US CITIES Cleveland !

Feb, 17/20h UTC / American designer LimeSim is launching a new project ; US CITIES Cleveland with Aerosoft reseller. LimeSim announced 33 880 objects (does that mean really something ?), four heliports and 640 majors buildings. One brillant idea is to choose Cleveland, which is not too far from US Cities Buffalo... There is also this mythic Lakefront airport. LimeStudios is also supposed to release a patch for US CITIES Las Vegas, in order to add night textures on Vegas buildings.
More pictures on Aerosoft forum, "Preview". Support Airdailyx ! Tweet and retweet !

First 3D rough of Kaluhui (Hawai. Vol III)

At last, some nice news. FS Dreamteam has released eight raw screenshots of Kaluhui, an airport that will be included in the Hawai Vol.II package with Kona airport (PHKO). These pictures show -unless they have been taken weeks ago - that this project is still at an early stage.

http://www.fsdreamteam.com/forum/index.php?topic=4108.0

A small preview of San Jose del Cabo FSX

Bajasim, the new mexican designer, recently promised a FSX version of MMSD in two weeks. A small video shows small details of grounds and runway. Other news from Bajasim, they are talking with Oliver Pasbt about a AES support.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFJqe_Xocgw

Bajasim releases fix 1.02 and Bajasim comment

Bajasim team (San Jose del Cabo) has honored me of a comment about my recent article. Here is the full text. Thank you very much , i am eager to see the FSX version and happy to hear about the fix.

Hi! We are pleased our product had a favorable review from you. We want to share some words about your comments: a) we have released fix 1.02 wich removes standard shadows where custom rendered shadows are present, removes flickering from some tarmac spots and fix a weird texture shadow on hotels ground. Thats it! these are the only bugs reported by customers by now :) b) On the grass situation we really explore solutions that pleased our eyecandy but easy on frame rates (our main goal) and this was the best solution, we will do some more thinking and experimentation to get a better solution. C) about pricing we hope that with the FSX version, the technical support and the upcoming expansions (South Tarmac is about to be opened, a new Ramp control tower and advances on T4 for start) customers will be satisfied 100% with their purchase, their investment will be worth. Thanks again, we will be looking for your comments in order to create better sceneries! Bajasim Staff .

Blueprint Simulation KLAX

Of course, Blueprint Simulations KLAX airport has nothing to do with FSDT futur KLAX but all passengers terminals are depicted, including the new TBIT concourse with its amazing architecture. I did not find any bug except some flickering gates ground marks. If i remember, this is the usual bug from the original FSX but since then, a lot of designers have found new ways to fix this. The airport is also surrounded by a large photoreal area, very effective at night, despite its low resolution (to preserve the framerate). The scenery is smooth, cheap (15,5 €/21 $) and eventually, i just have one regret : i did not see the blue-pink colors reflections of the famous modern restaurant at the airport's entry.

13 Screenshots : http://airdailyx.blogspot.com/p/blueprints-klax-screens.html

San Jose del Cabo

These guys from Bajasim know the tricks of the trade. I really doubt that this is their first shot. The scenery (25 mb) has been released for FS9 but a FSX version will follow. San Jose del Cabo is a good choice. This city in the Baja state, south of California, is growing rapidly thanks to booming investments in large resorts. The airport is also growing fast and the scenery shows foundations of a futur terminal. Buildings, ground textures, runway and terminal are near to perfection (almost too perfect maybe). Trees are photoreal and a lot of houses and objets have dynamic shadows as often in FS9. In the opposite, i did not like how Bajasim put some grass around the taxiways. On ground, the effect is nice but when flying over the airport, you can see awful crosses. The night lights are not very effective neither. Its a bit too dark. Anyway, this first airport is a serious work and i am eager to see futur projects.

Quality : 8/10 FPS : 10/10 (FS9...) Interest : 8/10 Overall package : 7/10 (expensive price)

Flightbeam studios recognition

Fs Dreamteam and Fly Tampa are not alone anymore. With their KSFO, the unknown members of Flightbeam studios have prouved the strongest skills in 3Dsmax and GMAX scenery designing. First feat of all, they managed to build this first scenery in less than a year. Second, despite the size and complexity of San Francisco airport, the scenery is going to be smooth (this is important because there are others products around the bay ; KOAK & KSJC airports, US Cities SF, plus Ultimate terrain USA layers). Third, their screenshots and videos are showing innumerable textures effects ; photoreal ground mesh, dirt/wear, static shadows (and dynamic ?), shine, dynamic shining effects, transparent textures, static and dynamic reflective textures etc... Not to forget custom animations ; moving birds, cars, shuttles, plus the AES feature (moving jetways etc.). After FSX, Flightbeam studios will also release a FS9 version. The product will be downloadable from their website, as soon as AES is implemented and this will be a payware. Some of us might show apprehension about the framerate. But even if a lof of american simmers are now I7-core possessers, Flightbeam launched a poll to figure out what is the actual average processor type.

Updated 08/02 : we know a little bit more about this team. "Mir", who is the administrator of its own website, is apparently developing alone but he works along with a consultant and four beta-testers.

A first KLAX comes alive

Blueprint Simulations : imminent release of its KLAX airport.

More screenshots on :
http://www.blueprintsimulations.com/Galleries/BluePrint_GalleriesKLAX.html

Miami City scenery, firsts screens

Intersim Studios has shown us its first image of the incoming Miami City scenery. These are from the payware version and will be available for FS9 and FSX both (thanks Junior ! you comment will be published 02/01). In the meantime, Intersim is still working with Taxi2gate on the KMIA airport.

Incoming...San Jose del Cabo (FS9)

New mexican editor Bajasim has just disclosed a hundred of new screenshots of its incoming San Jose de Los Cabos MMSD. The scenery for FS9 will be released within 2 weeks, promised. A FSX version shall follow. At last, news from Mexico !

KCSG Columbus airport

9 months ago, a guy started a new FSX airport project but he didnt know too much things about scenery programming. 9 months later, KCSG Columbus is almost finished and reach very good paywares qualities (we don't know yet if this will be a freeware). This man is Michael Badger. As it is still a personal project, i am not showing off any screenshot here but you will find these materials on FS Developer.com : http://fsdeveloper.com/forum/showthread.php?t=19283

News from Blueprint Simulations

American designer Blueprint Simulations just disclosed its new project :

KLAX Los Angeles

Updated
There are some risks that this choice will be misunderstood, considering the fact Fs Dreamteam is working on the same project. But Blueprint Simulations - even knowing FSDT project - had the right to target this airport too (The designer is homebased in CA).

We will request an interview to understand their motivations but there is one thing that cannot be denied : Blueprint Simulations airports are usually FPS friendly (not to say that FSDT sceneries are usually really FPS friendly too..). Anyway, some simmers dont have a I7 core processor and are attracted to Blueprint products... We might also expect some new improvments... To be continued.

PS : initial information released at : 19H00 UTC, january 18.

VFR Appalachia

After the excellent Ingalls field, we had some expectations from Pacific Island Simulation's next project. Their first draw was about making a single airport, Eastern West Virginia Martinsburg (KMRB), but fortunately, they decided on the way to add some airfields.
VFRAppalachia.exe is a 580 mb file which includes seven airfields plus the Ingalls field bonus in FSX\webshop\. P.I.S. also made a special retail for those who previously bought KHSP. The installation process works nice and auto-set the scenery in the libray. I was mean last time when i compared Pacific island team with "cow-boys" but as a matter of fact, that's it, these people really like to add meadows, horses and harvesters.. EVERYWHERE. I suppose that they'are just trying to give a realistic depiction of Appalachias. Technically, ground textures and buildings photoreal-near textures are really astonishing and i got an average 25-40 FPS all along with my quadcore 2,33 Ghz.. Airfields are not too far from each others and are completed with country sounds and a lot of eye-candies and resort hotels. In Cheat River, i would have chosen Elkins county though, rather that an old decommissioned terrain. In Brief, VFR Appalachia is a great work and its a great opportunity : "majors" designers (FS Dreamteam for instance), are usually not interested in these small size VFR terrains.

Just two pictures here to show high quality textures but P.I.S. gave webshops a hundred of screenshots, so its really no use to add some more...

Mountain air : a zest of disappointment

Dangerous airport vol.1 just released, i wanted to test one of the most famous american airfield : 2NC0, Mountain air in North Carolina.

The private airfield has been kindly reproduced with the sloped runway, the golf and the home blocks overhanging the runway. Okay, it's nice, it's Aerosoft quality garanteed but we would have like something more here.

First, if there are cars and people, there is no traffic at all in the surroundings ways, unlike in Saint-Martin scenery from Fly Tampa where motorcycles are driving around. Second, when taking-off or landing, there is a light blurry effect on the runway despite all the configurations i tried. Third, there is no rain effect on the ground texture of the runway.

Despite this zest of disappointment, Mountain air VFR is a perfect complement to Ingalls field in Virginia (Pacific Island Simulation) and it will be 220 nm from the upcoming VFR Appalachia.
I will talk later on of Barra in Scotland but i think that to reunite in the same package airfields from Scotland, USA and Lesotho is a bit odd.

flightbeam KSFO V.1 for FSX (almost) ready

Flightbeam Studios homepage has been updated and announce the FSX scenery. The product will be downloadable from the website very soon now. Includes, PDF guide, charts and features (AES option etc.). Flightbeam Studios promises effective framerates. (And what about an effective price too ? )
A fs9 version is at a drawing stage.

Tampa rebooted hot test

Watch out. Tampa Rebooted is likely to show us a new standard. Traffic, bridges, tunnels everywhere. Fly Tampa overtakes here Fs Dreamteam last production (KDFW). Maybe just for a couple of weeks until KLAX release. But the work is impressive. Quality is in the amount of buildings, roads, parkings but also in small details : light signs on jetways, flags, etc.
The scenery covers the airport of Tampa Intl and its surroundings until 3 km.
I give a 9/10 for interest as Tampa airport was not very often described in FS univers (i barely remember 1 or 2 sceneries).
Two minor problems noted though : once in the scenery at the airport, it takes 2-3 seconds to load everything.
There is also a slight "flickering effect" on airport ground as the aircraft leaves the area. It can be my settings or a minor conflict with Ultimate terrain USA.

Overall quality 9;5/10 Interest 9/10 FPS 9/10
Overall package 8/10
Short video test below

US Cities coming back !

We thought the serie was over with New Orleans. It's not. LimeSim studios works on a US Cities Las Vegas, an extended version, including Boulder city, several airports (Nellis AFB, Henderson etc..). A total of 3 930 buildings are expected, including on the strip. The famous restricted Area 51 will also be reproduced. Us cities, as usual, comes with extended road traffic and sounds. According the screenshots disclosed on Aerosoft preview forum, the project seems well advanced. There are still questions about third parts softwares compatibilities but the scenery will be working with the remarkable FS Dreamteam KLAS (i said compatible, not framerates-high-performing).
Release date : shortly, maybe for december 31.

NB : night lights textures of buildings will be implemened this time (it's Vegas !) but this will come a bit later in a free update.

Thank you John de Young !

Who knows Ottawa ? Located in the province of Ontario across three rivers, this capital city has a very nice airport - Macdonald Cartier, with two runways. Obviously, it is connected to major canadian and quebecan airports ; Toronto, Halifax, Winnipeg, Calgary and of course, Quebec, Montreal etc.
Heading to the north, there are flights to Iqaluit or St John's. To the south, it is linked to N-Y, Philadelphia...
Note that Ottawa is also offering flight to Europe, London et Frankfurt.

Why i am writing about that ? Because John de Young designed months ago a very good airport with 3D max, incorporating custom lights (nice night lightings !), animated jetways and detailed surroundings (parking lots, road traffic etc.).

This scenery is free and downloadable on flightsim.com (on last check). CYOW is either available for FSX and FS 2004 and you can make nice FREE flights between Ottawa and Philadelphia (check our link about SunSkyJet).
Mason


CYOW main terminal