USA roads replaces the defaults roads with correctly placed and scaled versions and adds more roads (how small it will go can be set in the config tool).I don't have the competing/complementing products so I can't comment on them.

Actually using an improved mesh with one of the addon roads packages will actually provide a significant improvement. Since roads, streams etc. are now accurately placed, they also perfectly follow the contours, such as cutouts, valleys etc. of the mesh. This is especially noticable when using American Data and flying in e.g. the Cascades area. With default roads and streams you get impossible roads that follow steep rdiges and streams that run uphill. Not so with American Data installed.I prefer AD over USA Roads simply becuase it's cheaper and provides no only roads but streams, utility lines and more.An improved landclass such as the FSGenesis one is also essential when using these addnos since the default one has lots of missing cities (the addon ones also have this problem but to a lesser degree).

Though currently the USA roads product does not make use of the FS9 feature that allows flattens under roads. The roads appear to be "painted" on the mesh. Not that big an issue (IMO) except in places where roads contour around steep terrain.scott s..

Scott, can you elaborate more on this? How does the appearance, in terms of the "painted on the mesh" issue, differ between USA Roads and default roads? If this is an undesirable effect, does AD give the same undesirable effect as USA Roads?Noel

Well, if a road goes around a steep mountainside it may slope weirdly.Nothing to worry about, you just don't get the effect of a flat area carved out of the mountainside for the road to sit on which you may get in real life.

My question is, does USA Roads differ from default road handling? Or how AD handles this issue?Noel

>I don't notice a hit on mesh either. I have run default mesh>and Justin's mesh, and prefer the default. This is not any>fault of Justin or anyone else, but rather a problem with the>FS world itself. When you increase the fidelity of one part>of the scenery picture, the other inconsistencies are more>pronounced. Mesh, has a tendency to produce runways, rivers,>and lakes on "mesas" or in "box canyons". This is not the>Meshes fault, as it is the altitude data of said runways lakes>and rivers that is often innacurate. Also, since an Airports>"altitude" is flat, and runways don't follow the terrain (a>limit of Microsoft's coding), you often have one side of the>runway flush with the rest of the ground, and the other end is>either elevated on a mesa, or in a slight canyon. > You must not have been using Justin's latest mesh. This used to always happen, but recently flew up the Columbia River which had a LOT of problems, and the river went between all the Mountains, on the lowest levels, etc... Last week flew the entire Colorado River from the source, to Lake Mead NV, and it did not run uphills, etc anywhere. Its my favorite flight, through the Canyon. Try it in a Kingair and it gets a little tricky. In many places you have to lower gear and flaps to slow enough to make the sharp turns. Last year, flew into the Grand Canyon from Los Vegas in a Heliocopter. We landed in the Canyon on a cliff edge for lunch. A bit expensive for the flight, but worth every $ ... Now at least once a month, I watch the Video (copied to DVD) and then make the flight in FS9... Each time that I make it, its like reliving it, and effectively _lowers_ the cost of the real flight . . . :-D Without Justin's Mesh for the Grand Canyon (accurate to 10 meters) and landclass, it would not be near as realistic. Bob

Yes, USA Roads differs since roads can slope sideways. Defaults roads don't have this problem, neither does American Data - it allows you to enable the cutouts and flattens so they behave just like default roads and streams.Also, American Data actually features *autogen* bridges. They don't work well with default scenery but with addon water sceneries like Freeflow, you ge 3D bridges exactly where they are supposed to be.Basically American Data has more features and options and is cheaper, while USA Roads offers slightly more accurate roads and arguably better road textures.

With AD, using the Flatten Switch, the roads appear more normal. Where they follor rivers, the roads are also on the correct sides, or cross back and forth as they really do. The roads in AD ollow the correct routing, unlike MS, so they do not match up exactly with the Bridges. Justin is working on this, modifying the landclass, etc. In American Data You can check a box which allows the roads to go over rivers, etc.. this makes them look better in my opinion, than just ending at the river, and beginning on the other side. Roads in AD are _very_ accurate, for the first time in FS9, took a Road Atlas of the us by AAA, and flew a Waco from Fullerton, CA to Yosemite following roads. Led me right into Yosemite Valley! Ive driven that trip 4-6 times a year. Have been to 48 National Parks, now am going to fly into all of them following this map. Any good State map now will help you find your way around. IFR means "I Follow Roads." ;-) Bob

Thanks all, I bought AD today and it's pretty good. I think what is now apparent is how landclass may not be so accurate as I had thought it was. I'm also struck by the seeminly few "minor roads". I was thinking I would be able to find my street and there is just no way. Is this because so many of our roads up here in the Nor Cal hills are under trees, etc?

You may not have your sliders set to max, I live in a Mobile Home Park in Fullerton, and it even shows the streets in this park. That is about as "minor" as roads get. :-D Also, the landclass is being altered starting in NE, so the roads fit in the correct terrain. Originally it was made for MS roads. Do you have the West Coast Mesh? To me that is essential for anywhere in CA, OR, and WA...

Yes I have all Justin's US mesh, and run everything maxed out. I will look in the AD setup though and see if I didn't miss something. Seems like I just left it at the far right on the slider.Noel

In AD setup make sure minor roads is selected.

I have all options checked, and I am seeing very few minor roads, I mean very few. Don't know what could possibly be amiss. I did install the program under a different folder than default, but in the .ini file it does point to the correct location for FS9, so I don't know what to make of it. I live in a town of about 50K, and I see very few roads--just a few of the major roads, that if I'm not mistaken, were there before! Seriously, I think there are some additions in teh major road department, but that is really about it. All sliders hard right!Noel

> I did install the program under a different folder>than default, but in the .ini file it does point to the>correct location for FS9, so I don't know what to make of it. That may be the problem, Ive never heard that anyone else did this.I'd uninstall it, and reinstall in the defauld folder... OR before you do that, log onto FSGenesis, and go to the support forum for American Data, then ask the author about this, nothing as good as getting it direct. He might be able to give you a change which would make it visible from where you installed it. It could even be a change is needed, he is very helpful, and it could help others also. Ive checked in Lyndonville, VT where my brother lives, a town much smaller. And the "dirt" road he lives on, is included. This also has roads used only by logging and mining companies, etc... so something is amiss. Bob