I have been reading that the Map enhancement mod adds realistic ground scenery for XP12. My question is, is there a way to get buildings, etc, placed on this scenery too? 

Yes, by downloading SimHeaven.  Regions for the whole world are available.

2 hours ago, MrBitstFlyer said:

Yes, by downloading SimHeaven.  Regions for the whole world are available.

Problem with SimHaven is they look like cookie cutter cartoon looking buildings, they don't look realistic at all. Would be a great improvement to XP12 if we had better looking buildings with more of a variety. 

1 hour ago, Mike_CFII_MEL said:

Problem with SimHaven is they look like cookie cutter cartoon looking buildings

True. The thing is, if you're more interested in the flying itself, then what matters most, at least in my opinion, are the flight dynamics, weather, lighting, and life: road traffic, trains, airborne traffic, and good night lighting. These elements give me that immersive sense of actually being there. As long as those are well done, the autogen plays more of a supporting role. It helps with immersion, but it's not something I need to focus on directly.

MSFS does currently have the edge when it comes to autogen, especially with the building shadows that help everything feel grounded, so it’s arguably better suited for really low-level flying.  I’ll admit, the autogen was one thing that kept me in MSFS for a while. But after giving XP12 a solid few days of testing, I found the autogen became less of a priority. The overall sense of presence and atmosphere in XP12 just felt stronger to me.

I’m definitely looking forward to seeing what Laminar does with autogen in future updates—it’ll be exciting to watch it evolve.

6 hours ago, Bobsk8 said:

I have been reading that the Map enhancement mod adds realistic ground scenery for XP12. My question is, is there a way to get buildings, etc, placed on this scenery too? 

If you want some help reducing the haze with live weather, just ask 🙂

15 hours ago, Mike_CFII_MEL said:

Problem with SimHaven is they look like cookie cutter cartoon looking buildings, they don't look realistic at all. Would be a great improvement to XP12 if we had better looking buildings with more of a variety. 

I dont think they are that bad to be honest. Sometimes looks pretty good. 

7 hours ago, Ianrivaldosmith said:

I dont think they are that bad to be honest. Sometimes looks pretty good. 

In small rural areas where the buildings are spread out they don't look bad, but come in to the big cities like NY on the parkway visual in to KJFK and they look cartoonish with a cookie cutter look to them.

 

So, let's compare the buildings - which picture is "better"* (serious question)? That's just one example: I have other and more comparisons which I can post later.

^*Resolution and explanation will follow.

Hi,

Just off of John F. Kennedy in Queens New York. The cookie cutter view just doesn't look good.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mrLlovwmgvw23kHJWNKsVD0gwy1W1kBN/view?usp=sharing

53 minutes ago, flying_carpet said:

So, let's compare the buildings - which picture is "better"* (serious question)? That's just one example: I have other and more comparisons which I can post later.

I'd prefer the buildings from MS (lower pic) with the clarity of XP12.

Edited August 1, 2025Aug 1 by Mike_CFII_MEL

1 hour ago, Mike_CFII_MEL said:

Hi,

Just off of John F. Kennedy in Queens New York. The cookie cutter view just doesn't look good.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mrLlovwmgvw23kHJWNKsVD0gwy1W1kBN/view?usp=sharing

I see what you mean now about that. I don’t fly in the USA, only Europe mainly. I’ve never seen this in Europe. 

It can look good 

 

14 hours ago, tonywob said:

It can look good

Very nice shots. Do you have any tree addon installed? I like the density of the forests.

18 hours ago, flying_carpet said:

which picture is "better"* (serious question)?

I prefer the MSFS one. I like the ground textures and trees better, although there seem to be too many of them.

47 minutes ago, Rimshot said:

Very nice shots. Do you have any tree addon installed? I like the density of the forests.

I think Tony has his own secret recipe …