Articles, notes and random thoughts on Software Development and Technology
It’s Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 launch day 1. My download is still ongoing, but browsing the forums it’s not looking good so far as many users are finding they’re stuck in a queue to logon. That’s a first, I don’t think I’ve ever seen something like this before. I’ll continue browsing the forum while I wait for my download, but doesn’t look like I’ll be able to get into the game tonight.
https://forums.flightsimulator.com/t/does-msfs2024-actually-work-for-anyone/665064/1
Every time I fly in the UK in FS 2020 I forget which areas have photogrammetry, so here’s a quick list for future reference:
World Update XVII UK and Ireland (released 23 July 2024 added (from release notes here: https://www.flightsimulator.com/world-update-xvii-united-kingdom-ireland/) 16 TIN cities (triangulated irregular network) with surface modelling (higher resolution elevation data):
England:
Ireland:
Scotland:
Wales
5 handcrafted airports:
World Update III UK (from release notes here: https://forums.flightsimulator.com/t/release-release-notes-1-13-16-0-world-update-iii-united-kingdom-now-available/365854/1 and here: https://www.polygon.com/2021/2/16/22285851/microsoft-flight-simulator-world-update-3-united-kingdom-england-ireland-scotland-wales)
Added:
Handcrafted airports:
Summarized list from my previous post here: https://www.kevinhooke.com/2021/05/16/microsoft-flight-simulator-uk-cities-with-photogrammetry/
Original FS 2020 release cities:
If you fly over Calshot near Southampton, you’ll see this manufacturing site for wind turbines:
Flight Simulator’s scenery generator clearly doesn’t know what to make of these large objects, and so probably thinking they are streets, it places auto gen houses along them:
Taking a quick look in Google Maps, you can clearly see this location in more detail:
You’d think a couple of years after release with regular world updates and patches that most bridges would now be modelled as bridges, and not photogrammetry draped over elevation data. At least significant landmark bridges such as the Golden Gate and Bay Bridge are now (very beautifully too) modelled accurately and yes you can fly under them without hitting a brick wall:
You don’t have to fly too far however before you start to see these again, here’s the Carquinez Bridge in Crockett, about 6 miles to the NE:
Don’t try flying under this one, it doesn’t end well.