Hi guys!

 

I have a problem with FSX/P3D. When you're flying at altitude (Lets say 30,000 or 40,000 ft) and you look outside, it doesnt look like you're flying that hight. For example, look at this image:

 

 

You CAN feel the altitude there. Is it possible to make P3D feel like that? any addon? something? (PD: I use p3dv3 and activesky next)

Higher terrain resolution can help I think.

 

Looking at your photo I can't really tell what altitude it is. So I guess altitude perception is subjective.

Hi guys!

 

I have a problem with FSX/P3D. When you're flying at altitude (Lets say 30,000 or 40,000 ft) and you look outside, it doesnt look like you're flying that hight. For example, look at this image:

 

You CAN feel the altitude there. Is it possible to make P3D feel like that? any addon? something? (PD: I use p3dv3 and activesky next)

 

The sensation you're talking about is mostly due to atmospheric scattering (simplifying a lot, this means that far things veer towards a blue/white tone).

 

Most other flight simulators model atmospheric scattering (the freeware FlightGear, X-Plane, DCS EDGE, War Thunder). FSX/P3D does not model atmospheric scattering, so this decreases the hi altitude sensation.

 

I think it's a pity it was not introduced in P3D, since the visual engine is already very good for the rest, and adding atmospheric scattering would be a nice improvement.

 

I think P3D allows shader mods, so maybe atmospheric scattering could be added as a 3rd party addon. Easy money IMHO. If I had the programming expertise, I would write such an addon.

The sensation of altitude is also different when your actually looking out the window of a plane and can literally see for miles, compared to looking out the window of a plane in a simulation that's being rendered on a 30" monitor.

IMO that shot looks to be about FL350. It looks very realistic to me for a simulator!

If that is dense cloud its absolutely fantastic. Otherwise its Antarctic or Arctic and likewise looks

fantastic to me. 

 

Edit: Looking at your photo again, I find my self wondering are you playing games.

I has so much nuance and detail I wonder if its a real photo?

 

Second edit: I'll eat my hat if its not a real photo :-)

but I cannot say if its ice or dense cloud :-)

IMO that shot looks to be about FL350. It looks very realistic to me for a simulator!

If that is dense cloud its absolutely fantastic. Otherwise its Antarctic or Arctic and likewise looks

fantastic to me. 

 

Edit: Looking at your photo again, I find my self wondering are you playing games.

I has so much nuance and detail I wonder if its a real photo?

 

Second edit: I'll eat my hat if its not a real photo :-)

but I cannot say if its ice or dense cloud :-)

 

The OP says it's a real photo. Just wanting to recreate that in a simulator.

The OP says it's a real photo.

Where? "Image" = real photo I'm assuming.

I agree with the OP's sentiment: 1000 feet often looks like 3000 feet and a typical cruise altitude looks like you're around the mid-teens.

 

Every now and then I download the X-Plane trial and goof around with it and in addition to the incredible night-lighting, road traffic and flight physics, I find that the altitude sensation is also a little more realistic.

The sensation you're talking about is mostly due to atmospheric scattering (simplifying a lot, this means that far things veer towards a blue/white tone).

 

Most other flight simulators model atmospheric scattering (the freeware FlightGear, X-Plane, DCS EDGE, War Thunder). FSX/P3D does not model atmospheric scattering, so this decreases the hi altitude sensation.

 

I think it's a pity it was not introduced in P3D, since the visual engine is already very good for the rest, and adding atmospheric scattering would be a nice improvement.

 

I think P3D allows shader mods, so maybe atmospheric scattering could be added as a 3rd party addon. Easy money IMHO. If I had the programming expertise, I would write such an addon.

 

Reshade can probably do something to mimic atmospheric scattering. There's a guy on the forums that uses it and his screenshots look like that picture.

FL350 was my guess too. I typically don't spend that much time up high in FSX or any of my other sims. Every now and then I will attempt high altitude flights in U-2 and SR-71, but mostly I am down close to the ground in helicopters or around the flight deck of amphibs and carriers.

I agree with the OP's sentiment: 1000 feet often looks like 3000 feet and a typical cruise altitude looks like you're around the mid-teens.

 

 

MSL or AGL?

MSL or AGL?

 

All AGL. And I just realized there was a typo in my post. "1000 feet" should have been 10,000.

IMO that shot looks to be about FL350. It looks very realistic to me for a simulator!

If that is dense cloud its absolutely fantastic. Otherwise its Antarctic or Arctic and likewise looks

fantastic to me. 

 

Edit: Looking at your photo again, I find my self wondering are you playing games.

I has so much nuance and detail I wonder if its a real photo?

 

Second edit: I'll eat my hat if its not a real photo :-)

but I cannot say if its ice or dense cloud :-)

 

Indeed its a real picture, those are clouds. The pic is from the pilotseye video where they are delivering a 777F to lufthansa cargo. (Amazing videos btw)

 

I managed to get the horizon looking like that by playing with the maximum visibility. The real problem is the clouds/ground

 

The sensation of altitude is also different when your actually looking out the window of a plane and can literally see for miles, compared to looking out the window of a plane in a simulation that's being rendered on a 30" monitor.

 

I agree with you on that. Its not possible to get the exact feeling as in real life. But even on a 30'' monitor you can get some of that, after all you get it by looking at that pic on your computer.

Reshade existe dentro de un proceso que simula bastante bien que el azul altura GemFX está dentro del archivo y llama ambient_light

I find zooming out makes a considerable difference to perceptions at altitude.