'first, never offer up a negative and necessarily subjective opinion again in an attempt to help anyone else practice "caveat emptor"'Well don't think that way...The original poster ASKED for opinions...That doesn't just include positive ones. As I said Raimondo over-reacted and he should not be taking this personally. Some people probably like that scenery but you obviously didn't and were just responding to a legitimate request for opinions on the product before money was spent on it. If all people were allowed to say were positive comments and reviews then we would all still be driving Gremlins and similar lemons LOL.

Yes first message was asking for opinions - but opinions did really come.Really i do take it personally - believe me.Pictures of Hawaii - showed clearly what the scenery was about - yes some email me very happy - few other unhappy because of resolution - but the scenery is clearly there to be seen - at least was there as now is only at mapserver - so no more arguments.I'm very happy with the work i do - and all the mapserver members are very happy also - strongly support the projects - i'll do my best to provide more great scenery in the near future - to all who are supporting the projects i do - and also continue to support freeware - as i always did - .raimondo

I believe a VC or spot plane screenshot of your Kahului, Maui would permit others to cut through the welter of conflict and counterclaims here and judge for themselves.....we need to move on.

Hi Raimondo.If you don't mind, I'll add to your defense here.I just went to FSfreeware.com, navigated to the free download section, and noted there are 86 web pages devoted to freeware downloads. These don't require any membership to access.I've never uploaded to Ray's site, but he has a few of my utilities there for free download. I don't have a problem with that... they are free, and I never stated a restriction as to where they should be available.So is there freeware? Yes.As to the Hawaii photoreal scenery, I think Raimondo has explained very well how it was derived, and why it is not as crisp as higher resolution photoreal may be. I don't sense any deception on his part.As far as memberships, Flightsim.com also offers a membership that allows members logon priority for downloads. Ray's site actually adds content for the money... not just access rights. Some may not agree with this marketing strategy ( for either site ), but nothing illegal or deceptive is intended, I'm sure.Raimondo and I have had disagreements in the past, sometimes regarding the disclosure of his source data, and how he processed his BGLs. He has been very open about this scenery. And I think that's great. I think he has answered as best he can, the questions about this Hawaii scenery, it's resolution, it's source, and any cost the downloader would entail.I know you don't need any defense from me, Raimondo. But, I applaud your openness.Dick

Dear Dick;Thanks for explain - and clarify this - I want to add more - i also put all the time where we had that little disagrement - but that was a good lesson for me - really those time where very different than today - we where in a situation where it was very very difficolt to produce a terrain for countries other than usa - at a good resolution - therefore that also create a sort of lock - especially when we at this end - where achieving some sort of better results - other than a mesh designed with the dt0 or gotpo elevations data - - you how how plain those data are!Anyway - i'm very happy to hear you also put those little incovenient behind us - because i feel as developer - you are some of the best in absolute around and have really great respect for you - aswell for Christian Stock - C. Fumey - Holger - and others that are really the core of discovering and pass it on new techniques - tools - and help others so much as you do - i like to be completely honest - myself have learn alot from you - without you flight simulation will not be what it is now - there will be so many things wich would left into the unknow - i'm sure - - - i never had the opportunity to thanks you for that - and i wish you to do it now.raimondo

That's cool....But my point is that he shouldn't need to be defended. I certainly never attacked him or his site and even agreed that he has the right to distribute his stuff the way he wants to. And in reality JohnC did not attack Raimondo either. All he did was offer his opinion on a piece of scenery WHICH the original poster asked for. He clearly did not like it and said as much. If Raimondo can't understand that some people are not going to like everything he puts out there then maybe he ought not read anything that might pertain to him or his sceneries. Much like some other artists like actors do. It still strikes me that he has been spending too much time defending himself here. Especially when he hasn't been personally attacked. I personally think he could spend his time better by making even more and better stuff for flight sim instead of defending himself here.

Hi Milamber;I can see the point - at first i felt John was a bit too hard - the way it was expressed - and put me on the defensive - but on his second post he clarify - and that was enough with me. After all we all are a bit sensitive on the work we do - at least i'm sometimes - espcially on a public forum - as it is different when dealing with an email - where you are on your own to read the message - .I think i explained - all what need to be said - i take onboard all the information - worked on my mind - draw the line - and think: what next for Hawaii?? - no matter what - what is important for me - is to keep positive (regarding hawaii) - and take the scenery trough the moment into the next stage - in one way or another - at the cost to even draw those ilands with my nails - it will not be too long before it will happen - one thing at time.raimondo

"That's cool....But my point is that he shouldn't need to bedefended. I certainly never attacked him or his site and evenagreed that he has the right to distribute his stuff the wayhe wants to. And in reality JohnC did not attack Raimondoeither."It wasn't so much an attack, just the way he worded it. I would take offense to, with that kind of wording, but still he just conveyed his opinon, no harm done and Ray just replied to it "It still strikes me that he has been spending too much timedefending himself here."It strikes me odd, that you keep harping on it as well. I think with Dicks reply all points are accounted for and that is that. With Rays Alaska mesh upload and his openness here, I see no reason to have any negative thoughts towards him or FSFreeware. As far as making "more stuff" for FS, he has a whole site full of it, that's more than most simmers have contributed, take a break bro! (and thanks for the Alaska mesh!!)Regards, MichaelKDFWhttp://www.calvirair.com/mcpics/PBTMCa.jpgCalVirAir International VACougar Mountain Helicopters & Aviation[link:www.cgrmthelos.com]Cougar Mountain Helicopters

No problem - my pleasure!Regarding Hawaii - my last said is:Hawaii will go foward - and you will be hear from me - regarding this scenery - end of april may.raimondo

Man, this thread has taken on a life of its own.Raimondo, I'm slowly getting used to your style of writing... 8^)I will say this, despite what I posted before here: if you can produce a high-quality, photo-based scenery of the Big Island (the *whole island*) that is comparable to the MegaScenery product, I would be willing to spend a few simoleans on it, no matter whether you call it FSFreeWare or just FSWare or whatever.In particular, I am interested in the northern part of the island - I frequent that area and to have the Waimea/Kamuela area well-represented in FS would be awesome.However - my experience with the Keyhole.com product, which I presume uses the same data, says that the satellite photo database of the Big Island is incomplete - at least at the highest level of resolution. But maybe your source is different from what the Keyhole folks use.Aloha and mahalo,-- Dave Blevins --