Excellent 3D terrain visualization with FSX - Flickr link

[Guest cbuchner1]

Hello everyone!Having recently overcome performance problem with my Google Earth interface to FSX, I took out a few planes on leisurely flights. During these flights I have just witnessed the best realtime terrain visualization I have ever seen on any system or on any media (including cinema, I think). And it happened right in my aging PC in HD resolution at good frame rate using a "game" called Flight Simulator X. I am still awestruck and speechless.I have created a flickr photo set at 1600x1200 pixels containing 56 images. Enjoy the slideshow or look at those images one by one. If you log in to flickr, you can set preferences so the images and slideshow appear larger by default.The location is (mostly) Oahu, Hawaii. Here is the link to the photosethttp://www.flickr.com/photos/71882461@N00/...57594407535533/Usually high resolution photoscenery suffers greatly from appearing two dimensional - especially if the terrain is mostly flat. However if some high resolution elevation data is available, such photoscenery can reveal stunning detail. Geological formations appear life-like and real.Please understand that I am not going to make either the software or any of the the photoscenery available. Right now there is too much of a legal issue with the imagery. The imagery itself is copyrighted, but in the form of a screenshot (and projected onto a 3D landscape) I consider posting these images fair use.The ingredients that lead to these stunning screenshots:- a 10m freeware terrain mesh for Hawaii from fsproject.com (thanks!)- 30 hours of work invested in an interface between FSX and Google Earth (see other threads covering this topic)- 1m/pixel resolution satellite imagery courtesy of Google.The hardware used was:- an aging dual Athlon PC (2.0 GHz) with 2GB RAM and 7800GS 256MB AGP graphics card.- A mac mini for proxying the images to FSX through Samba, connected through Firewire with the PC.- A Dell 24 inch display at 1920x1200 pixels.

[Manny 1,293]

Maybe you could publish a white paper or even sell the "How to" manual. Thats legal.:)Manny

[Geofa 108]

I think this is the future....http://mywebpages.comcast.net/geofa/pages/rxp-pilot.jpg

[turnandbank 243]

Amazing!!!!!

[Guest The Wizard of Oz]

This is a very innovative development. Major problem is however the variable quality (ie resolution) of photo textures outside of the US. In Australia the quality varies in the major cities from very good to bloody aweful elswhere. In time Google images will no doubt improve.But given the legal issue it seems a bit like trying to ride a dead horse at present. I did hear a rumour somewhere that Microsoft might be going to attempt something similar. When and if this happens (if ever) then your approach would seem to be a good way of interfacing FS11 with photo textures, if the quality issue can be overcome in the meantime.Re WOZ

[Adam Szofran 0]

Very nice. If you're concerned about legal issues, then why not switch from Google to Virtual Earth imagery? (See http://dev.live.com/virtualearth/) I can't imagine Microsoft giving you trouble over using their imagery in their simulator. :-) Then again, I'm not a lawyer...-Adam

[ibanez737 2]

This is really incredible work... I might be wrong, but I think that the imagery remains the legal property of the original distributor (such as Digital Globe) regardless of the viewer you are using to look at it. So I think that even imagery coming from Microsoft Virtual Earth would have the same distribution constraints as Google Earth. I would really like to learn more about this, because these programs have so much potential for creating sceneries for FS.-Scott

[Guest Jimbofly]

WOW!!!Just shows what is possible with FSX.James

[Guest cbuchner1]

You are right.In case Microsoft chooses to include (or stream) the imagery in Flight Simulator XI or XII, they would probably have to nogotiate licensing terms with their satellite data provider.But I think this is the future. Why try to squeeze the world on a DVD if you can stream a more complete version from the Internet ;)

[Guest cbuchner1]

I have just looked at the satellite data that is distibuted through MSN Virtual Earth. In many areas, including the continental US, it looks more cohesive than Google's satellite material. You can hardly discern the boundaries of various satellite passes, everything seems to be matched in color and brightness. However when zooming out the MSN material suddenly switches to lower resolution data, which appears in a completely different color shade, that's a bit of a problem. You don't want stuff to look much different when flying at high altitude ;)

[Guest The Wizard of Oz]

The only problem that remains is at low altitude and on the ground. You really need autogen for this and given that this needs to be applied to the actual textures not sure that this is possible with your method. ??

[Guest Horst]

>>You are right.>>In case Microsoft chooses to include (or stream) the imagery>in Flight Simulator XI or XII, they would probably have to>nogotiate licensing terms with their satellite data provider.>>But I think this is the future. Why try to squeeze the world>on a DVD if you can stream a more complete version from the>Internet ;)>I do not think so, it is a different approach for a different use.A photo is a moment

[Guest skruer]

>If you log in to flickr, you can set>preferences so the images and slideshow appear larger by>default.Can't really find the place on flickr where you do that. And I did log on.But anyway it is really amazing what you did. I looks so good. Now if only it would cover the whole planet, that would be nice. There are really bad coverage over most of Europe (anything outside the U.S I would guess).Just gotta kick google in the butt ;)

[Guest wyoming]

this (http://news.com.com/2300-1032_3-6132533-1.html), instead of the glued-on autogen, you pretty much get everything you can get from a simulation.

[cklink 0]

That looks simply amazing, great work !!Bad for me though, A: Dial Up (Live in the country)B: The google images around my area (CYEG)have been updated (finally) to about 2M resolution, but they took the shots in the winter!! After shovelling the crap for 6 months of the year, I don't want to see it in FSX for the other 6 too.. heheRegardless, the work and results are stunning. I like how there is no blurring at all !RegardsGarett