So I'm going to spend a little time upgrading my Scenery.cfg renumbering utility. I was researching just where the [General] section actually had to be in the file and couldn't find any written statement from Microsoft, (or anyone else for that matter), explicitly confirming that requirement. I have always gone under the assumption that it had to be the first section in the file. So does anyone know if there is a required position of the [General] section in the Scenery.cfg file or can it reside anywhere? Please advise and thanks!Mark

I have never seen any explicit statement - when I use config files (I'm a developer of non-FS software) I depend on the bracketed headings rather than file position. There is an easy way to find out... just move it to a random location in the file and see what happens.DJ

Thanks DJ! Yeah, I haven't seen anything on it either. I am also a professional software engineer and am aware of INI file structures and the like. (Been writing software since around 1977). I just would like to nail down a requirement if possible. There seems to be a bunch of undocumented characteristics for FS9...too many if you ask me. Some of it is common knowledge amongst people who have already ridden the FS9 software treadmill. So I wonder if anyone actually knows?Mark

Unfortunately, FS is documented about to the same level as most projects I've worked on... I do know from sad experience that if the general section is corrupted or the heading is mucked up in any way that FS will crash big time. Some installers and config file 'fixers' have had problems in the past.DJ

I moved the [General] section to the end of the scenery.cfg and FS9 ran fine, no problem.I also made changes to my layer order forcing FS to re-write the scenery.cfg and FS left it at the end of the file. I would think if FS needs it at the beginning of the file it would have moved it there when FS re-wrote the scenery.cfg.There is nothing in the SDK about where that section needs to be, either.regards,Joe

Thanks Joe! You know, I did the same thing as well. I also went ahead and dropped the section into the middle of the file. I didn't experience any ill effects...yet. I say that guardedly until I fly a larger swath of my 1200 or so scenery entries. But it doesn't appear to effect anything so long as it's in the file. The interesting thing is that there are many other rules which pertain to how sceneries display dependant on where an entry is located in the file and where it is in relation to other entries. So go figure...maybe I'll just ask people to expect it at the beginning of the file, (as it has always been), since it doesn't appear to make any difference. That is unless someone discovers a dissenting argument :)Mark