I have both Global and Vector.  They are working fairly well for me.  IMO it is a quality product that will need, and will have, continuous updates.  Before the complaining reaches a fever pitch, two things:

 

1.  It is a new release and it has bugs.  For me this is acceptable.  Look at how many updates there are to UTX and GEX, similar products used in combination with each other.  Hell, even our beloved NGX has several patch levels behind it.  Orbx has a loyal user base because they are generally responsive to issues and put out a decent product.

 

2.  You need a good-quality terrain mesh under it.  IMO, based on the manual, FSX default terrain will not cut it.  Garbage in, garbage out.  Well, relatively so.  Orbx did their trials with a product that is for sale from PILOTS, FS Global 2010 FTX Edition.  However, Orbx says that any good terrain mesh, even freeware, would be better than the FSX mesh.  I have the terrain mesh recommended and it is performing well.  There are a lot of people not bothering to read the manual, so I am going to post two excerpts from the Vector manual that everyone should note if you don't know it already.

 

I apologize to Orbx, but John doesn't accept PM's, as I was going to ask permission to post this.  However, I read the fine print and don't think I'm breaking any rules.

 

The images below are sourced from the Vector user manual available at Orbx before purchase.  I suggest everyone read it.  The content of the two images are referenced for info only.

 

 

 

I like the product and when FTX OpenLC comes up in Feb, I will be one of the first in line.  All of my comments are my opinion.  Your mileage may vary.  No animals were harmed in the creation of this post.  Batteries not included.

Kattz,

 

My roadways are gone after installing FTX Vector and I'm running FSX default mesh under it.  Do you think a non-default elevation mesh would solve that problem?  

Well done Kattz. 

 

I purchased Vector as soon as it came out and so far I like it.  Sure, there will be some "hic-ups" in it, and I'm sure Orbx and Pilot's will fix them and send out updates. 

 

With all the talk about mesh add ons, and after the many years of flying flight sim (since about '84) I also decided to purchase the download version of the Pilot's FS Global 2010.  I flew from St Louis, MO to Seattle, WA last night, and was amazed how the terrain was so much more real than the FSX default, and, the roads and railways looked like they were "more" correctly placed.  Can't wait for OpenLC. 

 

Rod

Texanator,

 

I noticed over at the Orbx forum, someone had the same problem.  What he didn't have installed was v1.2 of Global.  Once he installed the update, he had the roads back.  Do you have v1.2 of Global installed?

 

Rod

Rod,

 

Thanks for the reply.  I just checked and I do have 1.1 installed.

 

1.2 corrected the issue.  Thanks again!

 

(I just made the initial purchase yesterday so I would have thought a "new" buy would have automatically been the latest version)

Hope that works for you.  I also went over to the Orbx forum and replied to your question.

 

Yeah, please let us know if that makes a difference.

 

Rod

Apple got slammed when they launched their own maps last year. The ridicule lasted months upon months. People were predicting this was the beginning of the end of their empire. 

 

Etc etc.

 

Now? Most blogs and news sites think that Apple's maps (after 14 months of continual revision, improvement, bug fixes) are now much better than Google's.

 

Funny that

:ph34r: Hopefully this uproar will last a lot less time.

Also something I think that can get overlooked by people looking for perfection (nothing wrong with that!), is for many like myself who don't really understand the ramifications of landclass/vector data/mesh etc, even after staring at diagrams as shown above, FTX global plus Vectors provide an easy install immediate boost to FSX scenery, without a mammoth download, for the whole world.

When I installed FSX on a new sim, having tried everything on the old sim inc ORBX detailed area downloads, MegaEarth, Uk VFR scenery on DVD, on the new Sim I wanted to keep things real simple, so installed FTX Global (and now Vectors), and the scenery looks great, yep there's the odd anomaly, but for the most part, it's install and forget, just enjoy....

Eugene

I flew from St Louis, MO to Seattle, WA last night, and was amazed how the terrain was so much more real than the FSX default

FSX without quality mesh is like flying over a bowl of melting ice cream.

 

What has held me back from using mesh is the plateau effect at many airports. This will be rectified in v1.10 according to Bernd P. I am keeping my fingers crossed.

Apple got slammed when they launched their own maps last year. The ridicule lasted months upon months. People were predicting this was the beginning of the end of their empire. 

 

Etc etc.

 

Now? Most blogs and news sites think that Apple's maps (after 14 months of continual revision, improvement, bug fixes) are now much better than Google's.

 

Funny that

 

Comparing yourself to Apple now? Your ever-endearing self-confidence is going super-nova recently isn't it!

 

Well one thing you didn't see after the initial release of Apple maps was Tim Cook piping up on the Apple forums about how some of his customers had been too spoiled by all the wonderful products Apple had made previously.

 

Neither did he brush aside legitimate criticisms about the marketing of the product with a 'FFS, all you guys need to do is invest a bit more money / time'.

 

Nor could Tim Cook be heard saying the critics were just a "######ing and moaning" minority compared to the millions of happy Apple customers, and that he was tiring of their "BS".

 

No, Tim Cook acknowledged the shortcomings and very publicly apologised, and his product was free:

 

http://www.apple.com/letter-from-tim-cook-on-maps/

I have to agree with what Scotchegg has said in the post above.

 

I'll lay aside the criticisms of Vector's shortcomings ( these can be fixed ), and what was said or not said prior to its release ( nothing can be done about that now ). What astonished me, Mr Venema, was the nature of your reaction. I would ask you how you would feel if you took a faulty purchase back to a department store and received the same sort of treatment from the staff behind the counter ? It was utterly appalling.

 

I will continue to purchase some Orbx products because in the main, they are excellent. But as a paying customer who's been labeled a ######er and moaner, my perception of you and your company has altered fundamentally.

Despite all the complaints about JV's lack of public relations skills, have none of you noticed that he hasn't changed? So why not stop banging your heads against a brick wall and accept that you're not making any difference? Except that these constant moans and groans only sour the atmosphere in AVSIM.

If you (collective you) feel that strongly about him...DON'T BUY HIS STUFF!

 

Don't worry, be happy and have a chilled new year. :smile:

 

:Peace:

Hi happy new year to all ,I have genesis mesh for Europe and the USA /Canada /Alaska I have used this with Fsx /P3d 1.4 and apart form the plateau issue (which does not always appear )it is great ,has anybody tried it with P3d v2 and does it work ?,

thanks peter

Don't understand what the fuss is, Orbx release a product, issues get found and then they fix with service packs as always. What should they do, wear sack cloth whilst doing so?

Comparing yourself to Apple now? Your ever-endearing self-confidence is going super-nova recently isn't it!

 

Well one thing you didn't see after the initial release of Apple maps was Tim Cook piping up on the Apple forums about how some of his customers had been too spoiled by all the wonderful products Apple had made previously.

 

Neither did he brush aside legitimate criticisms about the marketing of the product with a 'FFS, all you guys need to do is invest a bit more money / time'.

 

Nor could Tim Cook be heard saying the critics were just a "######ing and moaning" minority compared to the millions of happy Apple customers, and that he was tiring of their "BS".

 

No, Tim Cook acknowledged the shortcomings and very publicly apologised, and his product was free:

 

http://www.apple.com/letter-from-tim-cook-on-maps/

 

Couldn't agree more. That is no way to treat paying customers. Since he gets the money, he has to put up with their "BS" and actually listen to complaints instead of calling them "product design choices".