Map Sources and Network Diagnostics
This guide applies to MSFS Map Enhancement and XPlane Map Enhancement. Coverage, imagery dates, and access speeds vary by region. Test around an airport you use before choosing your map combination.
Primary and fallback maps
Primary Map supplies the preferred imagery. With Fallback Map enabled, the application tries the fallback when the primary cannot provide a usable tile or does not cover the area. Pro sources require a valid license for the corresponding product, whether selected as the primary or fallback.
You can uncheck Fallback Map. When disabled, it no longer fills missing tiles, and affected areas may show a network-failure warning texture. Keep it enabled and verify access if you want imagery to continue when the primary fails or you leave its coverage.
China Map primarily covers China, so flying outside coverage requires a working, enabled fallback. Select sources from the in-app list.
Map changes affect new requests without immediately redrawing loaded scenery. For MSFS, follow Cache Options if old imagery remains. In X-Plane, reload scenery and clear the image cache only when needed.
Map checks and custom maps
Startup checks and diagnostics choose a test location for each source: Beijing for China maps and custom maps marked as China-only, and New York for other maps. Checks respect the source’s maximum zoom level. A city in an error message identifies the test location, not the source’s entire coverage.
Under Custom Map, each source has a map-check switch. Disabling it skips that source’s startup check and related diagnostic tests while leaving the manual Test button available. Importing and exporting preserves the switch. Skipping checks does not fix an incorrect URL, restricted access, or missing imagery.
Hybrid maps skip the overall image check; an enabled fallback is still checked independently. XPME also skips related DDS speed tests when a hybrid map is selected or checks are disabled for a selected custom map. To validate a hybrid layer, test its source separately and check the actual flight area; see Hybrid Map.
Run network diagnostics
- Select the primary and fallback maps you intend to use, then open Network Diagnostic in the sidebar (Diagnostics in XPME).
- Run diagnostics. Read the summary, request success rate, and loading times, then inspect the map name, test location, and complete error for failed items.
- If using a proxy, check its address, protocol, and port. A successful proxy test still requires separate provider checks. Opening the provider’s website in a browser does not replace a tile test.
- XPME’s DDS check separates image download time from local processing time. Investigate the provider and network for slow downloads, or CPU, disk, and image-quality settings for slow local processing.
- When requesting help, use the diagnostic page’s copy function to include technical details and the complete diagnostic log. Add the application version, airport or coordinates, primary/fallback sources, and whether night textures are enabled. Review personal paths or other private information before sharing.
After a failed map check, the application may allow you to continue the current startup. This bypasses the startup block; it does not confirm that the source has recovered. Verify fallback access and keep watching failure counts and warning textures during flight.