...think about this, you don't need "seasonal" textures ... real weather like snow can transform the land to snow covered land in either real time or applied based on location and time of year ... it's not a "new" texture map that needs to be loaded - in other words, just ONE SET of textures for the entire planet.

 

That's an interesting prospect. Naive question - would the same (or a similar) system be able to handle other seasonal changes, like the browning of the grass in winter? In the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic U.S., at least, winter isn't just a matter of having snow land on green grass - the ground is different, too. I'm not trying for snark here - I'd really like to know if it's technically possible to change seasons in a credible way without changing textures. I hope it is - anything that reduces the texture requirement is a good thing in my book.

There's already an add-on (available both as freeware with limited functions, or payware) that produces night and winter (snowy) textures for X-Plane, using an automatic algorithm, but the author says it's only for photorealistic scenery. The results are probably not 100% perfect, but from this video seem to be very good:

 

 

I don't understand why Laminar doesn't hire him. In my opinion, the algorithm could be adapted to X-Plane default textures: after all, default scenery textures are very similar to photorealistic textures, in their general appearence. This add-on has been out for more than a year... If Laminar hired him one year ago, today maybe we'd already have at least decent winter/snowy textures. Instead, as of today, it is unclear if we'll have seasonal textures for X-Plane 10 at all. That is my opinion, at least.

 

Marco

That's an interesting prospect. Naive question - would the same (or a similar) system be able to handle other seasonal changes, like the browning of the grass in winter? In the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic U.S., at least, winter isn't just a matter of having snow land on green grass - the ground is different, too. I'm not trying for snark here - I'd really like to know if it's technically possible to change seasons in a credible way without changing textures. I hope it is - anything that reduces the texture requirement is a good thing in my book.

 

Yes, the upcoming FlightGear 2.10 uses shaders and the texture's alpha channels to deliver real-time snow coverage and seasonal/drought/wet seasonal changes. All without having to swap textures. I know Ben Supnik follows their work, so it's very possible that X-Plane may follow FlightGear's approach.

 

http://www.flightgea...hp?f=47&t=18603

There's already an add-on (available both as freeware with limited functions, or payware) that produces night and winter (snowy) textures for X-Plane, using an automatic algorithm, but the author says it's only for photorealistic scenery. The results are probably not 100% perfect, but from this video seem to be very good:

 

 

I don't understand why Laminar doesn't hire him. In my opinion, the algorithm could be adapted to X-Plane default textures: after all, default scenery textures are very similar to photorealistic textures, in their general appearence. This add-on has been out for more than a year... If Laminar hired him one year ago, today maybe we'd already have at least decent winter/snowy textures. Instead, as of today, it is unclear if we'll have seasonal textures for X-Plane 10 at all. That is my opinion, at least.

 

Marco

 

Even though I never ever want to see snow rw or in a sim again this looks very promising and realistic. Makes sense to layer it on like rw.

AFAIK, that Simutools program creates night and snow textures from orthos. A variation of the night texture algorithm is included in g2xpl. It looks okay, but it does have some flaws. I'd like to see dynamic snow texturing that builds up over time, sort of how windows in some payware planes gradually get frosty if you don't turn the heat on. This way, the snow on the ground could reflect the current weather. Say for instance a light glazing of snow everywhere in northern lattitudes, and for those areas that have active snowfall at the time, there could be a thicker coverage on the ground. Seems like the same thing could apply to wet pavement. One thing FSX has going for it that I miss in X-Plane is wet, reflective shaders on paved surfaces in the rain.

Yes, the upcoming FlightGear 2.10 uses shaders and the texture's alpha channels to deliver real-time snow coverage and seasonal/drought/wet seasonal changes. All without having to swap textures. I know Ben Supnik follows their work, so it's very possible that X-Plane may follow FlightGear's approach.

 

http://www.flightgea...hp?f=47&t=18603

I know from some discussions, that Ben already had this ideas for quite some time in his head (especially with the layering of snow) ... but he also had 127 other ideas in his head, and 19287 "ideas" users are asking for. So, there is hope for it to happen one day ...

 

And about the simultools winter ... well, its better than nothing, but far away from how a real winter landscape looks like (and I have seen a few in real life - and really like it B) )

 

Yes, the upcoming FlightGear 2.10 uses shaders and the texture's alpha channels to deliver real-time snow coverage and seasonal/drought/wet seasonal changes. All without having to swap textures. I know Ben Supnik follows their work, so it's very possible that X-Plane may follow FlightGear's approach.

 

http://www.flightgea...hp?f=47&t=18603

 

Now THAT is awesome.

I know from some discussions, that Ben already had this ideas for quite some time in his head (especially with the layering of snow)

 

Great, so the ideas are "in his head", then hire some extra help and get it done, period, or source it out. Too many ideas get left undone or take far too long to be realized, and it's always the same old excuse, "resources". There are a lot of us that are tired of hearing it. Seasonal textures are something any serious flight simulator should have, "make it so".

 

I have no problem paying "more" to whomever, just make it available.

 

Glen

Great, so the ideas are "in his head", then hire some extra help and get it done, period, or source it out.

yeah..or allow 3rd party to do it which of course A. frees up resources and B. 3rd party is motivated by certain profit. How much time/effort/money would a 3rd party invest into texture projects? I would think a weather engine or ATC project would be the highest and texture projects would be the least. Maybe I'm wrong.

 

I hope LR and talented developers are working together.

And about the simultools winter ... well, its better than nothing, but far away from how a real winter landscape looks like

 

Certainly much better than using summer textures in full winter. Instead we will have summer textures for... How long?

 

Yes, the upcoming FlightGear 2.10 uses shaders and the texture's alpha channels to deliver real-time snow coverage and seasonal/drought/wet seasonal changes. All without having to swap textures. I know Ben Supnik follows their work, so it's very possible that X-Plane may follow FlightGear's approach.

 

http://www.flightgea...hp?f=47&t=18603

 

That was very impressive! Flightgear you say, hmmn.. ;-)

 

Skickat från min GT-I9300 via Tapatalk 2

 

 

Seems like the same thing could apply to wet pavement. One thing FSX has going for it that I miss in X-Plane is wet, reflective shaders on paved surfaces in the rain.

 

Agree. Ben Supnik hinted at this idea for X-Plane... 3.5 years ago:

 

http://developer.x-plane.com/2009/09/pie-in-the-sky-future-rendering-tricks/

May be this is off-topic a bit, but the real reason I have not moved over to X-Plane is the the fact that sophisticate plane maker like PMDG and RealAir do not support it yet. 90% of your interaction with the SIM is via the cockpit of a plane. Scenery is nice, but the time proportion that you look at the scenery is tiny.

 

Just my 2c.

it's pretty sad that FlightGear, a free flightsim will get snow textures before xplane10 :angry: :(

May be this is off-topic a bit, but the real reason I have not moved over to X-Plane is the the fact that sophisticate plane maker like PMDG and RealAir do not support it yet. 90% of your interaction with the SIM is via the cockpit of a plane. Scenery is nice, but the time proportion that you look at the scenery is tiny.

 

Just my 2c.

 

 

Hi Vu,

 

There are already some fabulous "pay-ware" aircraft available for Xplane, I have purchased a lot of them. Some are very "detailed / in depth" in systems, if that's your flying style.

 

Not everyone is into the "heavies", and flying at 30+ thousand feet. Some folks like to jump into a "Cub" or the like, and just go sightseeing, in that case scenery is very important.

 

Look at some of the screen shots from JonRD463, that's what scenery is all about, and should look like, we just need more of it.

 

Glen