I am playing with OpenStreetMap, and I am thrilled at the prospect of combining it with GeoConvert scenery

Great to hear it's not difficult. I wish IPACS could open the API to the third party developer as you. This would be the best strategy for their development. A single tree does not make forest. The small size of IPACS makes it all the more important to entrust a large part of their task to the third party developer and the more general users.

Here is the problem: considering the small Aerofly user base, who would want to develop for them? So far there is only one: ORBX. A big one this is, but I doubt they will do more in the future. I can imageine the sales.

So here are only the users. We are left to do it by ourselves. IPACS is kind enough to give us GeoConvert. That's great, but not enough. In the days of VR, 3D is a must, along with photo real scenes. IPACS has promised to let us add 3D objects on top of GeoCovert in the future. That's great, but not easy. It will be a much more daunting task than just making photo real scenery with GeoConvert, which already could be frustrating for many. I remember the days when I tried to creat autogen with SBuilderX... so frustrating.

So the only sensible way out is to look for some automated tools, and the growing GIS data from such great sources as OSM. The difficulty is that still few people understand the beauty of OSM. I wish IPACS team could realize the full potential of this and the benefit for their program. I am a great fan of FS 2. I am advocating this out of sheer love for this beautiful sim.

Anyway, what could they possibly lose if you give them World2FS2?

Quote from tonywob

I'm guessing iPacs probably already have their own plans for a way to make autogen, but when they make an API public, I can't imagine it will be hard to do and I already have a large toolset built up, so all I would need to do is change the output format. The hardest part is making better regional artwork (Such as I did for Norway, and New Zealand), as I think the old generic W2XP lego-brick buildings aren't too pleasing to the eye

Hi IPACS, please respond to this enthusiastic suggestion that will be very beneficial for the development of Aerofly FS2.

The current static water is a painful bottleneck of Aerofly FS 2, and my understanding is that sooner or later, FS 2 will have "real" water that can flow, reflect the sunshine, and land the the seaplane. But this is no easy task even for professional developers, otherwise we would already have it now. For example, how can we have the beautiful curvature of the complex coastline and fjord as the follwing one?

It would take tremendous work do make in the past. But with World2FS2, this would be easily achieved in a snap. All automated. Zero development skill required. And for free.

Now the most talented developer is offering to do the most amazing program for FS 2. Why not consider it?