How to use glTF-Blender-IO-MSFS to export and import 3D data between Blender and MSFS

This article explains how to use glTF-Blender-IO-MSFS, a plugin that allows you to export and import 3D data between Blender and MSFS. We will also explain how to place a 3D model created with Blender into the MSFS scenery.
Note: glTF-Blender-IO-MSFS must be used with Blender versions 3.6 or 3.3.

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Installing the Blender plugin glTF-Blender-IO-MSFS

To create add-on content for Microsoft Flight Simulator, you will need to install various tools onto your computer, including the Blender plugin glTF-Blender-IO-MSFS. Please refer to the page below.

• How to download and install MSFS SDK, Blender, plugin, tools

Import MSFS 3D model (glTF) with Blender

We explain how to load MSFS 3D models (glTF) in Blender, especially Google Earth Decoder data downloaded with Google Earth Decoder.
If you want to edit the mesh of Google Map data, first complete the "optimization" with Google Earth Decoder Optimization Tools (GEDOT). GEDOT is specialized for handling the output of the Google Earth Decoder, and cannot handle other data, such as data generated by the Blender exporter.

How to use Google Earth Decoder to create MSFS scenery on Google Maps

After starting Blender (3.3.x LTS or 3.6.x LTS), first delete the cube, camera, and light that are installed by default. Right-click on "Collection" and select "Delete Hierarchy" from the menu that appears. This will delete all of these at once.

First, create a collection to load LOD0 data. Right-click and select "New Collection" from the menu that appears.

Double-click the name of the new collection that is generated to change it.
The name of a collection that stores data for each LOD must be followed by "_LODn" or preceded by "xn_" (n is an integer starting from 0). This is a specification of the plugin "glTF-Blender-IO-MSFS".

Select the [File]-[Import]-[glTF 2.0 (.glb/.gltf)] menu.

This will open a file selection dialog box. Hold down the [Ctrl] key and select all the ".gltf" files for LOD0. Next, click the [Import glTF 2.0] button at the bottom right of the screen.
For Google Map data downloaded with Google Earth Decoder, the ".gltf" file is stored under the "modelLib" folder.

This will load the LOD0 data. Depending on the amount of data and the disk speed, loading may take anywhere from a few tens of seconds to a few minutes.
Once loading is complete, select all of them and drag and drop them into the collection for LOD0 you created earlier.

Collapse the collection for LOD0 by clicking the ▲ mark on the left. Next, create a collection for LOD1.

Then, from the [File]-[Import]-[glTF 2.0 (.glb/.gltf)] menu, load all ".gltf" files for LOD1 and drag and drop them into the collection for LOD1. In the same way, load data for all LODs and classify them into collections.

Once the ".gltf" file has finished loading, specify the texture folder. Select the [File]-[External Data]-[Find missing files] menu.

This will open a file selection dialog box. Open the folder where the textures are saved and click the [Find Missing Files] button at the bottom right of the screen.
For Google Map data downloaded with the Google Earth Decoder, the texture files are stored under the "modelLib\texture" folder.

Then click the icon in the upper right corner of the screen. The texture will be applied to the loaded object.

By default, Blender only displays the area from 0.01m to 1,000m from the camera. To display a vast scenery, you need to increase the display range. Click the "<" icon in the position indicated by the arrow in the image on the right.

Then the panel shown in the right figure will pop out. Select "View" from the menu on the right side of the panel and change the number in the "End" column. In this example, specifying 5,000m allowed us to see the entire view.

You can show/hide objects by LOD by clicking the eyeball icon in the position indicated by the arrow in the image on the right.

For Google Map data downloaded with Google Earth Decoder, classify it into a collection for each tile (each .xml file) under each LOD collection. This will be useful when exporting it with "glTF-Blender-IO-MSFS" after editing the mesh in Blender. Create a collection with the same name as the contents of the "modelLib" folder of the original data.

Select the [File]-[Save] menu and save in Blender format (".blend").

If you load a scenery that has been "optimized" with the Google Earth Decoder Optimization Tools (GEDOT), all tiles are aligned to the XY coordinates (0,0), so the tiles are displayed overlapping at the origin. When processing polygons, classify them into collections for each tile, and edit by turning the display on/off for each tile.

Export the Google Earth Decoder model edited in Blender to MSFS(glTF)

This article explains how to export MSFS 3D models edited with Blender, especially Google Earth Decoder data, in glTF format.

How to use Google Earth Decoder to create MSFS scenery on Google Maps

Click the "<" icon in the position indicated by the arrow in the image on the right.

A panel like the one on the right will then pop up. Select "Multi-Export glTF 2.0" from the menu on the right side of the panel. Select the root collection from the collection list in the top right of the screen. Next, click the "Reload LODs" button.

Each mesh data in the scene will be recognized and displayed in a list. Check "Grouped by collections".

If your collections have been created correctly by tile and LOD, they will look like the image on the right. They will be listed by tile.
Set the options for each tile.
Checking "Genete XML" will generate an "(tile name).xml" file. Checking this will display the "Overwrite GUID" field. Check here if you want to update the GUID. When exporting data from Google Earth Decoder, the XML file already exists, so there is no need to check "Generate XML".
In the "Export Path" field, specify the destination folder for the .glTF file. When exporting data from Google Earth Decoder, specify the folder where the original data was saved.
If you check the check box to the left of each LOD name below, the data for that LOD will be included in the .glTF file. Basically, check all LODs.

Once all the settings are complete, click the "Export" button at the bottom to export.
When exporting data from Google Earth Decoder, if you specify the folder in which the original data was saved as the export destination, the results of editing in Blender will be reflected in the scene. Then, just load it into MSFS and "Build All" the scenery to complete it.
For information on how to import an original 3D model into MSFS, see Import the original 3D model created in Blender into MSFS .

Import the original 3D model created in Blender into MSFS

This article explains how to export original 3D models created with Blender or 3D models imported from 3D Warehouse etc. in glTF format and import them into MSFS scenery.

Exporting objects

Let's import a model like this into an MSFS scenery. This is a sphere object that comes with Blender by default. I used the scaling function to enlarge it to a size of about 10m square. I also used the "vertex paint" function to specify the color of all vertices as orange. Note that no models with different LODs have been prepared.
In this state, the vertex colors will not be reflected on the Blender rendering screen, but if you import it into MSFS, they will be reflected properly.

Select "Multi-Export glTF 2.0" from the menu on the right side of the panel. No particular changes were made to the plugin settings this time. To reflect vertex colors in MSFS, make sure that the [Mesh]-[Vertex Colors] column on the [Settings] screen is checked.

Open the plugin's [Objects] screen and click the "Reload LODs" button. You will then see the screen on the right.
As the only model we'll be exporting this time is a "Sphere", check "Sphere" in the "Sphere" column. Also, as this is a new original model, we'll also need to export an XML file for MSFS. Check "Generate XML" as well.
If you are editing a model you have already created in Blender and re-outputting it, there is no need to output an XML file for MSFS. Use the XML file you generated last time as is.
In the [Export Path] field, specify the desired output folder and click the [Export] button at the bottom.

This will generate three files in the specified folder: ".bin", ".gltf", and ".xml". If you have applied a texture to the model, the texture image files will also be output to the same folder.

Check the file size!
Now check the size of the three files that were generated. If they are only a few KB, the objects probably weren't output correctly. Please review your Blender settings, etc.
If you create multiple objects as collections in a single .blend file, it seems that the exporter may not be able to output them correctly. In this case, try copying the .blend file and making each object into a separate file.

Modeling Tips
The plugin's Settings screen has many options. If your 3D model doesn't export as expected, try these options.
For example, if you modeled using Blender's Modifier function, you need to check [Mesh]-[Apply Modifires]. If not, you need to "Apply" before exporting to reflect the final shape in the polygons.
Also, child collections of the collection to be exported may still be output to the polygons even if they are disabled. The plugin's Settings screen has a function to limit the objects to be output, but it doesn't seem to work well sometimes. We recommend moving any unnecessary collections or objects to another collection before exporting.

Change the texture size

Textures used by MSFS SDK must have one of the following pixel counts on each side: 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256, 512, 1024, 2048, 4096, 8192. If the textures in your model do not match these, you will need to use image processing software to transform each texture file. For example, a 530x530 pixel texture, which is common in Sketchup, will be transformed to 512x512. If you have a 275x66 texture, transform it to, for example, 256x64. Choose the closest value to the pixel count on each side.
Resize image files, including changing the aspect ratio, can be done using the free software XnConvert .

How to use XnConvert to batch change the brightness, saturation, contrast, file format, etc. of multiple images

Add a new object to the project

Next, create a folder in the MSFS project you created earlier to store the new object you have prepared. We will use the MSFS SDK for this.
In MSFS, open the project into which you want to import new objects. Then in the Project Editor screen, click the project name in blue, and in the Inspector screen, click the [Add asset group] button. Each object will be imported into the scenery as an independent "Asset group".
For instructions on how to create an MSFS SDK project and for more information on the project, please click the link below.

How to create a project for MSFS add-on content

A window like this will appear. Click [Custom].

Next, click [Next].

A window like this will then appear.
In the [Asset group name] field, think of a name for your new object and enter it. The name you enter here will be visible to other users.
In the [Asset type] field, select "ModelLib".
Then click [Create] at the bottom.

You can see that a new ModelLib has been added in the Project Editor screen. If you select it and open the Inspector screen, the name of the folder where the 3D data will be stored will be displayed in the "AssetDir" column. The storage folder is "[Project name]\PackageSources\Scenery\[Project name]\[Asset group name]"

Copy the 3D data exported from Blender to the 3D data storage folder specified in the screen above. Copy all three files: ".bin", ".gltf", and ".xml". If there are textures, create a "texture" folder and store all texture files there.
MSFS can remain running.

Click "Build All" on the Project Editor screen to build the project. Verify that the build result ends with "0 failed". The new object will then be incorporated into the MSFS project as a "part". Next, place this "part" in the scene.

Be careful when deleting ModelLib

The Project Editor and Inspector screens have a [Delete] button that allows you to delete a ModelLib. However, in many cases deleting a ModelLib will corrupt the project. It is generally best to leave a ModelLib that has been added to a project alone, even if it is no longer necessary. If you do try deleting it, be sure to back up the entire project folder beforehand. When improving your 3D model, keep adding new ModelLibs with version numbers appended to the name, such as "_v2" or "_v3", for example.

Placing a new object in the scene

Open the [View]-[Objects] screen from the Scenery Editor. Select "Scenery" in the "Object type" column on the Objects screen, and in the "Packages" column, select the name of the project/package that contains the new object. The names of the objects included in that project/package will then be displayed in the "Objects" column. (It may take some time for the package list to appear after Build.) Select the object you want to add to the scene ("Sphere" in this example) and click "Add" at the bottom left of the screen.

Please note that objects exported from Blendar may be rotated 180 degrees horizontally when placed on the game screen. Before clicking "Add", drag the "Default rotation" field shown in the image left or right to specify "180 deg" to place the object in the same orientation as on the Blendar editing screen.

This will add a new object to the Scenery Editor screen. The new object will also appear on the MSFS game screen. However, because the "Snap to ground" parameter of the added object is enabled, the object will be embedded in the ground.

On the Scenery Editor screen, right-click the added object to open the Properties screen and uncheck "Snap to ground". Then you can move the object to the desired height.
Once you have placed the object where you want it, click the "Save Scenery" button at the bottom left of the Scenery Editor screen to save the scenery. Then click "Build All" on the Project Editor screen to build the project. This completes the placement of the new object.

If you want to adjust the position, direction, or size of an object, select the object on the Scenery Editor screen, then open the [View]-[Gizmo] screen from the Scenery Editor menu. Click "Translate" to adjust the object's position on the game screen. Similarly, click "Rotate" to adjust the direction, and "Scale" to adjust the size.

You can add any number of objects incorporated as "parts" to the scenery by repeatedly clicking "Add" on the Objects screen.

Change the color, texture, make it glow / Change material settings

To change the color or texture of an object or make it glow, set or change the "Material".

To change the color or texture of an object or to make it glow, add a material to the object. In the Collection window, select the object you want to add a material to and click the (Material) icon to display the screen on the right. Clicking on the "+ New" area will add a new "Material" to the object.

You'll see a new "Material" like this. Scroll through this screen to set the parameters for MSFS.

A column called "MSFS Material Params" will appear; click it to expand it. Then select "Standard" from the drop-down list in the "Type" column.

The material parameter setting screen for MSFS will appear. Various settings can be made here. You can specify the color of the object in the "Base Color" field.
For more information about the objects that can be handled by MSFS, see the following pages of the MSFS SDK documentation.

MATERIALS (MSFS 2024 SDK Documentation)

MATERIALS (MSFS SDK Documentation)

To make an object emit light, set the "Base Color" and "Emissive Color". Specify the object's color in the "Base Color" field, and the emitting color in the "Emissive Color" field. When illuminated by the sun, an object will appear primarily the color specified in "Base Color", and at night it will appear the color specified in "Emissive Color". If you specify the same color for both, the object will emit a richer color, but the brightness will be lower.
If you check "Day Night Cycle", it will only emit light at night (after sunset).

This is an image of an object with the above settings displayed in-game. When there is even a little sunlight shining on the object, it will be shaded (giving it a three-dimensional appearance). However, once the sun sets, it will be rendered as a solid color and will no longer have a three-dimensional appearance.
Specifying an "Emissive Color" does not mean that light will be emitted into the surroundings. If you place a light object separately and illuminate the surroundings with the same color as the "Emissive Color", it will appear to emit light more realistically.

This is an image of the object with the above settings in a daytime scene. You can see that shadows are cast on the objects, giving them a three-dimensional appearance.

If you want to try out different material settings, leave MSFS running and export from Blender and copy the ".bin" and ".gltf" files again. After a few seconds, the new material settings will be reflected on the MSFS game screen. There is no need to restart MSFS.
If the new settings are not reflected, please rebuild the scenery with MSFS SDK.

Animating Objects

In Blender, you can create 3D objects that can be animated (rotate, scale, etc.), and then import them into MSFS. This makes it possible to rotate radar antennas, lighthouse lights, windmills, etc. and to make lights (light-emitting objects) blink using scaling in your game scene.
For information on this methods, see the How to add Blender 3D animated objects to MSFS scenery page.

How to add Blender 3D animated objects to MSFS scenery

Adding lights to the scenery

There are two ways to add lights and illumination to an MSFS scenery. The first is to add a Blender light object to a 3D model and export it in MSFS glTF format. The other is to add a light object that the MSFS SDK has after importing the scenery into the MSFS SDK.
Another way to combine these techniques is to export Blender light objects as parts and place them in large quantities within the MSFS SDK.
For information on these methods, see the page How to add lights/illumination to MSFS scenery .

How to add lights/illumination to MSFS scenerys

Sites related to how to use plugins

Documentation for Microsoft Flight Simulator glTF 2.0 Importer and Exporter for Blender (Github)

THE BLENDER PLUGIN (MSFS 2024 SDK Documentation)

BLENDER PLUGIN PROPERTIES (MSFS 2024 SDK Documentation)

THE BLENDER EXPORTER (MSFS 2024 SDK Documentation)

THE BLENDER PLUGIN (MSFS SDK Documentation)

BLENDER PLUGIN PROPERTIES (MSFS SDK Documentation)

THE BLENDER EXPORTER (MSFS SDK Documentation)

New Blender Exporter (MSFS DevSupport)

msfs2blend (Github)

Blender2MSFS toolkit (FSDeveloper)

How to enjoy Microsoft Flight Simulator

Basic operations

• Introduction to Microsoft Flight Simulator for Beginners
• Useful settings for Microsoft Flight Simulator
• How to manipulate Microsoft Flight Simulator for beginners
• How to control the camera/viewpoint in Microsoft Flight Simulator
• First flight with Microsoft Flight Simulator
• How to enjoy MSFS's "Photo Mode" and "World Photographer"
• Can you enjoy Microsoft Flight Simulator without a GPU? What are the minimum requirements?

Advanced operations

• How to install the free Microsoft Flight Simulator scenery WORLD UPDATE
• How to use Flightsim.to to add free add-ons (planes, airports, scenery) to MSFS
• How to purchase paid add-ons (planes, airports, scenery) on the MSFS Marketplace
• How to use MSFS2020 add-on content in MSFS2024
• Save MSFS scenery data in cache to reduce internet traffic, how to use rolling cache and manual cache
• How to change the MSFS installation drive/folder, Replacement of PC
• How to use the Turtle Beach VelocityOne Flightstick
• How to use the Thrustmaster TFRP (T.Flight Rudder Pedals) rudder pedals

Useful tools

• How to use the flight recorder to record and save MSFS operations
• How to use MSFS Addons Linker to organize your Community folders
• How to use FSLTL to add real traffic to MSFS
• How to use the Sim rate selector to change the game progress speed of MSFS

Add-on scenery development

• How to download and install MSFS SDK, Blender, plugin, tools
• How to use glTF-Blender-IO-MSFS to export and import 3D data between Blender and MSFS
• How to add Blender 3D animated objects to MSFS scenery
• How to create a project for MSFS add-on content
• How to use Google Earth Decoder to create MSFS scenery on Google Maps
• How to add lights/illumination to MSFS scenery
• How to add moving smoke, fire, fog, water, etc. to MSFS scenery / How to use Visual Effect Editor
• How to add landmark markers to MSFS scenery
• How to distribute your own MSFS add-on content on Flightsim.to