Bird's Eye View vs. Ground Environment 2006

[gwillmot 31]

Another subjective question.

 

I've been using Bird's Eye View for ground textures ever since they came out (seems like eons ago).  I've been tempted to try a "new" look for good 'ol FS2004 after all these years.

 

Have any of you had the experience of using BOTH of these products at one time or another?  If so, would if be worth the rather costly expense (at least I think so) for another aged product of Ground Environment 2006.

 

....and NO, I don't want to get involved with Ground Environment PRO.  I'm quite happy with all other textures and I just want to "set it and forget it".  Don't care to spend all my time fiddling with tints and weather setups, etc.

 

Thanks in advance

[Dillon 2,208]

Another subjective question.

 

I've been using Bird's Eye View for ground textures ever since they came out (seems like eons ago). I've been tempted to try a "new" look for good 'ol FS2004 after all these years.

 

Have any of you had the experience of using BOTH of these products at one time or another? If so, would if be worth the rather costly expense (at least I think so) for another aged product of Ground Environment 2006.

 

....and NO, I don't want to get involved with Ground Environment PRO. I'm quite happy with all other textures and I just want to "set it and forget it". Don't care to spend all my time fiddling with tints and weather setups, etc.

 

Thanks in advance

I had both and I actually liked BEV. It came out before GE. Having it installed first I retained the lake textures which are great. The updated GE Pro hands down beats BEV. Just install GE over BEV should you decide to go that route.

[Appliance 51]

Oh my. This predates VOZ. A break up between partners. One released freeware textures and road alignments to spike the others (later) payware release. Both have gone on to make their 'fortunes.'

 

As ever let your eye be the judge.

[gwillmot 31]

Oh my. This predates VOZ. A break up between partners. One released freeware textures and road alignments to spike the others (later) payware release. Both have gone on to make their 'fortunes.'

 

As ever let your eye be the judge.

Thanks for the history lesson. I wasn't aware of any broken partnership. Guess I was kinda naive at the time. In fact, I still don't fully understand what you mean.

 

Since I don't have the Ground Environment product, I can't let my "eyes" do the talking. That's why I was looking at opinions so as to decide if to let the moths out of my wallet.

[Appliance 51]

A liitle more explanation:-

John Venema (now best known as head honcho of ORBX) released Koorbygen as freeware. The word Koorby was John's handle at the time. Koorbygenlite remains available in AVSIM's library

 

Further work culminated in the release of VOZ (Vista Australis) a unique set of textures which better suited the Australian landscape. It probably remains the most heavily downloaded freeware for FS9. VOZ expanded to such an extent that John Venema decided to go commercial for FSX and ORBX was born.

[betelgeuse 41]

I've been using GE Pro for many years and like it a lot. It has seasonal textures and can be run in conjunction with Active Sky Evolution. ASE first, then use the link to load GEPro, then fire up FS9. That's the way I do it. I've never 'fiddled with tints'!  I run both ASE and GEPro on a laptop via Wide FS. I've not used BEV so cannot make a comparison.

[gwillmot 31]

A liitle more explanation:-

John Venema (now best known as head honcho of ORBX) released Koorbygen as freeware. The word Koorby was John's handle at the time. Koorbygenlite remains available in AVSIM's library

 

Further work culminated in the release of VOZ (Vista Australis) a unique set of textures which better suited the Australian landscape. It probably remains the most heavily downloaded freeware for FS9. VOZ expanded to such an extent that John Venema decided to go commercial for FSX and ORBX was born.

Koorbygen and VOZ I understand and have had for FS9. ORBX for FSX I've heard of.

 

OK. I hope you won't get offended, but I still don't see how that relates to either Bird's Eye View and/or Ground Environment 2006.

 

I've been using GE Pro for many years and like it a lot. It has seasonal textures and can be run in conjunction with Active Sky Evolution. ASE first, then use the link to load GEPro, then fire up FS9. That's the way I do it. I've never 'fiddled with tints'! I run both ASE and GEPro on a laptop via Wide FS. I've not used BEV so cannot make a comparison.

Thanks for the reply. I have ASE yet had not noticed that it had the ability to load GE Pro. I'm still not sure it's worth an additional $50 at this time as screenshots do not show (and probably can't) appreciable increase in quality over Bird's Eye View textures. That's why I was hoping for someone who had both and could give me their opinion.

 

I had both and I actually liked BEV. It came out before GE. Having it installed first I retained the lake textures which are great. The updated GE Pro hands down beats BEV. Just install GE over BEV should you decide to go that route.

 

Thanks Dillon.  Based on what I've received so far, GE Pro seems to have an advantage over BEV, but another $50 worth?  That's important as I think my wife is getting close to discovering the FS9 leak in our checking account.

[navtech 13]

LOL

[WallysWorld 4]

I used BEV for a long time and I liked it very much. I then installed GE Pro and switched between both for a while. I finally decided on sticking with GE Pro due to the way it handles urban areas. GE Pro handles the autogen in the urban areas better than BEV. The autogen is lined up very nicely alongside the roads using GE Pro and it also seems to show more autogen buildings in the urban areas making the density of buildings higher than BEV.

 

For rural areas, I would say that both handle that very well and are about even. But it was definitely the urban area for GE Pro that was the tiebreaker.

 

I think that money spent on GE Pro is worth it.

[JSkorna 138]

I wasn't aware that GE Pro does anything for autogen-landclass?

 

I just checked the GEP purchase page and didn't find a thing except for the Dutch area.

[gwillmot 31]

Just pile up her heels and handbags and new clothes. She'll change her tune.

 

I think you're on to something here!  The only problem is ...... her closet is so full I can't get in to even see how much she has!

 

I wasn't aware that GE Pro does anything for autogen-landclass?

 

I just checked the GEP purchase page and didn't find a thing except for the Dutch area.

 

Jim,

 

The following is from the Flight1 page regarding FE Pro:

"Perfectly Aligned Autogen - Our package incorporates autogen alignment techniques that surpass any other product. No longer will you have buildings or other autogen objects show up on roads or have misplacement in other areas of your scenery."

 

I'm really not sure nor can find any mention of any landclass  changes  Not really sure how you place autogen in any other manner though.

[JSkorna 138]

OK, thanks for the info.

[gwillmot 31]

OK, I bit the bullet and purchased GE Pro 2, although I'm now person non grata with wife ...... but what's new?

 

I do enjoy the metropolitan areas more than BEV, but I am finding that I am getting more "stutters" and the textures seem to take longer to load - especially whenever I change locations.

 

Hey, it's livable and I can always return to what I had previously.  Thanks for all of the input from the responders to this thread.  Please let me know if anyone has an available couch, as I might need to spend a little time with you until the CFO cools down.

[Sesquashtoo 2,846]

Another subjective question.

 

I've been using Bird's Eye View for ground textures ever since they came out (seems like eons ago).  I've been tempted to try a "new" look for good 'ol FS2004 after all these years.

 

Have any of you had the experience of using BOTH of these products at one time or another?  If so, would if be worth the rather costly expense (at least I think so) for another aged product of Ground Environment 2006.

 

....and NO, I don't want to get involved with Ground Environment PRO.  I'm quite happy with all other textures and I just want to "set it and forget it".  Don't care to spend all my time fiddling with tints and weather setups, etc.

 

Thanks in advance

I migrated from BEV to GE Pro 2 a few years back.  I set the usage to 'Partly Cloudy-Scattered and have left it ever since.  It works really well, so you don't have to fiddle, or at least it gives you the options to fine tune what you wish to accomplish.  

[ribenn 0]

 

 

I think you're on to something here! The only problem is ...... her closet is so full I can't get in to even see how much she has!

 

I can relate to that.  Last Fall, I was pulling down the ladder door in the closet to get into the attic.  I was trying to gently push my wife's clothes aside when all of a sudden the 8 ft clothes rack and shelf came crashing down to the floor.  The holes in the wall was as big as my fist.  I couldn't even lift the shelf it was so heavy.  It took 2 hours to slowly remove her clothes and put them on the floor in the back bedroom which pretty much filled the room.

 

It took me 3 weeks in patching the holes, painting, and put in a whole new closet system.  I made sure all the wall connections were screwed into wall studs.   This inspired her to go through her clothes and we made several trips to Goodwill.

 

 

BTW, I never tried BEV so I don't know.  I been using GE Pro with UT USA have been very pleased with it.