X-Plane Updated Mon, 03 Aug 2026 23:51:02 GMT 5 min read

Where do Ortho4XP files go in X-Plane 11?

By Adam McEnroeFile Library Manager

In short

Learn where Ortho4XP tiles and overlays go in X-Plane 11, how to structure them, set scenery_packs.ini order and fix missing imagery.

Put each completed Ortho4XP tile folder—normally named zOrtho4XP_...—directly inside X-Plane 11's Custom Scenery folder. Put yOrtho4XP_Overlays there too, then keep overlays above orthophoto tiles in scenery_packs.ini. Do not place tile files loose in Custom Scenery or inside Global Scenery.

Where is the X-Plane 11 Custom Scenery folder?

The destination is <X-Plane 11>/Custom Scenery/, where <X-Plane 11> is the installation folder containing the simulator executable and folders such as Aircraft, Resources and Global Scenery. A Steam installation is normally under its selected library at steamapps/common/X-Plane 11/Custom Scenery/.

Close X-Plane 11: scenery packages and scenery_packs.ini should be changed while the simulator is not running.
Locate the completed tile: Ortho4XP normally places built packages inside its own Tiles directory, with names such as zOrtho4XP_+37-113.
Transfer the complete package: copy, move or create a filesystem link to each zOrtho4XP_... folder inside Custom Scenery.
Add the overlays: place the complete yOrtho4XP_Overlays folder in Custom Scenery if you generated overlays.
Start X-Plane once: let it scan the scenery, then close it before checking or editing scenery_packs.ini.

For the general rules covering package extraction and nested folders, see our folder-structure checks for X-Plane add-ons.

What should the Ortho4XP folder structure look like?

A finished tile must be a complete scenery package one level below Custom Scenery. A typical package contains:

Custom Scenery/zOrtho4XP_+37-113/Earth nav data/
Custom Scenery/zOrtho4XP_+37-113/terrain/
Custom Scenery/zOrtho4XP_+37-113/textures/

The overlay package should similarly contain Custom Scenery/yOrtho4XP_Overlays/Earth nav data/. Folder names are conventions rather than the feature that makes a package valid; the internal scenery files and structure are what X-Plane reads.

A mistake we see constantly is an extra directory level, such as Custom Scenery/Tiles/zOrtho4XP_+37-113/ or Custom Scenery/zOrtho4XP_+37-113/zOrtho4XP_+37-113/. X-Plane does not recursively search arbitrary wrapper folders. The package containing Earth nav data must sit directly inside Custom Scenery.

Ortho4XP's source-image cache, elevation downloads and other working data do not belong in X-Plane. Keep them with Ortho4XP. Do not remove the textures, terrain or Earth nav data directories from the finished tile package, however; X-Plane needs those.

Do downloaded Ortho4XP packs go in the same place?

Yes. Extract a ready-made orthophoto package first, then put its complete scenery folder directly in Custom Scenery. Our examples of free Ortho4XP and photoreal scenery packs illustrate the type of package to expect, although individual folder names may differ.

How should Ortho4XP be ordered in scenery_packs.ini?

Airport scenery and overlays must sit above Ortho4XP's base-mesh tiles in scenery_packs.ini. Entries nearer the top have higher priority.

Scenery type	Recommended position	Reason
Custom airports	Highest	Allows airport objects, surfaces and exclusions to load over the tile.
`Global Airports`	Above overlays and orthophotos	Preserves X-Plane's default airport scenery.
`yOrtho4XP_Overlays`	Above Ortho4XP tiles	Adds roads, forests and autogen over the photographic ground.
`zOrtho4XP_...`	Near the bottom	Provides the photographic textures and base mesh.
Alternative mesh covering the same tile	Below the preferred tile or disabled	X-Plane loads only the highest-priority base mesh for a given DSF tile.

Different Ortho4XP tiles normally do not conflict because they cover separate coordinates. If two packages cover the same tile, only the higher one supplies its base mesh. Our explanation of X-Plane 11 mesh scenery and priority covers that limitation in more detail.

Why is my Ortho4XP scenery not showing?

Missing Ortho4XP imagery is usually caused by an extra folder level, incorrect scenery priority or an incomplete tile build. Check these points in order:

Restart X-Plane: it scans newly installed scenery during startup rather than loading it instantly.
Inspect the package depth: Earth nav data should be inside the package directly below Custom Scenery.
Check scenery_packs.ini: confirm the tile has a SCENERY_PACK entry, is not marked SCENERY_PACK_DISABLED, and sits above competing base mesh for the same area.
Confirm the DSF exists: an unfinished build may create a tile folder without the compiled scenery file beneath Earth nav data.
Check the installation copy: multiple X-Plane installations can leave scenery in a different Custom Scenery folder from the simulator being launched.
Read Log.txt: search X-Plane 11's root-level Log.txt for the package name and messages about missing files or failed scenery loading.

Do not repeatedly delete scenery_packs.ini as a first fix. X-Plane will regenerate it, but doing so also discards a carefully arranged priority order and can recreate the same conflict.

Can Ortho4XP tiles stay on another drive?

Yes. Large Ortho4XP packages can remain on another drive if an operating-system symbolic link or junction representing each package appears directly inside Custom Scenery.

Keep the storage drive mounted before launching X-Plane and avoid changing its drive letter or mount path. An ordinary desktop shortcut is not equivalent to a filesystem link on every platform. Keeping Ortho4XP and its Tiles directory on the larger drive, then linking completed tile folders into X-Plane, also avoids storing a second copy of every texture.