A couple of favourite VLC beta shots...

[toprob]

[Ian Warren]

To see is to .. well I agree , The entire country

[dbcunnz]

Looking real good Rob can't wait until all NZ is done looks better than the FTX Ausie scenery that I have

[AndrewJamez]

You May be waiting a while. Untill some one creates there own custom landclass textures like orbx, nz will always have a MSFS look to it. Not to put anyones work down though, i think timmo's work is awsome and is far beyond what anyone has done in NZ reguarding a decent mesh and landclass and i will be in the qeue to buy it when it comes out but there are a few default textures that dont blend well and have that spotty transition and deserty look that will always spoil the look of things. Everyone knows that Orbx has an upcoming NZ release late 2010/early 2011, I hope they don't steal all the thunder because they are certainly in a class of there own.

[Ian Warren]

QUOTE (AndrewJamez @ Apr 28 2010, 02:18 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Everyone knows that Orbx has an upcoming NZ release late 2010/early 2011, I hope they don't steal all the thunder because they are certainly in a class of there own.

I think they may get knocked down a peg or two !

[toprob]

I don't want to get into comparing VLC and Orbx, as they will be two different things. Tim has said on his blog that VLC will not have the scope of Orbx, but neither will it be a cheap knock-off.
From here on, this is my own opinions, and certainly not any official voice of VLC -- or Real NZ, for that matter.

VLC is first and foremost a Landclass addon. It's right there in the name -- Vector Land Class:) The 'desert' look of the default FSX is 90% due to the low resolution land classification, rather than the textures themselves. Take a look at the Papamoa shots here -- you can see why people were disappointed with the default FSX, but you can also see that with some clever application of vectors it can easily lose the desert-look.

Although VLC won't be a texture-replacement scenery, there's no reason why it couldn't be, further down the track. VLC will include some new textures, to cover the inevitable lack of localised landclass/texture choices, such as NZ bush, so the framework is there already.

The scope for development of NZ in FSX based on VLC is pretty amazing. As I've said, a scenery of this scope only comes along every few years, and up until Orbx's announcement of a NZ down the track I would have expected it to be by far the most popular and successful NZ flightsim product of all time. Still, a bit of competition was always a possibility. This won't affect what VLC will be, but it may affect what it could become. What it comes down to is whether NZ simmers will commit to it.

VLC is Tim's baby, and Tim is a GIS kind of guy. He knows what vectors are, for a start, and he knows how to take topo data into FSX. I see things from a different angle -- to me, 'data' is a robot from Star Trek -- but I do know textures. There are other developers who not only have a unique skillset, but are seriously into NZ scenery as only a local can be. Ian Warren has done a lot of autogen placement for me and others, and in the process has turned autogen placement into an artform. All he needs are some local autogen object libraries and NZ trees, and these will come, once VLC is proven as a solid foundation for future development.

[AndrewJamez]

That made for intersting reading, it is good to see that VLC could be just the beginning of a whole new NZ. I personaly doubt orbx will put in as much effort as there other releases as it will probably be hard to cover there costs for the NZ ftx. I doubt they will come over here and take in all the things that make NZ unique. Just my opinion though.

[Timmo]

As Robin mentioned, we are doing things a bit differently to the Orbx concept- ORBX is all about eye candy (and they do a very good job of that).

VLC is a combination of things that are important to me as an a) Geospatial/Geographical scientist (i.e. my day job), b) as a pilot (well, to be fair I haven't flown for over a year!) and c) as a New Zealander.

In other words, I want VLC to be accurate because I see flightsim as a very powerful tool for learning (i.e. student pilots practicing VFR nav) and visualisation (i.e. VLC is, in effect, a interactive three dimensional topographical map) but I also want it be beautiful to showcase the beauty of the NZ landscape. I don't want to just appeal to people who use the sim for getting a great screenshot (but that is important of course), I also want to appeal to people who use FSX as a way to help them learn to fly.

Further, because VLC covers the whole of NZ it will be the start of an ongoing effort to ensure flight sim is 'As Real As It Gets' in New Zealand.

So, hopefully, with the combination of ideas as to what a good sim should look like from Robin and I (Eye candy + Accuracy), VLC will be a product that NZ can be proud of.

[pilotgallagher01]

AMEN to that Timbo!

I agree with A,B and C

Keep up the good work!

[Ian Warren]

QUOTE (Timmo @ Apr 30 2010, 07:54 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

So, hopefully, with the combination of ideas as to what a good sim should look like from Robin and I (Eye candy + Accuracy), VLC will be a product that NZ can be proud of.

I,m not 'Hope Full' , I want It Done , Tim - This is damn well done , we need a new texture carpet , the eye candy , YES , the blend is in need off repair , the riveting angle not angel of FSX despair of the old default , VLC is the way to be , i have been looking testing and just playing around with the beta in all areas in the Vector Land Class area , i still get umm , Very Impressed !