Windows 11 or 10, 64-bit (tried on Windows 11; not yet on Windows 10).
Microsoft Edge WebView2 Runtime – the app window is drawn in it. It is usually part of Windows 11. When it is missing, the installer says so and offers to open the Microsoft page, from where you download and install it yourself.
X-Plane 12 – for the object library, the default scenery and the test in the simulator. Without X-Plane the Studio starts, but most features have nothing to work with.
Disk space: the program takes a few hundred MB. The cache (precomputes, new DSF versions, orthophotos) commonly grows to tens of GB – the installer warns when the data disk has less than 20 GB free.
Memory: the more the better – working with large DSFs (hundreds of MB to a few GB) needs gigabytes of free RAM. Heavy jobs therefore wait until at least the configured minimum is free (3 GB by default, Settings › Precomputes). For loading terrain the Studio also starts helper processes (about 0.5–1.5 GB of extra memory while you work, see Performance of the Studio itself).
Installation steps
Run the installer (RF Studio <version> Setup.exe).
If a blue Windows protected your PC window (SmartScreen) appears, it is because the installer is not digitally signed. Click More info and then Run anyway. Do this only for a file you got from a trusted source. When the browser, Smart App Control or an antivirus blocks the installer, see When Windows blocks the installer.
Read the license agreement, tick I agree to the license agreement and click Continue. Nothing is installed without agreement. After installation the agreement text is also in.
Choose two folders:
- Program folder – the application is unpacked here. The default proposal is RF Studio\Program on the system drive.
- Data folder – settings, config copies, editor projects, logs and the cache (can take tens of GB). The default proposal is RF Studio\Data on the fixed drive with the most free space; the installer does not propose USB drives (they may not always be connected).
Optionally tick Desktop shortcut and Start RF Studio after installing.
Click Install. The installer checks that it can write to the folders, unpacks the program and creates a Start menu shortcut and an entry in the Windows list of apps. When an antivirus briefly holds a freshly unpacked file, the installer retries replacing the program folder for up to about 30 s – let it finish.
Where not to put the data folder Not into Documents or any other folder synchronised by OneDrive – syncing tens of GB of cache slows down the disk and the network (both the Studio and the installer warn about OneDrive). Not into Program Files – without administrator rights the app cannot write there. The data folder must not be inside the program folder, and the working folder cannot be set inside the program folder either (updates and uninstall replace the program folder).
When a chosen folder is not writable (e.g. Program Files), the installer offers to restart itself with administrator rights or to pick another folder.
Silent install (for administrators) The installer can also run without a window, e.g. "RF Studio <version> Setup.exe" --tichy --souhlas-eula --cil "D:\RF Studio\Program" --data-slozka "D:\RF Studio\Data". The --souhlas-eula parameter is your consent to the license agreement; without it the silent mode installs nothing and ends with exit code 5. Without --cil and --data-slozka it uses the folders of the previous installation, otherwise the default suggestion; with a different data folder it moves the data of the previous installation only with --presunout-data. Other codes: 0 done, 1 error, 3 the application is running, 4 no write permission. Silent uninstall: "Odinstalovat RF Studio.exe" --tichy (keeps the data folder; --smazat-data = to the Recycle Bin) waits until it finishes and returns the real exit code; in addition 6 = a Studio test or plugin remained in X-Plane (--uklidit-xplane cleans them up, --ponechat-xplane leaves them) or X-Plane is running, 7 = the data cannot be moved to the Recycle Bin safely (nothing was deleted).
What is in the data folder
Subfolder
Content
workspace\config
working copy of the configs (RenderFarm); the default copy is unpacked from the installation on first start
workspace\config_zalohy
config backups made when restoring the default version (Configs › Default config…, obnova_<time> subfolders); created only on the first restore
workspace\editor
overlay editor projects (<id>.rfdb; deleted projects together with their parts in _kos, own parts of projects outside the trash in _dily, drafts in _koncepty, backups of converted older projects in _migrace) and the editor options (_ui.json)
workspace\ops
state of the Test in X-Plane tab: active tests (xptest.json), the plugin, an X-Plane started by the Studio and DSFs temporarily renamed during before/after screenshots (xpsnimky.json). The Studio uses it to end a test and undo everything – do not delete the folder while a test is running.
workspace\studio_settings.json
Studio settings (folders, the working folder and its limit, base map…). Only the values you changed are stored; the defaults (e.g. the DSF list = Custom Scenery of the active X-Plane installation) are worked out at every start.
workspace\vychozi_config_stav.json
which default config copy your config came from (file fingerprints) – updates use it to recognise files you have not changed
webview
profile of the app window (WebView2): the chosen language, the welcome screen, the last editor project, the patch author name. Deleting it returns these choices to their defaults.
cache
default working folder: new DSF versions (dsf_upravy), editor exports (editor_export), orthophotos (orto), check results, patches, X-Plane screenshots, map tiles, the caches of the base map (osm_tiles), the Overpass import (overpass) and DSF terrain windows (dsf_okna), DSFs unpacked from 7z (dsf_7z)… The location can be changed in Settings › Working folder (outputs and cache).
cache_aplikace
helper data of the app: the X-Plane library index (library.sqlite) and texture thumbnails. The Studio recreates them (the index also with Rebuild index); they do not move when the working folder changes.
logs
rfstudio.log – the application log (above 20 MB the old one is renamed to rfstudio.log.1)
Open the data folder from the app: › RF Studio data › Open folder.
Updates
Install a new version by running the new installer over the old one (RF Studio must be closed, otherwise the installer changes nothing and says so). The installer finds the previous installation, replaces the program and keeps the data. It remembers the chosen folders.
A different data folder: when you choose a different data folder during an update, the installer offers Move existing data from the folder of the previous installation (the new folder must be empty; a move on the same disk, a copy on another – the original folder is only renamed to …_presunuto, nothing is deleted). Data paths stored in the settings, editor projects, edit records and exports are rewritten to the new folder. It offers the same move from %LOCALAPPDATA%\RF-Studio if you used an older version that stored data there.
Default config: config files you have not changed are replaced by the corrected version and missing ones are added; files you changed stay as they are (the record is in workspace\vychozi_config_stav.json).
Program folder: only what the installer put there is deleted (list rfs_soupis.txt). Other files you saved into the program folder are moved next to it into <program folder>_zbytky_<date>-<time> (Program_zbytky_… for the default folder). The working folder (cache) cannot be set inside the program folder; if it is there from an older version, the installer stops and asks you to move it first.
Uninstall
Through Windows Settings › Apps (the RF Studio entry) or with Odinstalovat RF Studio.exe in the program folder. RF Studio must be closed. The program files, shortcuts and the apps-list entry are removed; other files in the program folder stay.
The data folder is removed only if you explicitly tick it, and it goes to the Recycle Bin (can be restored). If the Recycle Bin cannot hold it (network or removable drive, Recycle Bin turned off, data larger than the Recycle Bin, path through a link), nothing is deleted and the uninstall stops with a message – then move or delete the data yourself.
Test in X-Plane and the screenshot plugin: when a ZZZ_RFS_… test pack or the Studio plugin remained in X-Plane, the uninstaller lists them. Ticking First end the tests and remove the plugin cleans them up the same way as the Studio (the pack to _zalohy_scenerii\_kos_testu, scenery_packs.ini backed up before the change, the plugin to _zalohy_scenerii\_kos_pluginu; nothing is deleted) – only while X-Plane of that installation is not running. Without the tick the uninstaller asks whether to continue without cleaning up; then move the ZZZ_RFS_… pack out of Custom Scenery yourself, remove its line from scenery_packs.ini (or restore the backup from _zalohy_scenerii) and delete the plugin Resources\plugins\PythonPlugins\PI_rfstudio_snimky.py.
Based on the RF Studio manual (F1 › Manual, version 0.11.2-beta). Post your questions and experience in this thread.
Requirements
Installation steps
RF Studio\Programon the system drive. - Data folder – settings, config copies, editor projects, logs and the cache (can take tens of GB). The default proposal isRF Studio\Dataon the fixed drive with the most free space; the installer does not propose USB drives (they may not always be connected).When a chosen folder is not writable (e.g. Program Files), the installer offers to restart itself with administrator rights or to pick another folder.
What is in the data folder
workspace\configworkspace\config_zalohyobnova_<time>subfolders); created only on the first restoreworkspace\editor<id>.rfdb; deleted projects together with their parts in_kos, own parts of projects outside the trash in_dily, drafts in_koncepty, backups of converted older projects in_migrace) and the editor options (_ui.json)workspace\opsxptest.json), the plugin, an X-Plane started by the Studio and DSFs temporarily renamed during before/after screenshots (xpsnimky.json). The Studio uses it to end a test and undo everything – do not delete the folder while a test is running.workspace\studio_settings.jsonCustom Sceneryof the active X-Plane installation) are worked out at every start.workspace\vychozi_config_stav.jsonwebviewcachedsf_upravy), editor exports (editor_export), orthophotos (orto), check results, patches, X-Plane screenshots, map tiles, the caches of the base map (osm_tiles), the Overpass import (overpass) and DSF terrain windows (dsf_okna), DSFs unpacked from 7z (dsf_7z)… The location can be changed in Settings › Working folder (outputs and cache).cache_aplikacelibrary.sqlite) and texture thumbnails. The Studio recreates them (the index also with Rebuild index); they do not move when the working folder changes.logsrfstudio.log– the application log (above 20 MB the old one is renamed torfstudio.log.1)Open the data folder from the app: › RF Studio data › Open folder.
Updates
Install a new version by running the new installer over the old one (RF Studio must be closed, otherwise the installer changes nothing and says so). The installer finds the previous installation, replaces the program and keeps the data. It remembers the chosen folders.
…_presunuto, nothing is deleted). Data paths stored in the settings, editor projects, edit records and exports are rewritten to the new folder. It offers the same move from%LOCALAPPDATA%\RF-Studioif you used an older version that stored data there.workspace\vychozi_config_stav.json).rfs_soupis.txt). Other files you saved into the program folder are moved next to it into<program folder>_zbytky_<date>-<time>(Program_zbytky_…for the default folder). The working folder (cache) cannot be set inside the program folder; if it is there from an older version, the installer stops and asks you to move it first.Uninstall
Through Windows Settings › Apps (the RF Studio entry) or with Odinstalovat RF Studio.exe in the program folder. RF Studio must be closed. The program files, shortcuts and the apps-list entry are removed; other files in the program folder stay.
ZZZ_RFS_…test pack or the Studio plugin remained in X-Plane, the uninstaller lists them. Ticking First end the tests and remove the plugin cleans them up the same way as the Studio (the pack to_zalohy_scenerii\_kos_testu,scenery_packs.inibacked up before the change, the plugin to_zalohy_scenerii\_kos_pluginu; nothing is deleted) – only while X-Plane of that installation is not running. Without the tick the uninstaller asks whether to continue without cleaning up; then move theZZZ_RFS_…pack out ofCustom Sceneryyourself, remove its line fromscenery_packs.ini(or restore the backup from_zalohy_scenerii) and delete the pluginResources\plugins\PythonPlugins\PI_rfstudio_snimky.py.Based on the RF Studio manual (F1 › Manual, version 0.11.2-beta). Post your questions and experience in this thread.