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FTX England versus Generation X, UK2000 Airports and Treescapes


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I don't want to re-ignite any of the debate about FTX England, but I have a question and need to explain the background.

I am a long-time user of Horizon's Gen-X scenery, in conjunction with UK2000 airports. I love being able to identify real-world features and have been willing to put up with the 2-dimensional limitations of photo real scenery. I did buy FTX England, and have given it a trial for the last few weeks. Two of my online flying friends are big fans (as am I when it comes to ORBX's other products - NZ being a particular favourite). However, I am about to return to Gen-X as I can't stop myself noticing the things which *aren't* there which should be rather than concentrating on the things which *are* there.

I have realised that the addition of Treescapes would probably be as good a compromise as it's possible to get at the moment. That is, correct feature placement and a 3rd dimension. I've read the Feb 2011 review, which is very complimentary, so am close to making an order, which is going to cost me £40 for all three south-of-the-border volumes.

So - before I part with the cash, does anyone have any significant negative (or positive) comments on the use of Treescapes? And, rather cheekily, would anyone with Treescapes installed be kind enough to post a screenshot or two of my neck of the woods - the area just south of Taunton in Somerset and north of my local airfield, Dunkeswell (EGTU)?

Thanks in advance,

Mark Halliwell

(Visual_Purple)

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Hi Mark,

I haven't got TreeScapes installed at the moment as I am presently migrating to P3D and only have default scenery installed on FSX otherwise I would be more than happy to oblige.

Why not make a quick post of ES forums, it's full of TreeScapes users! http://www.earthsimulations.com/Forum/viewforum.php?f=9

I feel sure you will be impressed, at my local farm strip, which I have flown from, you have to aim for a clump of trees and circle them to get on the runway heading and it is there in TS too.

Recommended by me.

Regards...

Joe

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Mark - some screenshots - Leaving EGTU:

Leaving_EGTU.jpg

Cockpit view (Dodo-Sim):

Cockpit_View_EGTU.jpg

Disused airfield NE EGTU:

Disused_Airfield_NE_EGTU.jpg

Culmhead - WWII RAF airfield:

RAF_Culmhead.jpg

Nearing Taunton:

Nearing_Taunton.jpg

Taunton:

Taunton.jpg

Cockpit view:

Taunton_Cockpit_View.jpg

Low level external view near Taunton:

Taunton_Low_Level.jpg

Treescapes works for me - couldn't do without it with Gen-X. Hope the screen shots help...

Cheers - Dai. :cool:

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Thanks chaps - that's really helpful. And thanks, particularly Dai, for the screenies. (My lat/long is 50* 59.8N, 3*07.3W Kevin.)

Actually, although I may well still go for it, I have to say that for flying at the low altitudes in these screenies I'm not altogether convinced. I think you have to be at a certain height where you are looking down on the trees, otherwise it's a bit strange seeing them 'above' what are obviously buildings, like in the last shot. Hmmmmmm...

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I'll do some shots around that position tomorrow morning for you...

The great thing about Treescapes is that it is all autogen though, so should you get an odd tree in a wholly inappropriate place you can always edit with the SDK to remove them.

Also worth bearing in mind is that the England Treescapes are due very soon to be updated using custom tree autogen to the same standard as Scotland. That will make them more varied, correctly sized and far more like Shawbury Fields than the existing trees.

Cheers

K

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Mark,

What we really need is for Earth Simulations to release an upgrade for the Treescapes trees in England and Wales. The Scotland Treescapes trees have more variety, and they are also correctly scaled. The England & Wales Treescapes trees are currently too large, and they all look quite similar. This is far better than none at all, but after seeing the Scotland trees, I am desperate to get these upgraded!

I just hope that we don't have to wait too long. Darren has been very quiet for the past year, which is not like him at all. I had hoped that the Isle of Man scenery package would have been released by now, or even just an update on progress. Sadly, nothing but silence on the ES forum....

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A tad harsh britfrog dont you think? :) We know Darren has not been 100% all this year and has also been subject (we surmise) to a NDA while working with Orbx...Darren and Vikki are not a huge company and whilst we'd all appreciate any scrap of info being the ravenously hungry for new releases bunch of FS enthusiasts that we are, now's probably not the right time for putting the boot in, if indeed any time is right for that? Hope you're having a great Christmas! :)

K

Cheers and best wishes

K

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im not putting the boot in just saying it as see them and how they treat their clients.

If you back over John venemas posts ,if he hasnt deleted them, you will find one that clearly states that orbyx england airports will work wih existing programs, which in fact it doesnt he clearly stated that they would work with generation x which they dont you will also find a post that said that Darren and co were hopefully going to be working with orbyx as he had written an interesting program allowing other programs to link with england, the result? guernsey doesnt work with ftx england and now JV says that they made a strategic decision not to allow ftx england airports to work on anything but ftx england scenery, whetehr es are working with orbyx or not is no concern of mine i have already explained my displeasure with ES on other threads and that is now history, but putting the boot in? i think not

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Thanks chaps - that's really helpful. And thanks, particularly Dai, for the screenies. (My lat/long is 50* 59.8N, 3*07.3W Kevin.)

Actually, although I may well still go for it, I have to say that for flying at the low altitudes in these screenies I'm not altogether convinced. I think you have to be at a certain height where you are looking down on the trees, otherwise it's a bit strange seeing them 'above' what are obviously buildings, like in the last shot. Hmmmmmm...

Hope I got the location right...otherwise my vfr navigation skills will leave something to be desired! Here's some of where I think you're interested in...?

Dunkeswelle1_zps645c0475.jpg

Dunkeswelle2_zps6b339f98.jpg

Dunkeswelle3_zpsd11dd568.jpg

Dunkeswelle4_zps59095ef1.jpg

Devon4_zps3c26521e.jpg

Devon3_zpsac1a88fc.jpg

Devon2_zpsad532593.jpg

Devon1_zps7e51f443.jpg

Cheers

k

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I appreciate everything that Darren and Vicki have done for me and the flightsim community as a whole over the past three or four years. They have released a handful of truly excellent products, and I really wouldn't want to fly without them. However, I became used to Darren being communicative (with both myself via PM, and also on the forum), which is why I am baffled by the almost complete silence over the past year. Obviously the FTX England saga "interfered with normal proceedings" (so to speak), and also Darren's ill health early in the year. However, I have been looking forward to ES Isle of Man for a long time, and I would really appreciate an informative update (as opposed to one that states "development is progressing") :rolleyes: Can we expect it in the next month? Maybe a spring release? Or (heaven forbid), are we going to be greeted with complete silence for yet another year?

I really hope that Darren is OK :huh:

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Christopher - Thanks for the tip about the scaling of the England trees. I certainly get the impression that they can look a little large compared to the (flat) buildings. Having said that, in many areas - particularly the more rural ones - they add significantly to the overall look of the landscape.

Kevin - Thank you for the screenshots. Yes, you've found just the right area, from Dunkeswell north(ish) to my house on the outskirts of Taunton. Much appreciated. :thum:

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