SceneryTR Design has released Istanbul LTFM

[wim123 763]

5 hours ago, somiller said:

Then why did you bring it up?

attention grabber.

[aniiran 431]

So I bought the TR scenery thinking there was probably a huge performance difference but I can tell you it's only marginally better and the AI system for the Airport is broken.  So I wouldn't buy it right now.

i7 9700KF, 2070S, 32GB RAM.  HIGH for most everything,  TLOD 100, windshield effects-ULTRA Clouds-ULTRA. Broken Clouds preset dawn, Dawn. AIG at 66% traffic.   

Here is the comparison.  The first shot is the Argaeus FREE LTFM off of Flightsim.to.  As you can see I get an abysmal but usable 24FPS.

I was expecting a large jump with the TR Scenery but it only ended up being about 4FPS in the same situation.  From here on out all screens are TR Scenery.

The first thing you notice is all the bridges to the gates say HSBC on them... That is inaccurate from many recent videos I have seen. It appears the Argaeus free LTFM is more accurate.  I lso like that the free LTFM has points of light for the ramp lights but the TR scenery does not.  Also, the bridge structures are not the same at all gates, the flip side is that the free scenery uses default gates.  Look at as many real pictures of LTFM and you can can see TR is off the mark on the realism with those HSBC signs but could fix it easily.  TR does have nice custom gates that are realistic.

PBR textures are weak but present, the ground clutter adds to the immersion with correct vendors like TGS.  

GSX works well and gates are flawless.  Even at 66% there are about 100 AI airplanes on the airport in the morning.  Again the TGS trucks are a nice touch.

Overview of the terminal the pbr textures are present but very subtle and look non-existent in many instances there should be some reflection.  Instead you just get a hazy look. The roof has pbr texture as well, and is well modeled.

The underlying ground textures are MUCH better and the new freeways are done right.  In the free version cars drive through the forest because the satellite photo used is too old.  The resolution is not the best but looks passable.  A lot of work was done to the outskirts of the airport.

If you don't use AI you can expect at least 40FPS (with a similar or better system).  Hopefully, a program comes along that better optimizes AI,  10-12FPS is a huge hit.

I had to find an example that TR scenery did not do the piers correctly so I scoured the internet for a few minutes and found this example.  As you can see the pier does not match the real world at gate B2 and B4.  Not sure what TRScenery was using as a ref but it clearly led them astray.  I don't care If you model moving 3D people and Mama's cookie shack inside the terminal, but let's at least pay attention to the outside of the terminal.

The picture below is the same area with the argaeus free scenery... It is correct.

 

Unfortunately, to me this is not a scenery that is useable at this time.  AI lands and taxis but it never takes off. It just stacks up on the runway 3 or 4 deep and then the planes disappear.  At first I though I was interfering with it, but after several different attempts and waiting the airplanes never take off.  -UPDATE  I tried out the Argaeus free scenery and it has the same problem so there most be some larger problem having to do with LTFM...  This is odd to me because LTFM was an airport before MSFS launched.

  

 

 

While there are some good things about it. It think it misses the mark for a payware scenery.

The free scenery seems to have a more accurate and better looking terminal closer aligned to what we expect in MSFS these days... minus the gates being default.  The AI works flawlessly (well with in MSFS limitations)  GSX works normally in both sceneries.  The only real down side to the free scenery is outdated ortho underlay and a few minor missing textures. I also like the night lighting in the free version better. 

The performance is only marginally better in the payware TR version as you can see.  I got about a 15% performance increase over the free scenery with or without AIG. It might make a difference for you but it seemed the same to me without knowing the FPS.

I do not know what's up with this trend of developers failing to beta test their products before launch but it seems to not be going away. Had they beta tested thoroughly they would have found out the issue with AI that makes unusable.

NOTE Apparently, this AI issue is LTFM in general,  it looks like something Asobo will have to fix. the free Argaeus exhibits the same issue because for some reason Asobo/Microsoft did not include LTFM in the stock game.

I'm going to contact them and see what they have to say about the visual issues.  I have had good luck with developers making things better as long as you give objective criticism with proof. We will see. 

For now I think you can save 16 dollars honestly.  

I don't want to beat up TRScenery as I have bought several Turkish sceneries from them but this should have been their crown jewel, and it just isn't that good honestly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 7, 2022 by aniiran
add b2 for the free argaeus scenery

[out 769]

2 hours ago, aniiran said:

 can save 16 dollars honestly. 

Thank you so much for your excellent review!

I've been waiting for a quality LTFM, but honestly hoped someone else would make it.
I also don't want to trash TRS, but I had their LTFM in P3D and it wasn't really good.

So yes, I will save myself this purchase for now until maybe they make some serious improvements to make it worth.

Edited September 7, 2022 by Rafal
typo

[GSalden 4,657]

@aniiran

Thank you for the review. And good idea to share your findings with the developer. Everything that helps to make the airport better is very welcome.

Myself I use PSXT Live Traffic so I do not have an AI issue.

I also had the payware version for P3D and found it quiet good. But that is because I want the airport looking better than the default version. And looking at the price you cannot expect FT quality…

So I am enjoying this airport a lot. Regarding the freeware version : they need to redo 1000+ signs to avoid the CTDs people were experiencing and it hasn’t been updated for some time now, if ever…. But fingers crossed.

 

 

Edited September 7, 2022 by GSalden

[Sagoland 22]

It looks better then the freeware. It looks like a payware while the freeware actually looks like a freeware.

[GSalden 4,657]

Here a short vid after landing while taxiing to the gate. Imho the airport looks really good, but you can judge for yourselves 

Btw : I parked at a HSBC gate …..

Overview (see the ac taking off and another landing in the distance ) : PSXT Live Traffic

. 

Edited September 7, 2022 by GSalden

[shamrockflyer 647]

I had the freeware version of LTFM and never experienced a CTD with it, but I purchased LTFM today and I personally think apart from the small dip at the start of 35R, the airport is the best rendition of Istanbul there is available for MSFS. There is no performance impact for me, the airport is nicely detailed and is a pleasure to fly out of.

[bbsmitz 132]

@aniiran and @GSalden, thanks to both of you for your impressions!

[aniiran 431]

My only real problem is the piers not being accurate.  Which I will bring up with the developer.  

It looks to me like the devolper just duplicated a bunch of piers with no regard to how they actually look.  This is why Fly Tampa, Flightbeam, and Pyreguee are such top tier developers. If one pier or one gate or one small building is different they will make a new model they won't just use the same one over and over and say good enough.  Which is something I am seeing a lot in flight sim scenery.  I don't know how many sceneries I have bought with tons of inaccuracies and omissions.

It may be I need to update AIG to get the planes to take off.  I'll look into PSXT Live Traffic.

 

[aniiran 431]

Is anyone having luck with AIG Traffic Controller offline?  I have tried everything I can think of.  I deleted and let the content.xml rebuild.  I Installed the latest navigraph data.  I have the newest flight plans from AIG Traffic Manager. I can see the flight plan files and the tables.  LTFM is listed.  The air planes line up and taxi down the runway to the start point but never take off, I guess I'll have to ask the developer but I'm guessing the answer will be "ask AIG"

 

[synape 16]

I think the scenery is not compatible with the latest navigraph AIRAC. There are serious elevation issues on runways that makes it unusable. It is corrected when I remove the navigraph folders from the ommunity folder, so it' definitely an incomatibility with navigraph. 

I tried to contact the developers through their internet site. I hope they fix this issue in short time. 

[Tuskin38 6,520]

On 9/8/2022 at 2:13 PM, aniiran said:

Is anyone having luck with AIG Traffic Controller offline?  I have tried everything I can think of.  I deleted and let the content.xml rebuild.  I Installed the latest navigraph data.  I have the newest flight plans from AIG Traffic Manager. I can see the flight plan files and the tables.  LTFM is listed.  The air planes line up and taxi down the runway to the start point but never take off, I guess I'll have to ask the developer but I'm guessing the answer will be "ask AIG"

 

Sounds like they're missing hold points at the runway thresholds, so it would be a scenery issue not an AIG issue.

AIG aircraft use the default AI systems of the simulator, so if it happens to AIG aircraft it would also happen to live traffic and default offline traffic.

Edited September 19, 2022 by Tuskin38

[synape 16]

33 minutes ago, synape said:

I think the scenery is not compatible with the latest navigraph AIRAC. There are serious elevation issues on runways that makes it unusable. It is corrected when I remove the navigraph folders from the ommunity folder, so it' definitely an incomatibility with navigraph. 

I tried to contact the developers through their internet site. I hope they fix this issue in short time. 

OK, they contacted me in short time said that there was already an update file that was available if you bought via Simmarket.

I bought it from the Marketplace. The updated version is due to be released in couple of days, they said. They also explained me a simple workaround until the new version comes to the Marketplace.

[aniiran 431]

Sunay was gracious enough to send me a new file, I actually tested it for him.  All runways, all directions, It works great.  Yes Tuskin, you were correct there were no hold points.  It was obvious when the jets would just taxi past the hold line but, I found it odd that everything was working for SGalden, so there was a part of me that thought maybe it was something bigger.  I believe all the navigraph issues are fixed as well, I did a few flights and everything seemed normal. but it is possible that there were things I missed. 

Sunay also said he is looking into the piers being incorrect and has acknowledged, but is holding off for SU10 and the fact that HSBC signage is all changing.  I don't know to what...I'm guessing AK BANK.

It's a great scenery now. 

[GSalden 4,657]

3 hours ago, synape said:

I think the scenery is not compatible with the latest navigraph AIRAC. There are serious elevation issues on runways that makes it unusable. It is corrected when I remove the navigraph folders from the ommunity folder, so it' definitely an incomatibility with navigraph. 

I tried to contact the developers through their internet site. I hope they fix this issue in short time. 

Did you read the manual ? It is mentioned there + solution..

Edited September 19, 2022 by GSalden