I like FS Altitude

[Manny 1,293]

OK.. I had ordered FS Altitude a while ago and I received the package with the 3 DVD..but then couple of days prior I had received an e-mail saying two disks in that package is faulty and they are cutting new DVDs and would be mailed out. So I put it aside. Of course they also later offered a free VFR France scenery for this small mishap (Thats what I call customer service).Well...today I received new DVDs and I got to install them. and took a flight around.WOW! I am impressed and like it. Mind you..it has some quirks...and I can live with that. But overall.. I think this is awesome product for long haul flights. Whenever I used to do long haul flights.. I always have my screen looking at the aircraft and the sky and never the "phony" and repetitive ground. No more.I can now fly across Europe on an airliner with an amazing vista view of the land. No need for any high detailed terrain... This gives you the high detailed terrain from Altitude.The quirk that I was talking about is....the cone or circle of view around the aircraft. This circle always displays whats underneath the FS Altitude texture. Most likely your default texture or you high resolution addon texture that you may have. But then sitting and looking in front of you like you would piloting an aircraft that is not visible so a non issue for the most part..unless you are in a steep diving turn.As you approach , there is that illusion break when it breaks from this FS Altitude texture to what is underneath. This part is not all that great. But I think its a great compromise and I can live with it.At night... I am not able to quite make out..what exactly is happening. When you are low, then obviously you are seeing your default night views...lights an all. And then as you climb out to over 22K , you have this FS altitude texture and you still have lights around the circle of the aircraft. But more at a lateral view, Am I seeing just dark textures or do I see some lights.. I am unable to tell either way. I need to test this out a little more. I think I see lights at a distance too. (I am not 100% sure). Overall, even Night ain't bad. Mind you. I have done this with unlimited visibility and no clouds. IF had set it up with some limited visibility and clouds, then even these little quirks I mention would be considerably reduced.No FPS Penalty. And for FSX thats an important ingredient.Mannyhttp://forums.avsim.net/user_files/186287.jpgI would love to have the entire US like this. And then have Megascenery high resolution below for taking off and landing at different places. Add good Autogens to those locations and addon airports.. I don't need any default anything.:)

[Dougal 165]

Looks good. What altitude does it kick in at?

[Manny 1,293]

Hi Dougal. Now, I can't recall. I think..it appears even when you are on the ground and the distant location is a mountain of sorts..Otherwise..as you start climbing 5K or so..you may notice it at a distance and slowly it comes closer and closer.Manny

[Manny 1,293]

I saw this on their website."Further editions of other world scenery will be progressively available from summer 2008."http://www.fsaltitude.com/index.htmBut it does not say what else we could get in the future? Anyone has any ideas?North America, Sub Saharan Africa and Asia/South Asia would be nice! Asia and Africa have been so neglected, it would be nice to fly over those places.Manny

[Guest Bud]

Hello MannyGood to see your post about this. It's a product I've been very interested in. If you could help with one thing, the cone or circle of view you refer to, does this remain a constant size, or does it expand or contract as you change altitude.Bud

[Petraeus 147]

If you could help with one thing, the>cone or circle of view you refer to, does this remain a>constant size, or does it expand or contract as you change>altitude.>>BudIt is a constant size, and so appears to the eye to be larger and larger the closer you get to the ground. On the ground it's all you'll see, unless there are distant mountains in which case they will be covered by the photoreal texture.Petraeus

[Manny 1,293]

Petraeus,Does FS Altitude have a forum for this? I really would like know which file covers which area. So I can remove some of the files. I have Horizon UK. and I have Germany West (Most likely I'll get all of them as they release it). I also have NL (FS9 version high rez textures in FSX). I want FS Altitutde to ignore these areas.Manny

[moggel 0]

Whoha! I just checked out their site (I had never heard of this product before) and realized the prize is a whooping

[Guest SIDDickDastardly]

I'm really interested in this product too, but have been a bit put off by the idea of the cone of default textures below your aircraft. If anyone who's bought it could answer the following questions I'd be very grateful:1. Is there any way to reduce the size of the cone of default textures below your a/c or to eliminate it entirely (perhaps by reducing your level of detail radius or texture resolution)?2. Christian Buchner mentioned the possibility of combining FSAltitude with Tileproxy so all the distant textures would be from FSAltitude whilst Tileproxy would handle just the nearby high res ones (thereby reducing the load on Tileproxy and presumably making it easier for it to keep the nearby textures sharp). Has anyone tried this and what were the results like?3. If you have high-res photosceneries placed higher in your scenery library than FSAltitude, do they block it when you're flying in the area they cover?4. How good are the coastlines/water masks in FSAltitude?Cheers,DD

[Manny 1,293]

>I'm really interested in this product too, but have been a>bit put off by the idea of the cone of default textures below>your aircraft. If anyone who's bought it could answer the>following questions I'd be very grateful:>>1. Is there any way to reduce the size of the cone of default>textures below your a/c or to eliminate it entirely (perhaps>by reducing your level of detail radius or texture>resolution)?>I don't believe so.. The cone of default texture is needed and it has its purpose. Without it...as you descend, you would see the low resolution flat photo textures. ..which is not what you want..You ant the autogens or the other high resolution photo sceneriess with autogens that you may have. Why would you want to cover those? The purpose of FS Altitude is to have nice photo textures for a large area when you are flying high. This product does not complete with high resolution ptho sceneries like Mega scenery or Horizon UK or Aerosofts Germany or even VFR Frances French Alps.>2. Christian Buchner mentioned the possibility of combining>FSAltitude with Tileproxy so all the distant textures would be>from FSAltitude whilst Tileproxy would handle just the nearby>high res ones (thereby reducing the load on Tileproxy and>presumably making it easier for it to keep the nearby textures>sharp). Has anyone tried this and what were the results like?>Hmm...don't know this one.>3. If you have high-res photosceneries placed higher in your>scenery library than FSAltitude, do they block it when you're>flying in the area they cover?>I just checked. It also answered my own question that I posted here.Yes. It would, provided the high resolution photo scenery was made for FSX and not using the FS9 method.I just checked with Horizon's VFR UK as well as with Aerosoft's Germany West. Earlier I had the FS Altitutde scenery on top and it didn't quite work out untilk I moved FS altitiude down.>4. How good are the coastlines/water masks in FSAltitude?>The water masks are fine for the coasts ..atleast what I have seen so far. But for the inland waters. if those water bodies lie on the edge of the circle, there is a difference there. Not a biggie but since you asked.>Cheers,>DD

[Dirk98 354]

Very interesting, thanks for posting.

[Guest Bud]

PetraeusThanks for that. So, what you seem to say is that it is this 'cone' which represents the transition to default texture as you come in to land. If this is the case, then presumably the external view from the cockpit will change at a speed relative to the rate of descent. On the other hand I may have completely misunderstood.Bud

[Manny 1,293]

Some more screen shots here.It's both, FS Altitude and VFR France's Northern Alps Sceneryhttp://forums.avsim.net/dcboard.phpManny

[Manny 1,293]

sorry..wrong link.http://forums.avsim.net/dcboard.php?az=sho...id=270359&page=

[markturner 0]

The cone you and FS Altitude refer to is not really a cone but a circle of missing custom textures, through which the default ground and autogen show. This circle is nothing else but a missing LOD (Level of details) that FSX is not able to load right under your airplane. The circle has a fixed size diameter and can not be reduced or enlarged. The only way to close that circle is to have custom ground textures compiled at a LOD of min 13.This is the explanation given by the guys at VERO-FS who, and many of you may know, are producing high-resolution photo realistic scenery for the US territory, starting from California.They also told me that they are going to produce a special "high altitude" package for VA pilots. This package will be made of lower resolution textures at LOD 13 (closing the hole) with seasonal, hard winter and night variations.The package will include the same autogen used for their high-resolution package (LOD 15 = 1 mt/pixel AND LOD 17 = 30cm/pixel ground textures!).Of course the ground textures will look blurred and grainy at low altitude but, listen to this one... they will release a special DAYLIGHT + NIGHT HIGH ALTITUDE package that will be released for FREE!!!I have beta tested a 10,000 sq.km area of this new package and it looks wonderful above 5000" AGL.I have FSAltitude and compared to the new Vero product, it is a no brainer, the Vero wins hands down, the textures are higher Res, its free, it has seasons and just works better. Cheers, Mark