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Is Ultimate terrain what I'm looking for?


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I only fly general aviation planes, and unless the weather turns bad during the flight, only VFR. I used to fly in real life and was IFR rated before I had to give it up. I would like to experience those early days again in a bit more detail than default FsX-Se offers. What I'm looking for is accurate interstate, road, stream and river placement. Accurate landmarks like factories or shopping malls would be a bonus. For example, here in Mobile we used to call in and report "over the cement plant" as we call up KBFM tower for pattern entry instructions.

I've read the literature on several products and Ultimate Terrain X seems like it might offer the best results but I'd like to hear opinions and options from those who own it. I've surfed darn near 100 search results looking for answers but everything is a comparison to other stuff, not an outright description of UTX. Can you guys tell me what you think about it?

I'm guessing my computer should be able to handle it. Most all of my sliders are set pretty high except for traffic and light bloom and I get smooth frames.

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UTX can work for your purposes. It's pretty good, and I used it for a number of years, and it certainly does add the items you list above, improving VFR "IFR" (I Follow Roads/Railroads/Rivers), but I've long since gone to ORBX scenery, though it's a bit more expensive. But it also adds life to airports and some places between, with animated people, some animals, static aircraft and many objects on the airports, and more. I'd suggest you first try their free demo of the Olympic area of Washington state. It's a relatively small area, but it's complete within that area, free, and doesn't expire. The regional sceneries like that include essentially all that UTX does from California to Southern Alaska, plus much more, as I mentioned above.

 

Of course if they don't have a regional in the area you prefer to fly in, then perhaps their Global stuff can help (it covers the whole world, where UTX is US, perhaps Canada in another package).

 

Hope this helps.

 

Larry N.

As Skylab would say:

Remember: Aviation is NOT an exact Science!

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Thanks Larry,

I tried Orbx a long time ago and their stuff is beautiful but it does bring my rig to it's knees.

Actually, that was my old computer. I might give it another try on this one.

Most of my flying is done in the area between Memphis, New Orleans, Florida, and up as far as North Carolina.

From time to time I may take a tour through the Caribbean just for fun and to virtually pick up a bottle of John Watling's rum in Nassau.

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Hi Folks,

 

Yep - used and enjoyed UT for years with FS9 - made the jump to ORBX with P3D and there is no going back. One nice thing about ORBX is they have literally hundreds of FREE airports which I spend much time visiting - all improved with a common core library they maintain. They really are a vast improvement over default - but not up to their payware standards... I'm also mostly a GA flier - and my old 2700K @ 4.7Ghz handled ORBX and all the other usual suspects of addons quite handily... This is a seven year old box so you don't need the latest and greatest...

 

I love flying the Caribbean as well...

 

Regards,

Scott

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Without Ultimate Terrain both FS9 and FSX are just games, not flight simulators. With UT you can look down and see the lake that is shaped like a banana, just like it is on the chart.

 

I'll disagree with that, though I'll agree that they're not useful for practicing pilotage without add-ons. Granted that RRR and a few other things are not up to snuff, but all else is still there for simulating flight. Any of these sims can be treated as a game, and many people so treat them, but they also can be treated as actual sims in exactly the same configuration, so game or sim is in the eye of the user.

 

Larry N.

As Skylab would say:

Remember: Aviation is NOT an exact Science!

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I'll disagree with that, though I'll agree that they're not useful for practicing pilotage without add-ons. Granted that RRR and a few other things are not up to snuff, but all else is still there for simulating flight. Any of these sims can be treated as a game, and many people so treat them, but they also can be treated as actual sims in exactly the same configuration, so game or sim is in the eye of the user.

 

Amen. You nailed it. I have been making this point for years: anything, including any serious flight simulator program, can be treated as a game by users who want to do that. I wonder, though, what would happen if a commercial pilot who was taking his/her required training on a professional multimiillion-dollar simulator were to let it be known that it was all just a game! Doesn't take much imagination to figure that one out.

 

Regarding Ultimate Terrain, I have used it for years and think it's great. I have looked at ORBX products to a very limited extent and don't see much difference, frankly. And where I do see differences I tend to prefer UT. But either one produces a huge improvement over the default scenery.

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I have looked at ORBX products to a very limited extent and don't see much difference, frankly. And where I do see differences I tend to prefer UT.

Have you tried the ORBX free demo in western Washington? It's typical of the regional sceneries, vs the Global stuff, which is good but doesn't have enhanced airports and many other things.

 

Larry N.

As Skylab would say:

Remember: Aviation is NOT an exact Science!

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Yes! Plus, combined with Ground Environment X, really vastly improves the scenery. As well as REX for better skies, clouds, water, even runway and taxi textures. All fairly cheap, so you won’t break your wallet.
CLX - SET Gaming Desktop - Intel Core i9 10850K - 32GB DDR4 3000GHz Memory - GeForce RTX 3060 Ti - 960GB SSD + 4TB HDD - Windows 11 Home
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Combine UTX with GEX? What are the differences between the two? From what I read, it seems as if GEX alters autogen and some other textures and UTX basically changes the ground textures to better replicate the actual terrain and match the map? Am I close?

 

Looked at ORBX.. it's beautiful but doesn't really cover anywhere I'd fly unless I install the world coverage.

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UTX and GEX are Ultimate Terrain for FSX and Ground Environment for FSX.

Ultimate Terrain is vector graphics for accurate coastlines, streams, rivers, canals, lakes, dams, roads, rails, bridges, city parks, golf courses, industrial areas and docks.

Ground Environment is ground textures for entire continents.

I use them both with FreeMeshX and they all work perfectly together.

Tim Wright "The older I get, the better I was..."

Xbox Series X, Asus Prime H510M-K, Intel Core i5-11400F 4.40GHz, 16Gb DDR4 3200, 2TB WD Black NVME SSD, 1TB Samsung SATA SSD

NVidia RTX3060 Ti 8Gb, Logitech Flight Yoke System, CH Pro Pedals, Acer K272HL 27", Windows 11 Home x64

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UTX basically changes the ground textures

Nope. Unless it's changed since I last updated, UTX includes few, if any, textures, but changes landclasses, that is, forest, golf course, desert, etc. and moves roads, RR, rivers, lakes, etc. to more accurately reflect the real world. I've never tried GEX, so will let others describe it.

 

Larry N.

As Skylab would say:

Remember: Aviation is NOT an exact Science!

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Nope. Unless it's changed since I last updated, UTX includes few, if any, textures, but changes landclasses, that is, forest, golf course, desert, etc. and moves roads, RR, rivers, lakes, etc. to more accurately reflect the real world. I've never tried GEX, so will let others describe it.

 

Try reading post #12 Larry ;)

Tim Wright "The older I get, the better I was..."

Xbox Series X, Asus Prime H510M-K, Intel Core i5-11400F 4.40GHz, 16Gb DDR4 3200, 2TB WD Black NVME SSD, 1TB Samsung SATA SSD

NVidia RTX3060 Ti 8Gb, Logitech Flight Yoke System, CH Pro Pedals, Acer K272HL 27", Windows 11 Home x64

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I took the plunge and bought UTX. Haven't checked the night lighting part of it yet but I'm here to tell ya, them roads is ACCURATE!

In real life I'm a FedEx guy, so maps and roads are my life. I put it to the test. Took off from Mobile Downtown, caught I65 north. The Dolly Parton bridge isn't correct, but small worries there. Counted my exits and noted what was at each. Got to Hwy 113 at exit 69 and followed it south to Foshee road, then hung a left on Hwy 31 and flew into Brewton Alabama. Followed Douglas Ave up to the north part pf town. Followed Belleville Ave back down and crossed the tracks into East Brewton (which is actually south of town for some reason, even in real life). Flew down Forrest Ave until it became Florida Street and then Hwy 41 where I hung a right onto final approach for runway 24 at Brewton (12j).. I'm impressed!

Even the Georgia Pacific papermill is in the right place, but it is a bit simpler than real life.

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