26 minutes ago, Ricardo41 said:

You seem to have answered your own question.

From other people's screenshots. This is not fair always because many don't use high-end settings on their machines.

So, I bought it. Fortunately my hopes was right. Most of people's screenshots I have seen in ORBX forums was not pleasing at all. This was what I was not sure about, if its user setting or ORBX's implementation. So @Ricardo41 there is a valid reason to ask even if you have seen user screenshots that you didn't like.

I use all graphics sliders to the right (except autogen distance) as well as all shadows enabled. In my system it really looks very nice and very realistic. I started on 3-4 locations of Africa and what I saw was very pleasing and realistic to the eye. Plus the photoreal areas indeed could be sold as a separate area, the merging of photoreal and autogen is extremely good.

So, to me its worth it now that I saw it for myself. Thank you all for your input. I hope my opinion help also others who may are on the fence.

@F737NG and @w6kd thank you very much for listing freeware airports, I'll certainly look at them : )

Edited March 31, 20206 yr by ComSimPilot

I often notice screenshots that seem to indicate medium autogen density settings (at best). I do not have the most powerful PC in the world, but there is no way that I would run the simulator with anything but Extremely Dense autogen settings. "Sliders to the left" is an unknown concept for me where autogen density and scenery complexity are concerned.

2 hours ago, F737NG said:

Other way around, FSDG made GOBD-Lite (Blaise Diagne Int'l).

Apart from Prealsoft's GMMN, Mex High Flight's GMMX, Grand Island Sim's GBYD and maybe Aerosoft's HTKJ, I'm struggling to think of quality African payware that isn't by FSDG.

Thanks for the other freeware suggestions, will take a look at those.

Yep, you're right about Dakar.  I removed the comment from my previous post.  Thanks for keeping me honest.

The old Orientalsim Nairobi works after an ADE edit and converting and recompiling the buildings, though the ramp layout is way out of date.  FSDG has been slipping their HKJK repeatedly for at least two years now...I've pretty much given up on ever seeing it finished.

The previously-mentioned FVHA is a nice one, though the ICAO has changed to FVRG, so some significant ADE and AI schedule work is needed to make it work with acft using updateable navdata.  I found it worth doing...it's well done.

8 minutes ago, Christopher Low said:

I often notice screenshots that seem to indicate medium autogen density settings (at best). I do not have the most powerful PC in the world, but there is no way that I would run the simulator with anything but Extremely Dense autogen settings.

I would "love" to run autogen "maxed" and my system allows it. However, I inevitably run into autogen loading in patches using all settings above medium. Thus, I settled with medium where autogen fades continually in as the lesser evil.

Kind regards, Michael

Hi 

Africa is such a varied and unique  continent that it probably doesn’t lend itself to generic auto generated textures. South America is somewhat easier to categorise in terms of landscape, which is maybe why it seems more successful. 
 

Having lived and worked in a number of areas of Africa; including Nigeria,  Egypt, Sudan and South Africa, I can say that there are many unique,  non-generic highly distinctive landscapes, which are often beautiful and intoxicating.
 

I tried flying from my favourite airport, FAHR Harrismith in SA to Mokhotlong in Lesotho over the Drakensburg range. The Lesotho landscape in Africa LC was nowhere near reality - ie unique subtropical high montain grassland. I even saw a clump of coconut palms at over 7000 altitude. The high veldt  in SA was not so bad though.
 

Equally, the Sinai peninsula with its distinctive intricate pink granite mountains, is virtually impossible to simulate using a generic land texture, as with the beige brown landscape in Africa LC.

Short of waiting for MSFS, which obviously promises to be much nearer reality, and the general lack of serious photoscenery areas otherwise in Africa, this is probably about as good as it’s gonna get. 
 

Ray

Have just downloaded and run it (had to wait for new month's bandwidth).

First impressions very good. Concentrated on RSA, where I live and the road placement is impressive, with the motorways very accurately positioned, as far as I can see so far.

However, I would like to know from others if they have any complete harbours?

I looked at the three major ports of Cape Town, Port Elizabeth and Durban and besides a rough outline of the area, there is no infrastructure (offices, sheds,railway lines or cranes).

I have autogen on extremely dense to check and there is zilch.

Is it like this or do I have something conflicting?

Thanks

Ian

Edited April 1, 20206 yr by IanHarrison
added.

I lived in Cairo in the mid 80's and the scenery doesn't seem right.  Zamelek Island should be greener.   There is a Gezira Sporting Club with several soccer fields, those are missing.  Also, buildings seem more colorful instead of a sandy color.  Around Tahrir Square, buildings should be taller and narrower spaced.  Maadi should be greener too.  Greener: perhaps sand colored green since it's so dry and the leaves don't get washed with rain.

I flew around Canary Islands and was impressed, though never been there. 

25 minutes ago, bic said:

I lived in Cairo in the mid 80's and the scenery doesn't seem right.  Zamelek Island should be greener.   There is a Gezira Sporting Club with several soccer fields, those are missing.  Also, buildings seem more colorful instead of a sandy color.  Around Tahrir Square, buildings should be taller and narrower spaced.  Maadi should be greener too.  Greener: perhaps sand colored green since it's so dry and the leaves don't get washed with rain.

I flew around Canary Islands and was impressed, though never been there. 

LC is an imitation and never looking exactly like in reality.

You might want to DL the Egypt PR scenery from FSXforum.de.

 

18 hours ago, Rob_Ainscough said:

It's not as good as an Orbx TE area, but it is better than default and at a discounted price well worth it.  South America is a nicer location with more mountains and vegetation.  

FSDG has several African airports but I'd love to see more and Aerosoft have one (or two).

There are some issues here and there and some of the colors seem a tad washed out to me, but it is considerably better than default.

[...]

I made a quick video/flight here of the more desert/dry region ... keep in mind it is OpenLC, a TE of Africa would be several TB in file size.

Cheers, Rob.

EDIT: this was with all sliders at Max along with my other tweaks 

Please note, and I realize many people don't actually know this, that a developer over at FSDevelopers has been essentially doing a FREEWARE "TE-like" Africa scenery. He has produced scripts that try to make context-specific autogen together with photoscenery and basic water masking. It's not as consistent and precise as OrbX TE products, but it's also not payware... I have found it to be absolutely stunning scenery and am running it with great pleasure.

See here: https://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/threads/project-africa.445512/

However, you need to message the developer, Matthias, and request download links from him personally because of the rights on the photoscenery that prohibit him from distributing it publicly by links.

Here is a shot of me flying over the mountains just east of Eritrea's capital Asmara:

15 minutes ago, Benjamin J said:

Please note, and I realize many people don't actually know this, that a developer over at FSDevelopers has been essentially doing a FREEWARE "TE-like" Africa scenery. He has produced scripts that try to make context-specific autogen together with photoscenery and basic water masking. It's not as consistent and precise as OrbX TE products, but it's also not payware... I have found it to be absolutely stunning scenery and am running it with great pleasure.

See here: https://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/threads/project-africa.445512/

However, you need to message the developer, Matthias, and request download links from him personally because of the rights on the photoscenery that prohibit him from distributing it publicly by links.

Here is a shot of me flying over the mountains just east of Eritrea's capital Asmara:

Go to : fsxforum.de . There you will find a lot of PR scenery + AG.

Matthias is doing a lot of great work. You have to ask for a DL link after registration.

I have downloaded multiple countries from Matthias and donated twice ( it is all freeware ).

 

16 minutes ago, GSalden said:

Go to : fsxforum.de . There you will find a lot of PR scenery + AG.

Matthias is doing a lot of great work. You have to ask for a DL link after registration.

I have downloaded multiple countries from Matthias and donated twice ( it is all freeware ).

 

Yes, indeed! I have his Germany and Belgium too, and I look forward to his Estonia. I also have some AG he made for other countries to be used with other available photoscenery, but have not tested those. I'm rapidly running out of hard disk space 😅

1 hour ago, Benjamin J said:

However, you need to message the developer, Matthias, and request download links from him personally because of the rights on the photoscenery that prohibit him from distributing it publicly by links.

Are you advocating we download scenery that is copyright-protected?

I lived in Cairo in the mid 80's and the scenery doesn't seem right.  Zamelek Island should be greener.   There is a Gezira Sporting Club with several soccer fields, those are missing.  Also, buildings seem more colorful instead of a sandy color.  Around Tahrir Square, buildings should be taller and narrower spaced.  Maadi should be greener too.  Greener: perhaps sand colored green since it's so dry and the leaves don't get washed with rain.

I flew around Canary Islands and was impressed, though never been there. 

 

Well, our very own avsim has some photo real scenery https://www.freewarescenery.com/fsx/egypt.html

 

1 hour ago, Ricardo41 said:

Are you advocating we download scenery that is copyright-protected?

Nope. The developer cannot post a public link, but he can distribute it privately. But if you have any specific questions or comments, the one to ask would be the developer. I only know what I've been told by the developer.

2 hours ago, Ricardo41 said:

Are you advocating we download scenery that is copyright-protected?

You probably did write this before reading the 2 posts which clearly stated that you have to ask for a DL link.

Like Benjamin wrote : in private you may use it and distribute it..