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How to Move X-Plane 11 Orbx Scenery to X-Plane 12.

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ORBX X PLANE 11 SCENERY INSTALL to X PLANE 12

How to Move X-Plane 11 Orbx Scenery to X-Plane 12

What if I could show you Move X-Plane 11 Orbx Scenery to X-Plane 12? WOuld you want to know? If you’ve been flying in X-Plane 11 with gorgeous Orbx scenery, you might be surprised to learn you can bring much of that same payware scenery over to X-Plane 12 and it works just fine in most cases. No guarantees but generally it seems fine.

ORBX SCENERY

While Orbx now markets scenery products specifically for X-Plane 12, many of their older XP11 titles remain compatible with the new sim. In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to move Orbx scenery from X-Plane 11 to X-Plane 12, how to “trick” Orbx Central into installing directly into XP12, and how to avoid common issues like scenery load order conflicts.

Why Move Orbx Scenery from XP11 to XP12?

Orbx has not officially updated all of their X-Plane 11 scenery for X-Plane 12. Instead, they now sell new versions tailored for XP12 but if you already own the XP11 versions, there’s no need to repurchase them right away.

What many don’t know, and I was one of them is that you can move ORBX scenery from X Plane 11 to X Plane 12 with likely no issues. Generally the reports are quite good with not many issues reported so I am certainly going to download and install the current terrain and other ORBX addons to my X Plane 12 installation.

Many users report that older Orbx scenery runs just fine in X-Plane 12 with minimal or no issues. So why not make use of what you already have?

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Step-by-Step: Moving Orbx Scenery to X-Plane 12

1. Locate Your Existing Orbx Scenery

If you installed Orbx scenery into the ‘Custom Scenery’ folder of X-Plane 11, you’ll want to move or copy those scenery folders into the ‘Custom Scenery’ folder of your X-Plane 12 installation. Yes simply copy them into X Plane 12. Certainly not a big issue as long as you have space.

Typical folder path (Windows):

X-Plane 11/Custom Scenery/Orbx_<SceneryName>

Copy each of these Orbx scenery folders directly into:

X-Plane 12/Custom Scenery/

You can also move Orbx libraries (like OrbxLibs or Orbx_A_GB_Types) the same way.

2. Enable X-Plane 12 in Orbx Central (Trick It)

Orbx Central may not automatically detect your XP12 installation if your scenery license is for XP11. But there’s a simple workaround:

  • Open Orbx Central
  • Click Settings → Libraries
  • Add a new XP11-style library pointing to your XP12 folder. This tricks Orbx Central into thinking it’s installing to XP11.
  • You may need to manually select XP11 as the simulator during installation — just make sure you set the folder path to XP12.

This allows you to re-download or reinstall previously purchased scenery straight into XP12.

3. Check the Scenery Order

This step is crucial — if your Orbx scenery is listed above “Global Airports” in the scenery_packs.ini file, you may not see your regular airports or overlays correctly.

Do this:

  • Open X-Plane 12/Custom Scenery/scenery_packs.ini
  • Make sure all Orbx entries are listed below the line: SCENERY_PACK Custom Scenery/Global Airports/

You can manually rearrange the lines in this file using a text editor (like Notepad++).

How to Redownload Deleted Orbx Scenery and Install it into X-Plane 12

1. Download and Install Orbx Central (if needed)

If you’ve uninstalled it, grab the latest version of Orbx Central from:
👉 https://orbxdirect.com/central

2. Log Into Your Orbx Account

  • Open Orbx Central and log in using the account you used to purchase your X-Plane 11 scenery.

Your previous purchases should appear in the My Products tab.

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3. Trick Orbx Central into Installing to XP12

Since many products were built for XP11, Orbx Central might not recognize XP12 by default. Here’s the workaround:

Option A: Add XP12 as a Custom Library

  • Go to Settings → Libraries
  • Add a new library path and point it to your X-Plane 12 directory
  • When prompted to select your simulator, choose X-Plane 11 (even though you’re pointing to XP12)
  • Orbx Central will now install scenery into XP12, thinking it’s XP11

Option B: Use a Symbolic Link (Advanced)

If Orbx Central refuses to install to XP12, you can temporarily create a symbolic link (symlink) pointing an “XP11” folder to your XP12 directory. This can trick the app into installing to XP12. Ask if you want detailed steps for this.

4. Install Your Scenery Again

  • In Orbx Central, go to My Products
  • Click Install on your purchased scenery
  • The files will be downloaded and placed in your XP12 Custom Scenery folder

5. Fix the Scenery Load Order

After installing:

  • Open scenery_packs.ini in your XP12 Custom Scenery folder
  • Make sure all Orbx entries are listed below Global Airports
    • Otherwise, stock airports and overlays may not appear correctly
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ORBX Scenery DIrect Download Option.

There is another work around should the above not be successful for you for some reason. Simply by copying and renaming your X Plane 12 Install file to X Plane 11 install ORBX will see the file but also now will give you X Plane 11 in the menu so you can download all your previous scenery to X Plane 12.

By adding a reference to X Plane 11 in your C:\USERS\YOUR USER NAME\ APPDATA\

Withing the APPDATA file you will find X Plane 12 Install file.
What you need to do is Copy this file then Paste it back into the same directory.
What we need to do is find the file that looks like X Plane 12 Install Copy.
Simply Select the file and RENAME it to X Plane 11 Install.
Now when you open ORBX CENTRAL the dropdown will also show X Plane 11 in the dropdown and go ahead and download your X Plane 11 Orbx Scenery and it will install into your X Plane 12 Installation as normal. Makes life even simpler.

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Bonus Tip: Backup Your Downloads

Before moving on, consider backing up your downloaded scenery from Orbx. You can set a custom library location in Orbx Central to store scenery files outside the X-Plane folder making future reinstalls faster and safer.

Things to Keep in Mind

  • Not all Orbx XP11 scenery will be 100% visually accurate in XP12 due to lighting and vegetation changes, but many regions still look excellent.
  • Performance and compatibility can vary slightly depending on your hardware and sim settings.
  • Orbx Central may eventually drop support for XP11 products — it’s a good idea to archive your downloaded scenery for future installs.

Final Thoughts

If you’ve already invested in Orbx scenery for X-Plane 11, don’t let it sit unused or think you should spend your valuable money rebuying the same product again. With a quick folder move and a small trick in Orbx Central, you can enjoy your favorite regions and airports in X-Plane 12 often with no extra cost.

Just make sure you manage your scenery order properly to avoid missing airports or overlay issues. It’s a simple but powerful way to enhance your XP12 experience without starting from scratch. Happy flying!

About the Author: Brendon McALiece

Brendon McAliece - Gunnie and a Jabiru 170

Brendon McALiece is a multilingual educator, simulator specialist, and the founder of LetsFlyVFR.com. With decades of experience in VR aviation, instructional design, and international teaching, Brendon writes highly detailed guides that help real users get the most out of their flight simulator setups.

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