1 hour ago, Christopher Low said:

I am not very impressed with the hand crafted version of EDDM Munich. I appreciate that this will not be quite as detailed as a full payware version, but the place looks like a hollowed out shell! Any interior areas are totally empty (which makes me wonder why they have been modelled as interiors in the first place), and what looks like a huge multi level car park is about as bare bones as I have ever seen one. In addition, there are sections of road flyovers that are blocks raised several feet above the connecting roads. What is that all about??

I imagine it's for performance reasons. I wouldn't be surprised if it was originally more detailed on the inside when it started as a payware product

Edited August 22, 20241 yr by Tuskin38

7 minutes ago, Tuskin38 said:

Might be a mistake in the notes, because the DEM comparison map they showed in Q&A did not show any differences in Switzerland.

They also didn't mention Switzerland DEM at all, just Germany.

There's new DEM for Austria and Liechtenstein as well as Germany according to the DEM Map, maybe not Switzerland but they mention it so perhaps it got added after the Map was finished, who knows.

2 hours ago, martinboehme said:

The SimWings version has the recent Terminal 1 extension, which the Asobo / Gaya version doesn't. I haven't compared them visually yet, but to me a current ground layout is kind of the decider anyway. 

The ground layout is the same. The terminal one construction area is blocked off in the Gaya version just like the Sim-Wings version.

The construction is further along in the Sim-Wings version though.

Edited August 22, 20241 yr by Tuskin38

That is how Bern looks on my installation, something obviously wrong, but what? I did, prior installation of the WU, remove all addons I have around LSZB.

59 minutes ago, Bunchy said:

Not for me.

I have simwings version and I searched EDDM in content manager. It found two versions, one simwings and the other part of WU XVIII. However, when I uninstalled EDDM as part of the WUXVIII, it uninstalled the entire world update.

Thanks for the warning. I wanted to start to delete the duplicate airports but upon selecting EDDM I noticed the size was almost as large as the entire WU. After doublechecking I had the correct view in the Content Manager I decided to do it later, hoping a restart of MSFS would sort that out.
I might have tried regardless if I hadn't read your post.

Hopefully it will be cleared up soon.

UPDATE: after restarting MSFS, the Microsoft version of EDDM shows up in Content Manger as just 2,97 GB so I hope it is OK now.

Edited August 22, 20241 yr by orchestra_nl

Ok, first impression after flying around in Switzerland: disappointing. Colours of ground textures are not even close to what was shown in the trailer (again false advertisment, dont they finally learn to not use a different build for trailers????) and photogrammetry at least in Bern a joke, again not close to what is shown in the trailer. DEM on contrary is faboulous, there it really shines.

1 hour ago, Bunchy said:

It found two versions, one simwings and the other part of WU XVIII. However, when I uninstalled EDDM as part of the WUXVIII, it uninstalled the entire world update.

Then you did something wrong. On my installastion it showed EDDM as having 2.7GB and upon selecting this alone to deinstall it only deinstalled EDDM and nothing else.

Anyone else find the Rhone River at Sion missing water and, instead, looking like it is filled with sand for as far as the eye can see?

 

 

1 hour ago, Bunchy said:

....I have simwings version and I searched EDDM in content manager. It found two versions, one simwings and the other part of WU XVIII. However, when I uninstalled EDDM as part of the WUXVIII, it uninstalled the entire world update.....

You have to be careful when uninstalling individual entries of World Updates. I made exactly the same mistake after I had installed World Update XVII, and ended up uninstalling everything but the airport that I wanted to remove.

Here what I wrote in a FB group in German, translated with chatGPT, i'll put the original german text below

_________________________________

World Update - The New bespoke Airports: A Comparison

This update focuses on the airports of Munich, Salzburg, and Bern-Belp. First of all, I must say that all three airports turned out well. However, it's worth noting that there are Payware alternatives for all three airports from well-known developers, which I "ironically" own. Therefore, I quickly flew around with the drone camera to compare the World Update airports with the Payware airports. The videos are currently uploading and processing, so I'll start with a written review, and the videos will follow in the comments.

Important: I wasn't able to check the accuracy of the markings in just a few minutes, so this comparison is solely based on visual impressions.

1. Munich: Asobo (Gaya?) vs. Sim-Wings

This one is tricky. I would say that Gaya's version looks slightly more realistic at the passenger terminals, with lots of glass and parallax effects, nice textures, and a more detailed "Gazebo" between the terminals, including waving flags. On the other hand, Sim-Wings’ version looks somewhat more old-fashioned in terms of modeling in that area.

In terms of passenger terminals, I’d say Gaya has the edge, although Sim-Wings also holds up well.

Moving over to the cargo area, Gaya's version frustrated me. While the cargo gates in Sim-Wings' version are labeled with letters, following Google Earth, Gaya inexplicably labeled them with "Fratch" instead of "Fracht," which is the correct German word. Furthermore, the visitor center, where a Super Connie, a Ju, and a DC3 are displayed in reality and in Sim-Wings' version, is populated by two random DC3s in Gaya's version, although Gaya does include a playground next to it.

What I can't verify myself, but have heard from others, is that Asobo/Gaya represents an older construction state than Sim-Wings. So, recent changes are better reflected in the Sim-Wings version.

My verdict: Since I bought Sim-Wings and like its aesthetics, I'll stick with it. However, Gaya shows great potential, and for a free offering, it's indeed a fantastic airport.

2. Bern-Belp: Asobo vs. Orbx

Bern-Belp is a relatively small airport that’s easy to assess. Both versions are well done but differ fundamentally in one aspect: static airplanes and ground clutter. While the Asobo version looks nice and definitely has better runway textures, it feels a bit sterile. Orbx, on the other hand, has planes, helicopters in the heli-hangar, and people placed around, making the environment feel more alive.

Although the diving tower and slide are missing from the adjacent swimming pool in the Orbx version, I also lean towards Orbx for now. If you don't like static aircraft and people, then Asobo is the way to go.

3. Salzburg: DigitalDesign vs. RDPresets vs. Asobo

I’ll leave DigitalDesign out of the comparison for now, as it was one of the "best" payware airports in 2021, but visually, things have moved on since then.

The Asobo Salzburg airport looks fantastic, especially the landside of the terminal, which is far ahead of the other two alternatives. One drawback (for all three versions) is that the new Salzburg photogrammetry is somewhat "cut off" at some spots near the airport.

The runway, apron, and airside terminal are about as good in RDPresets' version, but Asobo's is a bit closer to reality when compared to Google Earth.

Clear victory for Asobo? Well, not quite. It depends on how much you value the Red Bull Hangar being modeled with Red Bull aircraft, F1 cars, and tourists. Only RDPresets has this level of detail.

In conclusion: Serious pilots might opt for Asobo, while playful simmers who love small details will likely prefer RDPresets' Red Bull Hangar.

All in all, Asobo, Gaya, and the other developers have delivered solid content. If you don't already own these airports as Payware, there's probably no need to purchase them now, unless you want the specific features that only Payware provides.

I hope this helps some of you with your decision-making.
Paul

______________________________________________________

World Update - die neuen maßgeschneiderten Airports.

Hier geht es um die Airports München, Salzburg und Bern-Belp.

Erst einmal finde ich, dass alle drei Airports gut gelungen sind. Nun wissen wir aber, dass es für alle drei Airports von namhaften Entwicklern Payware-Alternativen gibt, die ich "lustigerweise" alle besitze. Deshalb bin ich mal schnell mit der Drohnenkamera herum geflogen und habe World Update Flughafen mit Payware Flughafen verglichen. Die Videos laden hoch, werden aber noch ewig processen, deswegen erst einmal in Schrift und die Videos später in den Kommentaren.

Wichtig: ich kann in den paar Minuten nicht auf Richtigkeit der Markierungen testen, hier geht es allein um den optischen Eindruck

1.) München. Asobo (Gaya?) vs Sim-Wings.

Ganz schwierige Kiste. Ich würde sagen, Gaya sieht bei den Passagierterminals etwas realistischer aus. Viel Verglasung mit Parallaxeffekten, schöne Texturen, Der "Gazebo" zwischen den Terminals ist bei Gaya deutlich detaillierter, Flaggen wehen, etc, während Sim-wings dort etwas altmodischer modelliert aussieht.

Beim Passenger Terminal würde ich sagen, hat Gaya die Nase vorn, obwohl Sim-Wings sich auch nicht verstecken muss.

Jetzt rüber in die Cargo-Area. Hier musste ich mich dann tatsächlich über Gaya ärgern. Während die Cargo Gates bei Sim-Wings analog Google Earth einfach mit Buchstaben beschriftet sind, steht bei Gaya daneben an allen Gates noch "Fratch", weil "Fracht" so ein schwieriges Wort ist.

Daneben beim Besucherzentrum stehen in Realität und bei Simwings eine Super Connie, eine Ju und eine DC3, bei Gaya sind lieblos 2x DC3 hingesetzt worden. Dafür hat Gaya dann aber einen Spielplatz daneben.

Was ich selbst nicht überprüfen kann, aber schon von anderen gehört habe, ist dass Asobo/Gaya einen älteren Bauzustand abbildet als Simwings. Also Dinge, die sich vor kurzem geändert haben, sind bei Simwings besser repräsentiert.

Mein Fazit: Da ich Sim-Wings gekauft habe und die Optik auch irgendwie mag, bleibe ich bei Sim-Wings.

Gaya hat aber absolut Potenzial und für einen geschenkten Gaul ist es echt ein toller Flughafen.

2.) Bern Belp. Asobo vs Orbx.

Bern Belp ist ein relativ kleiner Airport, den hat man schnell durchgeschaut. Hier sind auch beide Versionen gelungen, sie unterscheiden sich allerdings fundamental in einer Sache: Static Airplanes und Ground clutter. Die Asobo version sieht zwar schön aus und hat definitiv die besseren Runway Texturen, ist aber etwas steril. Bei Orbx stehen Flugzeuge rum , Helikopter im Heli-Hangar, Menschen sind platziert, so dass das ganze etwas lebendiger wirkt.

Bei Orbx fehlen beim angrenzenden Schwimmbad zwar der Sprungturm und die Rutsche, aber ich tendiere hier ebenfalls erstmal, bei Orbx zu bleiben.

Wer keine Lust auf static aircraft und Leute hat, der ist mit Asobo bestens beraten.

3.) Salzburg. DigitalDesign vs RDPresets vs Asobo

Ich lasse Digitaldesign erst einmal außen vor, war 2021 zwar einer der "besten" payware-airports, aber optisch hat sich seitdem doch etwas getan.

Der Asobo Airport Salzburg sieht ganz fantastisch aus. Insbesondere Landside vom Terminal ist er den beiden Alternativen weit voraus. Was (für alle 3 Alternativen) etwas negativ auffällt, ist, dass die neue Salzburg Photogrammetrie an manchen an den Flughafen grenzenden Stellen "abgeschnitten" ist.

Runway, Apron und Airside Terminal sind bei RDPresets in etwa genau so gut, im Vergleich zu Google Earth ist Asobo aber noch etwas näher an der Wahrheit.

Klarer Sieg für Asobo? Tja, nicht wirklich. Es kommt nun darauf an, wie großen Wert ihr darauf legt, dass der "Red Bull Hangar" mit Red Bull Flugzeugen, F1-Boliden und Touristen modelliert ist. Das ist er nämlich in dieser Detailtreue nur bei RDPresets.

Also, ich würde sagen, der ernsthafte Pilot nimmt jetzt Asobo, und der verspielte, kleine Details liebende Simmer strahlt beim Blick in den RDPresets Red Bull Hangar.

Abschließend würde ich sagen, gelungener Content von Asobo, Gaya und den Mitstreitern.

Wenn man noch keinen dieser Airports als Payware besitzt, muss man nun wahrscheinlich keine Payware mehr kaufen, außer man will genau die Eigenschaften, die nur die Payware bietet.

Hoffe, ich kann damit manchen bei der Entscheidung helfen,

Paul

Have most of the aerials been updated as well?

18 minutes ago, scotchegg said:

Have most of the aerials been updated as well?

I can't speak for the whole region, but from the looks of it, yes. In the dev stream Jörg mentioned that these will be the aerials that will ship with MSFS24.

I just took a short gander at the Hohe Salve in Austria, because I have been just in the region on vacation 2 Weeks ago.

What a beautifully modeled POI of the structures on the summit. The icing on the cake are the two cable car lifts that go up there, both fully animated even to the detail that the gondolas slow down to walking speed as they enter the stations.

Now I only have to figure out if there is a way for them to override Mammudesign's Project Lifts because now I have double lifts there.

 

@flyingpaul1980 Hey Paul, I have the DigitalDesign LOWS. Of course I could just compare them myself, but what would you say, which is better? Especially when it comes to ground markings and actual parking spots for the AI. 

Edited August 22, 20241 yr by Farlis

I have to say I'm very happy with the rendition of the three airports included in the WU18 package. They all blend very well together with the Map Enhancement Tool and the most recent Bing Maps, apart of being very well detailed to my liking. Congrats to Asobo/MS.

Everything updated today in less than 10 minutes, with a d/l speed of 270 Mbps at peak.

Edited August 22, 20241 yr by edpatino

At least for me, downloads continue to be blazing fast.