Ready to Upgrade FSX Terrain, Environment, Landclass, etc.

[Guest a42abid]

@ 56RAF_Seeker, each add on is for a different set of data. UTX provides data on roads, rivers, coastlines, lakes, and urban landclass. So UTX is simply a package of data that tells FSX where to display what. FS Global is a Mesh product only. Mesh is your elevation data, so installing FS Global will only improve the resolution of elevation data, which means a lot of the rounded mountain tops will take on their correct shape and appearance. Other add ons like GEX are texture replacements, so GEX will replace your terrain textures with new ones. While each of those add ons does somethibng different, there is another add on which combines these elements, which is FTX. See below. @ Tom, FTX is called full terrain experience for a reason, as it's the full package. You get hand placed landclass, new landclass textures, new autogen trees and buildings specific to the textures, coastlines, roads, rivers, lakes, custom VFR objects, and mesh. With the australia coverage the mesh is provided as freeware, though it has been anounced that the PNW package will include a 20m or better mesh in the package.

thats something that I've been wondering about...is there a visual difference between 76, 32 and 20m? As in does halving those numbers double how well the terrain is displayed?

[Flaps30 3]

@ 56RAF_Seeker, each add on is for a different set of data. UTX provides data on roads, rivers, coastlines, lakes, and urban landclass. So UTX is simply a package of data that tells FSX where to display what. FS Global is a Mesh product only. Mesh is your elevation data, so installing FS Global will only improve the resolution of elevation data, which means a lot of the rounded mountain tops will take on their correct shape and appearance. Other add ons like GEX are texture replacements, so GEX will replace your terrain textures with new ones. While each of those add ons does somethibng different, there is another add on which combines these elements, which is FTX. See below. @ Tom, FTX is called full terrain experience for a reason, as it's the full package. You get hand placed landclass, new landclass textures, new autogen trees and buildings specific to the textures, coastlines, roads, rivers, lakes, custom VFR objects, and mesh. With the australia coverage the mesh is provided as freeware, though it has been anounced that the PNW package will include a 20m or better mesh in the package.

Thanks. It seems like it will be the answer to all our scenery needs, but any idea how long to do the whole USA? FSX is already over two years old. Tom

[maxter 0]

Thanks. It seems like it will be the answer to all our scenery needs, but any idea how long to do the whole USA? FSX is already over two years old. Tom

Not sure about your correlation between the ages of FTX and FsX, but I am pretty sure this question was answered this way in the Orbx forum. As I understand it, it would be dependent upon the level of adoption of FTX's NA Blue product. The more sales of that product will see a greater investment in the remainder of the country (I would guess).I do believe that at this point, the age of FsX is irrelevant as there is no more Aces and MS have not indicated where the franchise will head to next, save some blandly worded PR speak. FsX will be with us for quite a while more IMHO.Cheers,

[Flaps30 3]

Not sure about your correlation between the ages of FTX and FsX, but I am pretty sure this question was answered this way in the Orbx forum. As I understand it, it would be dependent upon the level of adoption of FTX's NA Blue product. The more sales of that product will see a greater investment in the remainder of the country (I would guess).I do believe that at this point, the age of FsX is irrelevant as there is no more Aces and MS have not indicated where the franchise will head to next, save some blandly worded PR speak. FsX will be with us for quite a while more IMHO.Cheers,

Sorry Chris. I guess I didn't make my point clear enough. I meant that since it will probably take a long time to develop scenery for the whole usa let alone the rest of the world, I just wondered if FSX would be upgraded to a new version in the near future while the development of FTX was still in progress, would FTX still be compatible with the next version? Thanks. Tom

[Guest ShawnG101]

downtown Seattle looks stunning! I hope they do Vancouver and Victoria as well. Based on NA Blue, this is going to take a long time though but oh man...its gorgeous!

As I understand it, they are planning seattle, and perhaps portland. they are however, going to make their product compatible with the already available vancouver X (payware fsaddon) and Victoria X (freeware), as Holger Sandmann is involved in all three products it should be fairly seamless (and it was mentioned that Jon Patch the other author of Vancouver and Victoria is involved as a beta tester for FTX:PNW)

[maxter 0]

Sorry Chris. I guess I didn't make my point clear enough. I meant that since it will probably take a long time to develop scenery for the whole usa let alone the rest of the world, I just wondered if FSX would be upgraded to a new version in the near future while the development of FTX was still in progress, would FTX still be compatible with the next version? Thanks. Tom

Hi Tom,I believe that any theorising about a VerNext of FsX is moot at this moment. From my reading many FsX 3rd party developers are hailing the present as an unprecedented period of stability and an opportunity to develop products for the longer term. Given that the statements emanating from Orbx seems to suggest a bumper set of releases are planned for this year, I would venture that if the demand for FTX USABlue is high, they would ramp up production... However I am not part of the organisation and will defer to them to clarify their position.Cheers and all the best,

[Orbx 123]

Maxter is almost right :)Yes, we have plans to do as much of the USA and Canada as we can, and Alaska is the next cab off the rank after PNW. Beyond that we are thinking perhaps Florida or somewhere on the east coast, but as Maxter said making FTX is a pretty expensive process and we will be dependant on the adoption rate of PNW and Alaska to ensure we have the cash flow to continue development of the USA/Canada series. Orbx is a little bitty company and as such we can't bite off more than we can chew :)Quick answer is we'd love to do the whole world, and we may get around to it someday, but it's a very labour intensive process.With regard to FSnext - who knows? We're bitterly disappointed about the ACES closure and the cloud hanging over the franchise, but whatever form the next iteration of FS transpires, we will of course be there and will port FTX to comply with the new SDKs. But that's all a moot point. We envisage a long life for FSX in the current circumstances and have no plans to move to other platforms at this stage.

[Guest a42abid]

Maxter is almost right :)Yes, we have plans to do as much of the USA and Canada as we can, and Alaska is the next cab off the rank after PNW. Beyond that we are thinking perhaps Florida or somewhere on the east coast, but as Maxter said making FTX is a pretty expensive process and we will be dependant on the adoption rate of PNW and Alaska to ensure we have the cash flow to continue development of the USA/Canada series. Orbx is a little bitty company and as such we can't bite off more than we can chew :)Quick answer is we'd love to do the whole world, and we may get around to it someday, but it's a very labour intensive process.With regard to FSnext - who knows? We're bitterly disappointed about the ACES closure and the cloud hanging over the franchise, but whatever form the next iteration of FS transpires, we will of course be there and will port FTX to comply with the new SDKs. But that's all a moot point. We envisage a long life for FSX in the current circumstances and have no plans to move to other platforms at this stage.

I guess covering more of the US makes business sense but I'd love to see Mexico done properly. Its beautiful, geographically diverse and there's a serious lack of good products for that region (South America is another "forgotten" continent). I'll look forward to PNW, Alaska I'm not too sure about but you guys are wizards with this stuff so I'm excited for whatevers coming next :)

[Flaps30 3]

Maxter is almost right :)Yes, we have plans to do as much of the USA and Canada as we can, and Alaska is the next cab off the rank after PNW. Beyond that we are thinking perhaps Florida or somewhere on the east coast, but as Maxter said making FTX is a pretty expensive process and we will be dependant on the adoption rate of PNW and Alaska to ensure we have the cash flow to continue development of the USA/Canada series. Orbx is a little bitty company and as such we can't bite off more than we can chew :)Quick answer is we'd love to do the whole world, and we may get around to it someday, but it's a very labour intensive process.With regard to FSnext - who knows? We're bitterly disappointed about the ACES closure and the cloud hanging over the franchise, but whatever form the next iteration of FS transpires, we will of course be there and will port FTX to comply with the new SDKs. But that's all a moot point. We envisage a long life for FSX in the current circumstances and have no plans to move to other platforms at this stage.

Thanks for the info, John. Forgive me, but I am unfamiliar with the "franchise thing". What do you mean about the ACES closure? Just curious. Tom

[maxter 0]

Thanks for the info, John. Forgive me, but I am unfamiliar with the "franchise thing". What do you mean about the ACES closure? Just curious. Tom

Just about the biggest thing to hit the flightsim world for the last 20 years... Read on...The Facts EmergeCheers,

[gman! 1]

Just about the biggest thing to hit the flightsim world for the last 20 years... Read on...The Facts EmergeCheers,

That's not whats gonna happen. It's speculation.

[maxter 0]

That's not whats gonna happen. It's speculation.

While the eventual outcome of the MSFS franchise is certainly open to speculation, the "Fact" that the ACES development team has been disbanded cannot be misinterperated...Cheers,

[Ditchdigger 0]

I have not purchased this mesh but I am curious. It is called NEXTMap ProMesh http://www.fsdreamscapes.com/web/

Looks Nice, but that is a lot of money for mesh.$25.00 for Florida alone.Brandon

[Flaps30 3]

Just about the biggest thing to hit the flightsim world for the last 20 years... Read on...The Facts EmergeCheers,

Thanks Chris,Hopefully things will all work out for us for the better. Tom

[jimdbird 0]

Looks Nice, but that is a lot of money for mesh.$25.00 for Florida alone.Brandon

You may want to check out FSGenesis for mesh.http://www.fsgenesis.com/Merchant2/merchan...egory_Code=SPCLCheers,Jim