By the way, I`m making a new livery for the BT-67

 

Cool! I wondered why those had stopped.

Hello all,
 I am following Outerra since more than 2 years and this engine is indeed very promising.
However, and I said it many times on their forum, I'd really like to see what it "gives" with large and complex man-made datas;
like detailed 3d cities. These models are easily available (at least sample parts of real cities are existent, companies are focussed on providing such files, got from airborne photogrammetry or other sensing technologies) and so far, unfortunately, we never had any chance to see any convincing examples or demos.

The developers count on procedural generation of non natural structures using vector datas (roads from 2d maps and so on), but I wonder, it will last years...
If someone has a good example of a simulation with realistic cities, even in limited areas, feel free to post here :mellow:

Hello all,

 I am following Outerra since more than 2 years and this engine is indeed very promising.

However, and I said it many times on their forum, I'd really like to see what it "gives" with large and complex man-made datas;

like detailed 3d cities. These models are easily available (at least sample parts of real cities are existent, companies are focussed on providing such files, got from airborne photogrammetry or other sensing technologies) and so far, unfortunately, we never had any chance to see any convincing examples or demos.

The developers count on procedural generation of non natural structures using vector datas (roads from 2d maps and so on), but I wonder, it will last years...

If someone has a good example of a simulation with realistic cities, even in limited areas, feel free to post here :mellow:

 

Unfortunately, its very hard to get every city to look right, especialy concidering the fact that every area has differnt architechture, buidings with different years of construction and so on. Unless every city is treated on its own, like FSX scenery (FlyTampa Dubai for example) its almost impossible to match the feel of it. Although, using the procedural approach like Outerra does, the developers will be able to quickly divide the globe into different architecture styles and then let the program generate the majority of the buildings (much like CityEngine here: 

 

although I don`t think its going to be that powerfull)

Here it is! A Cargo North livery, for those who venture to the North!

its almost impossible to match the feel of

 

I do not agree because it is possible to match the real feel...

Please just take a look at how Google Earth's 3D cities are already very realistic.

 

And there are other companies who already provide much better models.

I think that the solution is a mix of procedural and 3D scanned datas...

 

I know ESRI's cityengine but it is GIS too much related and the look and feel is very artificial.

 

Anyway, realistic 3D datas of cities there are, and I'd like to see a small sample imported and rendered in Outerra.

I am aware of this technology. Google is not the only company that uses this. Nokia and Apple do as well. You can try it out yourself here:

http://here.com/51.5052872,-0.1183902,16.97,0,59,3d.day

 

While this tech is great for aerial views, it fails to provide detail up close.

Of course, I`m not an expert, neither do I know what Outerra will do in the future.

So for people here, where's the link to the Cargo North livery?

Just a minute guys, there was a problem with the specular maps. Fixing now! :blush:

Here you go. The base pack and all the repaints can be found here:

http://forum.outerra.com/index.php?topic=2539.0

much like CityEngine here:

 

Wow!

Wow!

 

This is a look at a city in Outerra. Not bad, especially with shadows and such detailed buildings.

 

This is a look at a city in Outerra. Not bad, especially with shadows and such detailed buildings.

 

I prefer CityEngine.

 

One of my long term dreams is a late 20s, early 30s representation of Berlin. CityEngine might just be the the way to go for that.

I prefer CityEngine.

 

One of my long term dreams is a late 20s, early 30s representation of Berlin. CityEngine might just be the the way to go for that.

 

I was less interested in the design, than I was in how many polygons were being pushed.

 

 

how many polygons were being pushed.

 

Someone tell the developers what framerate drop is. They don`t seem to get it!

 

 

I don't feel so glad that most people are only supporting Prepar3D and X-Plane and don't even take a look at smaller simulators that have potential, like aeroflyFS, FlightGear and this. Both MSFS and X-Plane began from something very small and with support became what they are now. But, I have the feeling that they will always be limited by their core which will never manage to take full advantage of our hardware and display a world as complex as a modern game.

 

The modern games you refer to do not (to my knowledge) comprise the entire EARTH as a planet, but rather very proscribed areas or "levels".  To handle the entire planet, you are talking about either some combination of Open Street Maps (OSM) and Autogen, such as now exists in XPlane 10, or else one heckuva complex data system.  

 

There is little doubt that Outerra is stunning in so many ways, the waving grasses, the droplets of rain, and so forth.  I wouldn't be shocked to see Outerra somewhere down the road release an amazing flight simulation, but I wouldn't think this will occur anytime super soon.

 

For one thing, the 'seed money' needed for a full-on simulation platform effort is a pretty steep chunk of change.  Not to mention the additional problems of integrating all the infrastructure needed for flight simulation (e.g. ILS frequencies, runways, etc).

 

Drawing it all (rendering) is one thing.  Making it all interoperate with the user while remaining true-to-life with the infrastructure (taxiways, radio frequencies, ATC) and rendering AI traffic... that's taken 20 years for FSX and XPlane, and even Lockheed isn't really 'there' quite yet.

 

The trade-offs abound, and hinder, the ultimate desired result.  Something that is so close to real it is virtually indistinguishable.  We call that CGI-rendering, but that doesn't occur in REAL TIME as it MUST for flight simulation.

 

When it takes 24 hours to render 1 frame of finished movie film in CGI (done on huge render farms at places like ILM and Pixar [among others]), you are some great distance from what we all hold as our deepest darkest wish:  That flying our sim is superior even to Level-D full-motion simulators... complete with Butt-shakers, actual jet engine sounds and shakes, the clunk of the gear locking in the 'UP' position...and so on.

 

I think it -can- and likely -will- happen, but sadly, not in my lifetime.  Meanwhile, there is real-world flying... which is currently "AS REAL AS IT GETS" (because it IS real).