A long time ago I got something - I forget what it was at the moment but it's pretty popular - that destroyed the ridiculous road-laden texture tiles in FSX and added real roads.

 

Shortly thereafter I got something else that added night lighting. Quite a frame hit, so I didn't use it much, but it worked. One of the biggies at the time, around 2006, maybe Ultimate Terrain or something.

 

Anyway, I can't believe the idiotic practice of using tiles that have pretty little drawings of roads on them has survived, but IMO it's an amateur move by LM. For all they've done right, they've gone and clowned up the ground.

 

So - as the subject says, I'd like to obliterate any ground tiles with streets on them, get some real streets going, and if possible get my night lighting out of the 1990s. Autogen that behaves would be a giant plus.

 

Yeah, there are definitely some big differences vs. X-Plane, and this is one where X-Plane scores, at least, mostly, until you see trailers where there should be a subdivision of single-family homes. But I digress.

 

Any recommendations?

 

Sure - this may come across as a bit punchy, but I've just started using P3D and didn't expect to be looking at this nonsense. Plus, well, it's Sunday night, a long hard week is coming, and maybe we can just say that it's the Sam Adams Organic Chocolate Stout talking.

 

But it's not. That stuff is pretty #%#$%#$% good, though.

Well to be fair, I'm pretty certain LM didn't do much if anything to the original FSX/ESP texture set. 

 

Ultimate Terrain is forbidden by EULA at this stage, not sure if upgrades are in the works but I've gotten the impression that they aren't the biggest fans of P3D.

 

ORBX FTX Global, Vector, and future landlcass products will be the way to go for the foreseeable future, and are pretty darn good.

Hi Brian,

 

Thanks for the note.

 

Been looking at those. Crazy expensive...

 

Tell me, does it get rid of the tiles with the roads on them?

 

cheers

Andrew

 

 

the impression that they aren't the biggest fans of P3D.

 

Yep. FSX can't last forever...

Well to be fair, I'm pretty certain LM didn't do much if anything to the original FSX/ESP texture set. 

 

Ultimate Terrain is forbidden by EULA at this stage, not sure if upgrades are in the works but I've gotten the impression that they aren't the biggest fans of P3D.

 

ORBX FTX Global, Vector, and future landlcass products will be the way to go for the foreseeable future, and are pretty darn good.

 

It actually looks like LM changed a ton of the textures from FSX.  Everywhere that I have flown in default P3D looks waaaaaayyyy better than default FSX.  I agree with you though in regards to ORBX stuff.  It is the premier product set out there.

 

Hi Brian,

 

Thanks for the note.

 

Been looking at those. Crazy expensive...

 

Tell me, does it get rid of the tiles with the roads on them?

 

cheers

Andrew

 

Orbx still utilizes tiles and real roads run on top of them.  X-Plane has a very good idea of using true road data and utilizing procedural coding to attach autogen to the road grid.  Unfortunately, their implementation was half baked and although it looks great in some places, it looks strange as can be in other places. If I remember correctly, Orbx was possibly looking at using some intelligent placement of roads on the tiles, but I could be wrong.

 

 

Yep. FSX can't last forever...

 

That is very true.  Third party companies that want to just stay with FSX will shrink.  I think it is fair to say, just by looking at the number of people on this forum that are starting to purchase and use P3D, as well as those still on the fence or just waiting a bit, that P3D is gaining share and FSX is losing.  Wait another year and 2.3, 2.4, and possibly 2.5 will have been released with new features that will continue to draw FSX users.  If third party companies eventually decide to join the P3D migration at that time, it may be too late for them and  progressively minded companies could take their market share.

I agree with your original statement, it just looks silly having fake roads running through houses and building etc.. But take a look at Orbx's FTX Global Iceland Demo.  https://www.fullterrain.com/product_ftxgiceland.html  This is where we are headed in the near future, once Orbx releases the Europe and USA Landclass stuff.  Should be a few more months or so.  

 

 

Any recommendations?

 

Seems like only photoscenery will suit you.  Pretty expensive however.

Photoscenery is cheap.  Try FSEarthTiles.

Photoscenery is where you're looking. Some areas have no autogen, some do. it really depend where you fly. The UK is well supported with full photoscenery coverage. 100% realistic autogen for the photoscenery is very close, being developed by Earth Simulations

The Isle of Man is a fully Built up photoscenery area - buildings, real roads where they really are, seasons and lighting. A complete treatment of photo scenery in higher res than Global products.

 

A good review -  http://mutleyshangar.com/reviews/kf/iom/iom.htm

 

Orbx still utilizes tiles and real roads run on top of them. 

 

Seems like only photoscenery will suit you.  Pretty expensive however.

 

Hi Mike - not sure what you mean - are you saying Orbx tiles have images of roads on them, i.e. roads will end up where they don't actually exists?

 

(If so, kinda will ruin the benefit of Vector to some degree?)

 

Appliance, well, I'm using SimSavvy's Massive Scenery. It's great, but contains no night textures, lights, autogen, or seasons... [edit] It runs perfectly in P3D. It also means pretty much everything autogen and effects-wise can be shut off, so it does allow systems to run really fast.

 

I do wish there were a way for autogen to be more controllable on top of photoscenery.

 

cheers

Andrew

 

 

Orbx still utilizes tiles and real roads run on top of them. 

 

 

Hi Mike - not sure what you mean - are you saying Orbx tiles have images of roads on them, i.e. roads will end up where they don't actually exists?

 

(If so, kinda will ruin the benefit of Vector to some degree?)

 

Appliance, well, I'm using SimSavvy's Massive Scenery. It's great, but contains no night textures, lights, autogen, or seasons... [edit] It runs perfectly in P3D. It also means pretty much everything autogen and effects-wise can be shut off, so it does allow systems to run really fast.

 

I do wish there were a way for autogen to be more controllable on top of photoscenery.

 

cheers

Andrew

 

 

 

That's correct. The FTXG tile may have a road segment as part of the image.

 

If you're looking for photoscenery with autogen, you may want to consider something like Scenerysoft (Boston) or Revolution X. Since it's based off satellite photography there's likely only one season.

 

 

That's correct. The FTXG tile may have a road segment as part of the image.

 

I get why they do it, but... ouch.

 

Thanks.

Two dislikes on my original post... ah, really?

 

Why? Unless you don't like beer - I can't imagine how anyone could disagree. Well, I can imagine it. But still...

I really don't understand why somebody, who needs perfectly real world roads or features, would like to use anything else than photoscenery. It is far superior over any other alternative in that respect: it provides real features versus the "plausible" world that can be created with texture sets added with some vector data, whether it is ORBX stuff or something like UTX.  Lack of autogen shouldn't be problem, because generic buildings are altogether quite irrelevant for navigation and such. Landmarks usually are placed manually in payware sets. I use both kind of sceneries, but the more I fly on good quality photogen, the more I like it.

 

BlueSkySceneries are a good option to start, if photoscenery is new: they are free. MegaSceneryEarth 2.0 areas I have are mostly terrific and worth to look when going payware. MSE has started offering European countries, too.