So where's the airport scenery?

[OlaHaldor]

I swear I read somewhere that most (major?) airports would have some kind of autogen scenery.

I loaded several norwegian airports I know have international flights, but they all looked completely abandoned.

I haven't checked any other airports anywhere in the world, but wasn't there an article about this, and that airports would have some autogen scenery like terminals and a tower at least? Anything is better than nothing.

My impression might've been wrong.

Heck! Even the ground autogen is lacking! Can't see a damn house anywhere near the airports (tested with ENVA and ENGM the limited time I had).

What's up with that? I thought XP10 would be packed with buildings with the absolute maximum of objects switched on. Even XP9 have more autogen in its default setting.

[tkyler]

Ola. Only smaller airfields will get autogen buildings and this is slated for future work. We have done a few tests but making autogen work universally is the challenge. The only place you'll really see autogen airports is single strip type situations where we can infer where the taxiways are quickly.

As far as larger airports go, that will be done through WED work and those populated manually by Laminar. What I am waiting on to do this is a specific build of WED and that specific build of WED is waiting on Ben to deal with other bugs and optimization. So xplane will get some of these airports populated in same fashion soon.

As far as the ground autogen.....and this is speculation...the placement of buildings and houses is based on OSM data...and I'd bet that you probably have that there.....so if you're not seeing houses on the streets, even at max OBJ settings, then that would be cause for concern and certainly not a lack of effort or vision as we do want OSM streets populated.

[OlaHaldor]

Thanks for replying so quickly, Tom.

I'm having pre x-mas visitors a few days this week, but I'll be sure to check around the most used airports in Norway to see (and show through screenshots) just to check that I'm not totally blind.

[tkyler]

We had hoped to have more stuff populated but had to get the sim out the door. The general idea is to populate the big airports "in house" using basic facades and the default library. THEN try and autogen as many airports as is technically feasible....and finally, let users customize as they wish and resubmit for redistribution. Right now...the next step is for me to get a version of WED that allows me to specify the rendering level at which objects are drawn....and given the holiday...that will probably happen early january assuming some of the big rendering bugs can get squashed. Right now, the plethora of video cards and drivers is making for quite a challenge keeping everybody happy.

Edited December 19, 2011 by tkyler

[TedG]

Right now, the plethora of video cards and drivers is making for quite a challenge keeping everybody happy.

Hurry up and sort out support for my nVidia 430 GT so I can fully load the demo already .

I am updating my gfx card after the holidays-but it would be nice to see whats actually awaiting me in XPX so I can judge just how much system updating I actually need.

**edit**The lack of autogen/generic airport basic buildings is turning out to be a major turnoff to those from other flight sims. I know-and you know-that XP is a flight simulator as opposed to a taxi/parking simulation; however, simply adding these items on a global scale will go a long way towards ramping up further acceptance of X-Plane as an alternative primary sim platform.

Edited December 19, 2011 by TedG

[PascalL]

simply adding these items on a global scale

Now that's an oxymoron !

[TedG]

I see what you did there!

No trivial task in implementation; however, a significant impact on fence-sitters wanting something new while taking them out of a comfort zone provided by previous sim experience and expectations. But thats another discussion!

Apologies for minor derail. No further oxymorons today-I promise.

[Simmo W]

Thanks for replying so quickly, Tom.

I'm having pre x-mas visitors a few days this week, but I'll be sure to check around the most used airports in Norway to see (and show through screenshots) just to check that I'm not totally blind.

Ola, you should see houses to the north of ENVA, as I've just checked OSM and there is 'residential area' specified to the north, but not exactly next to the airport. I've heard of similar odd bugs though - it's a big world to build automatically. Darn, I hope it's okay, as Norway looks a very beautiful country to fly around!

[abrenna]

I've flown for 14.8 hours in X-Plane along the Norwegian coast. It makes me both proud of how beautiful my country is, as well as how good X-Plane 10 represents this. Seeing the Norwegian fjords and mountains lightened up is just stunning.

[tkyler]

We know folks are disappointed and we don't expect them to be otherwise. We are disappointed we could not make it all perfect or get it in before the released. But we keep working. One thing I have noticed on the ridiculous AVSIM discussions is how users speak like what has come out is the final product and will never improve. "Laminar screwed up....they forgot feature X". But all of you know the difference.

I could take 2 hours right now, place some buildings at KBFI, KDFW, KORD, etc.... upload them to the xplane server and you guys would have them at the next update...which I think might be this afternoon. So why don't I? Well because we have some features...optimization features... that we want to implement before we begin placing buildings on a "production level", but I have to wait for Ben and crew to debug other issues first. So it is simply a matter of a full inbox and many items have to wait for others. We will approach the point very soon where my instructions will be to start populating airports as fast as I can.....followed by, "make the default library more diverse and add new buildings and facades. So hope for around Feb/Mar 2012 for x-plane to start getting fun. This "engine start" has a few cylinders not fully fired up.

-Tom

Edited December 20, 2011 by tkyler

[Simmo W]

One thing I have noticed on the ridiculous AVSIM discussions is how users speak like what has come out is the final product and will never improve. "Laminar screwed up....they forgot feature X". But all of you know the difference.

-Tom

Too right Tom! Those guys are like sharks or more appropriately, Pirañas!

[KeldWN]

Well they are used to the fantastic FSX, which on launchday worked flawlessly and with nothing to worry about. Get in the plane and enjoy flight without lag, "blue screen of death" and so on..... Well you get my drift...

[TedG]

So hope for around Feb/Mar 2012 for x-plane to start getting fun.

Its all good....and XP9.7 is perfectly fun regardless. Gives me time to deal with a new gfx card and allow folks like Tom Curtis, STMA, and others to update things for XPX (along with yourself and other XPX devs).

**edit**I'm not a Pirañas

Edited December 20, 2011 by TedG

[OlaHaldor]

Not really airport scenery, going way out of bounds here. Flight from ENVA (Trondheim Værnes Lufthavn) which is the closest airport. I went south along E6 and found my hometown.

A right turn down the valley towards the farm where I grew up. Surprisingly, the roads are mostly spot on. All I miss is farms, a few houses and not least, the river that runs through the valley. But it's looking really, really good.

Oh and BTW, the west end of the runway at ENML is covered with trees.. Totally impossible to perform a safe landing.

Edited December 22, 2011 by OlaHaldor

[Tierborn]

We know folks are disappointed and we don't expect them to be otherwise. We are disappointed we could not make it all perfect or get it in before the released. But we keep working. One thing I have noticed on the ridiculous AVSIM discussions is how users speak like what has come out is the final product and will never improve. "Laminar screwed up....they forgot feature X". But all of you know the difference.

I could take 2 hours right now, place some buildings at KBFI, KDFW, KORD, etc.... upload them to the xplane server and you guys would have them at the next update...which I think might be this afternoon. So why don't I? Well because we have some features...optimization features... that we want to implement before we begin placing buildings on a "production level", but I have to wait for Ben and crew to debug other issues first. So it is simply a matter of a full inbox and many items have to wait for others. We will approach the point very soon where my instructions will be to start populating airports as fast as I can.....followed by, "make the default library more diverse and add new buildings and facades. So hope for around Feb/Mar 2012 for x-plane to start getting fun. This "engine start" has a few cylinders not fully fired up.

-Tom

most excellent news ......

[larjeet]

Tom look at what they said when FSX was realeased and a lot of people are still saying it and it only ever had 2 service packs and FS9 only had 1 . XPX has already had how many updates at least 5 . so there is a lot more to look forward to .I have not yet purchased XPX but am flying the demo but look forward to purchasing it in the new year . The aircraft in XPX are awsome . I was told that the beach Baron was one of yours is this true ?

[tkyler]

Yes Larry. As is the C90 and phantom and F22. I have a few more things to do to these aircraft and will address them in a few days after I finish a family trip.

[larjeet]

I had a feeling you had something to do with the Phantom . Its always fun flying a few feet off the deck in it . Right now the Falco though is my main favorite it has been since before it was payware . Have a good trip

Larry