Use Ortho4XP for Scenery with overlay and "scenery_packs.ini" file priority, in XP11.

See pics below with and without overlays.

Using Ortho4XP and Creating XP11 Scenery with overlays.

I learned about some new, to me, features that the users can benefit from in XP11, and I wanted to share them. In my quest, for Nirvana, or something I would be satisfied with, and be able to use XP11 as tool with, I found information that was very confusing and or only parts of it explained, because of it, I decided to write this.

Ortho4xp can generate photo realistic scenery and it's simplest form, just compile tiles without overlays, it contains it's own mesh, you do Not need to download / use any HDMesh.

If you want to get better resolution with the XP11 original scenery, no Ortho, you would benefit from HDmesh, and only then. If this is wrong, someone correct me please.

Here is summary of what Ortho4XP can do and what other addons you can use and what they do.

1-You can generate Dark at night simple Tiles that will overwrite / be on top of, all the XP11 original scenery except some of the Airports, and Airports addons. This is what I use, for Day VFR and I am satisfied with, works best for what I need to use the sim for.

The disadvantage, for some, is that is completely dark, at night, unless you have some Airport addons.

The procedure to generate Dark Tile is simple, see steps below:

Start / Execute / Run Orth4XP> Left click (LC) EarthTile map>Select Map Areas (Shift Left click) Mark Build Maps, Build overlays winds> Back to Ortho4XP screen> select Base 17 OK,> Source (I use Usa_2> Back to Tiles Collection Screen> Mark Batch Build and the compiling should start.

Note: You do Not have to select / enter any path, the Tiles will be saved in the X:...\XPlane11\Add-Ons\Ortho4XP\Tiles folder. If it does not, you likely have some residuals / left overs and you have to Build vector data> Purge OSM data for that Tile coordinates area / Nr.

After you compile a Tile you have to move it to X...\X-Plane 11\Custom Scenery, see below for details.

If you want to "improve" the visual, for nigh view, and or use some of the roads, buildings, etc. found in the XP11 original scenery, you will need the Overlays.

To generate the overlays, it can be done after you generate the Dark tile also, you will need the XP11 Global scenery data. You do that by pointing your Ortho4XP screen> Build Overlays>Select / LC on Custom overlay dir: and enter the proper / exact path, for your Global Scenery folder, typically X:...\X-Plane 11\Global Scenery\X-Plane 11 Global Scenery.

Note: Important, make sure you have the path all the way to...\X-Plane 11 Global Scenery, and not before or after that step, otherwise you will get an error about no Sniff data not available.

2-The procedure to generate Tiles with Overlays, see steps below:

Start / Execute / Run Orth4XP> Left click (LC) EarthTile map>Select Map Areas (Shift Left click) Mark Build Maps> Build overlays winds> Back to Ortho4XP screen> select Base 17 OK,> Source (I use Usa_2) > Build Overlays>Select / LC on Custom overlay dir: and enter the proper / exact path, for your Global Scenery folder, typically X:...\X-Plane 11\Global Scenery\X-Plane 11 Global Scenery> Back to Tiles Collection Screen> Mark Batch Build and the compiling should start.

Note: You do Not have to select / enter any path, for anything else, other than the >Custom overlay dir: Overlays will be saved in the X:...\Ortho4XP\yOrtho4XP_Overlays folder.

After you compile a Tile with Overlays you have to move the Overlays and the Tiles to X...\X-Plane 11\Custom Scenery, see below for details.

If it does not generate overlays, you likely have some residuals / left overs and you have to Build vector data> Purge OSM data, for that Tile coordinates area / Nr., or you may not have the OSM data, or more likely, the Path is incorrect for the overlays.

3-The procedure to generate Overlays only, after you generated a Tile without it:

Start / Execute / Run Orth4XP> In Build Overlays>Select / LC on Custom overlay dir: and enter the proper / exact path, for your Global Scenery folder, typically X:...\X-Plane 11\Global Scenery\X-Plane 11 Global Scenery> LC on Build overlay.

Note: Important, make sure you have the path all the way to...\X-Plane 11 Global Scenery, and not before or after that step, otherwise you will get an error about no Sniff data not available.

If it does not, you likely have some residuals / left overs and you have to Build vector data> Purge OSM data for that Tile coordinates area / Nr., or you may not have the OSM data, or more likely, the Path is incorrect.

The overlay will be located / placed in the X:...\Ortho4XP\yOrtho4XP_Overlays folder and you have to move it to After you compile the Overlays you have to move the Overlays and the Tiles to X...\X-Plane 11\Custom Scenery, see below for details.

Important: Custom scenery "scenery_packs.ini" file priority.

Note: If you do not follow the proper priority you may not see the proper / expected results.

Here is a sample, and some general information about it:

I

1000 Version

SCENERY

SCENERY_PACK Custom Scenery/KLAX - Los Angeles International/

SCENERY_PACK Custom Scenery/KSNA-John Wayne International Airport v4/

SCENERY_PACK Custom Scenery/KAVX - Catalina Airport/ >>> Custom Airports

SCENERY_PACK Custom Scenery/Global Airports/

SCENERY_PACK Custom Scenery/simHeaven_VFR-Landmarks/

SCENERY_PACK Custom Scenery/simHeaven_Forests_Africa/

SCENERY_PACK Custom Scenery/Hoover Dam & Grand Canyon/

SCENERY_PACK Custom Scenery/X-Plane Landmarks - London/

SCENERY_PACK Custom Scenery/MisterX_Library/

SCENERY_PACK Custom Scenery/OpenSceneryX/

SCENERY_PACK Custom Scenery/yOrtho4XP_Overlays/

SCENERY_PACK_DISABLED Custom Scenery/zOrtho4XP_+33-117/ >>Disabled Tile (Custom Scenery)

SCENERY_PACK Custom Scenery/zOrtho4XP_+33-118/ >> Active Tile

SCENERY_PACK Custom Scenery/zzz_hd_global_scenery4/ >> HD Mesh

Note: You can disable any entry / element in the Custom scenery "scenery_packs.ini" file by replacing SCENERY_PACK with SCENERY_PACK_DISABLED in case you want to test and or not use some of the scenery, without having to create multiple "scenery_packs.ini" files.

General information on priority, sequence, etc. used in XPlane 11 "scenery_packs.ini" files.

This takes a lot of time to understand and if not understood, and done correctly, can be very frustrating and lead to disappointment. This data was compiled from many sources and I extracted what I used to understand the priority

Entries for new sceneries will always be added on the top, therefore after running XP10/11 once (only necessary till startup screen) you have to adjust the order/priority of the sceneries.

There should be only one tree level between "Custom Scenery" and each "Earth nav data".

Do not rename the folders whose names begin zPhotoXP voluntarily with "z". They must be placed at the end of your "Custom Scenery" (listed alphabetically) so that their content is drawn below all the other scenes installed .

The order and the priority in the ‘scenery_packs.ini’ (you find it in ‘custom scenery’ folder) from top to bottom should be as follows (from local to global):

1. own and custom airports

2. original airports

(Aerosoft…, Global Airports …)

3. additional regional sceneries

(VFR-Addons like VFR-Objects, …)

4. additional continental w2xp sceneries (if installed)

(for outside Europe e.g. VFR-Landmarks, VFR-Aerials, Forests…)

5. w2xp sceneries (if installed)

(X-EUROPE, w2xp_America…)

6. libraries

(OpenSceneryX, FF_Library…)

7. overlay photo sceneries (if installed, you don’t need it for X-EUROPE)

(yOrtho4XP_Overlays if you are using Ortho4XP sceneries)

8. photo sceneries (if installed)

(generated with G2XPL Ortho4XP…)

9. mesh files (if installed)

(HD Scenery Mesh v4)

Note that HD mesh files work only when there is no photo scenery active in this region, as photo sceneries have their own mesh, derived from standard x-plane dsf or from hd scenery mesh.