" Will Microsoft have a Google Earth?"

[Guest robbert]

Hi all,This recent weblog might interest you: http://geography2.blogspot.com/2006/01/wil...ogle-earth.htmlThis weblog speculates about a possible integration of the flight simulator engine with Virtual Earth. Apart from this the weblog mentions a job announcement in which Microsoft looks for a program manager to lead a project connected to this type of integration.best wishes

[Guest tdragger]

I think the only way to know for sure would be to apply for the job and get hired. But then you wouldn't be able to talk about it. ;)

[victorwest2 0]

>I think the only way to know for sure would be to apply for>the job and get hired. But then you wouldn't be able to talk>about it. ;)That's a yes then. :-) :-lol :-hah

[Mace 1,902]

In other words, if he told you, he'd hafta kill ya. hehehRhett

[W2DR 1,859]

Brings tears to the eyes of the slower DSL and dialup users :-) .Doug

[Guest pixelpoke_from_MSFT]

>Hi all,>>This recent weblog might interest you: >http://geography2.blogspot.com/2006/01/wil...ogle-earth.html>>This weblog speculates about a possible integration of the>flight simulator engine with Virtual Earth. Apart from this>the weblog mentions a job announcement in which Microsoft>looks for a program manager to lead a project connected to>this type of integration.>>best wishesA member of the Flight Sim team talks a little about Google Earth here...http://blogs.technet.com/pixelpoke/archive.../30/416494.aspxCheers,Jason

[Guest tdragger]

And here: http://blogs.msdn.com/tdragger/archive/200.../14/439171.aspx. Oo! Oo!

[Guest thscholz]

>>A member of the Flight Sim team talks a little about Google>Earth here...>>http://blogs.technet.com/pixelpoke/archive.../30/416494.aspx>>Cheers,>>JasonJason,do you know that member of the Flight Sim team?;-) You guys are funny.:-lol CheersThomas

[michal 44]

Yeah, I am not counting on google-earth because of the well enumerated technical problems in this blog - google scenery is poorly suited for FS unless someone did some makeover on it. In my opinion next significant breakthrough could be if scenery was no longer tile-based. Tile based secenery has one nasty side-effect - when viewed from FL300 and above it looks very unappealing. I am not sure how this tile effect could be eliminated but this would surely be nothing short of a revolution. And we would no longer see tiled water.Michael J.http://www.precisionmanuals.com/images/forum/pmdg_744F.jpghttp://sales.hifisim.com/pub-download/asv6-banner-beta.jpg

[Guest pixelpoke_from_MSFT]

>Yeah, I am not counting on google-earth because of the well>enumerated technical problems in this blog - google scenery is>poorly suited for FS unless someone did some makeover on it.>In my opinion next significant breakthrough could be if>scenery was no longer tile-based. Tile based secenery has one>nasty side-effect - when viewed from FL300 and above it looks>very unappealing. I am not sure how this tile effect could be>eliminated but this would surely be nothing short of a>revolution. And we would no longer see tiled water.>>Michael J.>http://www.precisionmanuals.com/images/forum/pmdg_744F.jpg>http://sales.hifisim.com/pub-download/asv6-banner-beta.jpgFrom a land based side, tiling can be mitigated. Extra data like parks, golf course, roads, and rivers break up much of the problem-- as can be seen in many of the BEV shots using UT-- which is similar data to what's shown in the FSX shots released so far.The gradient slope texture (in FS 2002 and FS 2004) has more inherent power in it than has been tapped to this point--- some interesting things are possible. :)Adding increased DEM helps that even moe.We've also investigated some alternate tiling schemes which also help.But yes, when you break it down, using tiling is bound to show artifacts-- especially at high altitudes. Unfortunately, we're not at the point where we can not use generic tiled textures. Cheers,jason