X-Plane 8 Scenery System Version History

This page contains information about changes to the simulator's scenery system.

X-Plane 8.00 (11/6/04)

This is the initial version available on DVD.

• First version to read X-Plane DSF files and use the new library system and packaging.
• OBJ7 cockpit texture commands added for 3-d cockpit objects with working panels.

X-Plane 8.01 (11/10/04)

This is a demo download of X-Plane 8.00.

• Checkbox added to disable DSF loading, so users can use ENV or DSF scenery without moving files.

X-Plane 8.03 (12/30/04)

This is the first major bug-fix update to the original X-Plane. Besides a number of enhancements to the scenery system to improve the look of the new scenery, it also fixes a number of big performance-killing bugs. Note: this build was originally called X-Plane 8.02 but was accidentally released without a beta label. It has been renamed to 8.03 to prevent confusion about what build is most recent.

• On two texture unit machines, X-Plane will load only the base layer of composite terrain types when there is a border texture. Previously borders would not be visible because X-Plane would run out of texture units, so this change effectively prefers borders to composite textures.
• Object Version 2 support restored to the sim. This is a legacy format and not recommended for new development, but is supported by 802 for scenery migration.
• Libraries may reference multiple objects or facades for one virtual path, providing for variation on an object to be provided by an add-on library.
• Facades can have night lighting textures via the TEXTURE_LIT command.
• Facades can have real textured roofs instead of a solid color.
• Composite textures may be used in any terrain, not just terrain that was composite in the default artwork.
• BUMPY and WET commands added to the terrain type file format to allow for customized terrain surfaces.

X-Plane 8.04 - 8.06 (2/2/05)

This is an additonal bug-fix release that also integrates a number of systems changes.

• Load order preference has changed: in 8.04 ENV files in the custom scenery folder are preferred to DSFs in the default scenery folder.

X-Plane 8.10-8.11 (3/19/05)

This feature release mostly focuses on systems features but also has a few scenery features to support global scenery.

• The sim/require_object property is recognized to force objects in a DSF to be shown at low rendering details.
• Terrain files can control clamping vs. wrapping and other properties.

X-Plane 8.15 (6/19/05)

This feature release also focuses on systems, but does have a few fixes to ENV handling.

• ENVs draw taxiway lines.
• Bug Fix: ENV water-land physics properties now match V7.
• Bug Fix: Tall objects with hard surfaces now track correctly.
• Bug Fix: No more occaisional "NaN" errors with ENVs.

X-Plane 8.20 (11/15/05)

This feature release provides a bunch of new scenery features and the new OBJ8-based object engine.

• New .ter file commands for more control of projection, wrapping and composite borders.
• New .net command to keep the number of texture repetitions even - useful for bridges.
• New .net command for more carefully controlling polygon offset - also useful for bridges.
• New .bch file format for beach textures around waterboddies.
• New OBJ8 file format with animation, per vertex normals, blending control.
• Bug fixes to the OBJ8 engine: poylgon offset and materials now work correctly.
• Scenery Engine Improvements: async texture loading, faster ENV processing, compressed textures, better rendering of road network intersections.

X-Plane 8.30 (1/15/06)

This is mainly a performance-tuning relase, but with a few new scenery features - overlays are the important one.

• Sim support for Overlay DSFs.
• Datarefs allow a plugin to tell which object is being drawn.
• Asynchronous 3-d clutter instantiation.
• Bug fixes for culling and speed improvements.

X-Plane 8.40 (4/13/06)

The main purpose of this release was to get X-Plane working on the Intel Macintoshes.

• Library system regionalization added.
• Object-location datarefs allow for animating multiple instances of one object.

X-Plane 8.50 (7/18/06)

This release features the new apt.dat system as well as other OBJ extensions.

• New apt.dat 850 file format support.
• New DSF polygon types for draped polygons, painted lines and strings of lights.
• OBJ8 supports control over blending, hard surfaces and draw order.
• New show/hide OBJ8 animation commands.
• OBJ8 supports a new light system.
• .net road files support cars and hard pavement.
• Facades support hard surfaces and blending control.
• Default ships and other default scenery re-implemented as library objects.
• Library regions may be defined with PNG files.

X-Plane 8.60 (11/28/06)

A few new features for custom scenery packages, and some bug fixes.

• .pol overlay polygons can have texture coordinates, for overlay orthophotos.
• .pol files can have clamped textures using new commands.
• .For files can prevent trees from being placed over water.
• New EXPORT_BACKUP library command lets DSFs use objects from other packages optionally.
• Better memory management for overlays in long flights.
• Bug fix: Facade walls are now randomized.

X-Plane 8.64 (11/1/07)

• Various low-level bug fixes for the scenery system.
• Better alignment of OBJs.

X-Plane 9.00 (11/24/07)

New major version, which supports all v8 scenery features plus new ones. The rendering engine no longer pauses on scenery load, uses shaders more heavily, and has increased forest capacity.

• OBJ file format supports key frames.
• New OBJ command to use part of the panel texture for VRAM savings.
• Road .net files extended to support trains.
• Road networks are legal in DSF overlays.
• New .ter commands to hide terrain repetition using pixel shaders.
• Improvements to .pol placement in overlays
• Improved forest exclusion zones
• It is possible to fly under hard surfaces.