sceneries, sceneries . . . and again sceneries

[VOR_Active 4]

Hello all, There is UTX and GEX for Europe, USA/Canada, and so on. Now i think there is for Carribean too and also there is FTX for the same parts of the globe. Which one is the best of all these, and what impact do they have in frame rates. Also, Aerosoft produce airports X series. How do they work together with UTX, GEX and FTX?Thank you so much for your help

[woodhick 504]

Disclaimer: The following is my opinion onlyAsking which is best here is kind of pointless in a way. What do you like to see below you? Anything you add is vastly better than default FSX. The following is what I use:For most of my flying in the U.S. (where I live) I use GEX & UTX combined (they work very well together) with a landclass layered on top (landclass is somewhat different from the other two). I also use FSGenesis mesh underneath it all. This gives a great scenery package. I also use Orbx FTX in any area for which it is available. It is, quite simply, the very best there is. Again, IMHO. I have spent the past two months minutely examining the Pacific Northwest (I have all available packages). Australia is no less interesting. Please note, I have no payware airports installed. I seldom return to any one area so see airports as a poor money value. Again, this in only my opinion.I have seen several videos made by a member of our VA (details in my signature line) using either Aerosoft or other brands of payware airports. They are so much better visually than default as to make the others laughable. From what my pilot tells me, they all play well with the programming we are talking about for scenic viewing.Now frame rates: Again my opinion. Anything you add to FSX, even the least complex programming will have some effect. It is my considered opinion that you will need a fairy robust system to handle the add-ons you are interested in, most especially airports. I am using a fairly high end Jetline computer with some upgrades. I routinely see FR's ranging (FRs set to "unlimited") from 40 to 100+, depending on where I am flying. My primary ride for these results is the Virtavia BN2 Islander. I also have Ult Traffic X, ASE and Radar Contact running during my flights.My friend and what I read here and there seems to indicate that airport usually do have some FR impact.Truthfully, if you are a high in the sky jet jockey, the Orbx sceneries might not be the best money value. They are designed for low and slow enjoyment. Think high wing airplanes so as not to obstruct the wonderful view.Have fun spending money.

[VOR_Active 4]

@ woodhickFirst I would like to thank you for your answer because now i see thinks clearer but, as expected, it opened another door for 2 more questions :-)What landcass is this? i thought UTX/GEX includes a landcass already Also, you can use UTX/GEX and FTX on the same area? USA/Canada for example?Thank you once more

[bsmfinegan 12]

@ woodhickFirst I would like to thank you for your answer because now i see thinks clearer but, as expected, it opened another door for 2 more questions :-)What landcass is this? i thought UTX/GEX includes a landcass already Also, you can use UTX/GEX and FTX on the same area? USA/Canada for example?Thank you once more

I think UTX's landclass is limited to mainly the correct placement of roads, but GEX itself does not include landclass.FTX give you the whole package...textures landclass and mesh.You can use GEX and FTX for the same areas if you use the FTX mode switcher, most times there seems to be a seamless transition from FTX to GEX but if you want to see FTX you will definately need to have the mode set to FTX.Bryan.

[woodhick 504]

I think UTX's landclass is limited to mainly the correct placement of roads, but GEX itself does not include landclass.FTX give you the whole package...textures landclass and mesh.You can use GEX and FTX for the same areas if you use the FTX mode switcher, most times there seems to be a seamless transition from FTX to GEX but if you want to see FTX you will definately need to have the mode set to FTX.Bryan.

Yes that is correct on all counts. A strictly landclass program injects towns, farms, woodlands, etc and must be placed on top (generally) of the other scenery programs in the add-on scenery folder. FTX scenery should be placed on top of everything else in that folder. All these play very well together. And yes, the FTX switcher must be set to the specific scenery package you want to see. It's a lot easier than it sounds and does not have to be done for each and every flight. No biggie. Go to Flight1 and search for SceneryTech Landclass. I personally prefer Clound9 X-Class landclass however. Landclass is generally cheap and adds more than you paid for it.The only worry here is how much do you want to spend?

[woodhick 504]

I have to add here. If you are not interested in flying into and out of remote primitive airstrips, then FTX (Orbx) may not be the best purchase for you. The payware major airports are fine, but FTX really shines in the remote areas. And there's so much to see while you're doing it.

[Benjamin J 751]

I'll tell you what I do. I'm more of jet aircraft flyer, just for reference.Australia: FTX all the way. They cover all of Australia, and their Aussie airports look really nice. I must say that the FTX ground textures are really great, best ground textures I have seen. They look very realistic, so it's a joy to fly over.Outside Australia: I use a mix of various products outside Australia.- I use GEX to replace the default ground textures. I have almost all of them - still need to purchase GEX Tropics which was released a short while ago. They make the ground look far nicer than what default FSX can offer, so I can definitely recommend it.- I own UTX for EU and USA. It also exists for Canada and Alaska, but as I rarely fly there, I didn't want to spend the money on it. It is a really good product, however, and it really makes the covered areas look much more realistic with more accurate roads and water bodies. It also includes urban land class.- I also use OpenVFR for regions that UTX does not cover. I have it for Kenya, Costa Rica and Panama, for example. It basically does the same things UTX does, except they get their info from another source, and you generally buy by country.- FSGenesis I use for mesh, so that hills and mountains looks more realistic. Their mesh covers almost all of my virtual world.- Finally, I use SceneryTech for land class, and I can say that it truly makes things more realistic, although it has its fault. It isn't 100% accurate, but it's absolutely a lot better than what default FSX does.

[VOR_Active 4]

Thank you all so much for your help.I am a big iron fan and a bush flying fan too so i know how the future shines. Get them all. My hands are reaching the wallet already