Terrain mesh priority in MSFS

[BBCM 42]

With all the recent great high rez third party terrain mesh appearing, I was just wondering: if there are two pieces pieces of terrain mesh with different resolutions (DEM) for the same area, how does MSFS choose which mesh to display?

For FSX and P3D, as I understand, the terrain mesh with the highest resolution would be displayed, regardless of how the two pieces  were ordered in the Scenery Library (although I'm not certain what would happen if either or both were outboard .xml add ons).

Does MSFS work the same way? Or is it just that terrain mesh in the Community folder will overwrite terrain mesh in the Official folder, or with two pieces of terrain mesh in the Community folder, the alphabetically later one in the list will overwrite the earlier on in the list, regardless of which one has the highest resolution?

I hope this isn't too dumb a question. I'm fairly new to MSFS.

Thanks - Bob

 

[Car147 2,277]

I don't have a clue, maybe ask directly over on the MSFS forum, and get the info direct.

[BBCM 42]

55 minutes ago, Car147 said:

I don't have a clue, maybe ask directly over on the MSFS forum, and get the info direct.

Thanks for the reply. Yes, I may have to do that. I wasn't certain how much this might be common knowledge. I'll wait a bit and see if maybe someone here knows, and if not, I'll go over to the MSFS forums.

It's nothing really vital. I'm using PlaneGuy04's excellent 15m DEM terrain mesh for British Columbia (highly recommended if you're doing low and slow in the area). I haven't noticed any particular problems, but I was just wondering how everything was working in the background. 

Thanks again for your reply. - Bob

[Glenn Fitzpatrick 3,798]

The addon meshes seem to be able to over-ride the default mesh with no serious issues though I assume they have to be handcrafted  in places to fit in with existing POI and airports so you do not get an airport in a hole or on top of a mesa.

The tricky bit is where you have two add on meshes for example a custom airport that modifies the surroundings and a more regional mesh addon that modifies the same area. They need to be designed to work with each other.

Edited June 27, 2021 by Glenn Fitzpatrick

[fppilot 4,360]

Why the terrain mesh question here?  Clearly the one single superlative attribute of MSFS is the visuals of the earth's surface and evolved human brick and mortar development.  Are there not many, many, many other aviation aspects much more worthy of attention?  If not concentrated attention.  Or perhaps a ton of adoption of flight simulation capabilities and attributes that have been present for a decade or more!  The ever-present NIHS is stifling to this simulation!

 

[Bert Pieke 7,584]

5 hours ago, BBCM said:

but I was just wondering how everything was working in the background. 

This is a new sim, and not everything is known as yet.. suggest you "go with the flow" as most of us are doing and be prepared for the odd bump in the road..

The BC mesh is great, and especially on Vancouver Island, it totally makes the sim come alive 🙂

[hansb57 493]

57 minutes ago, fppilot said:

Why the terrain mesh question here?  Clearly the one single superlative attribute of MSFS is the visuals of the earth's surface and evolved human brick and mortar development.  Are there not many, many, many other aviation aspects much more worthy of attention?  If not concentrated attention.  Or perhaps a ton of adoption of flight simulation capabilities and attributes that have been present for a decade or more!  The ever-present NIHS is stifling to this simulation!

 

This is a reply that clearly shows that english is not my first language. I've read it about 10 times and cant decide if poster is saying "get out with your stupid question, there are more important things to solve in MSFS"   or is giving an answer I just cant grasp.

[Nemo 1,305]

2 hours ago, fppilot said:

Why the terrain mesh question here?  ...

That's a strange statement ... Where else than in a forum should questions like this being asked? I also think MSFS mesh LOD is too low in many mountainous areas. This and the fact that many mesh improving add-ons have appeared in the last few months justify the OP questions more than sufficient.

"there are no bad questions only bad answers"

Edited June 28, 2021 by Nemo

[Glenn Fitzpatrick 3,798]

35 minutes ago, Nemo said:

That's a strange statement ... Where else than in a forum should questions like this being asked? I also think MSFS mesh LOD is too low in many mountainous areas. This and the fact that many mesh improving add-ons have appeared in the last few months justify the OP questions more than sufficient.

"there are no bad questions only bad answers"

 

The improved mesh addons are controversial. I see an amazing difference in NZ for example with the Orbx mesh combined with the NZscenery vegetation addon (sadly the water mask component of that addon is currently broken but the dev seem dedicated to fixing it, the vegetation though is great) however many people are adamant that they see minimal difference and feel a need to express that and get quite angry when people disagree.

I think a lot of factors come into play here.  A lot of old school simmers are used to keeping there head in the cockpit and staring at the instruments and/or straight ahead and pretty much ignore the scenery, some people genuinely think the rounded look of the default mesh is realistic, other people do not care so long as it looks good for screenshots or are used to other sims and think it already looks amazing so why do more.

Then there is the rather odd idea that game development skills are somehow transferrable and somehow a database programmer or graphic artist can be moved over to work on flight model problems the way bar staff at your local can clean tables when there are no beers to pour. People that think that way will often say totally illogical stuff like "why are they bringing out scenery updates when I do not have my study level "XXX TupoBoeingbus Stratoliner" in game yet.

 

Edited June 28, 2021 by Glenn Fitzpatrick

[BBCM 42]

3 hours ago, fppilot said:

Why the terrain mesh question here?  Clearly the one single superlative attribute of MSFS is the visuals of the earth's surface and evolved human brick and mortar development.  Are there not many, many, many other aviation aspects much more worthy of attention?  If not concentrated attention.  Or perhaps a ton of adoption of flight simulation capabilities and attributes that have been present for a decade or more!  The ever-present NIHS is stifling to this simulation!

 

Just curious about how add on load order works in MSFS, in particular terrain mesh, and this seems to be the forum to ask questions about how MSFS works. But I think CAR147 is right: I need to ask in the MSFS forums. 

Thanks everyone for your replies. - Bob

[Reader 2,021]

4 hours ago, hansb57 said:

This is a reply that clearly shows that english is not my first language. I've read it about 10 times and cant decide if poster is saying "get out with your stupid question, there are more important things to solve in MSFS"   or is giving an answer I just cant grasp.

English is my first language but I have no idea what this means

5 hours ago, fppilot said:

The ever-present NIHS is stifling to this simulation!

 

[SierraHotel 980]

 

1 hour ago, BBCM said:

Just curious about how add on load order works in MSFS, in particular terrain mesh, and this seems to be the forum to ask questions about how MSFS works. But I think CAR147 is right: I need to ask in the MSFS forums. 

Thanks everyone for your replies. - Bob

Not being a programmer I can't say 100%, but my guess would be load order is determined by three things (1) the add-ons presence in the Community folder (2 and 3) the files "layout.json and manifest.json"

And you are correct, there are no "wrong" questions only wrong or misguided answers.

[Matchstick 1,886]

I haven't needed to try it myself but it may be possible to gain finer control over the loading of scenery modules by modifying the order on entries in the file
C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.FlightSimulator_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalCache

My guess is that later entries override earlier entries since the base scenery is towards the top but as I mention it's not something I've checked out myself