How to download and install MSFS SDK
Users can create their own content for Microsoft Flight Simulator by using the SDK (Software Development Kit) provided by Microsoft.Here we will explain how to download and install the MSFS(2020) SDK and tools necessary or useful for content development.
For information on installing the MSFS2024 SDK, please see the How to download and install MSFS2024 SDK page.
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How to download and install MSFS SDK
In the developer menu, click [Help]-[SDK Installer (Core)].
A folder selection screen will open, so select the folder where you want to save the SDK installer.
You can download a file with a name such as "MSFS_SDK_Core_Installer_0.23.1.0.msi".
This file is just under 120MB in size and takes only a few seconds to download.
Click on the downloaded installer to launch it.
Click [Next].
The End User License Agreement screen will be displayed.
Check the "I accept.." checkbox and click [Next].
A screen will appear asking you to confirm the installation module and installation destination.
The SDK is installed to "C:\MSFS SDK\" by default. Including the documentation, the SDK capacity is over 1GB. Change the installation destination drive if necessary.
Additionally, if "3D Studio Max" or "Microsoft Visual Studio 2019" is installed on your computer, its related tools will also be installed.
"3D Studio Max" is a tool that can be used to create 3D object data. However, many users use the free " Blender " instead. Tools for "Blender" can be downloaded from AsoboStudio's Github . However, please note that it is only compatible with the LTS version of Blender (Ver.3.3/3.6) .
"Microsoft Visual Studio 2019" is only required when developing original aircraft (cockpit and avionics). It is not necessary when creating scenery or airports.
How to install LTS version of Blender, past versions of Blender
On the screen above, click the [Browse...] button at the bottom right of the screen, and a screen like this will appear.
Please change to a drive with sufficient capacity.
Next, you will see a screen like this.
Click [Install].
Then, Windows will display a "User Account Control" warning as shown in this figure.
Click [Yes].
Installation will begin.
The installation takes about several tens of seconds to several minutes.
When you see a screen like this, the installation is complete.
Click [Finish].
You can now call the SDK tools from the MSFS developer menu.
You may want to revert to a previous version of the SDK at a later date, so I recommend that you save the installers of all the SDKs you have used.
Check/update the MSFS SDK version
The MSFS SDK version is independent of the MSFS version. And even if you update MSFS, the SDK will not be updated to the latest version. This is because the development of add-on content often depends on the SDK version, so developers can control the SDK version they use.The SDK version is written in "version.txt" in the folder where the SDK is installed. Also, the SDK release notes can be confirmed in RELEASE NOTES (MSFS SDK docs) .
If you encounter a problem that seems to be an SDK bug, check the release notes and, if necessary, download and install the latest SDK. Just uninstall the old version and install the new version.
Download an older version of the MSFS SDK
Updating the MSFS SDK may result in the project you are developing no longer being able to build. To get an older version of the MSFS SDK, enter the following URL into your browser.https://sdk.flightsimulator.com/files/installers/0.nn.n/MSFS_SDK_Core_Installer_0.nn.n.0.msi
(Instead of "0.nn.n" you would enter the version number.)
For example, to download version 0.23.1.0, enter
https://sdk.flightsimulator.com/files/installers/0.23.1/MSFS_SDK_Core_Installer_0.23.1.0.msi
in your browser's address bar.
How to download and install MSFS SDK documentation
The MSFS SDK documentation is available online at Flight Simulator SDK Documentation , but installing it on your local disk speeds up viewing and reduces Internet traffic.
In the developer menu, click [Help]-[SDK Installer (Documentation)].
This will open a folder selection screen, so select the folder where you want to save the SDK document installer.
You can download a file with a name such as "MSFS_SDK_Documentation_Installer_0.23.1.0.msi".
This file is approximately 700MB in size and takes approximately 5 minutes to download.
Click on the downloaded installer to launch it.
Click [Next].
The End User License Agreement screen will be displayed.
Check the "I accept.." checkbox and click [Next].
The installation module confirmation screen will appear.
Please note that you cannot choose where the SDK documents will be installed.
It will be installed in the same folder where the SDK is installed.
If you wish to change the installation location, please cancel the installation of the SDK documentation, uninstall the SDK, and reinstall the SDK in the appropriate folder.
Next, you will see a screen like this.
Click [Install].
Then, Windows will display a "User Account Control" warning as shown in this figure.
Click [Yes].
Installation will begin.
The installation takes about several tens of seconds to several minutes.
When you see a screen like this, the installation is complete.
Click [Finish].
A folder called "Documentation" will be created in the SDK installation folder, and the SDK document file in HTML format will be saved there.
How to open MSFS SDK documentation
To open the SDK documentation, open "index.html" in the "Documentation" folder with any browser, or click [Help]-[Open local SDK documentation] in the developer menu.
Or open web site Flight Simulator SDK Documentation .
This will launch your default browser and open the SDK documentation.
How to download and install MSFS SDK sample files
The MSFS SDK includes a wealth of samples, amounting to 2.5GB, but they must be downloaded and installed separately from the SDK. The steps are the same as for SDKs and documentation.
In the developer menu, click [Help]-[Samples]-[Samples].
This will open a folder selection screen, so select the folder where you want to save the SDK sample installer.
You can download a file with a name such as "MSFS_SDK_Samples_Installer_0.23.1.0.msi".
This file is approximately 1.7GB in size and takes approximately 15 minutes to download.
Click on the downloaded installer to launch it.
Click [Next].
The End User License Agreement screen will be displayed.
Check the "I accept.." checkbox and click [Next].
The installation module confirmation screen will appear.
Please note that you cannot choose where the SDK sample files will be installed.
It will be installed in the same folder where the SDK is installed.
If you wish to change the installation location, please cancel the installation of the SDK documentation, uninstall the SDK, and reinstall the SDK in the appropriate folder.
The rest is the same as installing the SDK and documentation.
Installation takes only a few tens of seconds.
When you see a screen like this, the installation is complete. Click [Finish].
A folder called "Samples" will be created in the SDK installation folder, and a large number of samples will be saved there.
How to uninstall MSFS SDK/Documentation
Uninstalling the MSFS SDK and its documentation is the same as for any regular Windows application.
Open the [Windows]-[Settings]-[Apps]-[Installed apps] screen and look for SDK/Documentation.
Then click the [...] icon on the far right and select [Uninstall].
Then you will see a screen like this.
Click [Uninstall].
Uninstallation will be completed in just a few tens of seconds.
Even if you uninstall it, you can install it again by clicking the downloaded ".msi" file.
