Since I own UTX for the two continents I already fly (and realistically will ever fly), will consider this product only if it can do a better job of defining coastlines, rivers and lakes. Also it will have to be adjustable like UTX in allowing one to set color and width of road types. Otherswise, it is a "no buy" for me.

 

 

Remeber that Ultimate Alaska is a bit different from the rest of the UTX series! I'm not sure how well it will play alongside FTX Global.

 

It plays very well with FTX Global B)

I'll get this to enhance Russia, Asia and Africa as those are the areas lacking atm. I'm not locked to flying one region, I fly anywhere if it looks good. With all three UTX installed and working fine with FTXG I got a big playground already. With this ORBX Vector it will be global. Still think I'll prefer UTX in the regions it covers, but competition is always welcome. As Noel mentioned, golf courses are pretty important, ORBX should get those.

Now, I'm no lawyer but this bit from the license for OSM (the source of some of the vector data that ORBX is using) makes for interesting reading:

 

OpenStreetMap is open data, licensed under the Open Data Commons Open Database License (ODbL).

 

You are free to copy, distribute, transmit and adapt our data, as long as you credit OpenStreetMap and its contributors. If you alter or build upon our data, you may distribute the result only under the same licence. The full legal code explains your rights and responsibilities.

 

As it's explained, it's open. They can distribute this data as long as they attribute the work (OpenStreetMap contributors) and as long as they keep it open:

http://opendatacommons.org/licenses/odbl/summary/

 

They're only "selling" a installer program or converter. And this can be proprietary payware if they're not using code from GPL open source tools like most tools made for reading and converting OSM data.

 

The concept of using OpenStreetMap for flight simulation sceneries is not new: OpenVFR for FSX is using it.

 

Before that, there was also XPOSM for X-Plane 9, or OSM2XP. X-Plane 10 default sceneries are also using OpenStreetMap, and that's why there's no sim with better worldwide default sceneries:

http://developer.x-plane.com/2011/04/osm-what-data-will-the-global-scenery-use/

http://developer.x-plane.com/2011/04/osm-is-this-legal/

 

 

 

Now the question is: how good is your local area in OpenStreetMap ?

http://www.openstreetmap.org/

 

The answer can be different depending on your country or local area, but you can contribute (just like Wikipedia) and improve it, and for a "global" scenery, I don't know any better source than OpenStreetMap.

 

I'm always using OpenStreetMap data:

http://forum.avsim.net/tags/forums/osm2xp/

 

If you want to use this project right now (OSM), you'll find many OpenStreetMap based services:

http://map.project-osrm.org/

http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/List_of_OSM_based_Services

http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Android

http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/IOS

 

Happy flying, or mapping !

I really like where this has been going - getting global coverage in one product.  I do hope it doesn't suffer in a quantity / quality aspect, but I hate the idea of having to buy (or d/l freeware for) separate little jigsaw pieces for everywhere one might fly.

 

It's true that many of us only stick to a few regions for or flying, but the flip side of the coin is that one of the reasons that we (or I at least) do so is that a lot of other places might not look as good as the areas where we have taken the time (and money) in to make look good.

 

For example, I read with interest about the freeware project for Norway (I think it was Norway?) where it looked damn near as good as an Orbx region with all everything installed.  However, since I don't regularly fly there, plus I have huge demands on my time, I probably won't take the time to install it.  Which of course means that I probably won't fly there anytime soon.  Whereas, if there was something that was 50 - 75% as good as an Orbx region, everywhere in the world, then when I have an hour to putt around in the sim, I may be more likely to pick anywhere to go for a quick flight.

 

And this is why I'm a fan - first of the FTXG product, and then of the upcoming OpenLC and FTXG Vector products - it's not just about saving money.  It's more about getting the whole world, without having to justify to myself the purchase of each and every region.

Absolutely cannot deny that, price wise, this new vector option is going to stack up. What I find slightly disappointing is that I'd rather Orbx was going flat out to get the landclass released, because the difference between this new vector offering and UTX, on initial visual evidence, is marginal and, I would imagine, most of us already have some UTX product.

 

In other words, although I welcome those parts of the world untouched by UTX, I still think that superior landclass is the killer app here and one can envisage that this new product arriving doesn't speed up the process.

It really makes you wonder about the viability of future OrbX regional products. If someone has already bought into OpenLC, Vector and FTX Global, how are you going to justify spending $40 for a region with essentially the same features?

It really makes you wonder about the viability of future OrbX regional products. If someone has already bought into OpenLC, Vector and FTX Global, how are you going to justify spending $40 for a region with essentially the same features?

Because the difference between Global and local regions will still be huge. You justify $40 by dividing it by the hours spent flying over the area.

No golf courses currently?  UTX NA has them so nope not installing this until golf courses are back!

 

I don't think UTX provides golf courses, just vector data such as roads, rivers, shorelines, etc. 

 

Ernie

I don't think UTX provides golf courses, just vector data such as roads, rivers, shorelines, etc. 

 

Ernie

Well, there is a place to activate/inactive them in UTX and I have them active currently and they are all over where they should be, so not sure why you are thinking this.

Makes me giggle like a schoolgirl.   This will make my world complete.  I fly FTX Global and FS Global World.   I think the screen shoots look amazing.

Well, there is a place to activate/inactive them in UTX and I have them active currently and they are all over where they should be, so not sure why you are thinking this.

 

I stand corrected.. I just looked at my UTX setup tool and there are indeed golf courses mentioned..

I'm torn as JV posted:

There will be no front-end app or config tool for Vector. We will not have residential roads, only main roads and motorways. The less tweaking and fiddling the better. It's like FTX Global, run the installer and go fly.

Just having the main roads kind of sucks. Add to that the other things that will be missing initially such as the golf courses, and no option to pick and choose... I'm on the fence currently. Lots of it would be great, but it would suck to lose those things.

There will be cemeteries, though. I much prefer those over golf courses.

 

I'm torn as JV posted:

 

Just having the main roads kind of sucks. Add to that the other things that will be missing initially such as the golf courses, and no option to pick and choose... I'm on the fence currently. Lots of it would be great, but it would suck to lose those things.

 

Ultimately, it makes sense. The people that FTX Global and this product appeal to are not those who want to see one area in amazing detail (such as all the residential roads) - that's what the main Orbx products are for; not to mention the more and more detail they put into this Global idea, the less and less their main area products are going to sell.