One observation on the last image posted, it appears the coastal water transition is very clean but almost too clean if that makes sense? It's hard for me to comment too much going off an image though - just my opinion.
In some areas it is "clean" I agree, but I can assure you there's so much to see in this scenery, you might not notice it as much as you think when flying. Besides, think "continental shelf drop-off" (Remember Finding Nemo?).
A quick update... The team is working hard at incorporating animations. For example...
21. This Boeing 737 performing a touch and go at PHNL.
22. A Coast Guard C-130 Hercules flying around near Kaneohe Bay.
There's more to come, and more to show...
- Kenneth
After catching up on this thread, I wanted to say that it's a very good thing that you are doing. Sometimes humanity surpasses the norm and does something unexpected and spectacular
We really have a good community here, and I'm proud to say that!
Agreed Jeff. Well played to add a corporate voice of approval.
Thank you for beta requests gents, and those who contacted us privately too. We're not quite ready to go to beta and share files yet. Thank you for your understanding on this. The collection of files is changing several times a day right now.
- Kenneth
The large variations in cultivation coverage throughout my "Great Britain Project" is simply down to the amount of OSM Data, no data, no buildings.
Kindest regards to all, Michael.
Michael, I seem to remember you making a change for the London area where you removed cultivation to allow the underlying images to show through. Am I wrong in that?
Regards
Kenneth
Welcome to Part Three of the round-the-coast tour of Oahu for Aerofly FS2. Remember, these are work-in-progress shots, and please make sure you've read the previous two parts before viewing this. As before, the numbered captions refer to the screenshot beneath them.
11. We have left the Marine base at Kaneohe Bay behind us, and are skirting communities impossibly-sandwiched between steep slopes and the ocean. Beneath the aircraft is Ka'a'awa, population less than 1500.
12. To the left is Hau'ula, home to several beautiful beaches. Further ahead is Laie, a center of Polynesian culture.
13. Passing Laie, home to around 5,000 people, it's easy to see why this town is a haven for surfing activities. Indeed, the Southern beach is called Pounder's Beach, due to the constant pounding it takes from the breakers.
14. We've turned the point at the Northeast of the island, and are now heading along the Northern coastline. Turtle Bay Golf Resort lies on the right. The red area to the left is part of the Hawaii Operating Engineers Journeymen and Apprentice Training Center.
15. Kawela Bay is so beautiful that I had to turn round and fly over it twice. This protected area is home to beautiful sands, palm trees, stunning azure waters, and turtles.
16. We're coming up to Sunset Beach, a two-mile stretch of glorious sand.
17. Now we're over Pupukea, meaning "White Shell" in Hawaiian. There's a marine life conservation area here. Also environmentally friendly is the wind farm on the hills further South.
18. This is Hale'iwa, a beautiful hamlet located at the mouth of the Anahulu Stream, where it open up into Waialua Bay.
19. Under the port wingtip is Waialua, population around 4,000. We're getting close to Dillingham where our flight began.
20. Well, our coastal preview tour is over. We've flown around the entire coastline, taking in many of the towns, airports, and incredible scenery as we go. But before we return to Dillingham, let's climb up to 10,500ft and get a look at the entire island.
There it is, Oahu in all its spectacular beauty. It's a testament to the incredible work of the team that there's not one cloud in the ortho of this image. That feat alone took many hours of painstaking image editing by hand.
I sincerely hope you've enjoyed this overview of Oahu for Aerofly FS2. It may look like it's complete, but there's a lot more work to do as the guys keep on coming up with new ideas, and adding more custom details. That's why we cannot give a release date yet, we simply don't know when that will be either!
I'll keep on adding more screenshots, one or two at a time, as I allow you to look over our shoulder at the work in progress.
For now....
ALOHA.
- Kenneth
I understand what you are saying but I think I disagree.
I'd prefer the superb perception real life gives me.
I understand what you are saying, as sims become more sophisticated we do raise the bar of our expectations in general. Having said that, I think you will be pleased with Oahu. There is so much going on, so much to see. Looking at what it offers does mask any imperfections that exist due to limitations of source material.
Wait a little bit, is scheduled for February... but you know what schedules are when finalizing airports.
Some WIP
Cheers
Antoine
That screenshot looks great. Still need a Chipmunk to fly it with though! (Sylvain????)
We are also a little disappointed Orbx has stopped Aerofly FS development for now. Porting Orbx UK over to Aerofly FS wouldn't be too difficult and we have also offered our help. But we of course understand their decision from their point of view. But with the new simulator around the corner, they might reconsider, we will see.
In my personal opinion...
1. ORBX missed the boat with the UK when they stopped because of the lack of airports. They surely could have recovered some of their investment by simply releasing a lower-cost product that provided the ortho and cultivation. They could have stated it was being offered at lower cost because they were leaving the airports up to the fans with fsCloudPort. Instead they shelved it, and thus recovered not one cent of their development money in the AFS2 version. If Taburet can sell only cultivation and mesh, ORBX could have sold the ortho and their version of cultivation. They would have made money, and the fans would have embraced it willingly.
2. I would not write off TrueEarth photoscenery yet. There will be a lot of people who do not have the bandwidth to use Microsoft's new sim, and many more whose computers won't handle it either. These people may yet flock to AFS2 as a viable alternative, and that could draw ORBX back to us in a fast hurry. This is one reason I decided to include an AFS2 article in my series "on an older computer" at Flightsim.com.
- Kenneth
Welcome to Part Two of your preview of OAHU for Aerofly FS2. If you've not already done so, please read Part One (earlier in this thread) as it includes important information about the forthcoming scenery.
In this preview, we're taking you on a flight around the coast, moving in an anti-clockwise direction. Our previous image gave you a glimpse of Honolulu International Airport (PHNL). Now, we're going to continue Eastward.
6. Here's your first look at our evolving treatment of the city of Honolulu, the capital of the state of Hawaii. The city is home to approximately 350,000 souls, and the first settlement here dates back to the 11th century. See those sailboats in the bay? You'll be glad to know they are animated, as is the Goodyear blimp, if you can find it.
7. Sweeping down low over the waterfront, you'll notice 3d boats in the marina. In this image we're using standard textures on the high-rise buildings, but we're experimenting with different looks, so as with any element of the scenery, things may change during the development process.
8. To the East of Honolulu, the towns make full use of the topography, sometimes climbing like fingers up the hills. Aina Haina is to the left of the image, and to the bottom right is Paiko Lagoon.
9. After turning to the North again, we head up the Eastern coast and reach the town of Kailua, population around 100,000. Ka'elepulu Pond is under the port wing of our Cessna, and Kaneohe Bay lies further ahead.
10. Situated to the North of Kailua is Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay. You'll see more images of this base in later previews.
So, that's your second screenshot preview of OAHU. Tomorrow, we'll make our way back to Dillingham, taking in more great coastal scenery along the way. Heck, we might even give you more than five images in that post as I'm having a hard time deciding what to leave out!
And remember, if you're excited about this upcoming addon, please show it by giving this post a thumbs up, or by expressing your thanks to the team members who are working hard to bring it to you. They'll be happy to know their work is appreciated.
Best Regards,
- Kenneth
No matter where in the world the geographical location may be, the fact that another commercial developer is entering the AFS2 world is great news.
Just to be certain: is it correct that some part have lots of cultivation while other parts only have a few streets with buildings...?
Only a few buildings:
Lots of buildings:
Just want to make sure I did nothing wrong.
It all comes down to the level of detail in the data source. With open street map, some cities are covered in detail when it comes to buildings, but others seem to be far more sparse.
A good illustration of why I refused to do spin training solo, but totally enjoyed doing it with the instructor in the right hand seat.
Thank you admin for commenting on the article. One of the main reasons I pointed out the "deficiencies" was in a way a bit of a sales tactic. The majority of sim enthusiasts who frequent the big websites do not use AFS2. Those are the people for whom the sim is still "a joke." Well, in sales, if you agree with the objection of your prospect, you take away their power. So I figured, agree with the biggest objection up front, and then show them what a beautiful sim it is, and why it is easy to fall in love with Aerofly FS2.
My hope with the article is simple, that it might result in more sales for you, and that more people will embrace the platform. If we can get a bigger user base, then you will have more budget to play with, and potentially attract personnel to speed up your development process. Similarly, a larger user base might re-attract the commercial developers who have gone cold on the platform and placed their emphasis on warmer markets.
Thank you also for mentioning future development. It is so important to keep fans informed. Of course there are some things you want to keep close to your chest, that's a commercial reality. But, long silences from a developer foster a belief that nothing is happening, even when a developer might be as busy as a beaver. I therefore applaud the new developer's blog. Keep it going. And I also encourage you to get creative in business expansion. Leverage the possibilities of joint ventures with other companies, and even with the fans now developing for the platform, if that's what it takes to expand. Creative joint ventures can potentially access a workforce you do not have the budget to hire.
I will be writing more AFS2 articles of flightsim.com. My next article takes me back to the FSX world, but the one after that is AFS2-based again.
Regards
Kenneth
Thank you for being so patient. It is time to reveal the location of the new scenery. It is OAHU, the commercial and strategic hub in the Hawaiian island chain.
Over the next three days I will take you on a photographic tour around the coast of the island. We'll fly anti-clockwise, and each segment will include five screenshots. After we've done that, I will release new screenshots every day so, and those shots will begin to show you some of the incredible detail being included in the scenery by our world-class designers.
Here's the important caveat. What you see is work in progress. New elements are being added to the files several times a day. We might re-design an airport that you see in the screenshots, or add new building textures, or incorporate many more new features before release. You are going to be looking over our shoulders at the evolving scenery. This means even we do not know when it will be released. The designers are literally feeding off each others' enthusiasm! New ideas are being suggested by the hour in our private forum. And you will get to share in the excitement.
So, here is the first segment of your coastal tour. Each numbered commentary refers to the image beneath it.
1. We have just taken off from Dillingham in the North of the island. We've made a 180 degree turn, and are beginning to proceed due west. The airport is operated by the US Army, and is also home to gliding operations on the island. In 2015, 95% of the flights from the airport were civilian.
2. We have now turned South. That community over on the beach is Nanakuli, with an approximate population of around 12,000.
3. We're continuing South towards the oil refineries at Barbers Point.
4. And now, we're heading East. You can still see the refineries, and also Kalaeloa (John Rodgers Field). Many people still think of it as NAS Barbers Point. At this point in scenery development we've included military aircraft on the ramp. Some old associations die hard, and some memories are worth keeping.
5. Continuing along the South coast, we're passing Honolulu International Airport (PHNL). One of the 30 busiest airports in the USA, it handles more than 21 million passengers each year. In the distance is Ford Island. We'll feature that in future screenshots.
OK, that's your first coastal tour segment. Expect another one tomorrow!
We are incredibly excited about this in-development scenery. The level of detail is already stunning, and there is more to come. You are going to love it.
Regards
Kenneth
Ah, okay, thanks for the information, I didn't know that! Let's hope those features find there way to AFS2 someday!
Agreed!
A must read for any AFS2 enthusiast : Aerofly AFS2
Thank you for pointing it out in the forum. I did not want to toot my own horn to promote it! - Kenneth
Kenneth, a well done review with already 900 views in that short time!
Thank you. Flightsim.com does get the views. My previous article on the Chipmunk was released a month ago, and has had around 4800 views as well. - Kenneth
Nice writing Kenneth
Thanks Phil.
Wow, that's great publicity. I am big fan of professionally-written reviews, and this is one. Plus, the well-done screenshots add much to the impression.
Does anyone know a possibility do view/print/save (as pdf) the whole article instead of pts 1-7?
Kind regards, Michael
Thank you Michael.
I sincerely hope it brings some more people into the user base. We really need that, as it will potentially re-stimulate the interest of the likes of ORBX. Even JustFlight has gone silent right now on further AFS2 projects. Another couple of thousand users would really help.
I will see about placing the article on my own site as well (http://www.kjksimmer.com), without the page breaks. Maybe that will help. But I do want to draw the audience to Flightsim.com first, as the "older system" series is being written primarily for them.
- Kenneth
Nice read, although I did miss a bit of information about the things that AFS2 actually DOES offer when it comes to simulating aircraft systems. AFS2 isn't as lite (anymore) as a lot of people (still) think and it offers things that other (civilian) sims do not offer in default aircraft. This review makes it look a bit as if AFS2 mainly is a good running scenery sim with very basic aircraft, and that isn't the case (anymore). I know the review is mainly about AFS2's capabilities to run on an old rig but still...
BTW Concerning the Just Flight planes: I wonder if this: "While they do not have the systems depth of their legacy-sim versions" is actually true...? Perhaps the fuel system of AFS2 is lacking in comparison but I wonder what other systems are NOT simulated in AFS2 that are simulated in the other sims? The JF planes look pretty complete to me.
Thank you for the compliments.
You are correct, AFS2 probably has more system depth in some aircraft than I have written about. I think this reflects my own personal style of flying, and my own interests. I only fly General Aviation in AFS2, or even in FSX for that matter. I am not an airliner person.
Regarding the GA aircraft from Just Flight, from what I have seen, the legacy sim versions are a bit like mini A2A machines. They leverage capabilities that do not appear in AFS2 yet. These might include spark plug fowling, maintenance capabilities, fuel systems, assorted failures, etc. Until the core AFS2 is upgraded to include some of these elements, the JF fleet is a bit watered-down in comparison with the legacy sim versions. But, they do look and fly great. I will be doing an article specifically on the JF fleet in about a month and a half.
- Kenneth
Enjoyed your article, Kenneth! However, I was a bit disappointed that the Apollo50 project wasn't mentioned in the community freeware paragraph - I believe it's the most-downloaded scenery on flight-sim.org. Maybe you haven't tried it yet???
Thank you.
Yes, you caught me! I have not tried Apollo50. Here's why. I erroneously assumed that you needed the Florida addon from IPACS in order to use Apollo50. I noticed that IPACS states the system requirements for Florida are much greater than for the rest of AFS2. Having an old system, I decided not to buy Florida... hence never used Apollo50.
However, I am in close connection with some of the designers who created Apollo50. And they have pointed out the error of my ways! I will be checking it out this weekend.
- Kenneth
Still ill, no flying, but I might join the testing later. Anyway, this is GREAT news.
Kind regards, Michael
Wishing you better health my friend. - Kenneth.
I deleted yesterday's screenshot, it showed just a bit too much detail, and we want to keep you guessing a little longer. SO.. Here is your official preview screenshot #2. By the way, the team keeps adding more detail, so I would not like to guarantee a release date yet. But it is going to be fantastic.
Start with Christchurch International (NZCH)? Looks pretty doable with my skill level. 02/20 is 10785' - suitable for the excellent 777 plus a grass strip. Thoughts?
If there was one scenic area to wow people with at the start of the project, Queenstown would be one heck of a choice. The mountains and lakes would be beautiful and if the mesh was in place along with cultivation, it would be spectacular. That is my two cents worth. Would be interesting to hear other opinions too.
