New VFR Netherlands photoreal scenery is out...

[Guest mike_cyul]

Just thought I'd let everyone know, in case you hadn't yet heard. Looks very interesting. If anyone has it yet: how is it?http://www.simw.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=d...etails&pid=1419Mike F.

[virtualstuff 754]

I'm curious too...No download?Andr

[Guest jaapverduijn]

I'd like to see some more screenshots on the website. Also, 43 euros seems quite a lot of money for a country the size of a large handkerchief. But then again, there's a fair chance that I can find my own house, which would make it very hard to resist buying this add-on. And yes, it's still a lot cheaper than taking off from Teuge in the faithful Cessna 172 (being a medical wreck I can only fly left seat with a qualified instructor in the right one) in order to waggle the wings on behalf of my wife and the two daughters some 1200 feet below. So I'll probably whip out the plastic anyway, and give the new add-on a try.Be well!Jaap Verduijn.

[JimmiG 244]

Hmm looks pretty good - no better or worse than amy other European photoreal scenery based off aerial photography.Probably won't buy it..sorry I'm sure the Netherlands is a great place to live...but there ARE more exciting places to fly...places with mountains and stuff :(

[Guest Tim W]

Looks interesting though a little pricey, I wonder if you could take the airports from the NL2000 scenery and integrate them into the VFR scenery. Thats whats nice about the UK VFR, using Gary Summons scenery with it.I sure would like to find my house too!CheersTimZaandam/NLhttp://members.chello.nl/t.westnutt/realair.gif

[Guest jaapverduijn]

Greetings Jimmy!"(...) I'm sure the Netherlands is a great place to live...but there ARE more exciting places to fly...places with mountains and stuff (...)"Being a Dutchman living in his native Netherlands I fully agree with you: ours is not a particularly inspiring landscape to drive through or to fly over (grin)! Which won't make this scenery an enormous moneymaker for its developers: I guess only locals like myself, and possibly the odd tourist, will buy it. I'll be ordering the thing today, I really can't resist the temptation! Be well!Jaap Verduijn.

[mgh 89]

VFR Photographic Scenery for England and Wales comes in 4 volumes and can be bought for

[Guest Herrie]

Did anyone buy this scenery yet? Any experience to share?Herrie

[Guest tmloser]

>Did anyone buy this scenery yet? Any experience to share?>>HerrieI'm curious too! I'm thinking about getting it because I live in the Netherlands. And indeed, I cannot imagine anyone not living in the Netherlands or not having been there buying this add-on...I don't have any other photorealistic scenery, because I think it's only funny to fly over when you recognize things. I've flown above other photo-sceneries but never liked them (incl. the well-known British ones and MegaCity Dallas). First of all I did not recognize anything and due to that you soon get bored looking out of the window. Also, and this is my biggest complaint and main reason why I might NOT buy it, is that it all looks so pixelated... It's WAY too obvious you are flying above a FLAT photograph that's scanned at a too low resolution... Instead of making things real it only makes it less real. Perspective is always wrong (of course): seeing houses in the disctance from straight ABOVE is very strange. Also shadows are usually on the wrong side of objects (unless you fly in ONE particular direction). And as I said, those huge pixels... Specially when you got a extremely sharp and detailed virtual cockpit to look down from, those pixels in down there look VERY weird... The contrast between the plane and the ground it too big and the other way around (usually things that are close are pixelated). And it even gets worse when they place 3D objects on it... Those SHARP things that stick out of those blurred pixels... Awfull...Still... I'd also like to see my own house down there (even though I'm sure it will be squashed into one single pixel with the rest of the block...), so, who know, maybe I'll get it. But I'd like to read some reviews first...

[mgh 89]

A nice wish list but what about the practical implications?Flat photographs - so a full digital ground model as well, accurate to less than a metre to show houses in 3-D, should be included?Perspective is wrong - well, unless the area is photographed on different headings this is inevitable. How many different headings would you need, 360deg?Shadows are on the wrong side of objects - OK so the area should be photographed at different times of day and, presumably under different weather conditions - such as cloudy when there are no shadows?Higher resolution - nice but how many files would be needed? Comparison with other buildings - in my view it is the other building that are too sharp and clear.The sources of images and data are commercial firms whose business is selling them commercially. I suspect that these companies would be be reluction to release high-resolution images and digital ground models at a price that would be affordable for flight simulation. Finally, I suspect anyway that frame rates would be unacceptable with this level of detail.Photorealistic scenery isn't perfect, but what is? I can navigate under VFR in the UK quite happily using this type of scenery - I can't with the default scenery.

[Guest Tim W]

Agreed, I even found my old school in the UK VFR scenery by following the railway line from the local town!Whats also fun is finding all the now disused WW2 bomber bases in East Anglia.Timhttp://members.chello.nl/t.westnutt/realair.gif

[LuisFelizTirado 33]

Well, Jaap, as a foreigner who has only flown over, driven through, and visited the Netherlands, I must disagree. The landscape is quite beautiful, with its orderly farms and canals, the little towns strung out along the roads, the varied coastlines and beaches, the megalopolis or two, the large bodies of water (IJ, etc.), the landmarks, dams and dikes... You live in a very beautiful country and I have always enjoyed making believe that the Flight Simulator version is something like the real thing (although it is not!), so this scenery is definitely of interest to more than just you locals. Best regards.Luis

[Guest tmloser]

>A nice wish list but what about the practical implications?:) I know, I know, and my post wasn't a wishlist (I know what my (or any) computer can and cannot handle ;)), but of course, you are perfectly right! This is the best we will get for some time, but... that doesn't mean I have to like it... ;) Now don't tell me you don't wish to get all you mention on your screen! :) For now I rather fly above less-pixelated generic terrain with plenty of autogen than above a flat photograph! But as I said, I'm still thinking about buying VFR The Netherlands because it's my country and it's seems fun to be able to actually recognize everything! Specially since I bought the DF Beech A36 a few weeks ago (together with Active Camera 2.0). If I'd still be flying my PMDG 737 I would never even think about buying it. REAL VFR is fun and you can't do it really without photorealistic scenery, so... maybe I'll just have to get used to it... ;)

[Egbert Drenth 250]

Hi Jaap,Did you indeed order it? Being a fellow countryman I'm curious about the scenery as well. It is stated that it comes with terrain mesh but that can only be a single flatten statement in the scenery.cfg :-lolDoes it come in 4 seasons or only 1 season, and how do the airports fit it?

[djsebx 0]

Anyway It looks like it's not released yet, and only available for pre-release order. So people here who asked for other users thoughts won't have any answer I bet. ;)