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Scenery for the UK...

L

letsgetrowdy

Charter Member
I wish there was something like ORBX that would be created for the UK, that had everything looking so...real?
I've heard of horizon's GenX...does any one have this/ can anyone give me any feedback please? I've heard that it gives an accurate impression of the Uk, but flattens all the trees and buildings!!!??? Is this true, and if so, I'd rather stick to default.
 
I looked at Horizons and JustFlight's product 'VFR Real Scenery' but couldn't make a judgement from the marketing blurb. I went JustFlight on cost (there's a bundled version that's 'cost-effective'), but my sources tell me I jumped the wrong way :(

FWIW, the JF scenery is disappointingly unsaturated and drab-looking, although it's not completely awful. In terms of 'flatness', as these products are both photo-real scenery based on satellite imagery, they are indeed flat. The JF package recommends you turn off autogen when using it, as you will get buildings and trees in unexpected places. Not a problem if you want to fly around the countryside, but maybe problematic over population.

I am not very knowledgeable about the mechanics of FSX scenery, but for comparison with the other scenery products I own the JF falls far short of Orbx (with which it is not directly comparable) and MegaScenery X (which I believe is directly comparable as it's also photo-real 'flat' scenery).
 
I love the GenX photo scenery. It look great and very real from above about 2000 feet, and even better with the visibility set between 10 and 30 miles. The payoff is the loss of autogen, loss of seasonal variation and very poor detail down low. The VFR airfields from UK2000 do have trees and such nearby, which help restore the realism on takeoff and approach. On my system the scenery is creamy smooth with Cessnas, Pipers etc, but can blur a bit at Warbird speeds.
 
Oh right. I specialise in low flying on my FSX as I love to fly warbirds, and do "airshow" beat ups of airfields (I own the UK2000 ones which are fab).
The fact that they ARE "flat" does annoy me - some one gotta do to the UK what ORBX did for the Aussies
 
letsgetrowdy said:
Oh right. I specialise in low flying on my FSX as I love to fly warbirds, and do "airshow" beat ups of airfields (I own the UK2000 ones which are fab).
The fact that they ARE "flat" does annoy me - some one gotta do to the UK what ORBX did for the Aussies
Click to expand...

I'm surprised there isn't a UK autogen supplied with the photo scenery since it's very poor down low if you only have photo textures.

Also has anyone noticed quite how large default FSX trees are compared to the real trees we have over here?
 
There was a freeware project to add trees to the UK photoscenery. I've not heard anything from it for a long time now, but last I heard it was still going. Very. Very. Very. Slowly.

When you have to place each object by hand, which is the case with what they are doing, it's never going to be a practical proposition.
 
If you dig around a bit, there was a long period of FS9 when trees, buildings and other 'autogen' objects were being positioned correctly on top of the FS9 photographic scenery of the UK. The website where individuals uploaded their work was http://www.vfraddons.co.uk/ but I'm not sure if it's still being updated or even if the downloads are still there. Quite a simple site to use, though - you simply clicked on an area of the UK and available downloads for that area would be shown.

If you take a quick read of http://www.cbfsim.org/cbfsim/cbfsBB/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=17440
and forget about the problems mentioned (the tool works quite well), go to Shep's Shed (http://www.shepsshed.com/autogentrees.htm) and get the tool and the scenery (which I believe is the same as that from VFR addons), it will install the autogen in the correct place on your GenX scenery.

Also, if you search for FSX Power Project, that is a seperate addon which has done a similar thing with electricity pylons, windfarms, power stations etc.

So it is quite possible to have the UK in FSX with photo scenery, and not totally flat. Not everywhere is covered, but there is quite a bit and I find the overall effect very good.
 
Great thread. The Orbx demo scenery looks so like the UK, lush greenery and detail. If someone could make scenery like that for the UK, I would be buying it. Having looked at the photo scenery for the UK, can't say any of them float my boat as I like flying low and slow.
 
I use Horizon VFR and would never go back to default scenery.


Here is a list of free airfields for Horizon VFR, as you can see, almost all the UK is covered.

http://www.horizonsimulation.co.uk/forums/viewtopic.php?t=2761




Below is my first attempt at scenery design, a freeware RAF Thorney Island using the Horizon Vol 1 scenery. I will UL here when it has been beta tested.


ScreenShot04-11.jpg
 
I'm the exact opposite. I have a number of photoreal sceneries with no autogen and removed the lot. They're absolutely and utterly unrealistic in my exceptionally biased opinion.

You can see trees and buildings clearly several thousand feet up. Not having them takes away the reality entirely. It's worse still when you add airports that do have trees and buildings modelled, which you can then see from thirty, forty, miles away because they're the only things poking out of the flat!

Horses for courses, each to their own, is the simple answer... That and download a demo and try it. :d
 
i am sad to say i studied the photo reals for UK and decided to not do any of them. I really need the actual objects for the simulation to make any sense at all. I hope someday someone will complete work on object place ment or add auto gen to the Gen X which is not that hard really. Just my two pence as they say, you will have to make your own mind up.
 
Back in 2007 there was a 3D objects demo on one of the photo real UK scenery boxes. Apparently it was work in progress and seemed to be a future project, however I've googled it and found nothing but the 3D objects demo I already knew about.

Such a shame, the UK has never been covered very well in terms of landscape in the default. Granted the addon airfields are a dramatic improvement, but the overall unrealistic nature of the autogen 'giant' trees combined with missing towns etc ruins the UK for me.

I would gladly buy photoreal textures for the UK but only if there was also autogen to make things at least look slightly more realistic when coming in to land. Landing and take-offs for me are what flight sim is all about - navigation also, but you want realism when landing and photo real just ruins the immersive nature.

Looking at the screenshot with the helicopter in it you can see just what a difference autogen make to photo scenery. If that autogen wasn't there it would look totally unrealistic.

I'm afraid I'm steering clear of photoscenery for the UK until such time as a kind person has mapped the entire UK full of autogen. :icon_lol:
 
The other option, of course, is UTX Europe which, while definitely not photoreal and far from perfect, does make VFR navigation considerably more possible than with the default.

The big problem I find with the default textures is that none of them come even close to representing the density of two-story housing that you find in most Northern European villages and small towns. House-field-house-house-field is not at all representative.

Does anyone know of a way to create new landclass types - as in new textures that objects can be placed on top of - without having to place each object individually on each individual tile?
 
IanP said:
The other option, of course, is UTX Europe which, while definitely not photoreal and far from perfect, does make VFR navigation considerably more possible than with the default.

The big problem I find with the default textures is that none of them come even close to representing the density of two-story housing that you find in most Northern European villages and small towns. House-field-house-house-field is not at all representative.

Does anyone know of a way to create new landclass types - as in new textures that objects can be placed on top of - without having to place each object individually on each individual tile?
Click to expand...

UTX is indeed a major step forward in Europe as you get more correct landclass assignment and you can see the right roads, railways, rivers and streams, as well as towns at the right location. But you still get the default textures.

I am very much looking forward to the release of GEX Europe that will replace all default textures and autogen for Europe. If you haven't already, have a look at preview screenshots by Nick Needham here:

http://www.simforums.com/forums/forum_posts.asp?TID=26352

There are several pages there, some shots include England as well. I believe that GEX in combination with UTX or even other landclass products, will create a very nice low and slow environment for all Europe. Not ORBX style but still much much better than default.
 
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