As the packages include updated OSM data does that mean we can delete the Simheaven packages and save a bit of hard-drive space...?

Not really .... SimHeaven (aka Armin, who funnily is almost my neighbor  ^_^ ) does two type of things:

• He does photoscenery with phototextures (which I don't do)

  The interesting thing is - which maybe many don't know - that this photoscenery is always based on an existing mesh product (done with g2xpl for example). Effectively - and simply put - it only replaces the generic texturing with rectangular photo-patches and keeps all the rest. So depending on the source SimHeave uses, its either all the same as Global Scenery (when it comes to autogen, roads etc.) just with phototextures, or all the same as HD Mesh (he started to use my HD Mesh instead) just with phototextures (but autogen, forests, roads, rivers remain).

• He does OSM add-on scenery, which adds OSM objects / facades and OSM based forests. The Global Scenery / HD Mesh does none of this - it derives forests from landclass data and builds cities via autogen zoning  (based on ladnclass data and the road network).

  This is more like an add-on-top scenery. It adds - where ever available - OSM based facades and object and forests (but doesn't replaces roads / railroads / rivers). With the newest OSM add-on-scenery it also uses smart exclusions, which allows kind of a nicer mixing with existing autogen! So, when it is added on top of the Global Scenery or my HD Mesh, it will only remove the autogen where it has "enough" OSM buildings ... but keeps it where it has no OSM data to offer.

So my answer is ... it depends. But most of the time, you would not want to remove his OSM scenery, as it effectively just adds accurate buildings (where available) and more accurate forests (where available).

 

 

The interesting thing is - which maybe many don't know - that this photoscenery is always based on an existing mesh product (done with g2xpl for example). Effectively - and simply put - it only replaces the generic texturing with rectangular photo-patches and keeps all the rest. So depending on the source SimHeave uses, its either all the same as Global Scenery (when it comes to autogen, roads etc.) just with phototextures, or all the same as HD Mesh (he started to use my HD Mesh instead) just with phototextures (but autogen, forests, roads, rivers remain).

 

I'm hoping he regenerates the scenery using the new HD Mesh when it comes out. Although this will be one hell of a job to do. I might go ahead and just pick up g2xpl myself, as the areas I'm interested in have recently had updated google imagery of better quality. I've spent a lot of time recently fixing my area, adding missing rivers, powerlines, fixing some badly aligned roads, added woodland and buildings etc. OSM2xp only does buildings and forests, so I'm looking forward to seeing how this will look in the new update :-)

Yes, SimHeaven is "bugging" me since quite some time .... because he wanted to include my HD Mesh Scenery v2 in his photoscenery. And so I am almost sure, that sooner or later - after the release - he will do it.