FS2004 Limitations. How far can we go?

[Socrat 0]

Hello,I am new to this forum, but I know avsim.net because I have downloaded scenaries from there. I would like to discuss about limitations of FS2004. I'm a fan of it. I don't know so much about newer FSX, but I have seen some videos and they are really great - great detail for hills and road and ground textures. Also traffic on the routes is very realistic and useful. Sometimes when I fly with fs2004, I say, why this is not there. It could be. There are data of routes, so I think there should be possible to do mechanisms to make routes more detailed and "living". Just wonder why nobody did that for FS9. I run this version on "old" Pentium 4 2.4Ghz and 1.5 GRam + 256MB of my Graphics card. I usually run my sceneries with full density of autogen and highest texture and usually everything looks working very well. Especially If I set cloudy weather with lower visibility, so I think there are still big space to add something new. Also I think that if there would be the houses on the correct place so the smudging of textures (as seen from low altitude) would not be possible to see because it would be placed under houses.And one note I have to Ultimate Terrain. This addon/is amazing, but it seems to me, that at specific time not realistic. For exapmle when it is working day and it is 10pm most people goes to sleep and switchces of the light is theirs house. I know that rich people needn't do it, but most of towns, peripheries especially, goes in a semi-darknessdark. And villages usually in deep dark. Only routes are staying shinning. And I am not from a city so I don know how it is in real in big places like LA, Los Vegas, and so, but if you compare LA with for Example Prague in night:Prague 1Prague 2or little towns or villages:MnisekUT has much that it should repair. Not mention water shinning in dark night.

Edited January 8, 2012 by Socrat

[flyinpilot212121 724]

For your house issues not being lined up properly where the should be, get yourself ground environment pro, It does miracles for the ground textures, and is for the whole world, not jut one area. That is one of those addons i cant and wouldnt fly without.Also ground environment pro has a feature to change the ground tetxtures to match the weather, so say it is overcast, the ground will look Gloomy for example, really cool feature.

[Reason 20]

For your house issues not being lined up properly where the should be, get yourself ground environment pro, It does miracles for the ground textures, and is for the whole world, not jut one area. That is one of those addons i cant and wouldnt fly without.Also ground environment pro has a feature to change the ground tetxtures to match the weather, so say it is overcast, the ground will look Gloomy for example, really cool feature.

Same here.And the limitation I got was the OOM repetition using Ultimate Terrain with 32bit, migrating to 64bit OS will surely extend the adventure since there are a lot of things to be explored. I too sometimes think that nothing in fs9 is left to be explored except spending some $$$ to buy more and more add ons and learn new things

[acmech 2]

FS2004 limitations have been broken.For instance Prop Trash has an amazing aircraft package he is making that shows you the immensity and power of this new system of exporting. He has created a Stearman biplane classic that has so much incredible detail that even the insides of the plane’s framework are created, landing gear, engine hidden assemblies such as the working carburetor linkages, even the air-filter and fuel tank are modeled into this plane, and it runs smoothly in FS2004.

The last couple of years has seen the best releases of almost any kind of addon for fs2004.You can buy a 777 right now with every cockpit knob etc .and import it into fs2004 with smooth frames if you had the money or time...http://www.turbosqui...-cockpit/590903orhttp://www.turbosqui...3d-model/477710orhttp://www.turbosqui...-air-3ds/503231orBuild your own (whatever)oretc..etc....its all up to you. :( Edited January 8, 2012 by acmech

[Socrat 0]

flyinpilot212121:I own the add-on. Yeah, it is great and I like it too. But still. On places where I flied low above ground, I have seen the houses are beside the squares which mean "houses". So the stains looks strange.One more thing I realized, there would be good to repair by UT. I am from Europe. Right now, it is winter so I fly in Real World Weather conditions. This winter is too warm so we had 10°C at December and 5°C at January. So no snow here, but I fly over Winter textures. The winter textures are more boring and harder for VFR navigation which I like often to fly. I would appropriate if there could be autumn textures in case of warm Winter, but don't know if it is realizable.One the other hand, there are no winter textures of houses, so even if you see that the land is covered under snow, so the roofs are without snow. This would be unlikely (even when snow if falling). Only possible if temerature is above +1 or +2°C. So it would be much harder to navigate VFR in winter in real, right?

Edited January 8, 2012 by Socrat

[flyinpilot212121 724]

Oh i c, ya the ground will definetly look fuzzy frok close even with gepro.

[Socrat 0]

Also ground environment pro has a feature to change the ground tetxtures to match the weather, so say it is overcast, the ground will look Gloomy for example, really cool feature.

They are truly awesome. But when I flied in the early morning (was dark still) above mountains, which was still in deep darkness, I've seen some rivers or lakes or what was it what was simply too light. I thought about where the light goes from, and I think maybe only one suitable set is the very dark green. So I installed this set and will try the fly again with this set. ,,, So I did and it is good. So there are sets that are not good to be used in the night or early morning and sets that are suitable. But better would be if this would depend on the amount of light present. Edited January 9, 2012 by Socrat

[Socrat 0]

Winter and night texturesI think I confused some add-ons. It is Flight Environment, not GEpro who installed the water textures. So I think the winter textures are from GEpro add-on and the AWESOME water textures are from Flight Environment! So from FE I installed set called "Base color: Darkness of Brown". Inland water is much more darker. And this is it.Here is photo from my last flight in mountains:Click here to Enlarge!!!So as you can see on the image, this combination of GEPro and FE brings:- snow is too dark. Normally when you stand in the landscape under snow you see all around is shinning. It is light blue not dark green combinated with dark violet. Surrounding trees are dark (that is OK) but you should have feeling like the snow is contrasting to the trees - feeling like it is shining and feeling of white color (which is blue in real).- The river seems to be OK... But could be more black, very black ... I will show you bellow.- Route is too light, should not be .... It has green - yellow color like a river in daylight (inland)Conclusion: This doesn't look much close to reality, the colors are missed. I would rate 3 from 10.And now some real winter mountains at night:- good example of white snow and black water. You see the water is really black although the sky is full of stars and is blue(http://desertplanet....jpg?w=450&h=302)The water has a reflection of mountains.- town in Mountains: Kirovsk- another town in mountains- shinning summits- moonlight- close view to mountains in moonlight- another moonlight- before sunrise- clear blue snow on mountainsAnd that's all.- Next problem: roofs should be covered by snow.- Last problem that I realized - and this one is really substantial .... When temperature is under -5° or -8° rivers are partially frozen, having snow on the banks... ponds and dams are froozen and under snow! So you should see big white (shinning) area, without knowing if it is field, meadow, court, playground or parking area.

Edited January 9, 2012 by Socrat

[Appliance 51]

Socrat ... we really do have to remember that we are talking about a FLIGHT sim.As Gary Summons, head honco of the excellent scenery designers, UK2000, recently said:"please dont comment on any missing things, if it's not there, then its because I havn't made it yet, or I will not be making it, I cant add every logo, portaloo, streetlight, advertising board, fence, bollard ect ect, I have to make that judgement myself. Some 3D cars will be added, but not as much as you may think or want as good FPS has to be maintained.I says thing things because locals get carried away with there expectations, remember i'ts a flight sim and it has work as one, too much minor clutter and it turns into a modelling exercise which is not the objective here."Again, while I love it to death, we are talking about an eight year old program here. I really doubt that the forthcoming Microsoft Flight or AeroflyFS will add the features you require. It doesn't snow often in Hawaii and it looks as if AeroflyFS is using Switzerland Pro scenery (summer textures only.)PS By co-incidence I received the latest simMarket newsletter as I was posting the above.In it reference was made to a program called SKIREGION-SIMULATOR 2012 which certainly features snow-covered roofs! :(

Edited January 9, 2012 by Appliance

[Fozzer 1]

FS 2004:For my Textures I use GE Pro for FS 2004 (Payware).For Water, Ground, and Sky effects I use REX for FS 2004 (Payware).For my ground colours, textures, and wonderfuly realistic Koorbygen buildings for around the World, I use VOZ 1.8 for FS 2004 (free).For my golden Autumn tree textures and colours I use Gerrish Greys tree set for FS 2002 (free).With those, plus other free, selected downloads, my FS 2004 comes to life and looking wonderful, including traffic on the highways, and running SMOOTHLY, frame rate LOCKED at 25 FPS!(Note: Many FS 2000/FS 2002 add-ons, also work in FS 2004!)FS 2004 can be made to look just as pretty as FSX...Trust me!... :( ...! I have had FSX since it was first released, but my FS 2004 runs faster, smoother, looks better, and is much more FUN to use!Paul...FS 2004 + FS Navigator...and a very Happy Bunny!.... :( ...!

Edited January 10, 2012 by Fozzer

[Johan_Dees 84]

"including traffic on the highways"??you mean the light only in the dark ?

[Fozzer 1]

"including traffic on the highways"??you mean the light only in the dark ?

Install this to your FS 2004....>>>Avsim:bernd'sroadtextures_v1.zipIt will add "traffic" (Vehicles) to all your major and minor roads!... :( ...!Replaces the default roads. (For FS 2002, but works in FS 2004).They wont move very far, but they look good from the air!Brings a bit of; "action?" to the default bare roads...and they wont affect your frame rates!... :( ...!Paul....another useful add-on for FS 2004.... :( ....!Lots of wonderful Free-stuff for FS 2004! Edited January 10, 2012 by Fozzer

[out 769]

bernd'sroadtextures_v1.zip (...) It will add "traffic" (Vehicles) to all your major and minor roads!

No traffic really, mate. Just new (old) road textures with some colourful dots symbolizing cars.

[Fozzer 1]

No traffic really, mate. Just new (old) road textures with some colourful dots symbolizing cars.

..still much nicer than plain, bare, default roads, I reckon... :( ...!One of those little things that brings FS 2004 to life, without over-loading your hardware! Paul...FS 2004...FS navigator...and lots of coloured dots on my roads!... :( ...!

[out 769]

still much nicer than plain, bare, default roads

Yes, Paul, think of Ultimate Terrain Europe if you don't have it.It has a few improved versions of such roads, plus great night lighting, including 3D light poles.And first of all it will apply realistic terrain features (roads, railways, rivers, lakes, coasts, etc) into (almost) all the continent. Edited January 10, 2012 by Rafal