5 minutes ago, PWJT8D said:

Our current simulators all have a pretty sad way of showing us the terrain, autogen buildings/cities and everything else. We never really could actually explore the world. Only a poorly auto-generated texture repeating low level of detail blurries everywhere bland experience.

With this we will... actually ...be able to explore the world. Let that sink in.

This is what I love about Orbx True Earth. Having the lovingly created 3D cities along with the photographic terrain, it's wonderful for exploration. I'm still explorering the amazing UK coastlines months after the first True Earth package was delivered to X-Plane.

I think no internet was a slip , you would not be here and would not know about MSFS without a net connection.

Edited October 10, 20196 yr by rjfry

1 hour ago, espent said:

I see a lot of community challenges coming

I do believe so. I would be a huge missed opportunity by Microsoft. I have seen way too many of those in the past.

I did not see a way to update my internet bandwidth on my profile. I just upgraded from 70Mb to 400Mb. I wonder if that is enough to get the best quality.

3 hours ago, turnandbank said:

This looks so ready already!

Ever since I started working with Ortho4XP with custom generated W2XP overlays, I thought it would be neat if the ortho images could be scanned with an algorithm trained to recognize trees and different types of buildings and then create the data to reproduce them accurately in the sim. This would do away with the need for inconsistent data available from OSM and other sources. I also thought it would be neat if the clouds and color matching could be handled by an AI program. This is exactly what they have accomplished and the result is stunning. This could not have been pulled off by a smaller developer, due to the computing power needed, so it is great to see MS back in the game.

Even the full offline mode is a huge leap forward from default X-plane scenery, at least in the Seattle area shown in the video.

Orbx do pretty much what is seen for the aerial images, I.e. they colour match satellite imagery, create buildings and trees of the same type and shape shown on satellite imagery, mask coastlines and water bodies, hand place 100's of custom buildings and lighting - all done over vast areas. Although some of this must be automated, I suspect the process must be very time consuming especially the custom buildings but they really sell the locations for me.

A lot of earlier versions of Microsoft Flight Simulator had more landmarks and distinct recognizable location than the current X-Plane 11. X-Plane really has rudimentary details in many famous locations around the world.

Just amazing stuff I am speechless...

37 minutes ago, dtrjones said:

Orbx do pretty much what is seen for the aerial images, I.e. they colour match satellite imagery, create buildings and trees of the same type and shape shown on satellite imagery, mask coastlines and water bodies, hand place 100's of custom buildings and lighting - all done over vast areas. Although some of this must be automated, I suspect the process must be very time consuming especially the custom buildings but they really sell the locations for me.

 

A lot of earlier versions of Microsoft Flight Simulator had more landmarks and distinct recognizable location than the current X-Plane 11. X-Plane really has rudimentary details in many famous locations around the world.

 

As far as I know, for the trees/autogen Orbx relies on data for the placement. And the trees/autogen are not the same type and shape shown on the imagery. The Azure A.I. is in fact "looking" the imagery to place trees/buildings/objects. Orbx doesn't do that, they have the data for the buildings and trees and their own software do the all work. 

I would say the Microsoft approach is more accurate in the end. The big advantage on the Orbx' side is having a lot of custom objects/buildings/POIs that are handmade and handplaced on the scenery.

Edited October 11, 20196 yr by ca_metal

2 hours ago, Shug said:

I did see a likeness for the Captain Cook bridge and the Goodwill bridge but they were admittedly quite indistinct.

I think they were more just artifacts on the water from aerial imagery. From the viewpoint in the video the Captain Cook Bridge and Story Bridge should stick out like dog's goolies, as should Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera House around 2:00. 

That's all good as maybe those types of key large recognisable structures like bridges, stadiums etc will be getting some special loving down the track. 

In an age where we are so used to PR marketing teams overhyping the umpteenth version of Call of Duty, it really is refreshing (and almost surreal) to get one of the creators expose their baby with such enthusiasm and passion.

Can you imagine if a year ago someone had come to these boards and had predicted that all this was going to happen? That we were gonna see what we are seeing? That a team had been working with such devotion and passion on a MS reboot for all these years? That person would have been called a troll by all of us!

2 hours ago, Torg Smith said:

I did not see a way to update my internet bandwidth on my profile. I just upgraded from 70Mb to 400Mb. I wonder if that is enough to get the best quality.

I don't know if there's a way to upgrade that on the Insider profile. Anyone know? I upgraded mine recently from the 10 Mbps on the original Insider registration to 250 Mbps/unlimited recently. Not for MSFS, but because we're finally ditched our land line with DSL and went back to cable. 

I don't think it will matter. The Tech Alpha and any public Betas will need a wide range of user testing. They may actually be more interested in those with slow connections than faster ones.

6 hours ago, rjfry said:

The looks good in full screen.

One thing struck me offline mode if you have no internet connection how do you get it without an internet connection.

I'm pretty sure they are simply saying that you can use the game without an internet connection after initial distribution, i.e. if you have data caps. That's true for most games these days, which even if they come on disks still require massive downloads of additional information to actually use.

Edited October 11, 20196 yr by bonchie

While there are a lot of comments here about what ORBX can bring, I'm not sure that's a good thing. Advances in graphics rendering technology created a niche for ORBX once FSX started to show its age, and as has been noticed, X-plane cries out for what ORBX provides; but my experience has always been that ORBX gradually crushes the original platform, whatever it is, under all the additional files required to paint the various regions.

Today's video, with its explanation of how MS is approaching the problem of scenery generation,  makes ORBX suddenly seem not so "next--gen" anymore when its latest promo images are set beside any screen grab from today's update.  I would much prefer a scenery experience entirely guided by the platform developer and internally tailored to the sim itself (much like DCS and DTG's Train Sim World). In other words, MS's own DLC.

Words are failing me at what is coming from MS. This is just epic stuff. I can't remember being this excited for the release of anything. I think if I could fast forward ahead 9 months or so, I would, just to start flying in this gorgeous virtual world. I think I will probably have a sick day or two on release. 😄

1 hour ago, hypercide said:

While there are a lot of comments here about what ORBX can bring, I'm not sure that's a good thing. Advances in graphics rendering technology created a niche for ORBX once FSX started to show its age, and as has been noticed, X-plane cries out for what ORBX provides; but my experience has always been that ORBX gradually crushes the original platform, whatever it is, under all the additional files required to paint the various regions.

Today's video, with its explanation of how MS is approaching the problem of scenery generation,  makes ORBX suddenly seem not so "next--gen" anymore when its latest promo images are set beside any screen grab from today's update.  I would much prefer a scenery experience entirely guided by the platform developer and internally tailored to the sim itself (much like DCS and DTG's Train Sim World). In other words, MS's own DLC.

+1 Unless Orbx re tool, I think they will not be the supplier of terrain products like they have been. I think the Orbx bottom line could even now be taking a hit.

Edited October 11, 20196 yr by ZKOKQ

38 minutes ago, ZKOKQ said:

+1 Unless Orbx re tool, I think they will not be the supplier of terrain products like they have been. I think the Orbx bottom line could even now be taking a hit. I would say they will be on suicide watch.

I don't think so I for one will not be removing my P3DV???  I will still need to fly my aircraft that will not be in MSFS, I have in fact just purchased two more in the ORBX sale. and when what I'm waiting for in the road map arrives I will purchase more. and some other addons I am waiting for I am still flying.