Are there any really convincing photorealistic runways available?

[Guest al2000]

Hi,I am really enjoying the PMDG Boeing 747 but the Microsoft default runways are really boring to look at. I purchased a photorealistic runway addon for one airport but it was not as good as I had hoped. It was a bit blurry when you landed. I was hoping to find a program that can change all the default runways into really good looking photoreal runways but so far I have not found any that I like the look of yet. If anyone can suggest a few of the better offerings out there I would appreciate it. It would be nice to have a runway that would change according to the weather and time too. For example it would have a photoreal dry runway, a rainy runway and a nighttime runway with realistic lighting. In fact to me a photoreal runway is more important than photoreal airport facilities. It would be nice if it didn't gobble up the framerates and looked crisp and clear right down to touchdown where you could see each grain and tire marking in the surface of the concrete runway.If there are any good programs free or paid out there please let me know and ones that work on FS2004 or FSX since I still use both. Especially fs2004 because my computer is not quite as fast enough as I would like to handle some of FSX's features.ThanksAl

[phoenixphire 50]

X Graphics from HIFI changes the RWY textures as well as airport grass and lights. http://www.hifisim.com/xgraphics.phpAlso flight EnvironmentX is going to issue an update that will enhance RWYS.http://www.flightenvironment.com/ I hope this is what you are looking for.

[stevenp 1]

Isnt flight enviroment x better all around, too bad I bought xgraphics, I should of gone with fex.

[phoenixphire 50]

Right now they have some crossover. Flight environment has not come out with their RWY textures so it is hard to compare or make a definitive statement. I like having the ability to make my own choices. Each is customizable. You can have water from one or clouds from the other. I like both programs and use both.

[Guest al2000]

Thanks a lot for those two programs. I think the X Graphics runways look pretty good from the pictures I saw. I might get it. The only thing one can't always be sure until one tests them out and lands on them. I am such a picky person and it is my weakness. I suppose ideally it would be great if one could quickly import the latest satellite photograph of a particular runway of an airport directly from google earth or something so you would have the real runway for each airport you wanted in perfect photo quality if that is legal.Kind regardsAl

[aeronaut 0]

Also make shure to have a look at Real Environment Xtreme - they also got runway textures and their coral simulation looks brilliant (watch the movies!)http://www.realenvironmentxtreme.com/But I don't know if they released it jet..Best wishes, Tobi

[Guest al2000]

Thanks this looks good too. I will take a look at the videos in a day or two as I am a bit busy right now. For me the maximum in photorealism and sharp detail is the thing that will get me to go for a particular scenery or texture. I want to be able to see each little blade of grass or grain of concrete in the runway as I zoom by. I know its a tall order. I want to be able to feel I am really there in the scenery.Some photoscenery I have is really good when looking from top down but when I get in close the buildings look like squashed pancakes. I hope these problems will become less and less as technology improves. Perhaps if some of the scenery was shot from a 45 degree angle in the sky it might help a bit I don't know.