In Prepar3D, put broad terrain mesh below photoreal scenery. Learn why install order differs from scenery priority and how to diagnose conflicts.
In Prepar3D, place broad-area terrain mesh below photoreal scenery in scenery priority, with airport packages above both. The order in which you copy or install the packages usually does not matter. If the photoreal or airport product supplies matching mesh or a separate elevation correction, follow its documented layer order.
Does mesh need to be installed before photoreal scenery?
No—the file-copy sequence normally has no effect when the mesh and photoreal scenery use separate folders and scenery entries. Installing mesh first may be convenient, but installing it later does not automatically place it above the imagery.
Problems arise when an installer overwrites shared files or unrelated packages are merged into one Scenery folder. Keep each product separate so that it can be disabled without disturbing anything else, and do not approve an overwrite unless the developer explicitly requires it.
Packages registered through add-on.xml may declare or manage their own layers. If an entry cannot be moved in the traditional Scenery Library, use the package’s supported registration method rather than extracting its BGL files; our Prepar3D add-on registration guide explains the available installation methods.
What is the correct scenery priority?
Broad regional or global mesh should normally have lower priority than photoreal scenery and local airport packages. In Prepar3D’s traditional Scenery Library, entries nearer the top have higher priority.
- Airports and local scenery — keep the main airport package above photoreal imagery and broad mesh. Preserve any internal order specified for its objects, ground polygons, flattens and elevation files.
- Photoreal scenery — position aerial imagery below airports but above general-purpose terrain mesh. Keep companion autogen, masks and local scenery in the order supplied by the package.
- Regional or global mesh — place general elevation coverage below geographically specific scenery.
- Default Prepar3D scenery — leave the simulator’s supplied terrain entries at their normal base priority.
A separate airport elevation correction may be designed for a lower layer, especially with older products, so developer instructions take precedence over the general order. For packages containing landclass, vector data and multiple regional layers, use our complete scenery-priority overview rather than moving individual entries blindly.
Why can lower-priority mesh still change the terrain?
A finer-resolution mesh can remain active even when its scenery entry sits below a coarser mesh. Prepar3D’s terrain engine considers the available mesh resolution, so library priority is not a reliable way to force low-detail elevation data over a more detailed file.
Photoreal imagery and mesh also perform different jobs. The imagery supplies the visible ground photograph, while the mesh supplies the elevation surface beneath it; the photograph is draped over whichever elevation data Prepar3D selects. Our explanation of how aerial imagery and elevation mesh work together covers this relationship in more detail.
This is why moving photoreal scenery higher may restore its textures but will not necessarily remove an unwanted hill, cliff or airport plateau. Where overlapping mesh files provide comparable detail, scenery priority can still help decide which file is used.
How do I diagnose a mesh and photoreal conflict?
The quickest diagnosis is to disable optional mesh packages individually and reload the same location. Changing several entries at once makes it difficult to identify the file that actually controls the terrain.
- Confirm activation — make sure both packages are registered and enabled, with the photoreal entry above the broad mesh.
- Restart Prepar3D — a restart is more reliable than testing scenery immediately after changing several library entries.
- Disable one optional mesh — test the same coordinates after disabling each regional or global mesh package. Do not remove Prepar3D’s default terrain entries.
- Check the terrain settings — if the configured mesh resolution is coarser than the add-on data, the extra elevation detail may not appear.
- Inspect airport components — restore the airport’s flattens and elevation corrections. Some legacy products place a correction BGL in
Scenery\World\Scenery, where it can remain active after the main airport entry is disabled. - Use the package uninstaller — never delete an unfamiliar BGL from a shared Prepar3D folder without confirming that it belongs to the add-on.
Which symptom points to which problem?
The visible symptom usually indicates whether the fault lies with the imagery, mesh or airport package.
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Imagery appears, but mountains or valleys have the wrong shape | An unintended mesh is active, or the terrain resolution setting is too coarse | Disable optional mesh packages one at a time and check the simulator’s mesh setting. |
| An airport is sunken or sits on a plateau | A flatten or airport elevation correction conflicts with the selected mesh | Restore the complete airport package and its documented layer order. |
| The new mesh makes no visible difference | A finer mesh is already active, the package has no coverage there, or the terrain setting limits detail | Verify coverage, activation and the configured mesh resolution. |
| Photoreal ground textures are missing or blurred | The imagery is inactive, incomplete or limited by texture settings; mesh order is rarely the cause | Check the photoreal entry, its texture files and the simulator’s texture-resolution settings. |
| Coastlines or water do not match the photograph | Vector shoreline data or an imagery water mask is misaligned | Check the photoreal package’s masks and companion vector files rather than moving the terrain mesh. |
Does photoreal scenery need its own mesh?
No—photoreal scenery can use Prepar3D’s default terrain mesh. Adding a higher-detail mesh changes the shape of mountains, valleys and other terrain beneath the image; it does not sharpen the source photograph.
Use an additional mesh where the default elevation is visibly too coarse or where the photoreal developer supplies one matched to the scenery. A purpose-built local mesh should retain the priority and folder structure specified by that package, while unrelated global mesh remains lower in the library.