How do I install scenery add-ons in Prepar3D?

To install scenery add-ons in Prepar3D, first follow the package’s README or installer. For a manual package, extract it outside the simulator, confirm that its parent folder contains Scenery and usually Texture subfolders, then add that parent through Prepar3D’s Scenery Library. Restart Prepar3D and inspect the location.

Which Prepar3D scenery installation method should I use?

Use the method supplied by the scenery developer rather than converting every download into a Scenery Library entry.

Do not install the same package through both add-on.xml and the Scenery Library. That can load duplicate airport layouts, objects and exclusions. Prepar3D v5 users can also consult our version-specific scenery installation notes.

Check compatibility before copying anything. A scenery-only package containing ordinary BGL and texture files may work across more than one release, while custom DLLs, effects, object libraries and installers can be version-specific. Packages in our Prepar3D-compatible scenery library still need to be checked against their individual README files.

How do I manually add scenery to the Scenery Library?

1. Extract the complete archive. Do not run scenery directly from a ZIP file or leave it in a temporary extraction folder.
2. Read the included instructions. Check for required object libraries, effects, elevation corrections and stated Prepar3D versions before proceeding.
3. Find the scenery root. The folder you register should normally contain Scenery and, when provided, Texture. A mistake we see constantly is selecting the Scenery subfolder itself or an outer wrapper folder one level too high. The UK VFR package instructions provide a practical parent-folder example.
4. Move it to a permanent location. A dedicated path such as D:\P3D Add-ons\PackageName is easier to manage than the Downloads folder. Avoid placing files in Prepar3D’s core directories unless the README explicitly requires it.
5. Register the parent folder. Open World > Scenery Library in Prepar3D, choose the option to add an area, browse to the scenery root and confirm it.
6. Set an appropriate priority. Put a local airport or city enhancement above broader regional scenery covering the same place. Leave Prepar3D’s default base entries alone unless the package instructions say otherwise.
7. Restart and inspect the location. Load the airport or coordinates covered by the package and verify runways, buildings, terrain and textures.

If the download contains only loose BGL files, create a dedicated structure such as PackageName\Scenery instead of mixing them into a default Prepar3D scenery folder. This makes conflicts and uninstallation much easier to handle.

How do installer and add-on.xml packages work?

An installer or add-on.xml package can register scenery without a conventional manual Scenery Library entry.

For an installer, confirm that it has detected the intended Prepar3D release and installation path. Do not redirect an old FSX installer into Prepar3D unless the scenery documentation explicitly supports that procedure.

For an add-on.xml package, preserve the supplied directory structure and use the version-specific Prepar3D Add-ons location under Documents, or another path specified by its installer or README. Prepar3D may ask whether the discovered add-on should be enabled. Copying the XML file without its referenced scenery, textures and other assets will not install the package.

What scenery priority should I use?

Give a small airport or city enhancement higher priority than broad scenery that modifies the same location.

• Local airports and detailed city packages: place above overlapping regional packages.
• Regional scenery: keep below local replacements unless its instructions specify another order.
• Mesh, landclass and elevation corrections: follow the package documentation because these components do not all resolve conflicts in the same way.
• Default Prepar3D entries: do not reorder or remove them as a routine installation step.

Newly added areas commonly appear near the top, but blindly moving every package to the highest position creates a different set of conflicts. Add-on packages may also control their own component order, so do not add a duplicate library entry merely to force priority.

Why is my Prepar3D scenery not showing?

• Nothing appears: check that the area is enabled, restart Prepar3D and confirm that you registered the folder immediately above Scenery. Also verify the package’s actual airport code or coordinates.
• Objects appear without correct textures: the Texture folder may be missing, nested incorrectly or separated from its scenery package.
• There are duplicate runways or buildings: another airport BGL is active for the same location. Disable competing add-ons one at a time rather than deleting default files.
• The airport is sunken or raised: an elevation or mesh package is conflicting. Apply any supplied elevation correction and check the prescribed library order.
• Prepar3D crashes while loading the area: disable the new package and test again. A corrupt BGL, incompatible object library, effect or version-specific module will not be repaired by changing scenery priority.

How do I uninstall Prepar3D scenery cleanly?

Disable the scenery first, test Prepar3D without it, and then remove it using the same system that installed it.

For a manual Scenery Library area, remove its registration, close Prepar3D and delete the dedicated package folder. Disable an add-on.xml package before removing its files, and use the supplied uninstaller for installer-based scenery. If files were copied into shared Prepar3D directories, restore your backup rather than deleting files whose ownership is uncertain.