MegaLoad Pacific Northwest

crash

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Anyone that likes very fast, very low flying, or likes to slew a lot - DO
NOT buy MegaScenery Pacific Northwest!

First off, it takes over an hour to load from a single DVD, and adds 6+GB to
the HD.

They recommend several display settings to optimize performance, and turning
OFF *Extended Terrian* should be at the top of the list. With it on, it
takes 10-13 minutes to load a flight (I started with everything turned up
and on, as I usually do, just for reference), or change season textures,
etc., and this changed to 3-4 minutes with it off (a normal/average is ~30
seconds). If you slew ahead 20 or 30 miles, it would take 4-5 MINUTES for
the textures to catch up. We're not talking studders here, MINUTES! Even
with it off it can take a minute or two.. FPS didn't seem to be affected
much, however texture loading is ABYSMAL!! I'm still playing with
things - haven't even looked at the night textures yet....
BUT - as the screenies show, it does give some extrodinary eye candy.....
These were taken with most things maxed, and saved flights (with FSGenesis
and USA Roads) so everything would be identical, before I starting playing
with different combinations. Yes, it took 10-13 minutes to load every damn
one (and a half bottle of brandy :)!!
www.cox-internet.com/tazman/comp1.jpg ~3,000' Tacoma - before on top, after
on bottom
www.cox-internet.com/tazman/comp2.jpg Seattle
www.cox-internet.com/tazman/comp3.jpg Whidbey Island, Puget Sound
www.cox-internet.com/tazman/comp4.jpg Mt Rainer ~12,500' I think the
field is Skykomish S88
www.cox-internet.com/tazman/comp5.jpg Mr Rainer
www.cox-internet.com/tazman/comp6.jpg Olympic Mtn's
www.cox-internet.com/tazman/comp7.jpg Mt St Helen
www.cox-internet.com/tazman/sthelen.jpg Mt St Helen winter texture, they
even included a intermittent steam vent in the lava dome, barely noticable
in shot

Cheers'n Beers.. [_])
Don
 

dallas

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"CRASH"
> Anyone that likes very fast, very low flying, or likes to slew a lot - DO
> NOT buy MegaScenery Pacific Northwest!


Eeeuu! Is that what it really looks like? It looks like someone with a
couple of cans of spray paint just sprayed everything green and tan.

I'll take the default. You should package this up and send it to Avsim as a
review... Or threaten MegaScenery with the prospect of doing it and extort
some free stuff from them. :)

(Thanks for all the work on the comparisons)

Dallas
 
G

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I would be happy with the default - it don't look so bad does it?

PH, uk

"CRASH" <sorry@aint-here.spam.com> wrote in message
news:111cafbhhbmbl40@corp.supernews.com...
> Anyone that likes very fast, very low flying, or likes to slew a lot - DO
> NOT buy MegaScenery Pacific Northwest!
>
> First off, it takes over an hour to load from a single DVD, and adds 6+GB
to
> the HD.
>
> They recommend several display settings to optimize performance, and
turning
> OFF *Extended Terrian* should be at the top of the list. With it on, it
> takes 10-13 minutes to load a flight (I started with everything turned up
> and on, as I usually do, just for reference), or change season textures,
> etc., and this changed to 3-4 minutes with it off (a normal/average is ~30
> seconds). If you slew ahead 20 or 30 miles, it would take 4-5 MINUTES for
> the textures to catch up. We're not talking studders here, MINUTES! Even
> with it off it can take a minute or two.. FPS didn't seem to be affected
> much, however texture loading is ABYSMAL!! I'm still playing with
> things - haven't even looked at the night textures yet....
> BUT - as the screenies show, it does give some extrodinary eye candy.....
> These were taken with most things maxed, and saved flights (with FSGenesis
> and USA Roads) so everything would be identical, before I starting playing
> with different combinations. Yes, it took 10-13 minutes to load every damn
> one (and a half bottle of brandy :)!!
> www.cox-internet.com/tazman/comp1.jpg ~3,000' Tacoma - before on top,
after
> on bottom
> www.cox-internet.com/tazman/comp2.jpg Seattle
> www.cox-internet.com/tazman/comp3.jpg Whidbey Island, Puget Sound
> www.cox-internet.com/tazman/comp4.jpg Mt Rainer ~12,500' I think the
> field is Skykomish S88
> www.cox-internet.com/tazman/comp5.jpg Mr Rainer
> www.cox-internet.com/tazman/comp6.jpg Olympic Mtn's
> www.cox-internet.com/tazman/comp7.jpg Mt St Helen
> www.cox-internet.com/tazman/sthelen.jpg Mt St Helen winter texture,
they
> even included a intermittent steam vent in the lava dome, barely noticable
> in shot
>
> Cheers'n Beers.. [_])
> Don
>
>
 
G

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Dallas <Cybnorm@spam_me_not.Hotmail.Com> wrote:

> How would you account for the difference between Megascenery's marketing
> shots and yours?:
> http://www.megascenery.com/images/vol4/images/pnw2.jpg
> http://www.cox-internet.com/tazman/comp4.jpg

In his case, much lower altitude when taking the screen shot and using a
high compression ratio when creating the JPG file for posting the shot to
his web site would be my guess.

--
Peter













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crash

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Dallas wrote:
> "CRASH"
>
> Yo Crash,
>
> How would you account for the difference between Megascenery's
> marketing shots and yours?:
> http://www.megascenery.com/images/vol4/images/pnw2.jpg
> http://www.cox-internet.com/tazman/comp4.jpg
>

Only difference was I had visibility set unlimited, but if I back it off to
40 it pretty well matches theirs, and takes away some of the un-natural
"painted" look I was getting. Plus I had to go up to 15,000' from 12,500',
and move around to the other side of the mountain to get the perspective
right.. Hmmm, think I'll leave it that way... d:->)) The urban areas are
where it really shines, much better than SoCal!! Just can't get in too big
a hurry.. JW and Dudley will have to back off on their Spit's.......
http://www.cox-internet.com/tazman/rainer.jpg
 

crash

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CRASH wrote:
> Dallas wrote:
>> "CRASH"
>>
>> Yo Crash,
>>
>> How would you account for the difference between Megascenery's
>> marketing shots and yours?:
>> http://www.megascenery.com/images/vol4/images/pnw2.jpg
>> http://www.cox-internet.com/tazman/comp4.jpg
>>
>
> Only difference was I had visibility set unlimited, but if I back it
> off to 40 it pretty well matches theirs, and takes away some of the
> un-natural "painted" look I was getting. Plus I had to go up to
> 15,000' from 12,500', and move around to the other side of the
> mountain to get the perspective right.. Hmmm, think I'll leave it
> that way... d:->)) The urban areas are where it really shines,
> much better than SoCal!! Just can't get in too big a hurry.. JW and
> Dudley will have to back off on their Spit's.......
> http://www.cox-internet.com/tazman/rainer.jpg
 

crash

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CRASH wrote:
> much better than SoCal!! Just can't get in too big a hurry.. JW and
> Dudley will have to back off on their Spit's.......

Pardon moi!! Mustang's!!!
 
G

Guest

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On Fri, 18 Feb 2005 18:08:07 GMT, Dallas wrote:

> "CRASH"
>> Anyone that likes very fast, very low flying, or likes to slew a lot - DO
>> NOT buy MegaScenery Pacific Northwest!
>
>
> Eeeuu! Is that what it really looks like? It looks like someone with a
> couple of cans of spray paint just sprayed everything green and tan.

For a minute there I thought I was too tired to see correctly. Then I read
your post.


> I'll take the default.

Yeah....all of a sudden it doesn't seem that bad anymore. :)


> (Thanks for all the work on the comparisons)

And thanks for the warning, Don!

--

Marcel
(When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the
earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been,
and there you will always long to return. - Leonardo da Vinci)
 

crash

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Dallas wrote:
> That's better... but still fuzzier... can we write that off to
> compression interpolation?
>

More than likely - also can cause funny tints to show up in things like
snow, etc... I usually squezzze stuff down to about 20% of original size
since we're not shooting for a Pulitzer here........ I dunno, do they give
Pulitzer's fer purty pitchers???
 
G

Guest

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1. Blurry ground textures are a problem in ALL photoreal scenery
packages, not just MegaScenery. The problem is with Microsoft's
rendering engine.

2. For tips on how to get rid of the blurries, see
- the forums at Visual Flight (makers of photoreal scenery for Great
Britain) http://www.visualflight.co.uk/forums/
- the following threads on AVSIM:
http://forums.avsim.net/dcboard.php?
az=show_topic&forum=177&topic_id=356&mesg_id=356&page=
http://forums.avsim.net/dcboard.php?
az=show_topic&forum=121&topic_id=158546&mode=full
http://forums.avsim.net/dcboard.php?
az=show_topic&forum=121&topic_id=200260&mesg_id=200260&page=
http://forums.avsim.net/dcboard.php?
az=show_topic&forum=121&topic_id=204314&mesg_id=204314&page=

3. I've been exploring the Pacific Northwest package since Tuesday. I
also have New York and NorCal. My rig is mediocre: P4 2.2 GHz,
512Mb, Radeon 9100 128Mb (PCI, not AGP). To get crisp ground
textures when I'm flying in these areas, I do the following:
- zero out all AI traffic
- simplify cloudscapes
- fly slow, framerate friendly planes
- pull back my terrain slider to 20

Some people will say, "Well then what's the point?" I say, "Grow up. In

real life, there are trade-offs." If you have a better rig than I do
(and
lots of people do), maybe you CAN have it all. I don't, I can't, and
I'm
ok with that.

5. Why am I ok with that? Let me show you. Here are some
screenshots of Glacier Peak:

http://forums.simradar.com/forum/_C5/Screenshots_Forum_F36/Glacie
r_Peak_from_MegaScenery_USA_2005%3A_Pacific_Northwest_P220079/

In the first one, there seems to be some texture blurring in the
foreground. Could be, but I think it's because the camera is too close

to the mountain -- this stuff is best seen from 3,500-5,000 ft. AGL.

_________________________________________________________
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crash

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David Wilson-Okamura wrote:
>
> http://forums.simradar.com/forum/_C5/Screenshots_Forum_F36/Glacie
> r_Peak_from_MegaScenery_USA_2005%3A_Pacific_Northwest_P220079/
>

Well, this answers the question of what happened to the Bat Plane when the
dynamic duo split up.. d:->))

Megascenry PNW is better than the SoCal, but they could have done better on
some of their mountain textures. Lots of it reminds me of military camo if
you drop down too low.. Within it's limits, overall it ain't bad, and
covers a large enough area you're not going to see it all in a couple of
flights... Whether it's worth the $40, with the sectionals and book of
Approach Charts is pushing it... But, you spend that in a nice resturant
and have nothing the next day but heartburn to show for it..
 

jafar

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On Fri, 18 Feb 2005 13:35:29 -0600, CRASH wrote:

>> http://www.cox-internet.com/tazman/rainer.jpg

Thanks for the comparisons, but the compression ratio you have used is
killing the effect. For example, the rainer.jpg is just 29k. Are you
really that starved of space on that site? ;)

For example, the link below has a shot resized to 800x600 and saved at a
compression ratio of 90% which at 102.4k is a good tradeoff between size
and quality don't you think? :)
http://fatcat.homelinux.org/misc/LA1893-2005-feb-6-021.jpg

--
Jafar Calley
Livewire. The World's biggest VA.
http://www.flightbase2000.com
See Mars and Saturn in colour at
http://fatcat.homelinux.org
 

crash

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Jafar wrote:
> really that starved of space on that site? ;)
>

Not much space to spare, it's used for lots of other things, and small files
are also easier on the dial up folks...
 
G

Guest

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Well I have recently installed the FREE scenery for Columbia River Gorge
from AVSIM which includes Mt St Helens and Mt Hood, and I can tell you it is
better than that ,and virtually no impact on Frame Rates.

Quilly
Website
http://www.quilljar.btinternet.co.uk/
Do not reply personally, false address
 

dallas

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"CRASH"
> Not much space to spare, it's used for lots of other things, and small
files
> are also easier on the dial up folks...

Why not sign up over at Photobucket? 250K limit per image covers almost
every screen shot at 1280x1024..

Dallas
 
G

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Also Sprach CRASH <sorry@aint-here.spam.com>:

> www.cox-internet.com/tazman/comp3.jpg Whidbey Island, Puget Sound

Heh, I can see the house I almost bought from here.

Dan



--
Anyone who complains that they're getting laid too often for it to
be cost-efficient really needs to have their head examined.

-- Cameron Perkins
 

crash

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Marshall Banana wrote:
> Also Sprach CRASH <sorry@aint-here.spam.com>:
>
>> www.cox-internet.com/tazman/comp3.jpg Whidbey Island, Puget Sound
>
> Heh, I can see the house I almost bought from here.
>

LOL! One reason I took that particular shot is because a good friend lives
probably about smack dab in the middle of that scene. Beautiful view of Mt.
Rainer an a good day!!
 

dallas

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"Marshall Banana"
> Heh, I can see the house I almost bought from here.

Cool! Dan has a new house... a giant place to keep his tools.... I hope
it's got a 4 car garage.

There goes all your money - directly into the Home Depot Corporation, you'll
find its easier just to have them direct deposit your paycheck.

Dallas
 
G

Guest

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==================================================================>>>

Well, this answers the question of what happened to the Bat
Plane when the dynamic duo split up.. d:->))
=====================================================================


Surely you do not mock the elegant gull wings of my Stinson Reliant?
And me here thinking all this time I was the glass of fashion and the
mould of form...

Stinson Reliant by Bill and Lynn Lyons
http://windrfters.com/Stinpage.htm

stinr3bigz.jpg


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crash

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Quilljar wrote:
> Well It certainly looks impressive when erupting! Have a look at my
> screenshot.
>

That's even better than M/S's Kilauea!! Now talk about a lethargic
eruption....
Do you have to put in a specail date for that like M/S or is it in a
perpetual state of sending ash skyward?
 

Bob

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Quilljar wrote:
>
> Well It certainly looks impressive when erupting! Have a look at my
> screenshot.
>
> http://client.webshots.com/photo/194691959/277161888KLFFit
>
>
>
>
> Quilly
> Website
> http://www.quilljar.btinternet.co.uk/
> Do not reply personally, false address
>
>

AARRGGG I wasn't going to do it...... really, but Q made me do it!!!

http://img19.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img19&image=little_bird.jpg

--

boB

U.S. Army Aviation (retired)
Central Texas - 5NM West of Gray Army Airfield (KGRK)
 
G

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Sheeeeeitt !

:) :)


Quilly
Website
http://www.quilljar.btinternet.co.uk/
Do not reply personally, false address