FreeMeshX Global 2.0 (USA) not showing in FSX: Steam Edition after install

FreeMeshX is “just” terrain mesh, so when it’s working you won’t see new landclass or textures — what you should notice is *changed elevation detail* (mountain shape, ridgelines, valleys) and sometimes different airport plateaus/cliffs if the mesh is much higher-res than default.

That said, it should definitely not be freezing your sim. Let’s get you back to a stable start first, then confirm the mesh is actually being read.

1) Get FSX:SE loading again (undo the last change cleanly)
If the freezing started right after the reinstall / scenery library edits, assume FSX is choking on one of the new scenery entries.

1. Start FSX:SE and go to Settings > Scenery Library.
2. Temporarily untick any FreeMeshX entries you added (or anything you added during this troubleshooting session), then click OK and let it rebuild.
3. Exit FSX completely and relaunch it.

If FSX still freezes before you can reach the Scenery Library, then we need to remove the entries manually (see step 2).

2) Check the Scenery Library entries are valid (most common cause of freezes)
A bad path (pointing at the wrong folder level, or pointing at a folder with no valid scenery structure) can absolutely hang FSX during scenery indexing.

In FSX, terrain mesh BGLs normally live under a structure like:
...\SomeSceneryFolder\scenery\*.bgl

So if you added a folder that does not contain a scenery subfolder with BGLs, it may not behave the way you expect.

Please verify the FreeMeshX folder(s) you added to the Scenery Library actually contain:
\scenery\
and that inside that are lots of .BGL files.

If FSX won’t start to let you disable entries:

1. Go to your FSX:SE configuration folder and locate scenery.cfg.
2. Make a backup copy.
3. Open it in Notepad and find the [Area.xxx] blocks you added for FreeMeshX.
4. Either delete those blocks or set:
   Active=FALSE

5. Save and try launching FSX again.

If you tell me your exact FSX:SE install type (Steam default vs custom) I can point you to the usual scenery.cfg location, but I don’t want to guess and send you to the wrong folder.

3) Make sure you’re adding the correct folder level
With FreeMeshX, a classic mistake is adding the “top” folder that contains a bunch of other folders, instead of the folder that actually contains the scenery subfolder.

So the folder you add in Scenery Library should be the one where, when you open it, you immediately see:
scenery
(and sometimes texture, though mesh often has no textures).

If instead you see a bunch of region folders or documentation, you’re one level too high.

4) Confirm it’s working (quick sanity check)
Because mesh changes can be subtle depending on where you test, do this:

1. Pick a very mountainous area you know well (big elevation changes).
2. Load the same spot twice: once with FreeMeshX entries enabled, once with them disabled.
3. Compare ridgelines and valley shapes at the same altitude and zoom.

If there’s literally zero difference anywhere, the mesh isn’t being read (path/priority issue) or you’re not testing in the coverage area you actually installed (you mentioned “(USA)” which makes me wonder if you’re testing outside the U.S.).

5) Scenery Library priority (mesh-specific note)
Mesh generally doesn’t need to be at the top. In most setups it can sit fairly low. The bigger issue is simply that the entry points to the right folder and the BGLs are being indexed.

Still, after you get it stable: keep FreeMeshX entries together, and don’t bury them under odd third-party “terrain” packages unless you know what they do.

A few quick questions so I can narrow it down fast:

• When FSX “freezes,” is it during the initial loading screen (before the main menu), or after clicking “Fly Now” while loading the flight?
• Exactly which folder did you add to the Scenery Library? (Paste the path, and also tell me what you see inside it — do you see a scenery subfolder with .BGL files?)
• Are you testing inside the U.S. coverage area you installed, or somewhere else?
• How many FreeMeshX entries did you add (one folder or multiple), and did you add them all at once?

Answer those and we’ll get you unstuck without the 12-hour pain session.