NZFF

MegaSceneryEarth 2.0, the world's largest photoreal scenery project for Microsoft Flight Simulator in history has succeeded in producing photoreal scenery for the entire Continental USA + Hawaii area in under one calendar year. This represents close to 10 million square kilometres of UNIQUE photoreal scenery.

Now the MegaSceneryEarth project is spreading its wings to other parts of the globe to deliver the photoreal scenery experience to a wider audience.

Expected to be released next week is MegaSceneryEarth 2.0 Switzerland.
Covering the full country, this package will feature high-resolution 50cm/pixel photoscenery for the 15,940 Square Miles of Switzerland!

MegaSceneryEarth 2.0 Switzerland will be offered as a download product, utilising the super-fast MSE servers for rapid product delivery, or with the option of backup DVD mailed to you for a small additional cost.

We will release more details shortly, but in the meantime, here are some screenshots taken direct from the MSE 2.0 Switzerland package using the "V" key (i.e. unedited except to add image information). Images show default mesh with REX clouds.

Gooooolly , entire Switzerland absolutely superb for your Swizz air force Mirage antics ... still no autogen tho

Ian Warren wrote:

QUOTE (Ian Warren @ Sep 26 2013,8:03 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Gooooolly , entire Switzerland absolutely superb for your Swizz air force Mirage antics ... still no autogen tho

Can't autogen photoreal on these scales. Not effectively and accurately anyway.... And timewise, its not viable either.
Don't worry we have had people try to... And the net result didnt look that good IMO.


The good thing though is that most airport add-ons will work fine with this type of photoreal scenery "out of the box".

Dean wrote:

QUOTE (Dean @ Sep 27 2013,12:01 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Can't autogen photoreal on these scales. Not effectively and accurately anyway....

You would be surprised , It is timewise tho that is true .. maybe Hawaii

Ian Warren wrote:

QUOTE (Ian Warren @ Sep 26 2013,11:14 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You would be surprised , It is timewise tho that is true .. maybe Hawaii

Send me examples please of where it has been done (well) on large scale! Keen to see!

Dean wrote:

QUOTE (Dean @ Sep 27 2013,2:51 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Send me examples please of where it has been done (well) on large scale! Keen to see!

Well if you count the areas ive completed over the years . what you would do is target any small towns villages first and airport surround - i do wonder if i still have the AGN forHawaii i did for the earlier Mega scenery , that period went onto another NZ scenery dated about five years back.

Ian Warren wrote:

QUOTE (Ian Warren @ Sep 27 2013,11:40 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well if you count the areas ive completed over the years . what you would do is target any small towns villages first and airport surround - i do wonder if i still have the AGN forHawaii i did for the earlier Mega scenery , that period went onto another NZ scenery dated about five years back.

Fair enough

I'm thinking "large scale" as in complete autogen coverage for 20,000+ square miles of unique imagery! I know it can be done, but it can't be done on the time scale that makes it commercially viable, without charging customers an absolute fortune for that scenery area.

France VFR do a fantastic job of this kind of thing.
Randomly picking their Alsace scenery: it is 10,000 sq. km fully autogenned.

The only bit of FSX scenery I ever bought was the very expensive and overrated Switzerland Pro.
It also did not have autogen.

Dean wrote:

QUOTE (Dean @ Sep 27 2013,4:08 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Fair enough

I'm thinking "large scale" as in complete autogen coverage for 20,000+ square miles of unique imagery! I know it can be done,

When doing the large clean photo areas I was working so at time is was in my spear time , other way of doing it is selling the work and having it open to agn updates to keep the interest , i ve out promoting art today tho no sale yet its gathering thoughts and its those that make it happen ! fact is everything i have done was freely given away to scenery design groups , be surprised to see what would happen if i was payed for it !

This might be the perfect opportunity for someone to create an autogen add-on for a MSE region and sell it on their own accord. We can't stop you doing that, as long as you are not modifying the original MSE textures, using our copyrighted work or branding etc... Feel free to give it a go if you wish

As a side note to the topic, I am going to investigate how well the OpenVFR autogen project integrates into MSE Switzerland to add autogen objects. Could be interesting!

Charl wrote:

QUOTE (Charl @ Sep 27 2013,5:22 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The only bit of FSX scenery I ever bought was the very expensive and overrated Switzerland Pro.
It also did not have autogen.

If we are thinking about the same Switzerland Professional, than I believe you might be mistaken. It does use autogen, and quite well in my opinion.
I would certainly take a lower base resolution with autogen over MSE without it. I only use photoscenery areas with autogen, I can't stand entirely flat photoreal sceneries (personal preference, nothing against MSE).

Intrance wrote:

QUOTE (Intrance @ Sep 27 2013,10:56 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

If we are thinking about the same Switzerland Professional, than I believe you might be mistaken. It does use autogen, and quite well in my opinion.
I would certainly take a lower base resolution with autogen over MSE without it. I only use photoscenery areas with autogen, I can't stand entirely flat photoreal sceneries (personal preference, nothing against MSE).

Jasper , best we send you a couple of links .. WanganguiX with the added 'H' .. silly New Zealand joke .. and the other NZFF Team scenery effort ChristchurchX .. hi res photo , all this payware and we are doing it better than the big names out there !

Intrance wrote:

QUOTE (Intrance @ Sep 27 2013,9:56 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

If we are thinking about the same Switzerland Professional, than I believe you might be mistaken

You are right and I'm talking rubbish. I loaded up the FS9 version, and even that has autogen!
(I don't have FSX anywhere at present)



I must've had the glaciers imprinted on my memory. which to be fair was some time back.
Still my overriding impression was one of disappointment for the money; perhaps it's not an easy scenery to make.

Looking at that Charl , it still looks better than CFS1 , flying over Interlaken this is ways ways ways better than back when MS combat flight sim was invented

Ooh that is a backhander... I agree, and it looks better than FS5, too!

Let me show you what I mean:
I look for accuracy, best resolution possible (In FS9 you need to keep a little distance)
But most of all, the SENSE of it.
Autogen is a given for immersion in a scenery, otherwise just take a whirl in Google Earth's flightsim addon and be done..

It must have local flavour, and most of all, fit into the sense of the area.
That includes textures that are commensurate, not just Eye Candy.
And logical connection between base photo and objects, not just stuff plopped in.

Here's an example of France VFR - Pyrenees.
Just compare the inset of the real Saint Girons, it's like going there in the sim.



That's what you want ... the SENSE of it.

Charl wrote:

QUOTE (Charl @ Sep 28 2013,12:05 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

But most of all, the SENSE of it.
Autogen is a given for immersion in a scenery, otherwise just take a whirl in Google Earth's flightsim addon and be done..



That's what you want ... the SENSE of it.

YOU nailed it , tho photo-real if brought up in the region , pretty much no who live there and no the specific landmarks ... that only has to be an old tree .. then your home !

Ian Warren wrote:

QUOTE (Ian Warren @ Sep 27 2013,1:59 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Jasper , best we send you a couple of links .. WanganguiX with the added 'H' .. silly New Zealand joke .. and the other NZFF Team scenery effort ChristchurchX .. hi res photo , all this payware and we are doing it better than the big names out there !

Hiya Ian, I've seen the Whanganui thread and it looks great. I'm at work for the next three weeks or so, away from home. After that I'll have two weeks off. I'll look forward to installing it if it's done by then.

Intrance wrote:

QUOTE (Intrance @ Sep 30 2013,9:27 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hiya Ian, I've seen the Whanganui thread and it looks great. I'm at work for the next three weeks or so, away from home. After that I'll have two weeks off. I'll look forward to installing it if it's done by then.

If it is not out , give us a nudge nudge wink wink and i'll get it across to ya