Install openOMSI: How to get the new OMSI engine running on Windows!

Where can you download openOMSI?

You can get the current Windows version of openOMSI from the project's official release page. Different builds for Windows are offered there, including ones for classic x64 PCs and, by now, ARM64 systems as well. For the vast majority of normal Windows computers with an Intel or AMD processor, the Windows x64 ZIP is the right choice.

openOMSI download:
https://github.com/turbo-devv/openOMSI/releases

There is no traditional setup file with an installation wizard. Instead, you download a ZIP archive and extract its contents into a separate folder. That is precisely why you should not simply start openOMSI directly from the ZIP.

Suitable storage locations include, for example, a dedicated games folder, Documents or a separate folder within your OMSI 2 installation. What matters above all is that openOMSI has write permissions there. The Program Files folder is therefore not a good choice, because Windows intervenes more heavily there and the launcher may, for example, have difficulty updating automatically.

Does openOMSI require OMSI 2 to be installed?

Yes. openOMSI does not work without existing OMSI 2 content.

The project itself includes neither Berlin-Spandau nor Grundorf, no original MAN buses and no commercial add-ons. openOMSI provides the new technical runtime environment, but uses the existing files from OMSI 2.

These include maps, buses, objects, splines, sounds, fonts, scripts and add-ons, among other things. That is why you still need a legally obtained OMSI 2 installation with the normal base content.

It does not matter whether OMSI 2 was installed through Steam or as an older retail version. What matters is that the basic original content is present. Among other things, openOMSI expects the standard maps Grundorf and Berlin-Spandau as well as the normal standard vehicles.

How do you install openOMSI on Windows?

After downloading, extract the Windows ZIP completely into the desired folder. No additional installation is necessary. The file openomsi.exe will then be located in the extracted folder – this is used to start openOMSI.

The launcher opens the first time you start it. In many cases, it automatically detects an existing Steam installation of OMSI 2. If that does not work, you can select the OMSI folder yourself through the settings.

From this point on, openOMSI works with the existing OMSI files without simply modifying the original installation. Additional mods can later even be added separately through the dedicated mod manager.

Since the newer versions, the launcher can also check, if desired, whether a newer version of openOMSI is available. If a new version is found, the launcher can download it, replace the program files and then restart. This means you do not have to manually search for a new ZIP file and set everything up again for every update.

Which OMSI 2 folder do you need to select?

You need to select the main folder of your OMSI 2 installation . This means the folder that also contains Omsi.exe and the maps and Vehicles folders.

With a typical Steam installation, OMSI 2 can be found here, for example:

Steam → steamapps → common → OMSI 2

So you do not need to select the maps folder, Vehicles or an individual bus, but rather the parent OMSI 2 main folder.

If you are unsure, you can use three points of reference: The correct directory contains Omsi.exe, the maps folder and the Vehicles folder together, side by side.

Alternatively, the launcher can also be connected directly to Omsi.exe. If openOMSI does not detect important original files in the selected path, the launcher will indicate what is missing.

How do you start a map and a bus in openOMSI?

As soon as the OMSI 2 folder has been detected correctly, the launcher displays the available content. On the driving page, you first select a map, then a bus and finally the desired service or route .

This makes getting started somewhat different from the classic OMSI menu. openOMSI attempts to bring together the most important decisions in the launcher. Instead of first loading a map and then putting together the vehicle and schedule within the simulation, you can make this selection beforehand.

Once the map, vehicle and service have been determined, you start the trip directly through the launcher. openOMSI then loads the required content from your OMSI installation and begins the simulation.

Which maps and buses already work fully still depends on the current compatibility status. The fact that content is displayed in the launcher therefore does not automatically mean that all functions already work exactly as they do in OMSI 2.

What happens if Windows blocks openOMSI?

When you start it for the first time, Windows SmartScreen may indicate that an unknown application is about to be started. This can happen with small open-source projects whose executable files are not distributed with a major commercial code-signing certificate.

Such a warning should nevertheless not simply be ignored blindly. First check whether you actually downloaded openOMSI from the official project page or the official GitHub release page. The file name, origin and release should match.

If you are using the official version and SmartScreen still triggers, Windows offers the option to start the application anyway through the advanced information.

For files from dubious mirrors or third-party upload sites, however, I would not recommend doing that. There is no reason to use any unofficial download for openOMSI.

What should you do if openOMSI does not start?

openOMSI is still in an early stage of development. Startup problems can therefore be caused either by an incorrect setup or by an error in the current version.

If a message immediately appears stating that the original OMSI 2 was not found, you should first select the correct OMSI 2 main folder under Setup or Settings. It must contain the original content.

If the simulation closes after a few seconds or a message appears stating that the graphics device was lost, the project initially recommends a current graphics driver directly from NVIDIA, AMD or Intel. Windows does not always install the latest suitable version. On Windows, switching the graphics API may also help. openOMSI can use DirectX 12, among other options, and offers corresponding choices after certain graphics crashes.

Older graphics cards without Vulkan support do not automatically mean the end. openOMSI attempts to use additional graphics interfaces on Windows. Which one works best can be selected in the graphics settings.

Why is my map not displayed?

If a map does not appear in the launcher, you should first check whether it is actually present in the OMSI installation used by openOMSI. The launcher naturally cannot automatically use a map in the folder of a completely different OMSI copy.

Community maps also often have additional dependencies. If objects, splines or other packages are missing, the map may be partially detected but still fail to work correctly afterward.

Additional mods can be added separately in openOMSI through the Mods page. However, this does not change the fact that all required files must actually be present.

Why is my bus not working correctly?

The fact that a bus can be selected in the launcher and loads does not necessarily mean that all functions are already fully supported. Complex OMSI vehicles in particular use extensive scripts, special displays, dynamic textures, custom sounds and various specialized technical solutions.

Although openOMSI aims to use existing OMSI content without conversion wherever possible, it is still under active development. If, for example, the matrix, doors, displays or other functions do not work correctly, this may therefore be due to the current compatibility status and not to an incorrect installation.

For such cases, after errors the launcher offers options to copy a report or go directly to the project's error-reporting system. In addition, openOMSI creates log files that can help locate the cause.

Install openOMSI: Getting started is easier than the technology behind it

For a first attempt, you basically only need three things on Windows: an original OMSI 2 installation, the appropriate openOMSI Windows ZIP and a writable folder for the program. Extract the ZIP, start openomsi.exe, select the OMSI 2 main folder and then choose the map, bus and service in the launcher – nothing more is necessary to get started.

It only becomes somewhat more complicated when community maps, extensive buses or additional mods are added. This is precisely where openOMSI's early-release status is still apparent at the moment. However, those who start with standard content can check much more quickly whether the new engine basically works on their own computer.

Have you already tried openOMSI on Windows – and did the setup work without any problems for you?