TropicalSim or LatinVFR

[vc10man 732]

I'm thinking of getting this airport by this particular developer but cannot find any reviews for it. My question is, has anyone got it and what is it it like in comparison to LatinVFR's version? Which is the better scenery? As I fly FSDT's LSZH-SBGR default, with the MD-11,I'm keen to have an airport that is better than FSX's default. Perhaps some of the Brasileiros in these Forums can provide the answer. Thanks/Muito Obrigado in advance.

[cmpbellsjc 2,960]

I have both the Tropical Sim and LatinVFR version of SBGR and the LatinVFR version is much better, especially when I comes to night time. Plus the LatinVFR version comes with some photoreal scenery of the area and also custom autogen.I actually had the Tropical Sim version first because SBGR came with the AirBridge Rio pack that includes SBGL, SBSP, SBRJ, and also SBGR. The main thing I can't stand about the Tropical Sim version is that the night lighting on the runways and taxiways is horrible, and I mean horrible. The ground lights are like big orbs and you can see the blue taxiway lights miles out on arrival. I spoke to Tropical Sim about it and they said there was nothing they could do about it. Well, there is something obviously that can be done because all my airports from FSDT, FlyTampa, LatinVFR, and Aerosoft dont have giagantic light balls for runway and taxiway lighing, but they either dont have a better solution or dont know how to do the lighting differently.Anyway, I would go for the LatinVFR version. Also, there is a nice freeware version over on Terra-Brasilis.org that you might also try. In addition, if you fly to Sao Paulo a lot you might want to consider getting Paulo Richardo's Mega Sao Paulo photoreal scenery, it's payware but nicely done.Hope that helps.Abraços

[Syd Weedon 11]

The only Latin VFR product I have is Key West, and I love it. I'll buy of their stuff.

[duckbilled 310]

I don't have the scenery in question but I have a lot from both developers. I feel that LatinVFR products are better than Tropicalsim overall. Both are great companies and both provide great service.

[cmpbellsjc 2,960]

I don't have the scenery in question but I have a lot from both developers. I feel that LatinVFR products are better than Tropicalsim overall. Both are great companies and both provide great service.

In my opinion Tropical Sim's sceneries are a little like ImagineSim's work, except that Tropical Sim has great customer service and a forum. The thing with TS is that the FSX products seem to still look like FS9 products as far as the texture work is concerned. Frankly, these days I think for pure looks and texture work, FSDT, FlyTampa, FlightBeam, ORBX, and some Aerosoft products are the tops in terms of looks, while ImagineSim and Tropical Sim are putting out FSX products that look like FS8 or FS9 quality.I agree though that LatinVFR products look better than Tropical Sim, although I am not overly impressed with the blend job they did with the watermasking in the photoreal part of Key West. In fact, I think the Key West product is probably not their best work compared to their other products.

[Benjamin J 751]

Overall, I find that LatinVFR products look a lot b ether than TropicalSim products. The latter tend to look a bit bland. Often there is very nice 3D detail present, but it's textured in a way that makes it look "boring" for lack of a better word. Here's where LatinVFR tends to be strong: they tend to have very good texturing. LatinVFR's problem can be very big, however. LatinVFR tends to have very inaccurate building placement, and many of their objects themselves resemble their real world counterparts only rather marginally. When you start looking closer and look at actual photographs of the real thing, you start noticing god knows how many errors in LatinVFR's sceneries. As a matter of fact, after doing lots of LatinVFR reviews, I simply stopped doing them because I was fed up of saying time on time again that the same sort of errors are found everywhere. However, Ricardo is a terribly nice guy for as far as I have seen, and working with him was always pleasant. Key West, his latest airport, is far more accurate in some departments, although I still question the accuracy of the buildings themselves. Even with all these faults of LatinVFR, I would probably still choose them over TropicalSim, simply because the texturing of LatinVFR is better. By the way, I also quite like LatinVFR's prizes.

[vc10man 732]

Muito Obrigado cmpbellsjc. As usual, a valued response,and thanks to you too Benjamin. I had in fact read your Review and that is what made me take a step in pause before I made the plunge. I'll look into that alternative Paulo Richardo. Looks worth investigating. Thanks guys for all the feedback. Much appreciated.

[CFIJose 5,485]

Latin VFR's Key West & Sao Paulo are the only airports that I would recommend. I have several airports from Tropical Sim and Latin VFR and when I compare them with Fly Tampa or FSDT, they fall WAY short. They are not in the same league. Imaginesim airports are the worst. I wouldn't even go there. If I had to only recommend one airport, it would be an easy answer, Latin VFR's KEYW. It's their best work to date. IMHO

[Benjamin J 751]

True, LatinVFR and TropicalSim are below FSDT (whose KLAX keeps surprising me time on time again, also because of its stunning performance) and FlyTampa, but keep in mind that they tend to charge twice the price! KLAX was 33 Euros I think. Most LatinVFR sceneries I have are 15 - 20 Euros. Also FlyTampa is rather expensive.

[cmpbellsjc 2,960]

If I had to only recommend one airport, it would be an easy answer, Latin VFR's KEYW. It's their best work to date. IMHO

Not me, I think their Key West stinks compared to thier SBGR. I just hate the way they did the water blend masks since you can still see squares in the water where the photoreal ends, plus the night textures are way to bright imho. Aside from that I think Key West is ok, but surprisingly since I have had it a few months now, I haven't even done a flight in or out of it, lol. Just one of those airports I bought on an impulse and ended up not liking very much.

[Benjamin J 751]

[...] Aside from that I think Key West is ok, but surprisingly since I have had it a few months now, I haven't even done a flight in or out of it, lol. Just one of those airports I bought on an impulse and ended up not liking very much.

Same here, but I have it with most of my airports. I have many airports, and relatively limited time, so many airports go unused. I have yet to fly in or out of FlyTampa's Midway, even though I have it for a long time now. Yesterday I did my first flight into KSFO in FSX (and was surpassed by the terrible performance...).

[vc10man 732]

I have both the Tropical Sim and LatinVFR version of SBGR and the LatinVFR version is much better, especially when I comes to night time. Plus the LatinVFR version comes with some photoreal scenery of the area and also custom autogen. I actually had the Tropical Sim version first because SBGR came with the AirBridge Rio pack that includes SBGL, SBSP, SBRJ, and also SBGR. The main thing I can't stand about the Tropical Sim version is that the night lighting on the runways and taxiways is horrible, and I mean horrible. The ground lights are like big orbs and you can see the blue taxiway lights miles out on arrival. I spoke to Tropical Sim about it and they said there was nothing they could do about it. Well, there is something obviously that can be done because all my airports from FSDT, FlyTampa, LatinVFR, and Aerosoft dont have giagantic light balls for runway and taxiway lighing, but they either dont have a better solution or dont know how to do the lighting differently. Anyway, I would go for the LatinVFR version. Also, there is a nice freeware version over on Terra-Brasilis.org that you might also try. In addition, if you fly to Sao Paulo a lot you might want to consider getting Paulo Richardo's Mega Sao Paulo photoreal scenery, it's payware but nicely done. Hope that helps. Abraços

Sean I managed to get that freeware SBGR you recommended which is a heap better than the default. Any idea how much Paulo Ricardo's Mega Sao Paulo is ($)cause I'm led to believe that he is only contactable via an email but before I go down that route, I just wanted a rough idea of the price and as from your previous posts you seem to be the man-in-the-know when it comes to SA sceneries, I thought it best to ask you? Abraços e Obrigado

[cmpbellsjc 2,960]

Sean I managed to get that freeware SBGR you recommended which is a heap better than the default. Any idea how much Paulo Ricardo's Mega Sao Paulo is ($)cause I'm led to believe that he is only contactable via an email but before I go down that route, I just wanted a rough idea of the price and as from your previous posts you seem to be the man-in-the-know when it comes to SA sceneries, I thought it best to ask you? Abraços e Obrigado

Oi Rick, tudo bem?When I purchased Mega Sao Paulo it was R$57,00 plus shipping was R$ 15,00 for a total R$ 72,00, which is now about $39.25 USD. This was back in '09 when I got it though so I dont know if the price has gone up or down.Abraços

[vc10man 732]

Oi Sean Muito Obrigado for that concise reply and for all your other help. Approx $40 sounds a fair price to me as long as it has not gone up dramatically. I'll email him in due course.