So, after concluding that my PC is not up to snuff I've been convinced to build anew.  Orders are being placed and hopefully the build will be complete within two weeks.  If anyone is curious, it'll be an i6600 with a gtx970.  I'm purdy darned excited.  

 

That being said, I'm planning out my new sim setup and would be delighted to get some input on scenery/mesh/textures/weather.

 

Currently I have orbx global with orbx socal (socal disabled due to low fps).  With the new setup I'd like to run real time weather.   I would like things to be a reasonably simple install.  

 

So, what does everyone recommend??  I think orbx global and socal (for PilotEdge) look good in the photos but I haven't actually gotten to fly it, lol.  If I keep these, what should I add??  ASN looks nice!!  If I run orbx global/socal/ASN do I also want textures or does socal cover that?  I don't want 30 different product to worry about but I'm willing to pick up a couple 2-3 more I think since I've gone and built a new PC.  I would like my sim to be spectacularly gorgeous if possible.  

 

Also, if you recommend a product, please also recommend an install method for ssd (os/sim drive) vs standard hdd.  The more things I can keep off the ssd without a great deal of trouble would be great.  If it's a great deal of trouble to keep on a different drive then, meh, maybe I can't be bothered, lol.   

 

Thanks everyone!!!!!    

I am using ORBX FTX global / OpenLC / vector + ASN + REX Softclouds + REX essentials Overdrive HD (and a lot of other stuff like PrecipiteFX / Immersion, PMDG planes, Aerosoft planes, lots of airport sceneries).
On pretty much the same machine (i7 6700k @4,4 GHz, 970 GTX, Samsung M.2 SSD).
I fly in 4k and get good fps and good looks.... Let me find some screenshots

http://i.imgur.com/cYYrI4H.jpg

 

http://i.imgur.com/hfPAw8E.jpg

 

http://i.imgur.com/bh84kfZ.jpg

 

http://i.imgur.com/1UVDHvY.jpg

 

http://i.imgur.com/Ut0Sq1E.jpg
Just a small example...

FreeMesh X Global: http://www.avsim.com/topic/467933-freemesh-x-global-10-release-announcement/

What exactly is the rex essentials overdrivee hd?

do I also want textures or does socal cover that?

 

Well, FTX Global and SoCal each use their own textures, so you probably are good in that department.

 

REX Essentials basically replaces many environmental textures, apart from terrain. So clouds, sky, airport taxiways, runways, lights, water, etc.

 

If you're into mesh, then there are some freeware and payware options out there. I recommend FTX Vectors if you do decide to go with a mesh replacement. It updates many elevations of rivers and lakes to be what they are supposed to be, and that comes handy when the topography can be drastically changed with a mesh. It also adds accurate placement of roads, and updates about 4000 airports to their accurate elevations (also handy when you use a mesh replacement). If you have airports that aren't affected by a new mesh, then you can disable those airport elevation corrections as well.

So a good setup could be??:

 

FreemeshX or FTX Vectors for mesh 

FTX Global for textures

FTX Socal for pilotedge area terrain (includes mesh textures)

Rex Essentials (for textures not related to terrain)

So a good setup could be??:

 

FreemeshX or FTX Vectors for mesh 

FTX Global for textures

FTX Socal for pilotedge area terrain (includes mesh textures)

Rex Essentials (for textures not related to terrain)

 

 

Almost correct.

 

FTX Vectors doesn't actually supply a mesh. It just provides vectors. Vectors cover shorelines, roads, large power lines, rivers, and lakes. FTX Vectors is very useful because it updates the elevation vector information for water bodies which makes them play nice with a mesh replacement. Else if you just had a mesh by itself, you might find some lakes and rivers raised above the terrain, because only the elevation of the terrain was updated, but not the water bodies.

 

A mesh on the other hand does not provide vector information. It just provides the underlying topography on which vectors, land classes, textures, and autogen are overlaid.

So I'd need mesh and vectors for to get outside the FTX socal area looking good.  Got it.  I might night be able to grab everything at once but I wanted to get my head around how all these products interact and what exactly they do and don't.

 

I really appreciate the help.

So I'd need mesh and vectors for to get outside the FTX socal area looking good.  Got it.  I might night be able to grab everything at once but I wanted to get my head around how all these products interact and what exactly they do and don't.

 

I really appreciate the help.

 

You should look through this guide!

 

http://fullterrain.com/usermanuals/ftx_definitive_guide.pdf

I just realized I don't even have a mesh running, only orbx global base.  If a mesh isn't a big hit on FPS I might have to add one until the new PC is running......

I just realized I don't even have a mesh running, only orbx global base.  If a mesh isn't a big hit on FPS I might have to add one until the new PC is running......

 

It's usually an optional thing. Just improves the topography situation, especially outside of North America and Europe.