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What Are Contributions?

The BARS Contribution System lets you add airport lighting support for default and third-party scenery. Each contribution supports a specific airport and simulator scenery package, making real-time BARS lighting available to pilots using that scenery. Your contributions help:
  • Expand global airport coverage - Add lighting support for airports worldwide
  • Support multiple scenery packages - Increase compatibility with both default and third-party simulator scenery
Cockpit view of red stop bar lights and green taxiway lights at an airport at night

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The Contribution Flow

1

Choose an airport

Enter its four-character ICAO code.
2

Review the BARS layout

Check the lighting objects supplied by the airport’s division. Each object has a BARS ID.
3

Create a draft

Select the matching MSFS or X-Plane scenery folder. The generator compares the scenery with the division layout and marks anything that still needs manual work.
4

Edit the draft

Correct shapes, add missing objects, adjust source-light removals, and clear validation errors in the browser editor.
5

Test the contribution

Prepare the draft, inspect its map preview, and open it in the BARS Pilot Client for an in-simulator test.
6

Submit for review

Add the scenery name, select the simulator, confirm the acknowledgement, and send the tested draft to the BARS team.

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Supported Simulators

Use the airport package from your MSFS 2024/2020 Community folder. The browser editor is experimental for MSFS, so compare the rendered scenery with the simulator before submitting.
A contribution supports one scenery package and one simulator. Submit a separate contribution for each package or simulator combination.

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What the Division Controls

The airport’s division supplies the lighting objects, their BARS IDs, and whether contributions are open. You cannot continue when the division has disabled contributions or has not supplied airport lighting data. Your contribution aligns these objects with the simulator scenery. It does not change the division’s operational lighting configuration.

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Next Steps

Before you start, check the requirements and prepare your scenery package.

Preparation

Check the requirements and prepare to create your contribution.

Discord

Need support getting started? Join our Discord server for help.