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Holger Sandmann

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Posts posted by Holger Sandmann

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    QQ about the coming NZ world update

    in Microsoft Flight Simulator

    Posted

    Hi all,

     

    regarding the NZ mesh: the coming World Update will use the same LINZ source data as we did. About a third of the country is covered with 1-m LiDAR data, the remainder with about 10-m resolution.

     

    The difference is that our package is pre-compiled at 10m while the MS version gets streamed at up to the full resolution of the source. Keep in mind though that this means that the sim will load and cycle through three additional levels of detail near the user aircraft, which can cause visible ground changes. In addition, we use different algorithms for generating the embedded LOD levels, which usually helps with retaining terain shapes at mid to far distances.

     

    Once the World Update is released we welcome feedback from existing users; it's a sizeable area to assess for pros and cons.

     

    As for Landmarks Auckland, we have started the process of making it compatible with the new mesh, imagery, watermasking, and photogrammetry. Plus. we're doing the necessary model optimisations to finally release an Xbox version as well.

     

    Given that MS are making changes pretty much to the last minute we won't be ready for Day One but we definitely want to release as soon as possible.

     

    Cheers, Holger

    • Like 11
    • Thanks 4

    Not happy with MSFS Cityscape draw distance and cannot use support login?

    in Microsoft Flight Simulator

    Posted

    Hi there,

     

    actually, MSFS uses a LOD (Level of Detail) system, which allows almost infinite draw distances for custom objects, except they lose detail with increasing distance from the user aircraft.

     

    The user can influence the maximum distance of display with the graphic settings, I believe for custom objects it's primarily the render scaling option. Obviously, your system needs to be able to handle your desired settings.

     

    Here's what I'm seeing from about the same position in your first or second screenshot. All of the custom buildings of Dubai are already showing.

     

    image.png

     

    Cheers, Holger

    • Like 1
    • Thanks 3

    Orbx scenery and Airport design editor

    in FSX and FSX Steam Edition

    Posted

    Hi Rhys,

     

    we're not employing any magic, much as we might like to :)   It all has to go through the standard SDK terrain/object compilers anyway.

     

    However, there are different ways in which trees are placed in FSX and one needs to select the correct approach:

    • Autogen trees on landclass tiles: requires autogen exclusion polygon
    • Vector autogen trees along roads: requires to exclude the road itself, i.e., a road vector exclusion
    • Custom trees placed individually via xml code: requires object exclusion rectangle
    • Autogen trees placed as annotations to orthoimagery: bit more tricky as you'd need to load the corresponding ortho bgl tile into the SDK's Annotator.exe and remove the unwanted trees.

     

    Cheers, Holger

     

    • Thanks 1

    Orbx - MSFS - Adelaide City Scape [Building Issues]

    in Microsoft Flight Simulator

    Posted

    Hi there,

     

    the Oval is part of World Update Australia so you probably don't have it installed. If you haven't done so, you need to "purchase" it for free in the MS Marketplace, at which point it'll appear in your Content Manager for download and installation.

     

    The World Update also provides photogrammetry for Adelaide, which, when active, will show the proper convention center buildings.

     

    Cheers, Holger

    • Like 1

    Landmarks Panama Northern Aerial

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Hi there,

     

    it's part of Landmarks Panama and primarily benefits owners of that product. Our aerial ground imagery for the northern locks of the canal clashes with the maximum file sizes (and file structures) allowed for Marketplace products so we decided to make it available separately.

     

    If you don't have Landmarks Panama (on either Orbx Direct or the MS Marketplace) you're welcome to install it. It'll improve the local ground imagery but lacks everything else that's included with the product.

     

    If you purchase Landmarks Panama on the Marketplace you should also install this package to complete the product.

     

    Cheers, Holger

    • Upvote 1
    • Thanks 1

    Adelaide still not fixed?

    in Microsoft Flight Simulator

    Posted

    Hi there,

     

    unfortunately, the new photogrammetry suppresses our custom ortho CGL file, and the default MS Bing imagery doesn't include the sandbanks (which is one of the reasons why we created ours in the first place). If that changes in the future, we can restore those features.

     

    Cheers, Holger

    • Upvote 1
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    • Popular Post

    What we are working on - 2022

    in Orbx Company Updates

    Posted

    Hi Lt. Bran,

     

    working on it as quickly as we can. Adjusting hundreds of objects and polygons to match the new photogrammetry content is a major undertaking. Landmarks Adelaide was rather straightforward by comparison :blink:

     

    Cheers, Holger

     

     

    WU AU - Landmarks Brisbane compatibility work.jpg

    • Like 9
    • Upvote 1
    • Thanks 1

    Whatever happened to Melbourne ?

    in Microsoft Flight Simulator

    Posted

    Hi guys,

     

    for the record, no parts of Landmarks Brisbane, Adelaide, or Cityscape Sydney were included with World Update Australia; all of the WU7 POIs in those cities are new/different and we're updating those three products to be compatible with WU Australia.

     

    We haven't made a final decision yet on what to do with the many custom POIs and enhancements we still have 'in storage' for Melbourne. John's assumptions are incorrect ;-)  so stand by on that one...

     

    Cheers, Holger

    • Like 1

    Blue Marble + Orbx LC?

    in PREPAR3D® V5.x Support Forum

    Posted

    Hi there,

     

    Blue Marble only replaces the default coarse-resolution global satellite resolution image with a better-quality version. That's the image that only ever gets displayed outside of the inner circle of landclass cenery, as in your screenshot. It doesn't actually alter the coding of how seasons work.

     

    OpenLC also doesn't alter the distribution of seasons so what you're seeing is the mismatched interplay between Blue Marble and the default seasons file. In other words, your screenshot should look the same with or without openLC.

    There is no connection between that global seasons file, which sets the local season for landclass files on an approx. sq-km basis, and the global satellite imagery (default or Blue Marble), which simply switches on the first of each month.

     

    Cheers, Holger

     

     

    • Thanks 1

    GES: Disable Frankfurt City Buildings

    in PREPAR3D® V5.x Support Forum

    Posted

    Hi there,

     

    there is no separate placement file for the custom objects in Frankfurt, they are all in a couple of _PLC_ files in \FTX_EU\FTX_EU_GES_05_SCENERY\scenery.

     

    Your options are to exclude them individually with a tool like ADE or SBuilderX, or, if you know how to do it, decompile the placement file and remove the Frankfurt buildings before recompiling. The latter approach would be pretty tedious though as the xml files work with GUID codes rather than object names. 

     

    Cheers, Holger 

    • Thanks 2

    Cape Town landmark ortho...

    in Microsoft Flight Simulator Support Forum

    Posted

    Hi there,

     

    so I checked Cape Town's default Bing ortho, wondering whether perhaps it had been updated since we released Landmarks Cape Town. It hasn't, it's still the same typical coarse Bing imagery, which is why we licensed and created the custom orthoimagery in the first place.

     

    Here's a random location in the port. While our ortho may not be a huge improvement it's definitely noticeable. Also has less shadows baked in than the default, which is particularly noticeable on Table Mountain.

     

    In any case, if you prefer the default you can simple rename or remove "sai231.cgl", in \orbx-landmarks-cape-town-city-pack\CGL\300. Note that there will be slight discrepancies in the object placements compared to the default Bing ortho. Also, in our custom ortho we've removed the footprints of vessels in the harbour and made other enhancements throughout, which you will lose by deactivating the CGL.

     

    Cheers, Holger

    Landmarks Cape Town - ortho vs default Bing.jpg

    • Like 1

    FTX Regions: Deactivate Airports?

    in PREPAR3D® V5.x Support Forum

    Posted

    Hi there,

     

    indeed, all our FTX regions have a set of exclusion files that cover the entire area. If removed or deactivated, this will lead to tons of duplications and other display issues across the product's coverage area.

    With typically several hundred airports per region, it's just not feasible to cut "windows" in the area-wide exclusions for each airport and then create separate exclusion files for it. Probably wouldn't be particularly performance-friendly either. In other words, sorry but there's only one set of excludes to rule them all ;-)

     

    Cheers, Holger

    • Thanks 1

    Orbx YBBN Brisbane - Extent of scenery coverage

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Hi there,

     

    glad you're enjoying our Brisbane renditions!

     

    The two products -- YBBN and Landmarks -- differ in their extent and features between the platforms. For P3D, the airport includes riverside detail from the Gateway Bridges east, including Fisherman Island, while the Landmarks product covers the downtown area west of the bridges. For MSFS, the Landmarks product wraps all around the YBBN area and includes the port and riverside industrial areas, while YBBN is focused on the airport itself.

     

    Cheers, Holger 

    • Upvote 2

    Frustrated by the Halloween Hunt

    in Microsoft Flight Simulator Support Forum

    Posted

    Hi guys,

     

    as with other flightsim platforms, add-ons can suppress the content of other add-ons if they have higher display priority. Perhaps you have third-party content, or your content.xml -- the registry file for add-ons -- isn't in the correct order?

     

    For the latter, you can open content.xml, located in  C:\Users\[Username]\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft Flight Simulator, in Notepad or similar and check the position of the "orbx-z-frightsimming-pack" entry. It should be below any other orbx-entries and also any third-party pack that covers the same locations. If not, you can delete the .xml file and MSFS will automatically build a new one and re-sort it alphabetically. Alternatively, an add-on manager like Addons Linker will allow you to do the same, particularly with third-party content.

     

    image.png

     

    Cheers, Holger

    • Upvote 2

    Auckland CBD Building Heights

    in Microsoft Flight Simulator Support Forum

    Posted

    Hi Andy,

     

    thanks for the feedback. Unfortunately, it's not possible at the moment to alter the height or shape of the generic buildings, and we couldn't possibly custom model each of the hundreds of downtown buildings. Generic buildings are generated from Open Street Map data and anyone can contribute to improve OSM accuracy and detail. Building heights tend to be one of the parameters most in need of improvement. Thus, anyone who wants to see better downtown areas in non-photogrammetry cities can do so by improving the OSM source data before the next time Microsoft & Azure update their building database. 

     

    Noted on the wake trails, we definitely want to improve on those, especially for the animated vessels.

     

    Cheers, Holger

    • Like 1
    • Upvote 2
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