True Earth compared to Orbx Regions

[Leadcatcher]

I have been a user of Orbx products for several years with FSX and Prepar3D and have the Orbx region products for the UK and NA,  was wondering what would the True Earth products add for those areas that isn’t included with the region products. 

[MarkH]

Just now, Leadcatcher said:

I have been a user of Orbx products for several years with FSX and Prepar3D and have the Orbx region products for the UK and NA,  was wondering what would the True Earth products add for those areas that isn’t included with the region products. 

 

It will look like the real thing, rather than a landscape that's reminiscent of the real thing. If you've played with Google Earth, it's kind of like that, so in theory you could find your own back yard and fly over it. That isn't possible in EU England etc. because the landscape is made from a fixed set of 'scenery Lego' tiles.

[Stewart Hobson]

The OP lives in Texas.  He won't be able to see his house flying over TE GB.  So what's the point of buying TE GB in the first place, other than to say you have the product?  No offense, mate, but it's fine for you Brits, but for us Yanks, I don't see the point.

[Nick Cooper]

Hello Stewart,

 

sometimes, people from one part of the world like to go and see other parts.

 

If they wish to do this in a flight simulator and see the nearest thing to what

they would see during a real world VFR flight, then TEGB and TENL are for them.

 

If they do not wish to see other parts of the world, or if they are happy to see

the landclass representation then there is indeed no need for a TE product.

 

I think that if you read the post again again, you will agree that you could find

your own back yard in Google Earth and that it was not being suggested that a

Texan could find his garden (what we call a back yard) in the UK.

 

 

[Leadcatcher]

Thanks for the information, I am pretty pleased with the visual acuity that the regions provide.  While the accuracy would be intriguing, can't justify the expense both in dollars and storage space for my existing install of P3D.  Might look at True Earth for my X-plane as I build that simulation out to my liking.

 

  As why would a person in Texas want to get a TE product in another country - well with my 22 years in the military and my second 23 year career (so far)  of traveling the world as an IT consultant, I have become familiar many different areas of the world.  Having traveled from the Arctic to Antarctic, spent much time consulting in Europe and even having a son that lived in Deal, UK for almost 5 years,   I do enjoy flying VFR over those areas I am familiar.  Just completed a job for an U.S. Airbase in northern Italy and had a blast flying the route I drove then exploring into the Dolomites where I had rented an Alpine chalet for a week.  Just enjoy trying to recreate some of these adventures in the simulation. 

 

In X-plane have created Ortho scenery to where I can fly over my ranch - pick out my covered arena, barns and house which is sort of neat.  But am not really a fan of the photo-real flatness and do prefer the 3D generated Autogen as long as the roads, railways , streams and rivers are accurate.  Having accurate POIs is definitely a bonus. 

 

  Thanks again for the information - now for another question just out of curiosity - Does the TE product conflict with the region product... 

 

[Nick Cooper]

Hello,

you have to choose one or the other.

The product is photo scenery and therefore displays over and excludes the landclass version.

[Christopher Low]

Quote

The OP lives in Texas.  He won't be able to see his house flying over TE GB.  So what's the point of buying TE GB in the first place, other than to say you have the product?  No offense, mate, but it's fine for you Brits, but for us Yanks, I don't see the point.

 

The point is that TrueEarth GB is a far more realistic rendition of Great Britain than the landclass based FTX regions. Whether you can see your own house or not is irrelevant. I will not be able to see my own house in TrueEarth Netherlands, but I purchased the product because I wanted the very best scenery of that country rendered below me when I fly to Amsterdam Schiphol.

[Stewart Hobson]

10 minutes ago, Nick Cooper said:

Hello Stewart,

 

sometimes, people from one part of the world like to go and see other parts.

 

If they wish to do this in a flight simulator and see the nearest thing to what

they would see during a real world VFR flight, then TEGB and TENL are for them.

 

If they do not wish to see other parts of the world, or if they are happy to see

the landclass representation then there is indeed no need for a TE product.

 

I think that if you read the post again again, you will agree that you could find

your own back yard in Google Earth and that it was not being suggested that a

Texan could find his garden (what we call a back yard) in the UK.

 

 

Nick,  MarkH said the OP could find his backyard and fly over it, in reference to flying over EU.  But I see your point.  I'm just not a big fan of PR scenery and gave up on it a few years ago--no seasons was a deal breaker for me.  And flying over an LC area vs. a PR area--I don't know the difference if I'm not familiar with the area.

[Leadcatcher]

10 minutes ago, Nick Cooper said:

Hello,

you have to choose one or the other.

The product is photo scenery and therefore displays over and excludes the landclass version.

 

  Thanks - that is what I thought - since I have the LC, and regions - will stick with that for P3D.  If I continue with X-plane will evaluate the TE products for that sim.  

[Stewart Hobson]

4 minutes ago, Christopher Low said:

 

The point is that TrueEarth GB is a far more realistic rendition of Great Britain than the landclass based FTX regions. Whether you can see your own house or not is irrelevant. I will not be able to see my own house in TrueEarth Netherlands, but I purchased the product because I wanted the very best scenery of that country rendered below me when I fly to Amsterdam Schiphol.

Not to belabor the issue, but if one doesn't know the difference, what's the point?  To each his own, I suppose, but we Yanks wouldn't know if we're flying over TEGB or FTX EU if we've never been to England.

 

[Mikelab6]

TE products brings variations to the scenery instead of same tiles look provided by LC product.  It also provides 3D autogen over the photoreal terrain, but I agree that if we are not familiar with the region these advantages are less important.

 

Mike

[Rob Abernathy]

One thing of note is that with TE products, as opposed to landclass based scenery, is that you won't see roads cutting through buildings.  It's so much more natural looking.

[kaboki]

Lanclass looks like year 2006,, true earth looks like the future,,atleast until we get procedural rendering like e.g outerra in our sims

[Stewart Hobson]

9 hours ago, Rob Abernathy said:

One thing of note is that with TE products, as opposed to landclass based scenery, is that you won't see roads cutting through buildings.  It's so much more natural looking.

Hi, Rob.  Under the circumstances, that's a non issue for me.  The main roads are there--I disable secondary roads if I'm flying that low.

 

 

[Rob Abernathy]

1 hour ago, Stewart Hobson said:

Hi, Rob.  Under the circumstances, that's a non issue for me.  The main roads are there--I disable secondary roads if I'm flying that low.

 

 

 

Hmmm....thanks Stewart!  I'll have to try that on my next down low flight.

[Tony Wroblewski]

The difference is like night-and-day to me. Anyone who enjoys low and slow flying with a VFR chart will find TrueEarth sceneries a big improvement over land-class sceneries. With TrueEarth GB, you can plan a route on something like Skydemon, mark out visual reference points and actually fly the route just like it would be flown in real life. For now, this is just about "as real as it gets".

 

Whilst I'm pretty familiar with the UK and to some degree the Netherlands, I'm not at all familiar with Washington State in the US, but the exact same applies to that. Whilst landclass will somewhat look like the area, if you want to feel like you're flying over the real landscape then the same applies.

 

I think it highly depends on what type of flying you do. For someone who flies over at 35,000ft in a jet, landclass is fine and does a great job, but for someone going along at 2000ft in Cessna 172, I don't think there is any comparison

[Nick Cooper]

Hello,

I am sure that Stewart will not mind if I point out that he is on record as disliking photo scenery,

which he has stated that he finds unnecessary for his purposes and has "given up on".

The author of the topic is already answered.

[sleightflight]

I totally agree, I've been using photo scenery for the UK for some time in FSX and P3D and I generally fly lower down.

I have most of orbx sceneries but up until now I've used horizon gen x photo scenery for the UK, even though I also had FTX EU England, Wales and Scotland.  True earth is a big step forward and is what Earth simulations were working on a few years ago.

I am really happy orbx is covering the UK with true earth and will be buying all true earth products for whatever part of the globe they cover.

[Christopher Low]

Quote

I think it highly depends on what type of flying you do. For someone who flies over at 35,000ft in a jet, landclass is fine and does a great job, but for someone going along at 2000ft in Cessna 172, I don't think there is any comparison.....

 

......or an oddball like me who likes to enjoy VFR flight in a big jet

[Goulash]

21 hours ago, Stewart Hobson said:

Not to belabor the issue, but if one doesn't know the difference, what's the point?  To each his own, I suppose, but we Yanks wouldn't know if we're flying over TEGB or FTX EU if we've never been to England.

 

Then what's the point of flying over any scenery that you are unfamiliar with? Sticking with my local scenery would bore me tears. That's whole point of flying somewhere you haven't been. See something new, and if it's a TE rendering, even better

[Hobnobs]

I finally have a full VFR training environment with TrueEarth, something I’ve been waiting for for some years now.  This is invaluable to me so it suits my purposes perfectly. I can actually fly VOR/DME navigation and dead reckoning with near 100% accuracy. I can get a position fix with a 1:500,000 chart by looking out the window. I’ve never been able to do this before with Landclass regions. 

 

The loading time is a pain in the backside but I hear LM have a fix in the works.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Benny]

23 hours ago, Stewart Hobson said:

So what's the point of buying TE GB in the first place, other than to say you have the product?  No offense, mate, but it's fine for you Brits, but for us Yanks, I don't see the point.

 

???? I'm so curious about other countries, I often use Google map and go visit places that I may never be able to go.

I have been to England only once and it was 15 years ago and only in London, now that I have family in Halifax (Yorkshire) I can't wait to go visit.

 

And wait till I finish my... ratter complex movie about TE GB S... you may change your mind 

 

So far I can remember, TE GB S is the product I have passed the most hours. Blame it on our pretty boring and crazy winter.

 

Ben

 

[Stewart Hobson]

1 hour ago, Goulash said:

Then what's the point of flying over any scenery that you are unfamiliar with? Sticking with my local scenery would bore me tears. That's whole point of flying somewhere you haven't been. See something new, and if it's a TE rendering, even better

Thanks for your observation.  I don't think we'll agree on this--the Orbx full fat regions are good enough for me to experience flying over unfamiliar territory, or in the case of Southern Europe, the LC renderings are just fine.  I can fly low and slow over parts of Croatia, Serbia, Greece, Spain, etc.,  and recognize landmarks and other pois from Google Earth without a TE rendering.  The experience isn't ruined just because those areas are not rendered in photoreal detail.

[Stewart Hobson]

5 minutes ago, Benny said:

 

???? I'm so curious about other countries, I often use Google map and go visit places that I may never be able to go.

I have been to England only once and it was 15 years ago and only in London, now that I have family in Halifax (Yorkshire) I can't wait to go visit.

 

And wait till I finish my... ratter complex movie about TE GB S... you may change your mind 

 

So far I can remember, TE GB S is the product I have passed the most hours. Blame it on our pretty boring and crazy winter.

 

Ben

 

Thanks for your remarks, Benny.  I will not change my mind about TE GB, however.  But that's just me--others may be convinced.  I will watch your movie out of curiosity, but not to be convinced to buy the product.  I've given my reasons for not buying TE elsewhere.

[Mike707]

I love TrueEarth because it displays the millions and millions of real world subtle differences in terrain that a synthetic landclass product can never display. I do like Orbx Landclass products, but I do like real world representation much better. Things need to continue to improve and TE moves in that direction. It is also important to realize that I am sure we will have higher resolution, seasons and other improvements to TrueEarth as the years pass by. Too many people look at a product only in a current state and for whatever reason cannot see beyond their nose to what is ahead in a future state. 

[Christopher Low]

I can just about live with landclass representations of rural scenery areas, but urban areas have (IMO) always been shockingly bad. In addition, coastlines are usually very poor, looking more like cardboard cutout shapes than anything else. This is why I have used photoscenery almost exclusively since 1999. Yes, that's right........1999. That is when Flight Unlimited 3 was released, and I decided to focus solely on that product (plus the Flight Unlimited 2 San Francisco Scenery). Successive iterations of Microsoft Flight Simulator (from the awful FS5 up to FS2000) failed to deliver the quality of terrain scenery that I wanted, so I dumped the lot, and concentrated on those two high resolution photorealistic scenery areas in Flight Unlimited 3 between 1999 and 2008. I have happy memories of those days (both because of the friends that I made, and also because of the time and effort I put in to upgrade the airports and scenery using FLED; the FLight Unlimited EDitor). It was only when the Horizon UK photoscenery products were being developed for FSX that I finally decided to return to the world of Microsoft Flight Simulator.

 

The ORBx TrueEarth project is probably the best thing that has ever happened to PC flight simulation, and I am very happy to see that lots of additional 3D landmark models are being primed for release in service packs. This is the kind of scenery that I have been dreaming about for a long time, so a big thank you to Tony and the rest of the TrueEarth development team for getting the job done (and to John for financing it all)

[Stewart Hobson]

3 hours ago, Mike707 said:

I love TrueEarth because it displays the millions and millions of real world subtle differences in terrain that a synthetic landclass product can never display. I do like Orbx Landclass products, but I do like real world representation much better. Things need to continue to improve and TE moves in that direction. It is also important to realize that I am sure we will have higher resolution, seasons and other improvements to TrueEarth as the years pass by. Too many people look at a product only in a current state and for whatever reason cannot see beyond their nose to what is ahead in a future state. 

When those improvements to which you refer actually become reality, then I might reconsider, but not until then.

[Stewart Hobson]

1 hour ago, Christopher Low said:

<snip>

The ORBx TrueEarth project is probably the best thing that has ever happened to PC flight simulation, and I am very happy to see that lots of additional 3D landmark models are being primed for release in service packs. This is the kind of scenery that I have been dreaming about for a long time, so a big thank you to Tony and the rest of the TrueEarth development team for getting the job done (and to John for financing it all)

Hi, Christopher.  I don't mean to plug a competitor's product, but MegaScenery Earth, and its improvements, has been out for a few years now.  Did you not take advantage of their products for the US, or are you only interested in Europe?  If only Europe, that's fine, but you've missed out on a *lot* of photo scenery for the US.

[Nick Cooper]

Hello Stewart,

 

all the Orbx payware airports and many of the best parts of the regions that you like so much

are based on photo scenery with carefully placed trees, buildings and landmarks.

 

The TE products are the same thinking applied to whole countries, arguably with a similarly

attractive result. A carpet of megascenery is not even an attempt to be the same, nor is it

meant to be.

 

 

 

[Stewart Hobson]

53 minutes ago, Nick Cooper said:

Hello Stewart,

 

all the Orbx payware airports and many of the best parts of the regions that you like so much

are based on photo scenery with carefully placed trees, buildings and landmarks.

 

The TE products are the same thinking applied to whole countries, arguably with a similarly

attractive result. A carpet of megascenery is not even an attempt to be the same, nor is it

meant to be.

 

 

 

Thanks for the clarification, Nick.  Yes, the full fat regions have quite a bit of photo scenery, which contributes to their popularity.  Referring to Megascenery was not meant to compare that product to TE.  But folks seem to be going ga-ga over TE because it's "the real thing", when photo scenery has been available for FSX and P3D for quite some time, and it's pretty real.  I can fly over my home town and high school and precisely identify all the landmarks.  Similarly for all the rest of California.  However, when autumn or spring arrives on the calendar, I'm still seeing summer textures when I should be seeing spring or autumn.  That's why I gave up on photo scenery--there's nothing real about seeing summer when it's actually autumn.  And autumn in the Sierra foothills, for example, is breathtaking, not to mention the area around Lake Shasta and the rest of Northern California.

[GodAtum]

Question, does P3D true earth england south work with EU England?

[Matt McGee]

7 minutes ago, GodAtum said:

Question, does P3D true earth england south work with EU England?

Yes.  You can have them both installed.

What you will see when you load a flight in southern England, is just TrueEarth GB- South.  I don't think any elements of EU England are visible.

 

Edit:

Now that I'm thinking about it, I know EU England included general improvements to most of the P3D airports. 

I don't know if TrueEarth GB:

- includes those same improvements (even if you don't have EU England)

- does not include them, but lets EU England improvements show through if you have it installed

- has completely different airport improvements

[kaboki]

11 hours ago, Stewart Hobson said:

Hi, Christopher.  I don't mean to plug a competitor's product, but MegaScenery Earth, and its improvements, has been out for a few years now.  Did you not take advantage of their products for the US, or are you only interested in Europe?  If only Europe, that's fine, but you've missed out on a *lot* of photo scenery for the US.

 

There has never been something like this offered on a big scale, Megascenery was flat photoreal without 3d overlays, we had france vfr, but it was a small limitied area, and also conflicted with other scenery. I always wanted photoscenery with autogen, but there simply never was anything out there.

 

And flying vfr, i could never follow charts properly with landclass and the whole experience with landclass was kinda bleh, that why i mostly flew airliners when i used FSX or fast forwarde to the next aiport for some detailed orbx photoscenery around the destination. Now im on xplane, and just cant get enough of flying vfr with charts over UK. It has even dared me too explore vatsim because i can easy become familiar with an area because of all the detail and nothing looks the same, like with landcass. 

 

With landclass I also many times had to close my eyes and avoid looking at certain things because it looked soo ugly and could kill my imeersion of flying. No way i will ever go back to generic landclass scenery. I lnow i will limit myself in the world but right know i can fly UK forever

[Christopher Low]

You sound like a kindred spirit, kaboki

[Stewart Hobson]

6 hours ago, kaboki said:

 

There has never been something like this offered on a big scale, Megascenery was flat photoreal without 3d overlays, we had france vfr, but it was a small limitied area, and also conflicted with other scenery. I always wanted photoscenery with autogen, but there simply never was anything out there.

 

And flying vfr, i could never follow charts properly with landclass and the whole experience with landclass was kinda bleh, that why i mostly flew airliners when i used FSX or fast forwarde to the next aiport for some detailed orbx photoscenery around the destination. Now im on xplane, and just cant get enough of flying vfr with charts over UK. It has even dared me too explore vatsim because i can easy become familiar with an area because of all the detail and nothing looks the same, like with landcass. 

 

With landclass I also many times had to close my eyes and avoid looking at certain things because it looked soo ugly and could kill my imeersion of flying. No way i will ever go back to generic landclass scenery. I lnow i will limit myself in the world but right know i can fly UK forever

To each his own, sir.  You choose to limit yourself to flying in the UK.  I do not and will not.

[kaboki]

6 hours ago, Stewart Hobson said:

To each his own, sir.  You choose to limit yourself to flying in the UK.  

 Im not worried, orbx willprovide me more. But right know, its so much value alone it UK and just exploring it all is gonna take me years. But yeah i understand some peope like to fly all over, but personally i see no point in that when it all looks basicly the same if in USA or in UK, eg like it is with generic landclass(yes it looks different but its basicly the same boring repetive unlogical placements of things) 

 

OP was asking if true earth will add something too a region compared too lanclass, id say it adds something land lass can never do, its as close to real as we get these days. I just wanted too say it, because your posts just make it sound like this is not something new and that OP wouldnt see much differerence, and you mentioned megascery etc. Too not see this difference one gotta be blind too miss this huge leap in scenery tech. 

 

And with OP post in mind he also mentioned having megascenery before, so photo real sounds like it might be something for him, especially when it now is in 3d and also made by one of the best scenery devs in the bisniz. F,,, it man just try it, maybe you too gonna get hooked too. 

[Orbx Flyer]

On 2/9/2019 at 10:25 AM, Stewart Hobson said:

The OP lives in Texas.  He won't be able to see his house flying over TE GB.  So what's the point of buying TE GB in the first place, other than to say you have the product?  No offense, mate, but it's fine for you Brits, but for us Yanks, I don't see the point.

Well...not being from Great Britain either...and for that reason, did not until two Sunday's ago, 'ante up'...that was my reasoning, Stewart. 

 

Now..having flown South and Central regions....I'd advise everybody that loves flight simulation, to RUN, not walk to your computer and buy both regions.  You will feel like you are truly flying over the 'real deal'.  I even have been getting an education, as when I see a particular autogen (hand placed), I pause the sim...track down the real world 'whatever' and read up on it, and the location it is within...and ONLY because the scenery stimulates my mind's eye, that it is the real deal.

 

So...despite you are not from G.B...that in my opinion (that I use to hold!) is no longer a good reason not to own this fabulous scenery. Not at all...but I only say that, now...with first hand knowledge of it...and what immense pluses it adds to your enjoyment of the hobby, Stewart.  Oh..and in fact, because my wife and I are viewing the real world 'church' I just flew over, the real world village, hamlet, town, city....we now truly want to take a two week trip to Wales. I already have two Wales cliff sides overlooking the Atlantic, that I want to plop a blanket down...with my wife, our bottle of wine and picnic basket,...and just take in the charm, and charisma of what we have seen on Google...but, as a result ONLY, of having purchased and flown this series.  

[kaboki]

And just look at pnw users exitment(maybe mine too):p. True earth its like an addiction, and you kind of want to share the addiction by posting and praising it and talk too other about it even if someone might think, " ah cmon man shut up, we already heard about how awsome it is", but we dont care its so awsome that we will continue to praise it until the ones arounds ears fall off. Its just pure buity, a work of art, a masterpice, hey, lets call it the Picasso off scenery....ah i can go on forever

[BradB]

8 minutes ago, kaboki said:

And just look at pnw users exitment(maybe mine too):p. True earth its like an addiction, and you kind of want to share the addiction by posting and praising it and talk too other about it even if someone might think, " ah cmon man shut up, we already heard about how awsome it is", but we dont care its so awsome that we will continue to praise it until the ones arounds ears fall off. Its just pure buity, a work of art, a masterpice, hey, lets call it the Picasso off scenery....ah i can go on forever

 

Cheers

 

John

[F737MAX]

Despite faults, there is nothing available on the market that can match the TE series.
No other photo scenery products give ground images, overlaid with custom 3D building models (POIs), and other VFR landmarks, and autogen buildings, and autogen trees, and a 10m terrain mesh, and updates to default airports, and night lighting and permit default vehicle traffic to display.

Other products either miss a few off that list or only provide similar for a city-sized area.

A picture says more than I possibly could: