Have REX, now wish to improve rest of FSX scenery, where to start ?

[MZee1960]

I have REX Essentials Plus with OD and love it. Unfortunately it is hard to spend a lot of time only hanging around airports and admiring the skies and airport ground textures - where REX definitely shines. Now that I have AI Traffic, the weather engine,  airport ground and cloud and water textures 'upgraded' -  time to move to the last piece of the puzzle : scenery !.... I spent several months now looking at different scenery products which do for the default FSX scenery what REX does around airports and the skies.  I am not the type to just get the first product that comes along.  I have concluded that probably Ftx Global would be a good next step to help improve the bland, boring default ground textures of FSX around cities, between airports and the countryside overall. I have come across terms like mesh, landclass, hierarchy in scenery folders , open LC, etc. etc.... all of which got quite confusing after a while. Lot of people say "don't mess up the scenery hierarchy in your folders" ?   What does all this mean ?



The addons I have besides REX are : 1) Ultimate Traffic 2,.... 2) A2A's Accu-Feel, and... 3) several airplanes from Carenado etc... I have no scenery addons whatsoever (unless you consider REX a scenery addon). I was tempted to install a small freeware ORBX airport to try it out, but decided against it, as I read somewhere that you need to have a more 'basic and general' scenery addon, like FTX Global installed first ?



I fly mostly VFR, only occasionally jets and IFR. Regarding scenery, I want to upgrade the bland, boring default FSX textures with more vibrant colors and add several small, but more highly detailed airports. I was reading some FTX Global posts yesterday and noticed some REX posters also posting in the FTX Global site so I figured my post here would surely bring answers from persons with first hand experience running both REX and FTX Global on their systems.  I heard FTX Global replaces all the default FSX textures with FTX versions.  I also don't want to mess anything up so badly so as to require a complete uninstall and reinstall of FSX as the only "fix". ( Been there, done that several times in the past couple years.). I also don't want to experience a 'hit' on frame rates.  Some say to backup scenery folders before installing FTX Global,.. some say it's not needed and FTX installs automatically and even comes with it's own uninstaller for easy removal,.. if needed.  Is there anything that has to be done with REX before installing FTX Global, as REX has grass textures around airports, some road textures, water textures etc. - potential conflict ?  Is there any flow chart somewhere which outlines the correct steps in scenery installation in FSX  -  ie. install FTX Global,  then FTX vector,  then ?  -  What happens if install order is wrong  -  will scenery files correct automatically ?



A few questions, as you can see, but I like to do things right the first time, therefore any input from veteran users of both products would be very much appreciated.







Thank-you, in advance,



MZee.

[teecee]

There is a free trial version of the whole of Tasmania at Orbx..Get that,, but be warned..you will be spending money hand over fist thereafter..LOL.. Enjoy. Teecee

Plenty of other freeware here. https://www.fullterrain.com/freeware

and the Tas stuff Here..https://www.fullterrain.com/demos

You will also find a free Holger mesh for Australia among many other things.

[Stillwater]

There is a free trial version of the whole of Tasmania at Orbx..Get that,, but be warned..you will be spending money hand over fist thereafter..LOL.. Enjoy. Teecee

Plenty of other freeware here. https://www.fullterrain.com/freeware

and the Tas stuff Here..

 

Do not say we haven´t warned you, we are a bunch of addicts here! But also make sure you try the freeware like

 

https://www.fullterrain.com/demos

 

https://www.fullterrain.com/freeware

 

Welcome here, and we would not be surprised to see some screenshots from you soon!

[lthendrix]

The Tasmania demo with the freeware Launy airport is how I began this wallet emptying adventure .

My advice is to pick a geographical region and start there . For instance , at the moment I only have southwest pacific I fly in.

welcome and happy spending and simming 

[Ripcord]

I agree, try one of the demo regions and get some freeware. In fact, go get the Iceland demo and check that out - you will see what the combination of Global and Vector and Open LandClass can be like.

And welcome to the forums also!

[lthendrix]

yes the party chairman has a very good idea as well

[jsapair]

MZ1960. They are referring to 3rd party sceneries like RTMM. Priority placement then becomes an issue. You need to set an insertion point in FTX Central to assure they are installed above FTX entries and any other libraries...Ozx, EZ Scenery, etc. You may not have any installed now but you will...trust me. The only way to see something other than default FSX scenery is to purchase and install the FTX areas you like to fly in...i.e, PNW, PFJ, SAK. Hopes this helps.

[Taph]

Hi Mzee,

Welcome, I have REX OD, REX 4 texture direct, have no issues with them and Orbx scenery, for me the choice is where do you want to fly, Global does as it says and changes the world, with no frame hit, regions give you greater detailed coverage of specific areas which includes points of interest and Mesh, airports then add even more detail to the airport and surrounding area.

The freeware allows you try before you buy and see what suits you. Global has an option to create a back up during install so if you want to remove you can. If after a while using it you like, then you can delete the back up to free up disk space 

 

Have fun

[MZee1960]

Wow ! Thanks everyone for all your advice and input. I usually post on the REX forums, and upload my pics there as well. I love all the "energy" here !  I am enthusiastic about resuscitating my FSX now on a much better system than I had 2 years ago. I almost put FSX away for good when I built a new system in 2012 and at that time opted not to re-install it. Then one day everything changed when I came across a video clip on line and that clip got me wondering  -  "Hey, how did that guy manage to fly his default FSX Cessna 172 in the real world ?"  After some curious research lasting several weeks, I found the wonderful world of new FSX add-ons, especially interesting were all the scenery choices from Orbx. I found too much information on the Orbx website to make any easy choices regarding how to proceed, however,...... which is what brought me here.

 

I will proceed then, within the next few weeks, to try one of the 'demo' regions (perhaps Iceland) , and then install FTX Global Base after that..... I am from Canada, and would like to eventually get some small Canadian airports (Squamish is a possibility). All of the small airports on the site look nice - I may have to eventually get them all, as flying VFR, small props and between smaller airports is what I am into ninety percent of the time.

 

Milan.   

[olderndirt]

Keep in mind your computer requirements.  It seems the better and more immersive the scenery the more your computer will call for help.  This will be in the form of newer and more up to date hardware.  If you're already there your machine will be as happy with the scenerys as I'm sure you will be.

[teecee]

Global is very nice, but the what we call on Orbx "full fat regions" which are payware by region, are better, so please, take a look at at least one of these before making a decision, the Tassie demo for instance, though in truth this is from the early days of Orbx, and the more recent payware such as SAK (Southern Alaska) are stunning. Teecee.

[Rob Newman]

A good source of information that explains a lot of what you have heard about, plus gives you some comparisons, can be found at this thread:

 

http://www.orbxsystems.com/forum/topic/74345-the-definitive-guide-to-ftx-products-the-go-to-source-of-ftx-information/

 

As has been mentioned above, if you're planning on flying exclusively in one part of the world and that loaction is covered by the Orbx Full Regions, then that's certainly the best option... However, if you fly all over the world, the FTX Global is a good starting point.

 

Have a look at the guide (linked in the thread above) and let us know what you decide, though I suspect like most of us you'll end up getting addicted soon enough

[MZee1960]

Hi 'olderndirt' ,
 
My current specs are :

Processor : i7 2600
Processor Cores : 4
Processor Speed : 3.4 GHz (no O/C)
RAM : 16 GB
Video Board Manufacturer : AMD
Video Board Model : Sapphire Radeon HD 7970
Video Memory : 3 GB
Motherboard : Asus P8Z68-V LX Socket 1155
Hard Drives : WD20EARX 2TB (64MB) SATA 3 HDD
Monitor : Samsung B243OH 24" LCD
Operating System : Windows 7 64 bit
Joystick : Logitech Wingman Force 3D Feedback
Other : Custom built (2012) system inside NZXT (Red) Phantom Case w/7 variable speed fans, powered by Cooler Master GX750 (RX-750-ACAA-E3).
FSX Info : FSX SP2 Installed in C:\ FSX (outside of programs folder)(opened and started from REX)
REX Info : REX Essential Plus with OD installed in C:\REX Essential Plus Overdrive (outside of programs folder)(no network)(active internet connection)(no FSUIPC)(UAC off)
Antivirus Info : Kaspersky PURE 3.0 with active firewall

 

I eventually want to O/C to about 4.4 GHz, even if this means swapping my i7 2600 for an i7 3770K which is the 'last of the processors' still compatible with my motherboard.' I believe @ 4.4 GHz I will be able to get away with air cooling. At this stage I just cannot justify a complete new computer build.  As you well know,.. with computers,....... when your 'new state of the art system' is seen walking out the front door of the computer store,.. there is at almost exactly the same time a better, more advanced system 'walking in'  through the back door,... rendering your just purchased pride and joy system to 'boat anchor' duty.  'You just can't keep up with technology these days.'

 

I just hope that my system 'as it currently stands',... can 'stand up' to FTX Global Base and in a few weeks, the FTX Global Vector addon -  as that is what I intend to get in the very near future. I am currently achieving 'smooth frame rates', even with REX Weather, UT2, FSX scenery sliders near 'max', and Carenado HD aircraft.  I use KSEA and twin props as the acid test. Down the road, I definitely intend to O/C my system.

 

Thank-you, for the info. I think that even FTX Global on it's own will drastically improve FSX, based in the pics, and videos I have seen 'online'.

 

Milan.   

[MZee1960]

Thanks Rob,

 

This link will be a great read.

 

Milan.

[olderndirt]

 

 

I eventually want to O/C to about 4.4 GHz, even if this means swapping my i7 2600 for an i7 3770K which is the 'last of the processors' still compatible with my motherboard.' I believe @ 4.4 GHz I will be able to get away with air cooling. At this stage I just cannot justify a complete new computer build.  As you well know,.. with computers,....... when your 'new state of the art system' is seen walking out the front door of the computer store,.. there is at almost exactly the same time a better, more advanced system 'walking in'  through the back door,... rendering your just purchased pride and joy system to 'boat anchor' duty.  'You just can't keep up with technology these days.'

 

I just hope that my system 'as it currently stands',... can 'stand up' to FTX Global Base and in a few weeks, the FTX Global Vector addon -  as that is what I intend to get in the very near future. I am currently achieving 'smooth frame rates', even with REX Weather, UT2, FSX scenery sliders near 'max', and Carenado HD aircraft.  I use KSEA and twin props as the acid test. Down the road, I definitely intend to O/C my system.

 

Thank-you, for the info. I think that even FTX Global on it's own will drastically improve FSX, based in the pics, and videos I have seen 'online'.

 

Milan.  

 

Looks like you're more than ready for anything in the Orbx catalog - in spite of my non-shareholder status, they are the best.  You'll increase your FSX load time but the wait is always worth it.   ASUS P8 motherboards have some turbo features for both CPU and GPU.  Check your book and the 'Advanced features' section of the BIOS.

 

 

 

 

 

[MZee1960]

Hi 'olderndirt',

 

Thank-you for the feedback.  Up to now, I spent most of the time on config. file tweaks. My next steps will involve the GPU and CPU (BIOS).  I know for a fact that I would probably be better off letting my video card handle the 'filtering' and anti-aliasing, instead of doing this through FSX directly. FSX is slowly teaching me how to be a computer programmer, one step at a time ! ( LOL ).