Have you ever viewed ORBX from 30-50 feet away, to 'smell the roses'?

[Sesquashtoo 2,846]

This afternoon, I decided to fire up PNW and take off from 7WA3. I headed the amphib towards the Pacific coast and arrived about 25 minutes later, skirting the river valley, so as to keep around 2,800 feet all the way.

 

Coming out over the bay area, I noticed a well-detailed (all comments are with Global at my default Very Dense setting) refinery and ship moored at the 1/4 mile out-to-sea (shallow bay waters...) dock system. Flying past that, I observed a city with detailed warehouse structures and their docks, as well as a few marinas and all protected by large-boulder and field-stone breakwaters.  I hadn't taken out my 1950's era power-boat named 'Clarisse', so...I water landed on the sea-side of the breakwater, taxied in, and then 'converted' the amphib to the runabout.. I took it to the marina gas bar and 'filled up'.

 

I carefully made my way out of the breakwater access, and headed out to view the ship (about 10 miles away by sea) at the refinery dock.

 

I arrived, and kept about 25-50 feet away as I went down the ship's length. What I wish to comment upon, is the unbelievable detail that ORBX has created for its scenery objects. For instance, this ship is not some obscure grey/black/white blob floating on the water---no, rather a ship with each deck, their railing, even their life floats, secured onto the rails, in full detail and color!  All doors, ports, anchors, and steel rigging,....all of it up close, was detail enough that you are viewing a real ship, and not a scenery sprite. Your mind is convinced.

 

Same for the breakwaters and levies that I passed out of the marina....detail in that each boulder is different, including their mineral and color stains.  

 

How immersive and detailed you wish ORBX regionals to be, is only how much time, and at what distance, you wish to view them at.  I find that a powered runabout for use inside FSX can futher extend the use of this platform as an alternate and representational reality. There TRULY is so much to see, view, and enjoy within the FSX/ORBX 'world' that you only need to take time, and 'smell the roses' of each square mile of lake, river, shoreline within PNW and such....and enjoy your purchase's value to the fullest.  You actually do miss so much, in only flying over this grand scenery, and the level of detail lost to you at xxx feet of altitude, and xxx knots.  I recommend you find a boat, such as the Clarisse, and land, get into your boat....and GO DISCOVER what fabulous gems are hidden within all ORBX products!!!! There are thousands of bays, inlets, river heads, channels that hold hidden details of landscape, human inhabitation, and even log-heads in the water that you had best watch out for....

 

If you decided to try this, make sure for the sessions that you have the water setting to the highest, to so enjoy the realism of  the H2O surrounding your craft, and the reflections of the the world surrounding you.

 

I also suggest that your run OPUS for true weather out upon the water, and you will notice in the cockpit view, that ACCU-FEEL (if you have it installed) will give a very realistic wave and water sound, even wave hull slap when you power up those twin inboards....

 

To end the post, I passed a light pole with a flashing white light upon it, about 100 yards beyond the breakwater, and in stopping I observed actual boards and water stains that went into the 'building' of it. That is the level of detail that is missed if not on the water, or on the land and close to the objects.  Orbx...thank you for the detail....of course you didn't have to make it  look so totally life-like, at  a nose-length's away...but you did...and I am taking the time and effort to discover it all, and appreciate the level of detail, and the 'love' you put into your products.  Thank you...and keep up the great work. Know, that there are those of us out there, that appreciate this effort into your releases!

 

Mitch'er

[rlkjmt73 7]

Did you happen to post this on the Orbx forum?  I'm sure they would much appreciate this post.

 

They definitely do make great scenery.  I have a lot of their scenery and have been to many of the places in real life, and their scenery looks right on 99% of the time.  That other 1% doesn't matter. 

 

You wouldn't happen to have pics of the area you flew, do you? 

 

I'm going to have to fly your route and check it out.

 

Thanks........Rod

[Sesquashtoo 2,846]

Did you happen to post this on the Orbx forum?  I'm sure they would much appreciate this post.

 

They definitely do make great scenery.  I have a lot of their scenery and have been to many of the places in real life, and their scenery looks right on 99% of the time.  That other 1% doesn't matter. 

 

You wouldn't happen to have pics of the area you flew, do you? 

 

I'm going to have to fly your route and check it out.

 

Thanks........Rod

I uh...er...well...pics and I on this site, don't get along too well, LOL!  Take off from 7WA3, (have you downloaded it from the freeware section on ORBX?, and you need to run with N.America, or Hybrid)....then either fly towards the South, or head back that way...and stay in the flat-land valley between the mountain ranges. Keep over the flat-lands and the river for that matter.That will hand-lead you to where I ended up. As you see the coast, you will also see the HUGE refinery and should see the tanker at the T-dock about a 1/4 mile off shore. Past that, is the city and along its shoreline, you will find many interesting things. If you have a power-boat...land your plane (hopefully a float or amphib) and convert to your boat.  Then....my gosh...have a BLAST...get up close to the lights, pylons in the channel...and see the detail, also take in the breakwaters. Then head out back towards the ship and do an inspection of the superstructure. Amazing detail. You'd swear that crew might come out of the doors of any deck. See even the detail of the Life-Rings.  I fly into an ORBX region, and then bring the plane to shore. Convert...and see the sights from the water.  I've been having a blast with this M.O. and have so much enriched my appreciation and enjoyment gleaned from my ORBX purchases.  Have fun, Rod!  Have fun!

 

Some boats to laze away the day.....:    http://deltasimstudio.com/download_freeware.htm  (...and oh, just imagine the amount of 'coin' it would take to purchase one of them!)

 

Mitch

[Sesquashtoo 2,846]

Did you happen to post this on the Orbx forum?  I'm sure they would much appreciate this post.

 

They definitely do make great scenery.  I have a lot of their scenery and have been to many of the places in real life, and their scenery looks right on 99% of the time.  That other 1% doesn't matter. 

 

You wouldn't happen to have pics of the area you flew, do you? 

 

I'm going to have to fly your route and check it out.

 

Thanks........Rod

Nope, didn't post this on their forum....just good old AVSIM.