MSFS scenery

MSFS Carcassonne (Walled City) Photogrammetry Scenery

Carcassonne’s medieval walled city comes alive with high-resolution photogrammetry scenery that captures the fortress, streets, and surrounding landscape in faithful 3D detail for Microsoft Flight Simulator. Optimized textures, carefully tuned LODs, and atmospheric night lighting keep the landmark sharp from low passes to higher overflights while supporting smooth performance.

5/5 (2) 807 downloads 424.94 MB Scanned clean France
Flight Simulator 2020 Flight Simulator 2024
Adam McEnroe
Editor reviewed · Tested in-sim

Expert Overview

The Carcassonne (Walled City) Photogrammetry Scenery mod for Microsoft Flight Simulator brings centuries of French heritage to life with high-resolution 3D modeling. As someone who has worked extensively with photoreal scenery, I can confirm that its fine-tuned approach seamlessly captures the fortified citadel, delivering mesmerizing architecture, lifelike textures, and fluid performance through optimized LODs and carefully balanced memory usage. Even at varying altitudes, the mod retains remarkable clarity and realism, creating a captivating vantage point for any virtual aviator.

What truly stands out is how this package leverages photogrammetry to mirror the intertwined layers of Roman and medieval influences. When combined with immersive lighting effects, the resulting experience showcases Carcassonne’s grand fortifications both day and night. Supported by nearby airports like Salvaza (LFMK), this scenery transforms routine flights into historical adventures, making it an essential addition for simmers who appreciate an authentic window into Europe’s medieval past.

This mod was installed, tested and reviewed by Adam McEnroe for Fly Away Simulation. Adam is an FS mod expert. Read his bio →

Step into a world of historical authenticity and stunning detail with the Carcassonne (Walled City) Photogrammetry Scenery add-on for Microsoft Flight Simulator. This enhancement utilizes state-of-the-art photogrammetry technology to recreate the fortified city of Carcassonne with unparalleled accuracy.

Image displays Carcassonne after installing this freeware mod in the simulator.Scenery Overview

Located in the heart of the Aude plain, between key historical trade routes, Carcassonne's strategic importance is underscored by centuries of history. From the Romans to the Visigoths, each era has left its mark on this city. Now, flight simulation enthusiasts can explore these layers of history in Microsoft Flight Simulator, experiencing the ancient citadel as it stands today.

Key Features

  • High-Resolution Photogrammetry: Delivers an exact digital duplicate of the present-day Carcassonne, including its iconic medieval fortress, the Cité de Carcassonne, restored and digitized with exquisite detail.
  • Optimized Performance: The scenery package is designed with a reduced memory footprint, employing a single texture for the entire model to enhance frame rates and decrease loading times.
  • Detailed LODs: Levels of Detail (LOD) ensure that the visual fidelity of the scenery is maintained from various altitudes without compromising performance.
  • Atmospheric Lighting: Custom light configurations that mimic real-world conditions, enhancing the realism of night flights and dusk scenarios.

Photogrammetry in Scenery Design

Photogrammetry refers to the art and science of making measurements from photographs. In the context of scenery design for flight simulators, it involves using photographic data to create 3D models of buildings and landscapes, achieving high levels of realism that traditional digital design methods cannot match.

Exploring Nearby Airfields

To fully enjoy the scenic vistas of Carcassonne, consider taking off or landing at the following nearby airports:

  • Salvaza Airport (LFMK): Located just a few kilometers from the city center, it's perfect for starting or concluding your scenic flights.
  • Pamiers Les Pujols Airport (LFDJ): Situated to the southwest, this airfield offers a different approach and departure route, showcasing the diverse landscapes of the region.

Installation and Credits

This scenery mod, extracted from Google Maps, brings you the most refined and accurate depiction of Carcassonne to date. All 3D modeling credits go to Google, with specific optimizations and enhancements tailored for MSFS by our dedicated team of developers.

Version 1.1 includes a critical update that resolves previously noted LOD issues, ensuring a seamless integration into your flight simulation experience.

Simply extract the archive and copy the carcassonne folder into your MSFS community folder.

Conclusion

Whether you're a history buff, a flight sim enthusiast, or a virtual tourist, the MSFS Carcassonne (Walled City) Photogrammetry Scenery mod provides an immersive and educational flying experience. Discover the richness of Carcassonne's past, right from your cockpit.

Ready to download Carcassonne (Walled City) Photogrammetry Scenery?

Free for all simmers · 424.94 MB · Scanned clean

File information

Filename
msfs-carcassonne-photo.zip
File size
424.94 MB
Virus scan
Clean (scanned with ClamAV)
Access
Freeware
Content rating
Everyone

Download speed: Free tier is capped at 2 Mbps (this file takes approximately 30 mins at the cap). PRO members download at full line speed.

How to install this mod

MSFS scenery
  1. Extract the downloaded archive

    Use 7-Zip (free) or WinRAR to extract the ZIP to a temporary folder. Don't install while still zipped — the simulator can't read inside ZIP files.
  2. Locate your MSFS Community folder

    All MSFS add-ons live in the Community folder. Microsoft Store / Game Pass version: %LOCALAPPDATA%\Packages\Microsoft.FlightSimulator_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalCache\Packages\Community\. Steam version: %APPDATA%\Microsoft Flight Simulator\Packages\Community\. Tip: enable Developer Mode in MSFS to see your exact Community folder path.
  3. Copy the scenery package into Community

    Drag the extracted scenery folder into your Community folder. Photogrammetry and large mesh packs can be 1GB+ — ensure you have disk space.
  4. Restart MSFS

    Close MSFS completely and relaunch. The new content appears in the Content Manager, on the World Map, or in the aircraft/livery selector.
  5. Always read the included readme

    Every mod ships with a readme.txt or README file. It tells you exactly where files go, what dependencies are needed, and any quirks specific to this add-on.

Finding the scenery

Use these coordinates to fly directly to this location once the mod is installed.

MSFS format (paste into search bar)
43.20668200,2.36269700
Decimal degrees
43.206682°, 2.362697°
Degrees, minutes, seconds
43° 12' 24.055" N 2° 21' 45.709" E

Paste these coordinates into the Microsoft Flight Simulator search bar when planning a flight, or into the Developer Mode Teleport window, to fly directly to this location.

Profile image for freeware developer Thalixte
About the developer

Thalixte

Thalixte is a developer that has focused on creating photogrammetry and scenery packs for the latest Microsoft Flight Simulator (MSFS) 2020 release.  All of this developer's releases have received fantastic feedback from many users on various flight sim websites including Fly Away Simulation.

Based in France, the developer tends to focus on creation of European packs however some "further afield" packs have also been created.

Enjoyed this mod? Thalixte released it as freeware. Consider donating to support future projects.

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