Scenery Files?

[Mattace64]

Hello All:

So I've become pretty comfortable with downloading new aircraft from this site (for FSX)...  and I'm pretty happy with my collection...  I wish my SR-71 went a little faster / higher, and I wish I could get my thunderbird to stop on the runway... but it's not a perfect world.

Anyway, I was considering downloading some scenery files...  I haven't done it before, and I'm a bit skeptical.  Also, keep in mind I don't have the best system, FSX runs okay, but my settings are definitely not maxed.  

I was wondering if I should even bother?  I would assume for one that scenery files would only increase the load on my system, and that I'm happy with how it's performing now, and don't want to make it worse and slow my framerate down.

Also, when you install a new aircraft, and it doesnt work, you simply delete the aircraft...  Is this true for scenery files?  How do you install them?  Are they undoable?  The whole process seems more glichy and problematic, am I wrong?  Thanks for the feedback!

[garymbuska]

Adding scenery is easier than adding aircraft. There are a couple of ways you can do it.
What I like to do is to make folders that have meaningful names example
Denver for files of the Denver area. I put these folders inside the add on scenery folder.Then you have to make at least one folder inside of that one named Scenery and sometimes you will need another folder called texture but not always it depends on the scenery you download.
Make sure the file you down load has a readme file with instructions it will tell you what to do.
Scenery files have a extension type of BGL which are referred to as BGL files. These file types belong in the scenery folder. Texture files for FSX seem to have a DDS extension they would go in the texture folder inside of the Denver folder in this case.[glow=yellow,2,300]Whatever you do do not put them in the main FSX texture folder[/glow]
All that is left to do is to start FSX I do not believe you have to activate it like you had to with FS2004. 8-)

[Mattace64]

Where is the add on scenery folder?  Is it the same as the scenery folder?

[ManuelL]

The addon scenery folder is located in the main FSX folder and contains a "scenery" and a "texture" folder to which you could copy the files located in the respective folders of the scenery addon.

However, I would suggest a different approach, as by doing it this way you will have the scenery files inseperable in one folder.

Other than aircraft, scenery addons can be located in any folder you like, as long as you direct the scenery library to the correct folder. I for example have most of my scenery addons located on a different hard drive/particion to safe the space in the FSX partition for aircraft addons.

Just create a folder for your scenery addon within the addon scnery folder or anywhere else you like. Copy the "scenery" and "texture" folders into this folder.

Then start FSX and go to Options/Scenery library. In this library click on "add scenery". The browse to the scenery folder you have created and click ok (do not select the texture or scenery folders within this folder).

When you leave the scenery library by clicking OK. FSX will update and you will have your scenery.

When you have several sceneries covering the same area (e.g. a photoscenery and an airport scenery) you have to set the priority in which the sceneries are displayed. In the scenery library the topmost entry has the highest priority and will be displayed on top of the other sceneries. You can select a scenery and click the move up/down buttons to change the priority (e.g. move the airport addon on top of the photoscenery).

It sounds a bit complicated at first, but when you have a closer look it is quite easy.

[Mattace64]

Yes, just after I posted that last question, I just created my own directory and had luck.  The Toronto scenery I loaded seems to be working, but I guess I don't know how Toronto looked originally so I'm not sure what the improvements were.  It was also a bad test because I flew by at Mach 3 in the blackbird....  Next time I'll have to take it a little slower:).

Thank you for all the feedback.

[Steve M]

I didn't know there was Toronto scenery available. Can anyone tell me where to find it?

Edit: Nevermind I found it. Page 33 scenery.