or the .ptp file directly into Community. Neither will work there.
How do I install a PMDG .ptp livery?
A PMDG .ptp repaint should be imported with Operations Center rather than installed manually.
- Extract the downloaded archive. Place the resulting
.ptpfile somewhere temporary, such as a folder on the desktop. - Close Microsoft Flight Simulator. Installing while the aircraft or livery list is loaded can prevent the new repaint from appearing until a full restart.
- Open PMDG Operations Center. Select the correct simulator generation and the installed PMDG aircraft family. Our Operations Center setup and package-path guide covers product detection problems.
- Open the livery utility. Choose the option to install or import a repaint package, then select the extracted
.ptpfile. Menu wording can vary between Operations Center releases. - Wait for confirmation. Leave the files where Operations Center installs them; do not move the generated package into the base aircraft folder.
- Launch MSFS and choose the correct variant. Select the PMDG model in the aircraft selector, then choose the new paint scheme from its livery options.
Can I install a .ptp file without Operations Center?
No. A .ptp file is a PMDG repaint package, not a standard MSFS Community package. Renaming it, extracting it with an archive tool or placing it in Community will not produce a working livery.
How do I install a manually packaged PMDG livery?
A standard MSFS livery package goes in Community, but only when its package root contains files such as manifest.json and layout.json.
- Extract the archive.
- Find the actual package folder. Open folders until
manifest.jsonandlayout.jsonare directly inside one folder. - Copy that folder to Community. Do not copy only its texture subfolder, and do not put it inside PMDG's base aircraft package.
- Restart MSFS. Select the exact PMDG aircraft variant for which the repaint was made.
The Community location depends on the Packages path selected by your installation, so Steam and Microsoft Store assumptions are not always reliable. Follow our Community-folder livery instructions if you need to locate the active folder or check the package structure.
Why is my PMDG livery not showing in MSFS?
A missing PMDG livery is usually installed for the wrong aircraft variant, simulator generation or folder level.
- Wrong variant: a repaint for one 737 body, passenger, freighter or business-jet variant will not necessarily appear on another.
- Wrong simulator: do not assume an MSFS 2020 repaint works in MSFS 2024. Select the correct simulator in Operations Center and keep manually installed packages separate.
- Nested package folder: Community must contain the folder that directly holds
manifest.jsonandlayout.json, not an extra outer download folder. - Simulator left running: close and reopen MSFS after installation.
- Duplicate repaint: remove older copies carrying the same package identity; duplicates can conflict or hide one another.
- Outdated or missing base aircraft: confirm the required PMDG model is installed and recognised by Operations Center.
Pink, blank or incomplete textures usually indicate an incompatible repaint or missing texture references rather than a livery-selection problem. Use our missing-livery diagnostic checklist for deeper package and texture troubleshooting. If both simulator generations are installed, our method for separating and organising livery packages helps prevent duplicate and cross-version conflicts.
Can I install downloaded PMDG liveries on Xbox or PlayStation?
Downloaded .ptp and Community-folder liveries cannot be imported on console because Xbox and PlayStation do not expose the required package folders or run PMDG Operations Center. Console users can install only compatible liveries distributed through the simulator's Marketplace or content library.