Restore missing FS2004 autogen trees and buildings by checking display settings, replacing default.xml, rebuilding FS9.cfg and fixing .agn files.
To restore autogen scenery in FS2004, first raise Autogen Density under the Scenery display settings. If trees and buildings are still absent, disable recent scenery or performance tweaks, restore the original Autogen\default.xml, and rebuild FS9.cfg. Autogen missing only from one add-on usually requires that scenery’s matching .agn files.
Restore missing FS2004 autogen step by step
- Check the Autogen Density setting. Open
Options > Settings > Display > Sceneryand move Autogen Density above None. Use Dense temporarily while diagnosing the problem. Scenery Complexity also affects library objects that can be mistaken for autogen; our explanation of the FS2004 scenery and autogen settings covers the practical choices. - Test a stock scenery area. Load an unmodified default airport surrounded by ordinary FS2004 landclass scenery. If trees and buildings appear there but not over a particular add-on, the core autogen system is working and the fault belongs to that scenery package.
- Disable recent scenery and performance modifications. Deactivate the suspect scenery layer in the Scenery Library, close FS2004 and launch it again. Old frame-rate tweaks sometimes replaced, emptied or renamed autogen files to reduce object rendering.
- Restore the original default.xml. Close FS2004, open the simulator directory containing
FS9.exe, then enter itsAutogenfolder. Rename the existingdefault.xmlas a backup before copying in an original FS2004 version. Our FS2004 frame-rate package containing the original FS9 default.xml can be used to undo a replacement; follow its archive instructions and select the original file rather than applying the performance tweak. - Rebuild FS9.cfg. With FS2004 closed, open
%APPDATA%\Microsoft\FS9, renameFS9.CFGtoFS9.CFG.old, and restart the simulator. FS2004 will create a fresh configuration file. Follow our safe FS9.cfg rebuilding procedure if you need to preserve customised settings. - Repair missing stock files. If autogen remains absent everywhere with a fresh configuration and original
default.xml, restore the FS2004 files from a known-good backup or use the original installation media’s repair option where available. Back up add-on aircraft, gauges, modules and scenery first.
Do not copy an FSX autogen folder into FS2004. The formats and supporting files are not interchangeable. Also confirm that you are editing the active FS2004 installation; multiple FS9 folders and Windows file virtualisation under protected locations commonly cause users to replace the wrong copy.
How do I identify the cause of missing autogen?
The location and type of missing objects usually reveal which part of FS2004 needs attention.
| Symptom | Likely cause | Best first action |
|---|---|---|
| No trees or buildings anywhere | Autogen Density is disabled, FS9.cfg is damaged, or stock scenery files are missing | Check the slider, then rebuild FS9.cfg |
| Objects vanished after an FPS tweak | Autogen\default.xml was replaced, emptied or renamed | Restore the original FS2004 file |
| Autogen is missing only over photoreal scenery | The add-on lacks matching autogen annotation files | Install its supplied .agn files in the correct Texture folder |
| Autogen is absent around one airport | An exclusion area or conflicting scenery layer is suppressing it | Disable the airport add-on and check its layer order |
| Trees appear but buildings do not | The scenery annotations define only vegetation, or object definitions were altered | Check the add-on’s files and restore altered autogen definitions |
Why is autogen missing only from photoreal scenery?
Photoreal ground textures do not automatically acquire FS2004’s stock trees and buildings. They require scenery-specific .agn annotation files, normally placed in the same add-on Texture folder as the terrain textures they describe.
The annotation filenames must correspond to their associated texture files. Putting .agn files in FS2004’s main Autogen directory will not fix the scenery. Some photoreal packages intentionally contain no autogen at all, so restoring default.xml cannot create objects that were never annotated.
If the package includes both Scenery and Texture folders, verify that the complete folder structure is installed and its scenery layer is active. Our guide to checking FS2004 add-on folders and Scenery Library entries covers that part without requiring changes to the global autogen files.
Does default.xml control every FS2004 tree and building?
No. The default.xml file supplies XML-defined autogen objects, but terrain textures and their annotations also determine where generic vegetation and buildings appear. Restoring it is the correct fix after an old performance modification, but it cannot repair missing .agn files or remove an add-on’s exclusion area.
Avoid replacing the entire Autogen folder unless you know it is damaged. Back up the existing folder and restore individual original FS2004 files where possible, especially if installed scenery has added custom object definitions.
Will rebuilding FS9.cfg remove installed add-ons?
Rebuilding FS9.cfg does not delete aircraft or scenery files, but it resets many display, sound, control and simulator preferences. Scenery Library entries are held separately, so a damaged or inactive scenery layer may still need attention after the configuration has been regenerated.