Freeware Sky Textures Comparison

[Bjoern 1,153]

Fancied a different sky texture and needed a direct comparison between the ones I have saved on my storage drive. Didn't want to let the screenshots go to waste, so I'm uploading them here. Someone might find them handy. Or not.

 

(Don't ask how a Caravan got this high.)

 

 

1) Very high altitude

 

 

FSX default

 

 

 

Gabriel Rodrigues' sky textures (Avsim library)

 

 

 

Explor Environment (Flightsim?)

 

 

 

HDE v2 for FSX (Avsim library? Flightsim?)

 

 

 

John Cillis' Soft Horizons (Avsim library)

 

 

 

 

2) Typical airliner altitude

 

FSX default

 

 

 

Gabriel Rodrigues' sky textures

 

 

 

Explor Environment

 

 

 

HDEv2 for FSX

 

 

 

John Cillis' Soft Horizons

 

[Gregg_Seipp 565]

Why does the ground change so much?

[Bjoern 1,153]

Probably a weather engine thing. Shouldn't have tested with FSXWX, but with a default theme for consistent results. Same for the cloud layer shading.

[Gregg_Seipp 565]

Well, the last three look like they have the same weather so I guess it surprises me that the ground would appear differently in them.  Perhaps FSX makes adjustments due to overall light.  For myself, I prefer the ones that don't make the ground so dark.  Seems more like daylight in the others.

[Bjoern 1,153]

The cloud lighting also shows some subtle differences between the single texture packages.

 

I've settled for Explor Environment in the end. A bit darker than the default textures and it retains the darkness at very high altitudes.

[Jim Robinson 122]

Dark side/light side lighting in the sim is controlled by the first two pixels in the upper left corner of each sky texture. Different sky textures could easily make dramatic differences in the appearance of ground textures.

[Bjoern 1,153]

Interesting. Thanks, Jim!

[Jim Robinson 122]

If I know you Bjoern you're gonna want to have a play so here's the ole sky texture diagram! :smile:

 

 

(If you happen to have a copy of GEPro for FS9 you can customize a set of sky textures by editing these pixels via graphical interface, the result will work in FSX if you convert them from 24 to 32 bit)

[Bjoern 1,153]

*Chuckle*

 

Probably not.

My brain is already overloaded with FSX-specific stuff. One more thing to play around with and learn about and I might suffer a stroke.

[NWATech 95]

Nice comparison. Where did you find the Explor Environment textures? Do you have a link for DL?

[Gregg_Seipp 565]

When I look at these, while I think the John Collis's has the most realistic ground...maybe the most realistic sky as well.  I think it would be cool if an app would automatically swtich the sky textures before starting FSX...especially dawn and dusk textures.  These times of day vary quite a bit in real life.

 

Gregg

[Bjoern 1,153]

Nice comparison. Where did you find the Explor Environment textures? Do you have a link for DL?

 

I got it from Flightsim five years ago or so and it's neither in their library nor can a download be found by Google. Weird.

[Bjoern 1,153]

Here's a new freeware sky texture and sun set, courtesy of Navid Hashemi: http://navidh.se/misc.html

 

 

My previous configuration (Explor Environment plus Gabriel Rodriguez' sun mod) on the left; Navid's mods on the right.

Note: I did not touch the camera and set time of day to the defauls from the menu (dawn, mid day, etc...) to keep things consistent. Cloud placement is randomized every time you start FSX.

 

[Bjoern 1,153]

Since Explor Environment X is - for whatever reason - nowhere to be found anymore, I've uploaded it to Mediafire.

 

Notes:

1. All credit goes to Adrien Jubert, the original author.

2. The original download from Flightsim was 7 parts, but I've combined it into a single archive.

3. Archive is in .7z format and requires 7zip to unpack. (http://www.7-zip.org/)

4. There is no readme. Be smart and do backups before you install this.

5. Will obviously overwrite REX and other payware add-ons of the same kind when installed.

6. EEX is provided as-is. Adrien has disappeared from the flightsim world and I'm only hosting his work. No complaints, no requests; love it or leave it.

 

 

Link:

https://www.mediafire.com/?7yf68u0uozu8suy

[molleh 451]

Thanks for the comparison and for sharing Adrien Jubert's textures, which I haven't seen before. I'm going to try those out.

 

I liked Navid's set, but I found the lighting in the day time/afternoon textures a bit too blue. The dark side of objects has a very noticeable blue tint. The dawn/dusk textures are really good, though.