Choose the right Prepar3D v4 terrain mesh for Orbx Global Base and Vector, set scenery priority correctly, and fix elevation conflicts.
For Prepar3D v4, we recommend FreeMeshX Global Terrain Mesh 2.0 alongside Orbx Global Base and Global Vector. They are complementary: Base provides ground textures, Vector supplies roads, coastlines and water features, and FreeMeshX supplies elevation data. Add FreeMeshX USA LOD12 if the United States is your main flying area.
Why add terrain mesh when Orbx Global is installed?
Orbx Global Base and Vector do not provide a complete high-resolution terrain elevation mesh. Each component changes a different part of the scenery system:
| Component | What it controls | What it does not replace |
|---|---|---|
| Orbx Global Base | Ground textures and associated global visual assets | Terrain elevation data |
| Orbx Global Vector | Roads, railways, coastlines, rivers, lakes and airport elevation corrections | A detailed worldwide elevation mesh |
| Terrain mesh | The height and shape of hills, valleys, ridges and plateaux | Textures, landclass or vector features |
Mesh therefore supplements Orbx rather than replacing it. Our explanation of how terrain mesh differs from textures and vector scenery covers these layers in more detail.
Which terrain mesh should you choose?
FreeMeshX Global is the practical default for broad coverage in Prepar3D v4. The FreeMeshX global package for FSX and P3D improves elevation detail without replacing Orbx textures, roads or coastlines.
- Worldwide flying: use FreeMeshX Global as the general-purpose mesh.
- Mostly United States flying: install Global for worldwide coverage, then add the higher-detail FreeMeshX USA LOD12 add-on.
- Existing regional mesh: retain it if it offers finer source data and is confirmed compatible with Prepar3D v4. A lower-resolution global package will not improve an area already covered by better mesh.
- Minimal add-on installation: Prepar3D's default mesh remains usable, but mountainous terrain will generally look less defined.
Conventional terrain-mesh BGL files are not affected by the 32-bit gauge and DLL problems associated with some older aircraft. Even so, use an edition explicitly packaged for FSX or Prepar3D and preserve its supplied folder structure.
Can global and regional mesh run together?
Global and regional mesh can coexist because Prepar3D normally selects the highest-resolution elevation data available at each location. The USA LOD12 mesh can therefore provide finer terrain inside its coverage area while the global package fills the rest of the world.
Scenery priority matters most when two mesh products have equal resolution or include extra files such as airport corrections. Avoid installing several equivalent regional meshes for the same area; doing so adds uncertainty without producing more detail.
Where should terrain mesh sit in the scenery order?
Generic terrain mesh should have lower priority than local airports, detailed regional scenery and Orbx layers, while remaining available above the simulator's default terrain.
- Extract the complete package into a dedicated add-on folder. Do not scatter individual BGL files through Prepar3D's default scenery directories.
- Register each supplied scenery area through the Prepar3D Scenery Library or the installation method documented by the package. Our Prepar3D mesh installation and activation guide explains the general procedure.
- Keep broad mesh at low priority, below airports, city scenery, detailed regions and Orbx entries. The higher-resolution mesh can still win over lower-resolution default data.
- Activate regional mesh separately so it can be disabled for troubleshooting without removing worldwide coverage.
- Match the mesh-resolution setting to the installed data. LOD12 corresponds to roughly 10-metre spacing, so select 10 metres or finer for the USA package. Choosing 1 metre cannot create detail absent from the source.
How do you fix mesh and Orbx elevation conflicts?
Most apparent mesh conflicts are caused by airport flattens, Vector elevation corrections or duplicate regional scenery rather than Orbx Global Base.
- Sunken or raised airport: use the airport elevation-correction controls supplied with your Orbx Vector installation. Add-on airports commonly require Vector's correction for that ICAO to be disabled so the airport's own flatten can take control.
- Terrain spikes or vertical walls: deactivate the newest regional mesh area first. If the fault disappears, check for overlapping mesh, damaged files or scenery intended for a different simulator version.
- No visible improvement: confirm that the scenery area is active, the BGL files are inside the expected scenery subfolder and the mesh-resolution slider is not set coarser than the source. Flat regions may show little difference even when the mesh is working.
- Roads or shorelines look displaced: mesh changes height, not horizontal placement. Vector features and elevation mesh can come from different source datasets, so a mismatch is not necessarily fixed by changing scenery priority.
- Orbx textures look unchanged: that is expected. Terrain mesh reshapes the ground beneath those textures; it does not increase their texture resolution.