FTX Global - What is it all about?

[Ripcord]

Yes, get a mesh product.  Either FS Genesis or FS Global Ultimate.  UTX is not a mesh.

[TenaciousJay]

FTX Global is truly "global" meaning it will replace textures for anywhere I can possibly fly in FSX right?  (I'm most interested in French Polynesia/Tahiti in the south pacific which tends to get ignored).

 

I emailed an online flight sim store I had coupons for to ask if they would be carrying FTX Global and they responded:

 

"Dear Mr Jay,

We will not be carrying FTX Global.  FTX will only be selling it as a download through themselves and an Australian retailer.  At this time FTX is not planning on making this a "boxed" product.  Please note that FTX Global will be coming out in at least 7 sections.  The part they just released is scenery for Europe."

 

7 sections?  Europe?  Perhaps they were confusing the openLC landclass product with FTX Global?  It's not just for Europe is it?  

[Wolter van der Spoel]

Hi

as the naming states FTX Global = the whole Globe = the whole world

[Rob Newman]

FTX Global is truly "global" meaning it will replace textures for anywhere I can possibly fly in FSX right? (I'm most interested in French Polynesia/Tahiti in the south pacific which tends to get ignored).

I emailed an online flight sim store I had coupons for to ask if they would be carrying FTX Global and they responded:

"Dear Mr Jay,

We will not be carrying FTX Global. FTX will only be selling it as a download through themselves and an Australian retailer. At this time FTX is not planning on making this a "boxed" product. Please note that FTX Global will be coming out in at least 7 sections. The part they just released is scenery for Europe."

7 sections? Europe? Perhaps they were confusing the openLC landclass product with FTX Global? It's not just for Europe is it?

Looks like they're not quite sure "what it's all about" themselves! I think they are confusing two completely different products... FS Global and Open LC, and even then they have it wrong...

First, about distribution, they are almost right... Orbx does not distribute or sell products themselves at all, but use a website "www.flightsimstore.com" to do that. You can download patches, Sp's and freeware from the FTX site, but no retail products. The Flight So Store is also the only website Orbx products are available on.

Regarding DVDs, a couple months ago Orbx announced that all future products would be download only. The Flight Sim Store has an option to request the software you buy on a disk, but it is simply a backup of the download version on a disk.

And now the confusion... FTX Global IS completely Global. FTX Global covers the whole world and is simply a texture replacement for the default FSX textures (the same way GEX does, but the whole world, not just regions). FTX Global also includes some extra features like the night lighting system and some improvements to the default land class (see my diagram at the beginning of this post), but these land class improvements are not the whole world. FTX Global includes one last thing and that is a demo of a product called Open LC which will improve land class one region at a time... And we have seven areas planned, the first one is going to be Europe... But the demo is only a small area in the Baltics... Not all of Europe. (So I think this is where the other website is getting confused).

So... In summary...

FTX Global is just that... Global. It replaces textures, adds night lighting and improves SOME lndclass, but only limited amounts. It also has a demo of Open LC.

Open LC... It is still in development and has not yet been released. It will cover the globe in seven separate packs, the first one being Europe. Its job is to improve the land class data.

Hope this helps clear things up...

[Rob Newman]

Hi Rob,

 

Really informative thread thank you.

 

I am pondering FS Global Ultimate Mesh but I was wondering whether it used up a lot of extra computer resource due to its higher level of detail?

 

Do you have any thoughts regarding this please?

 

Thanks Dave

Hi Dave, I can't speak for FS Global 2010, or ultimate, but FS Global 2008 is roughly the same size when installed as a completely fresh FSX install... Around 8Gb.

I suspect 2010 is about the same, maybe a bit larger. Ultimate however is a different beast and can be 8Gb or more for each individual region!

Hello everyone,

 

First I have to say that FTXGlobal IS HUGE, I LOVE IT.

I want to reinstall all from 0, I meen FSX, UTX, REX and off course FTXG. My question is what is the best order to do this? I think it about so: 1. FSX, 2.UTX, 3.FTX, 4.REX then all PMDGs and some scenery, am I correct?

The second question is : Do I need something else? I meen mesh, becouse I am not sure but I think that UTX is not a mesh. 

Thanks and sorry for my poor English

 

take air ..

That's the order I would use

And yes... Getting a good Mesh will certainly help even more... Install it after FSX and Before UTX...

[Dibidut]

Hi Rob.

Im very glad for this explanation Rob. However the only way to hold this order (for me) is to have "UT Europe Airports" as insertionspoint in FTXG Central, otherwise the FTXG Central move my settings in "FSX Scenery-Settings" (Visa versa).

 

If i try Your order i wont have ei. 3party add: CliftonSuspBridge&Obs.showing in London City ao., they wont show up at all.

 

And its not possible for me to hold this(Your) order because FSXG Central or UTX re/move the parts when i swift from the one to the other.

 

I dont know if it is possible to show me Your FTX Insertionspoint in FTXG Central also  ??

 

From a confused customer and i hope Friend. Love Your work.

 

 

Kind regards

Henrik

 

 

Ps! Still not quite sure "what it's all about".

[Marius Lungan]

Hi Dave, I can't speak for FS Global 2010, or ultimate, but FS Global 2008 is roughly the same size when installed as a completely fresh FSX install... Around 8Gb.

I suspect 2010 is about the same, maybe a bit larger. Ultimate however is a different beast and can be 8Gb or more for each individual region!

That's the order I would use

And yes... Getting a good Mesh will certainly help even more... Install it after FSX and Before UTX...

Thanks Rob

[Ripcord]

 

Ps! Still not quite sure "what it's all about".

 

 

that's funny.  Henrik, listen before I die, friend, I am for sure coming to Denmark to have a few beers with you.  Write it down.

[Sid]

Lol! Just brilliant  . Henrik, you're just fantastic mate!  ...Love reading your posts. Great P.S. on this one though!  Really takes the biscuit that. 

[Ripcord]

That's right Henrik, after I get done drinking with Sid in Cardiff, I am heading your way.

[Dibidut]

Hi Ripcord You are always welcome, You can have my woman too.... Oups.. OH! now i remember, shes goone for good and.. and...maybe she took the cat too?

Yes i have a very big  blackboard so every little detail will be covered and i will buy Beers& Steaks (first priority)  before any new ORBx Airport or OpenLC, i swear  And You are Welcome in Odense   

Honestly i have some trouble with the FTXG and UTX Europe, but i can cope, even if it wil take me the rest of my relative short life (i dont expect to be 200 Years).So Just trial and error.

Kind regards

Henrik

 

I understand that You are Baby "SID" ing, So just take your time...there will always be an other Plane to joy.

Btw. i wonder if your guys cut try speek Danish just for a while

[ramonb]

Hi Ripcord You are always welcome, You can have my woman too.... Oups.. OH! now i remember, shes goone for good and.. and...maybe she took the cat too?

<snip>

Kind regards

Henrik

That made my day.

 

I’ll better turn this thing OFF and go take care of mine…..

[Wolter van der Spoel]

Hi fella's

 

I know you'd like to have a bit of fun, but can we please try and stay on topic, thank you !

[Dibidut]

Love those guys, but still no answer. Thanks....

[ramonb]

Ok. Back on topic

I’m having trouble understanding where to place UTX Alaska and FTX Global (I also have FTX SAK).

 

These last few days I have read: Place UTX above FTX but also read Place UTX under FTX.

From Rob’s iOP drawing I think some UTX components could be set above FTXG and some under.

 

 

Edit: Just went back and reread this thread. My scenery order does not resamble what Rob posted on #8,

Mine has Tongass Fjords and RTMM above all FTX entries and the FTX Global installer placed the ORBXOPENLC_Europe1 and ORBXOPENLC_Base at the top, just under the ORBXLibs.

 

Can someone please clarify?

 

 

Thanks

[Dibidut]

How can i defend myself ? They dont speak Danish...  Those bullies.

[Wolter van der Spoel]

Ok. Back on topic

I’m having trouble understanding where to place UTX Alaska and FTX Global (I also have FTX SAK).

 

These last few days I have read: Place UTX above FTX but also read Place UTX under FTX.

From Rob’s iOP drawing I think some UTX components could be set above FTXG and some under.

 

 

Edit: Just went back and reread this thread. My scenery order does not resamble what Rob posted on #8,

Mine has Tongass Fjords and RTMM above all FTX entries and the FTX Global installer placed the ORBXOPENLC_Europe1 and ORBXOPENLC_Base at the top, just under the ORBXLibs.

 

Can someone please clarify?

 

 

Thanks

 

 

Ramon, place all ORBX FTX above UTX and you should be fine

[Wombatau]

Hi Dave, I can't speak for FS Global 2010, or ultimate, but FS Global 2008 is roughly the same size when installed as a completely fresh FSX install... Around 8Gb.

I suspect 2010 is about the same, maybe a bit larger. Ultimate however is a different beast and can be 8Gb or more for each individual region!

 

Or more is right Rob! The folder my Ultimate install sits in is 101 Gb

[RVV1973]

Help! I had two times to install the product and now is not working FTX Central, shows a window "Duplitsate Landtslass 100 index Aborting FTX Central" ..... What to do?

[Tim Harris]

Help! I had two times to install the product and now is not working FTX Central, shows a window "Duplitsate Landtslass 100 index Aborting FTX Central" ..... What to do?

Start a new topic in the Orbx payware support forum http://www.orbxsystems.com/forum/forum/15-full-terrain-experience-ftx-payware-support-forum/

[MyPC8MyBrain]

After reading many of the posts since FTXG release
i believe a single word missing in most references; is the culprit of this confusion

Most people refer to FTXG as landclass as most ORBX advert display
Instead of aphesis thats its "Landclass textures"

Just my two cents

 

 

Chris Bell,

[spud]

Ok. Back on topic

I’m having trouble understanding where to place UTX Alaska and FTX Global (I also have FTX SAK).

 

These last few days I have read: Place UTX above FTX but also read Place UTX under FTX.

From Rob’s iOP drawing I think some UTX components could be set above FTXG and some under.

 

 

Edit: Just went back and reread this thread. My scenery order does not resamble what Rob posted on #8,

Mine has Tongass Fjords and RTMM above all FTX entries and the FTX Global installer placed the ORBXOPENLC_Europe1 and ORBXOPENLC_Base at the top, just under the ORBXLibs.

 

Can someone please clarify?

 

 

Thanks

 

ramonb,

on the Scenery Library placement for RTMM and Tongass Fjords X I can help you there.  RTMM scenery should be 'above' all the ORBX entries and the only way to keep them above is to make an 'insertion point' using the tools function in FTX Central. Tongass Fjords X should be placed below the ORBX entries according to the Tongass manual.

UTX I'm not familiar enough with that so will defer to more knowledgeable users.

[Rob Newman]

Hi guys...

 

While I originally intended to use this post to help clarify just what FTX Global is and how it fits into the FSX world, it has opened up a discussion about the scenery library and appropriate order of things in there...

 

While it is impossible to tell everyone out there to just how to set their own library (everyone will have different options and scenery installed), I think it's worth trying to simplify the scenery library... 

 

At first glance, it looks complicated and the messages FSX can throw up at times makes it seem even more so... But, it really isn't as complicated as you might think!

 

The best advice I can give, rather than "put this here, put that there" is to simply think of it like an office pin board... Whatever piece of paper is put up last will cover up the paper below... but if it's a different size, you might still see a bit sticking out the side

 

Also, FSX treats different types of scenery differently:

 

MESH - FSX will always use the most detailed mesh that is has for an area. It does not matter where in the list mesh scenery is placed, but I prefer to keep it toward the bottom just to keep things tidy. Examples would be FS Global, FTX Regions, FS Genesis. Order in the library = Does Not Matter

 

TEXTURES - Textures don't have an entry in the library. They are simply installed into a folder for use when needed. Autogen is a part of the texture so also is not in the library. Examples would be FTX Global, GEX. Order in the Library = Not Applicable (does not have a library entry)

 

LANDCLASS - This type of scenery needs some thought when adding it to your library, or when reorganizing the library... This is because whatever landclass is placed on top, is what you will see. If you have a full FTX region, the landclass data is hand placed and is the best available, so it should be on top. If you have any other landclass software above it, you will see that one instead. Examples would be Open LC, UTX, FTX Full Region. Order in the Library = Most detailed on top, but does not have to be at the top of the library.

 

VECTOR - Most vector scenery packages come with an "exclude" which will turn off any other vector scenery below it in the library. So, just like landclass, you have to decide which vector data you want to see then place it on the top of that list. It does not have to be on the top of the library, just on the top of all other vector sceneries. Examples would be FTX Full Region, UTX, USA Roads. Order in the Library = Most detailed on top, but does not have to be at the top of the library.

 

CUSTOM OBJECTS - This includes any 3D objects like bridges, cities, airports etc. Because a lot of other scenery packs have "excludes" to suppress the scenery below it, 3D custom scenery should always be placed toward the top of the library = The one you want on top and above any other scenery types.

 

 

The key to managing you library is to know exactly what type of scenery you are dealing with (Landclass, Vector, Mesh, Custom) then think of each type seperately.

 

It sounds complicated, but think of it like this:

 

CUSTOM 1

CUSTOM 2

CUSTOM 3

LANDCLASS 1

LANDCLASS 2

VECTOR 1

VECTOR 2

MESH 1

MESH 2

 

This would give exactly the same results as:

 

MESH 1

CUSTOM 1

CUSTOM 2

CUSTOM 3

LANDCLASS 1

VECTOR 1

LANDCLASS 2

VECTOR 2

MESH 2

 

But example 1 is much tidier

 

I think at this point, I can't really explain the library any better than this... And while I am certainly happy to give general advice and help people understand how the sim is working and how to apply that knowledge to organize the library, it would be a full time job to do so on an individual level... And sadly my boss at my real full time job might have an issue with that!

 

I hope this helps a little... Good luck!

[ramonb]

Thanks for the advice guys!

 

I got it now, it makes perfect sense.

 

Cheers

[Dibidut]

Thank You so mutch for taking  time to explaine these things again and again Rob, i know You are a busy man, and got it now.

Kind regards

Henrik

 

Ps. And thanks Spud, for the explanation regarding FTX Insertions point, make sense now.

[Rob Newman]

You're all more than welcome... It's just a shame I have 2 bosses... One at work, and one at home... They both demand so much of my sim time

[spud]

Rob,

nothing more true than all those bosses and real life getting in the way of simming!

Dumped the former 6 years ago and the latter much earlier. 

Retirement is sweet in many ways. 

[tkellogg]

Does UTX work with Prepar3d?

[Ripcord]

Well, I have both my bosses trained.  I get my work done during working hours and they leave me alone when it is time to fly (maybe they have me trained?).

 

Rob, listen I loved this posted when it first was made, amigo, but at the time I really and truly thought that most of us already had gotten this, with 5-6 months of anticipation and useful dialoge with John V and the team.  Boy was I wrong.  Honestly I had no idea that the team would be hit with the volume of new-guy questions that they got hit with.  I really stated to empathize with JV on about day 3.  The guys that read the forums and new what FTX Global really is, and is NOT, had already bought the product, for the most part, within 24 to 28 hours.  Then it was all 'new guys' popping in here, and it was (is) almost like JV and the team had done zero to educate the community about this product.

 

Maybe they should have just decided to hold off and release a mesh with a full on LC with a full on texture upgrade and a free coffee maker and a foot massage -- all in one product.  Would cost $499 but we'd have no more discussions -- other than cost, of course.

[Wolter van der Spoel]

Does UTX work with Prepar3d?

 

Flight1 have been fairly vocal with their opposition to their products being used in P3D.

Can it be done? Probably, but it would be against their Terms of Use, and can't be discussed here.

That is unless their position has changed.

[Rob Newman]

Well, I have both my bosses trained.  I get my work done during working hours and they leave me alone when it is time to fly (maybe they have me trained?).

 

Rob, listen I loved this posted when it first was made, amigo, but at the time I really and truly thought that most of us already had gotten this, with 5-6 months of anticipation and useful dialoge with John V and the team.  Boy was I wrong.  Honestly I had no idea that the team would be hit with the volume of new-guy questions that they got hit with.  I really stated to empathize with JV on about day 3.  The guys that read the forums and new what FTX Global really is, and is NOT, had already bought the product, for the most part, within 24 to 28 hours.  Then it was all 'new guys' popping in here, and it was (is) almost like JV and the team had done zero to educate the community about this product.

 

Maybe they should have just decided to hold off and release a mesh with a full on LC with a full on texture upgrade and a free coffee maker and a foot massage -- all in one product.  Would cost $499 but we'd have no more discussions -- other than cost, of course.

Well, I guess we all have to start somewhere, and FTX Global is as good a place as any!

 

I know I was confused and dazed the time I bought my very first FSX addon... Come to think of it, I'm still quite often dazed and confused in every day life too!

[gjpollitt]

Flight1 have been fairly vocal with their opposition to their products being used in P3D.

Can it be done? Probably, but it would be against their Terms of Use, and can't be discussed here.

 

Here's hoping that you will be soon answering support queries for Orbx 'Roads, Waterways, Hedges, Paths and Wheely Bins' addon. No need to bother with UTX then (or anything much else for that matter)

[BuddyDog]

Newbie here with my first purchased FTX product, FTX Global.  Downloaded and installed today.

 

What a difference!  I was so tired of flying over brown land between KFAT-KLAS, now Mono Lake is stunning.  Still trying another flight to see what Vegas looks like at night, but I am very jazzed. 

 

As you can probably tell, I am not a computer expert...

[Lyvean]

Hi all,

 

I am thinking of buying FTX Global, even though it was a pain in the ass to get some proper information about what it is from the site .

 

The thing is, can someone suggest some other products that can complete the game, because FTX Global is not enough for me.

 

I know about UTX and REX and GEX etc, but I want to ask more experienced people than me.

 

What is the best combination in order to have as close to VFR as possible, including cities, landmarks, etc?

 

I love FTX Global and how it offers a unified solution, but can you offer some advice to the rest?

 

Please use a PM if it's off topic.

 

Thanks again.

[shermank]

FTXG simply put improves on FSX textures by completely replacing them. It also adds some landclass features. Take a look at the pix and decide for yourself. I am very happy with it, but, I think much of what you find will be more onlong the lines of a subtle attempt at reality than dramatic differences. Still and all, it looks very good and improves the VFR  experience

[Rob Newman]

Hi all,

 

I am thinking of buying FTX Global, even though it was a pain in the ass to get some proper information about what it is from the site .

 

The thing is, can someone suggest some other products that can complete the game, because FTX Global is not enough for me.

 

I know about UTX and REX and GEX etc, but I want to ask more experienced people than me.

 

What is the best combination in order to have as close to VFR as possible, including cities, landmarks, etc?

 

I love FTX Global and how it offers a unified solution, but can you offer some advice to the rest?

 

Please use a PM if it's off topic.

 

Thanks again.

 

The thing to realize here (and there are a lot of people who still don't quite understand what FTX Global is quite yet), is that FTX Global is NOT a global FTX region for the whole world... It is a strong base from which to improve the sim. On it's own, it makes a huge difference, but to get more out of the sim, you will need to put in more. 

 

FTX Global is designed to be ONE thing and ONE thing alone... it is simply an upgrade of the default textures that FSX/P3D uses to put colour in the world. And because autogen is part of the textures, autogen is improved along with it (and the new night lighting systems is mostly autogen)

 

It won't improve your road positions, nor will it change your cities, rivers and coastlines.

 

If default FSX/P3D has something wrong in the world (like missing roads, wrong shaped towns etc), it will still be wrong with FTX Global... The difference being that the textures and autogen will look a whole lot better and help make any "default errors" look less obvious.

 

As you have rightly said, to get the most out of FTX Global, and as this thread is here to point out, you can improve things with additional upgrades... But you must understand just what each of the available upgrades actually does.

 

The upgrades you have mentioned (UTX, REX and GEX) all do very different things... and one (GEX) isn't compatible at all.

 

UTX will improve your roads, city shapes, rivers, coastlines etc. It includes Landclass and Vector data. (see the description of this in the first page of this thread if you're not sure what this means). A lot of FTX Global users have and use this.

 

REX works a lot like FTX Global, but it does not replace GROUND textures... It replaces textures for things like Sky, Water, Clouds and other "sky" objects (think of REX and "sky/water" textures and FTX Global as "ground" textures). This means that both REX and FTX Global works very well together, and again, most FTX users have REX installed.

 

GEX however does the same job as FTX Global, but only in small areas... It just replaces the ground textures, so it is not compatible with FTX Global... If you installed it on top of FTX Global, it would simply replace all FTX Global textures so  it would really defeat the purpose.

 

FTX Global does include some limited improvements to the landclass in certain parts of the world (the ones worst hit by "default FSX/P3D problems), but this is not the main job of FTX Global. It also includes a DEMO of a new ORBX product called Open LC, which will be released in 6 regions over the next year or two... Open LC is designed to improve the landclass (shapes of and types of textures used) in those regions to improve things even more... but remember, FTX Global is not designed to improve landclass worldwide... Only textures (and some limited landclass improvements in the worst parts of the sim world).

 

Major Landclass improvements will be taken care of by Open LC... An entirely different product not yet released, but a demo of which is included with FTX Global, so go ahead and add Open LC to your list of upgrades to get

[jfail]

Rob Newman,

 

Excellent explanation.  I certainly learned a lot from it and I thank you very much for it.

[Spacey]

I know it has probably already been asked / discussed (but the forums now are just so massive, I can't find the answer .... My apologies but i'm getting old and the memory is going), but will the FTX OpenLC improve roads, rivers etc, ..... Or is Orbx considering developing a further 4th level of design package after OpenLC, to develop that next and final 4th level of data (Vectoring), so that we can basically get a Orbx full package of FTX Global (Mesh - 1st level & Textures - 2nd level), then OpenLC (Landclass - 3rd level), then the next 4th level of Vectors (with better & more accurate road and river systems) where there is no specific Orbx Region (pseudo 5th level) available.

So that in the end we have a full Orbx 4 layered package that it all designed by one company to work perfectly as one whole system ( with a so called 5th level being a specific Region in some parts of the world).

It would be great to see a system of all 4 levels being Orbx, and therefore perfectly integrated, rather than a mix & match having to pop in UTX or others in that final 4th level, due to Orbx not developing the 4th level (of Vectoring) for where specific Orbx Regions don't exist. I understand it will need to be commercially viable, but if FTXG and OpenLC are great hits, is this an option being considered.

Thanks

Spacey

[Lyvean]

Thanks for the answers! Really appreciate it!

 

Do any of the upgrades we mentioned do any good for improving the cities to look like more like their real life counterparts?

 

From what I understoon, it's FTX Global + UTX + REX at the moment?

[shermank]

I have felt ever since I began simming, (that goes back to the wire frame John Hancock Center viewed from Meigs field on my old Commodore 64) that as sophisticated as Flight Sim has become, there is still a cartoonish look to the buildings and similar constructs. Trees, mountains, stone, water, sky, vegetation, has all been given a close to real look, but those boxey buildings are still a visual limitation. Photo real scenery helps some, but then we loose things like highway traffic...and in some cases, seasonal change.

 

Sherm