OpenStreetMap or Google Maps Buildings in FSX (and Prepar3d) w/ MegaSceneryEarth?

Is there a way or are there any addons or scenery packages that can utilize Google Maps or OpenStreetMap 3D buildings in FSX (and Prepar3d) with MegaSceneryEarth for New York in particular?

MegaSceneryEarth looks great as photoscenery but at lower altitudes, that lack of 3D buildings somewhat ruins the experience. But autogen is not a solution because as MegaSceneryEarth themselves say that "we feel that photoscenery should be what it is and not "tainted" with artificial autogen scenery. MegaSceneryEarth simply looks better to fly with as photoreal textures only." This is likely because autogen buildings will be placed in the right areas but not in the right positions so this would result in an autogen building possibly popping up on a lawn or backyard of a house rather than on the proper position.

However, OpenStreetMap and Google Maps has (as far as I can tell) fairly accurate 3D buildings that are where they are supposed to be and the shape they are supposed to be. Now, if that could be coupled with MegaSceneryEarth, I'd think that the experience could potentially be drastically improved since those 3D buildings will go on top of the proper positions on the photoscenery because rather than being autogenerated, these 3D buildings were placed by individuals there in, most time, the correct spot.

So, is there a way to get these 3D buildings onto FSX and by extension, Prepar3d.

See for yourself.

https://www.google.com/maps

http://demo.f4map.com/

http://www.osm-3d.org/map.htm

Note that some areas don't have 3D buildings. Also, while Google Map 3D buildings have textures on them, I'm not sure if OSM ones have textures too but based on the lack of them in the OSM 3D maps, I don't think so.

Type "fsx google earth scenery" into Google Search and see what you find.

Basically, non-autogen 3D buildings are individually placed in their positions by the scenery designer not a program calculation, so if the designer doesn't have the time-talent-interest in "corrupting" photo-real scenery with 3D objects, then you are dependent on auto-gen to do that which cannot discriminate photographic terrain objects like property boundaries and roads/water etc. without the help of a designer. A designer will "paint" along photo terrain features like roads with a 3D road so autogen will "know" where these things are. Paint isn't really the right word since the process is more like sizing and layering.

If YOU as an enthusiast wanted to create photo-enhanced scenery for your friends, you might investigate becoming a scenery designer and throwing a major portion of your life into making things look the way you want. This is why you will see only major landmark 3D buildings added to high density scenery and letting auto-gen handle the hard work of placing thousands of little buildings just to cover a few square miles.

-Pv-

You could conceivably d/l the OSM dataset and extract the building footprint data and use that to generate autogen annotations, but I don't think OSM has any height data, so you would have to fake that, as well as roof profiles. Autogen annotations have some ability to generate random variations, so it isn't impossible to accomplish.

scott s.

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Type "fsx google earth scenery" into Google Search and see what you find.

 

Basically, non-autogen 3D buildings are individually placed in their positions by the scenery designer not a program calculation, so if the designer doesn't have the time-talent-interest in "corrupting" photo-real scenery with 3D objects, then you are dependent on auto-gen to do that which cannot discriminate photographic terrain objects like property boundaries and roads/water etc. without the help of a designer. A designer will "paint" along photo terrain features like roads with a 3D road so autogen will "know" where these things are. Paint isn't really the right word since the process is more like sizing and layering.

 

If YOU as an enthusiast wanted to create photo-enhanced scenery for your friends, you might investigate becoming a scenery designer and throwing a major portion of your life into making things look the way you want. This is why you will see only major landmark 3D buildings added to high density scenery and letting auto-gen handle the hard work of placing thousands of little buildings just to cover a few square miles.

 

-Pv-

I just found out about something called Ultimate VFR. http://store.ultimatevfr.com/

It combines photoscenery with "high definition water features, full autogen vegetation, high quality autogen buildings*, statewide sound effects, night lighting systems and special effects such as fireworks displays and campfire effects." I'm not sure what statewide sound effects are though.

Too bad no NY so far though, apparently, that's going to be available in the future.

Is there a way or are there any addons or scenery packages that can utilize Google Maps or OpenStreetMap 3D buildings in FSX (and Prepar3d) with MegaSceneryEarth for New York in particular?

 

MegaSceneryEarth looks great as photoscenery but at lower altitudes, that lack of 3D buildings somewhat ruins the experience. But autogen is not a solution because as MegaSceneryEarth themselves say that "we feel that photoscenery should be what it is and not "tainted" with artificial autogen scenery. MegaSceneryEarth simply looks better to fly with as photoreal textures only." This is likely because autogen buildings will be placed in the right areas but not in the right positions so this would result in an autogen building possibly popping up on a lawn or backyard of a house rather than on the proper position.

 

However, OpenStreetMap and Google Maps has (as far as I can tell) fairly accurate 3D buildings that are where they are supposed to be and the shape they are supposed to be. Now, if that could be coupled with MegaSceneryEarth, I'd think that the experience could potentially be drastically improved since those 3D buildings will go on top of the proper positions on the photoscenery because rather than being autogenerated, these 3D buildings were placed by individuals there in, most time, the correct spot.

 

So, is there a way to get these 3D buildings onto FSX and by extension, Prepar3d.

 

See for yourself.

https://www.google.com/maps

http://demo.f4map.com/

http://www.osm-3d.org/map.htm

 

Note that some areas don't have 3D buildings. Also, while Google Map 3D buildings have textures on them, I'm not sure if OSM ones have textures too but based on the lack of them in the OSM 3D maps, I don't think so.

Hi, have a look at Finn Multimaps http://www.finnflight.com this should be what you are looking for.

Is there a way or are there any addons or scenery packages that can utilize Google Maps or OpenStreetMap 3D buildings in FSX (and Prepar3d) with MegaSceneryEarth for New York in particular?

 

MegaSceneryEarth looks great as photoscenery but at lower altitudes, that lack of 3D buildings somewhat ruins the experience. But autogen is not a solution because as MegaSceneryEarth themselves say that "we feel that photoscenery should be what it is and not "tainted" with artificial autogen scenery. MegaSceneryEarth simply looks better to fly with as photoreal textures only." This is likely because autogen buildings will be placed in the right areas but not in the right positions so this would result in an autogen building possibly popping up on a lawn or backyard of a house rather than on the proper position.

 

However, OpenStreetMap and Google Maps has (as far as I can tell) fairly accurate 3D buildings that are where they are supposed to be and the shape they are supposed to be. Now, if that could be coupled with MegaSceneryEarth, I'd think that the experience could potentially be drastically improved since those 3D buildings will go on top of the proper positions on the photoscenery because rather than being autogenerated, these 3D buildings were placed by individuals there in, most time, the correct spot.

 

So, is there a way to get these 3D buildings onto FSX and by extension, Prepar3d.

 

See for yourself.

https://www.google.com/maps

http://demo.f4map.com/

http://www.osm-3d.org/map.htm

 

Note that some areas don't have 3D buildings. Also, while Google Map 3D buildings have textures on them, I'm not sure if OSM ones have textures too but based on the lack of them in the OSM 3D maps, I don't think so.

Quick answer: No

Buildings must be present in the FSX library or included in the scenery itself. Suggest reading up on autogen and static scenery.

Long answer: You'd need to find a way to include the buildings - and their location - in the FSX file system. Aftermarket developers have for years been supplying addons that add co-located structures to photoscenery. But it is not easy, and if you do add individual buildings rather than generic expect your fps to go through the floor. If you use google images as the base texture, then be aware there is no consistency between them so you may get summer textures followed immediately by winter as you fly.

Final answer: It's do-able, but you can't copy images from the net because of copyright issues, it's a massive amount of work even for a small region, and you still won't have seasonal textures, restricting you to flying in one of the five `seasons` in the sim.

The results are likely to be not what you are looking for.