Differences Between Addon Scenery Files in FSX

Hi All,

Wish to know the differences between the FSX/Addon Scenery Folder (in FSX Folder) as compared to the Scenery Files in the FSX (Main Setting Menu).

There are some upgraded default scenery which the installation is only to copy & paste to the FSX/Addon Scenery/Scenery Folder & some requires to copy in the Scenery Library File in FSX Setting window & activate it. I never copy to the Scenery File in FSX Setting Menu, hence to clarify this issue.

Thanks in advance for sharing your comment.

Most of the content that states to install to either scenery folder just say that because its the way the maker got it to run.

Personally I have my own add-on scenery folder with my add-on content in specific folders and it all works fine. The only time I install to the main scenery file folder is when adding in AI flightplans.

So for example my freemesh africa data is in ;

FSX\Addon Scenery FSX\FreeMeshX - Africa\scenery

-------^ Custom folder ^--------------

FSX will 'LOOK' into the default '/Scenery' folder on start up. So the sim will 'read' what ever is there (ie:bgl's, etc) when it needs it. In the past simmers 'lumped' all sort of bgl's into that folder for various sceneries and then had problems when there were duplicate bgl's for the same area. You did not know which to delete. So that 'scenario' resulted in a complete MESS!!!

We caught on quick and made our OWN 'AddOn Scenry\Scenery' folder and put all the different scenery, with different names, under that. When you make your own 'FSX\AddOn Scenery\Your Scenery X\scenery' folder you must 'activate' each ('Your Scenery X\scenery') individually thru 'the Scenery File in FSX Setting Menu', or they won't 'show'. You can put the 'Your Name X\scenery' folder (with bgl's, etc) under you own 'AddOn Scenery' folder but nothing will happen (ie:won't 'show') until you 'activate' that folder thru the 'Settings Menu'. Hope this clears that up. Cheers.

Chuck B

Hello,

My question NOT related to Addon Scenery BUT I do NOT undersyand where to add my Traffix files .bgls taking in account the recommendation from LM .

These files should be installed OUTSIDE of the LM folder.

Any recommendations?

Thanks in advance

Hi,

BGL files can be installed anywhere you like, as long as the folder they are in is called "scenery". This is true for any BGL, no matter if it really is scenery or just traffic related. I keep all WOAI and Boat traffic bgl's in separate "scenery" folders on a different drive.

Examples:

C:/FOOBAR/Scenery/myTrafficfile.bgl => Add "C:/FOOBAR" to the scenery library in the sim.

D:/MySceneries/StinkyValley/Scenery/mySceneryfile.bgl => Add "D:/MySceneries/StinkyValley" to the scenery library in the sim.

The reason for "AddonScenery" and "Scenery" and whatnot in the Sims main folder is simply organization of the pre loaded content vs. addons. If you do not want all your sceneries to be loaded at once and keep the option to switch them off (to avoid OOMs for example) you put them in their very own respective folders and add them to the scenery library independently. Where you create those folders on your computer does not matter in the slightest - but MS provided "Addon Scenery" as a convenient starting point. Placing BGLs in their own folder structure has the added benefit that you can remove them easily, without having to keep track of every single file you dumped into the default scenery folder in the sim directory.

What makes it a little skewed is the fact that "Addon Scenery" is a scenery by itself too and activated in the scenery library by default (recognizable through the fact that it has "scenery" and "texture" subfolders).

Contrary to earlier FS versions (or other products) FSX does not "search" for new scenery folders, so even if you copy a FOLDER into "Addon Scenery" (for example like this: "Addon Scenery/FOOBAR/scenery") they will not be active - not until you explicitly add them to the scenery library (which, incidentally, is identical to the file "scenery.cfg" in your C:/ProgramData/Microsoft/FSX folder - this file IS the scenery library).

When you make your own 'FSX\AddOn Scenery\Your Scenery X\scenery' folder you must 'activate' each ('Your Scenery X\scenery') individually thru 'the Scenery File in FSX Setting Menu', or they won't 'show'. You can put the 'Your Name X\scenery' folder (with bgl's, etc) under you own 'AddOn Scenery' folder but nothing will happen (ie:won't 'show') until you 'activate' that folder thru the 'Settings Menu'. Hope this clears that up. Cheers.

Chuck B

Which mean that whatever Addon Scenery that we copied to the FSX Main Folder we must also copy & activate it in the FSX Setting Menu? (As explained by nuitkati?)

Which mean that whatever Addon Scenery that we copied to the FSX Main Folder we must also copy & activate it in the FSX Setting Menu? (As explained by nuitkati?)

That depends on how you do it:

1. Drop some BGL files directly into the default /Scenery folder or into /Addon Scenery/Scenery then you do not have to activate anything (in fact, you can't - only scenery FOLDERS can be activated, not individual BGLs)

2. Drop a scenery FOLDER into FSX, or anywhere else: this needs to be activated - and it is the only thing that can be activated too (= a folder with any odd name containing a subfolder called /scenery/ and that one containing the BGLs).

Again: FSX does not search by itself for whole scenery folders. It searches for BGL files (only) in the folders you specified in the scenery library. Even the default folders are in there, if you look closely. If you delete your scenery.cfg (= scenery library), FSX won't even load the default "world", because it has no idea where to search for the BGLs.

That depends on how you do it:

 

1. Drop some BGL files directly into the default /Scenery folder or into /Addon Scenery/Scenery then you do not have to activate anything (in fact, you can't - only scenery FOLDERS can be activated, not individual BGLs)

 

2. Drop a scenery FOLDER into FSX, or anywhere else: this needs to be activated - and it is the only thing that can be activated too (= a folder with any odd name containing a subfolder called /scenery/ and that one containing the BGLs).

 

Again: FSX does not search by itself for whole scenery folders. It searches for BGL files (only) in the folders you specified in the scenery library. Even the default folders are in there, if you look closely. If you delete your scenery.cfg (= scenery library), FSX won't even load the default "world", because it has no idea where to search for the BGLs.

TQVM nuitkati. I got it :)

Another question,

What does 'priority' means in the FSX Scenery Library Setting Menu? Mine are all ticked with the Addon Scenery Folder being the first one.

Thanks

Basically the priority system is your load order for content, numbered backwards from 1.

So for example with three files; First loaded would #3, then #2 which would overwrite #3, then lastly #1 which would overwrite both previous files, with the last one (#1) making the "final" changes to the content.

Basically the priority system is your load order for content, numbered backwards from 1.

 

So for example with three files; First loaded would #3, then #2 which would overwrite #3, then lastly #1 which would overwrite both previous files, with the last one (#1) making the "final" changes to the content.

So its only the issue of loading order & didn't affect any scenery apperances? Are there any specific arrangement i.e. as to which folders goes to which order etc? Sorry, just to make sure. Thanks CptCaveman

So its only the issue of loading order & didn't affect any scenery apperances? Are there any specific arrangement i.e. as to which folders goes to which order etc? Sorry, just to make sure. Thanks CptCaveman

No, the sequence is not "only" anything, it is essential for correct scenery appearance. Scenery layering works by exclusion. A scenery with a higher layer/priority will exclude what others did in this place with lower prio. Else you would have for example the default scenery always "shining through". (that is, IF the developer provided the necessary exclusion rectangles). Another "problem" in this context are the libraries used by the sceneries, you may end up with black objects if the libs are not loaded in a specific order.

If you have more than one scenery element in a specific place, you will have to figure out the correct layering so that the desired visuals show up. Unfortunately there is no "golden rule" for this and you mostly end up in trial&error land.

No, the sequence is not "only" anything, it is essential for correct scenery appearance. Scenery layering works by exclusion. A scenery with a higher layer/priority will exclude what others did in this place with lower prio. Else you would have for example the default scenery always "shining through". (that is, IF the developer provided the necessary exclusion rectangles). Another "problem" in this context are the libraries used by the sceneries, you may end up with black objects if the libs are not loaded in a specific order.

 

If you have more than one scenery element in a specific place, you will have to figure out the correct layering so that the desired visuals show up. Unfortunately there is no "golden rule" for this and you mostly end up in trial&error land.

I thought that so. Otherwise it wont say 'priority' for nothing :o

My guess is, if a certain addon says that you just need to install in the Library & activate it, so we just install it without concerning the priority sequence as it didn't mention on the priority status in the instruction.

But on another note, if we were to install a new folder it will automatically goes to the first priority, if I can remember correctly. BTW, how can we identify higher layer/higher priority scenery?

Thanks nuitkati.