Can I install X-Plane 12 HD Mesh scenery on another drive?

Yes. X-Plane 12 HD Mesh scenery can live on another internal or external drive, but X-Plane must still see each package inside Custom Scenery. Store the full package on the second drive, create a symbolic link or directory junction in Custom Scenery, then check its scenery_packs.ini order.

If X-Plane itself is installed on that drive, no link is required. Put the package directly inside that installation's Custom Scenery folder.

How do I link HD Mesh scenery from another drive?

Use a filesystem link that points from Custom Scenery to the real package folder on the other drive.

1. Close X-Plane 12. Do not move scenery or edit its configuration while the simulator is running.
2. Extract or move the complete package to the other drive. The package's top-level folder should contain its scenery files, usually including Earth nav data; avoid an accidental extra folder level. If the archive layout is unfamiliar, follow our HD Mesh download and extraction procedure.
3. Create the link inside Custom Scenery. The link name may match the original package name. Do not create an empty folder there first, because the link path must not already exist.
4. Start X-Plane once, then close it. X-Plane should discover the linked package and add it to Custom Scenery/scenery_packs.ini.
5. Check the load order. Move the HD Mesh entry below airports and overlays while X-Plane is closed.

Windows directory junction example

Open Command Prompt with sufficient permissions and use mklink /J. Replace both example paths with your actual locations:

mklink /J "C:\X-Plane 12\Custom Scenery\HD Mesh Package" "D:\XPlane Scenery\HD Mesh Package"

A directory junction is preferable to copying an ordinary Windows .lnk desktop shortcut, which is not the same type of filesystem link.

macOS or Linux symbolic link example

Use ln -s, again substituting the real paths:

ln -s "/Volumes/Scenery/XPlane/HD Mesh Package" "/path/to/X-Plane 12/Custom Scenery/HD Mesh Package"

On macOS, the external volume name must remain unchanged. On Linux, use a consistent mount point so the target does not move between sessions.

Where should HD Mesh appear in scenery_packs.ini?

Place HD Mesh below custom airports and overlay scenery because it is a base-mesh package.

• Custom airports and landmarks belong near the top.
• Road, building and vegetation overlays go above base mesh.
• HD Mesh and other base-mesh packages belong near the bottom.
• X-Plane's original terrain remains the fallback where the add-on has no coverage.

Overlapping base meshes do not blend. For any given tile, the highest-priority eligible base mesh wins, so an orthophoto package above HD Mesh will replace it for that tile; reversing them can hide the orthophoto imagery. Our orthophoto folder and ordering guidance explains that conflict in more detail.

Do not move third-party HD Mesh into Global Scenery. That directory is for X-Plane's installed global terrain; if those original files are damaged or missing, use the proper method to restore the default global scenery.

Why is linked HD Mesh scenery not showing?

A broken drive link, nested package folder or higher-priority base mesh is usually responsible.

• The external drive is unavailable: connect and mount it before starting X-Plane. On Windows, assign a stable drive letter if the letter keeps changing.
• The link is broken: open the link from the operating system and confirm that it reaches the package folder.
• The folder is nested: X-Plane must find the scenery structure directly inside the linked package, not inside another identically named folder.
• Another base mesh has priority: inspect scenery_packs.ini for orthophoto or another mesh package covering the same tile.
• The area is outside the package coverage: HD Mesh collections do not necessarily include every region.
• The package is unsuitable for X-Plane 12: storing scenery on another drive does not make older or incompatible terrain data compatible. Use scenery identified as suitable for X-Plane 12.

If the cause remains unclear, inspect Log.txt in the X-Plane folder immediately after loading the affected area. Search for the package name, missing files or failed scenery-loading messages.

Does running HD Mesh from another drive affect performance?

A second drive normally affects loading and possible tile-loading pauses rather than steady rendering performance.

Keep X-Plane's default global scenery installed even when HD Mesh is stored elsewhere. It supplies terrain wherever the add-on has no valid coverage or its linked drive is unavailable.