3 hours ago, Noooch said:

The XPlane model is good but all the gateway airports look the same, same walls, same textures, only the size and the shape of the buildings is different.

What I was thinking of was the same idea but with the possibility to build the buildings yourself so it looks unique, almost like the real thing.

For example I should be able to create a building with 2 brick walls, 1 stone wall and 1 glass wall, put the  windows where I want etc... 

We should be able to build almost anything with the bricks provided by Microsoft.

Yes, Minecraft came to mind also. My 8 year old grandson can build anything.

I am no expert on Azure and all. The way I have understood it until now is that Azure will create a 3d model that comes close enough to a 2d photo of a building view from on top. Firstly I am sure they will be able to improve Azure creating skills so that "autogen" buildings become more accurate. Here are some of my ideas how the user base could add to it (base on "my" understanding).

So the whole automatic creating of Azure would be at level (layer) 0. Then you could add another user-customized layer on top which would be layer 1. Like in the scenery library where you have one set of scenery prioritized over another. In this case you would just need one more layer. And in this case it's just a layer of information, rather than the scenery itself. You would just tell Azure "Hey I want you to to create a building at these coordinates at this height, this shape, use these texture, etc....". You would create all that stuff in a 3D model utility than translate that into information Azure can process and Azure would then create a specific object according to your parameters. I guess this can go so far as to only edit basic details of a specific building... e.g. anyone could alter simple details like a buildings height or color with just a few clicks. Then anyone could then upload their creation for everyone to add if desired, like Steam Workshop where you'd just add or remove... for every buildings, trees, object, etc.. you could see a list of creations available and then just choose, which one you prefer. Maybe even make a world view to slew around and than in real-time be able to click on it or something.

14 hours ago, joschy66 said:

I was wondering: if the scenery, away from highly detailed cities, is satellite images with autogen buildings and trees placed on it, what will we see when we get close to landmarks like castles, fortresses, power plants and the like which are far off these highly accurate areas?
Anyone heard or seen something on that issue?
What do you think Neuschwanstein, the Taj Mahal or the Castel de Monte will look lilke in FS2020?

Probably there are some, as the developer mentioned Mont Saint Michel in the latest insider video, wich is a well known landmark on the french coast.

Edited October 13, 20196 yr by Chandler

I think it will be very hard, if not even impossible for MSFS to have all POI's or landmarks from all over the world in it. And it will be very difficult for the Azure engine to generate 100% recognizable autogen from 2d photos. I watch Tour de France every year, and one of the things I love about it, is seeing all the castles, churches etc in all of France. It would be fantastic if we could make our own castles in Sketchup or any other 3D programme and insert them in the correct places,.but let's wait and see how Microsoft plans to do it. 

I still think the SDK should include some version of the software that converts the aerial imagery into the photogrametry models/data.  Any person with the right camera equipment and access to a plane could just do some circuits around whatever they want in the sim.

Im probably tremendously over simplifying things but it may be possible.  Maybe in exchange for use of of the tool, pilots upload the results for Azure to incorporate for everyone to use.

Someone has to do Arches National Park or similar areas.

On 10/12/2019 at 9:54 PM, Noooch said:

The sim could come with a program, a tool for creating airports (or landmarks) like in XPlane.

In this "construction" program we would find a large library of walls, windows, fences, stone walls, taxiways, antennas, hangars etc.., or just hangar walls so we can build our custom objects to make each airport unique. 

And the best of all, all these "bricks" are made to be compatible with each other and fps friendly.

A bit like http://www.fscloudport.com for Aerofly FS2 but with lots more functionality. Being cloud based is the key i think, so its live, multiple versions can be prioritised, people can add on to an existing version and ‘fork’ a new version like Github. The inspiration for FsCloudPort was Wikipedia.

I hope on rivers with more than a 40' elevation change a waterfall will be there "procedurally" 

Edited October 18, 20196 yr by Casualcas

On 10/13/2019 at 1:55 AM, jlund said:

I think it will be very hard, if not even impossible for MSFS to have all POI's or landmarks from all over the world in it. And it will be very difficult for the Azure engine to generate 100% recognizable autogen from 2d photos.

Read up on photogrammetry. All you need are enough good quality aerial photos from different angles to generate a 3D object. This is what the Azure AI is doing and would be able to do for landmarks anywhere in the world where they have accurate enough imagery. Here's one video with an overview of how it works.

 

Have a drone and want to give it a go?

 

Random question. Is Stone henge in FSX?

9 hours ago, goates said:

 the Azure AI is doing and would be able to do for landmarks anywhere in the world where they have accurate enough imagery.  

 

Technically possible but is it commercially viable for a single operator, even Microsoft, for the hundreds of thousands  of remarkable landmarks over the world ? If the new sim is a success,  I expect to see a new market coming up, of 3D models, and freeware too. Photogrammetric or not.

On 10/12/2019 at 7:44 PM, Noooch said:

Ok but let s imagine 10 persons make the Taj Mahal, which one will be automatically implemented in the sim ?

I'd imagine MS will have to adopt something similar to LR Scenery Gateway on Xplane.

2 hours ago, Superdelphinus said:

Random question. Is Stone henge in FSX?

Yes!  Stonehenge is kind of low res, but it's there.

Hook