Hello at all,

 

some of you may already know this from other forums where I mentioned this some months ago. Anyway:

 

I've done a Google map showing good scenery for X-Plane 10:

 

 

X-Plane 10 - Airports with Good Scenery - v2

 

 

In contrast to other maps (there exist quite a few), my map only shows scenery that I subjectively suggest to get if you want to fly in a given area, i.e. the map deliberately omits all the thousands of mediocre and bad freeware sceneries, and I also do not show bad commercial scenery.

 

I am constantly updating the map, and from time to time, sceneries currently rated with "good" will decrease to just "okay", if new standards have been set by new developers. But sometimes, sceneries also are uprated, if developers make significant improvements over a previous version.

 

Finally, each rating is based on my personal taste -- and some "good" airports are good only in combination with photo scenery, or when seen with the surrounding landscape.

Added the "good" LFMT Montpellier by xpfr.org. (http://www.xpfr.org/?body=scene_accueil&sc=267) and the "very good" CZBB Bounday Bay by Colin S. (http://forums.x-pilot.com/files/file/554-czbb-boundary-bay-airport/).

Latest changes to the map:

 

• Added Brazilian airports SNOF Ouro Fino and SBRP Ribeirao Preto, rating "okay" in both cases for the orthophoto version.
  
• Added 8D4 Sparta (Michigan), rating "good".
  
• Removed KGRR Grand Rapids (rating was "okay" some months ago, but over time has faded in comparison to others)
  

A very good idea!

 

Thx for making it available!

Indeed a good idea, and thx alot for sharing it   :good:

Latest changes to the map:

 

Checked more than 20 freeware sceneries in the USA and Canada, added the following:

• KNPA Pensacola NAS (Rating: Very good. This is _extremely_ well done freeware).
• KIAH Houston (Rating: Good).
• KJAC Jackson Hole (Rating: Good).
• KJMS Jamestown (Rating: Okay).
• CYQT Thunderbay (Rating: Okay).
• CYXE Saskatoon (Rating: Okay. If this was updated with some XP10 lighting, it would be rated Good).

Thank you Mario! A question i have: are you sure you don't want to rate LSZH and EDDH as very good? Since you rated EDDN as very good, i think both mentionned Aerosoft's scenery are a above EDDN when talking about quality...

I thought I had written this in the initial post of this thread, but I just see I did not.

 

I am more friendly towards freeware -- when I give a freeware the rating "very good", as payware it sometimes would just get a "good" or worse. From payware, more has to be expected.

 

But your remark regarding EDDN pointed out in error in the map. The "very good" rating is only for EDDN airport PLUS the city. Both together create a very beautiful flying area -- for freeware. If it was payware, it would only get an "okay".

 

EDDH received the "okay", mostly because of its bad textures even in extreme resolution.

 

LSZH received the "good", because it is very "sterile" and feels very lifeless. Moreover, the trees look not so natural and could have used some more color adjustments, to better match X-Plane's colors. They somehow shout "Look at us, we are a FSX conversion".

 

And besides all "objective" reasoning: In the end it's a matter of taste. An airport with just a few default buildings can get a "very good" if executed very well, and situated in a nice landscape.

Excellent idea. Great post too!

@Mario, i understand your point of view. It's strange i don't even observed the textures in EDDH were so bad and i fly very often there...but of course that's your individual appreciation.

@Mario, i understand your point of view. It's strange i don't even observed the textures in EDDH were so bad and i fly very often there...but of course that's your individual appreciation.

 

In the Aerosoft forum, there is a big thread with complaints regarding EDDH ... so in that case I'm not alone.

 

However, even sceneries with "okay" rating are recommended, so even EDDH

Yes i know ;-)

 

And I can confirm that EDDH is worth purchasing it ;-)

In anticipation of alpilotx' HD mesh freeware, I have checked some more of Tom Curtis' payware airports for Western Canada, which are part of his packages "Inside Passage" and "Canadian Rockies".

 

Both packages are rather old, but include hundreds of airports, airstrips and seaplane bases. Some of them are still good (even today), and I already had some of them on my map.

 

Today I have some more, two of them in the very north of the region:

• CYZF Yellowknife (rating: good)
• CYDW Dawson Creek (rating: okay; if X-Plane showed buildings in the city, it'd get "good" rating)
• CYOJ High Level (rating: okay)
• CYBD Bella Coola (rating: okay)

Esp. Yellowknife can look really cool, with the moon shining over the airport near the lake ...

And we continue, this time with 4 Russian airports:

 

• UNCC Novosibirsk (incl. city), Rating: Good. At daylight, it's very well done, near payware quality, but at night, the lights are just okay.
• URML Uytash: Rating: Was not sure. Some 3D objects look a bit basic, but the overall impression is -- good.
• UERR Mirny: Rating: Good. Has a good terminal, good lightning and good ground photos
• UIAA Kadala: Rating: Okay. At daytime, it's nice, but at night it looks really bad.

 

2 more:

• UHMA Anadyr -- Rating: still "good", because the nice buildings and still well done night lighting. This is a great 1st stop if you want to travel from Unalakleet, Alaska to Russia.
• UHMM Magadan -- Rating: Okay. Nearly received a "good", but night lighting is not so good anymore. A nice 2nd stop after UHMA.