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Gift Guide: Zinertek - Enhanced Airport Graphics For MSFS
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Enhanced Airport GraphicsPublisher: ZinertekReview Author: Michael HaywardSuggested Price: $16.99/images/fsc/wbicons/store-buy-now-button.png /images/reviews/zinereag/t/zinereag-01.jpg /images/reviews/zinereag/t/zinereag-02.jpgZinertek is a well-respected sceneryenhancer development team for FSX and P3D. Recently they have releasedtheir first enhancement pack for Microsoft Flight Simulator, "EnhancedAirport Graphics", which provides a complete texture replacement forall default ground textures within Flight Simulator's airports. Inthis review, we take a look at the all-new add-on from Zinertek andsee how much it enhances the default airport environments forMicrosoft Flight Simulator. InstallationInstallation of Zinertek Enhanced Airport Graphics was simple andonly takes a few moments. When purchasing from the FlightSim.Com Storeyou are given a zip file and an activation key. Run the installerwithin the zip file, input your key and point the installer to yoursimulator's "Community" folder. /images/reviews/zinereag/t/zinereag-03.jpg /images/reviews/zinereag/t/zinereag-04.jpgThis will create two folders, Enhanced Airport Graphics 1 and2. When running the simulator these replace the default textures andis where the enhancement files are stored. This makes it easy tomanage your simulator without the need to overwrite default files,instead side-loading them on top of what MSFS already uses. Airport EnvironmentsEnhanced Airport Graphics replaces all default airport groundtextures with all-new high-resolution ground tiles and markings, andare much closer to what you would expect to see at real-worldairports. This includes a variety of different textures for differentmaterials used. Runways and taxiway surfaces are greatly improved on with all-newmarkings and base textures for all styles - tarmac, grooved concreteand tiled concrete. Runway touchdown zones have more pronounced tiremarks from where aircraft touch down and weathering has been appliedthroughout. This has the effect of taking away that clean and newfeeling that Microsoft Flight Simulator has by default. Airports aregenerally not pristine environments with fresh new ground paving, butare weathered from the constant movement of heavy jetliners and propcraft and other fast-moving traffic that cross through theirfacilities. /images/reviews/zinereag/t/zinereag-05.jpg /images/reviews/zinereag/t/zinereag-06.jpgColors are also no longer flat. Instead of a single shade of greyused to define what kind of ground you are on, these now have smallblemishes and imperfections which you will see over a large surfacearea. This adds life and variety to the scene and ensures that no twoairports will look the same. Each has their own layouts, tweaks anddifferences which help with differentiating airports, and eventuallyadds a sense of familiarity to them. Gates and stands are also enhanced with staining and cracks addedwhere spills and damage have taken place in years gone by. As beforewith taxiways and runways, adding age and weathering to the scenerybrings more life into the simulator where planes have been managed,worked and turned around at high-capacity over several decades. Ground markings, numbers and details have also been improved on.For example, taxiway centerlines have two distinct styles to them, aplain yellow line and backed black border. This also applies to runwaymarkings and boundaries which are marked and stand out (much more thanthe default textures). When combined, markings are more pronounced andhelp greatly in guiding your taxiing aircraft from stand to runway andvice versa. The shade of each color too has been carefully picked sothat it not only looks good, but also fits in with the scenery. /images/reviews/zinereag/t/zinereag-07.jpg /images/reviews/zinereag/t/zinereag-08.jpgIt is worth saying too that Enhanced Airport Graphics only changesthe textures of airports and not the layout directly. Taxiways,runways and stands are all in their same positions, however, thetextures that define each, as mentioned above, have been greatlyimproved on so as to add character and variety. Add-on airports thatcome with their own textures sets are also not affected by thisadd-on, only touching those that are within default airportenvironments. Lighting on taxiways and runways still follow the same defaultpatterns and don't appear too different at night, but when looking upclose at the light fittings and how they interact with the groundterrain, this too looks far better than the default layout with bulbsmuch more visible thanks to the difference in color when compared todefault. This makes for a fantastic night scene with improved groundtextures still featuring in the glow of your aircraft lights andground lighting fixtures. /images/reviews/zinereag/t/zinereag-09.jpg /images/reviews/zinereag/t/zinereag-10.jpgIf there is one thing I feel could have been included, it would bereplacement textures for terminal buildings. The updated groundtextures look fantastic within Microsoft Flight Simulator, but it isalmost a shame to see the terminals and facilities left in theiroriginal state. Perhaps we will see an update or a new pack release inthe future that will cater for these, but for now, this is not thecase. Seasons And WeatherOne thing that Microsoft Flight Simulator excels in is thedepiction of weather and snow. These are all shader-based and rendereddirectly on top of the simulator scenery. With Enhanced Airport Graphics, these weather patterns stand outmore, and thanks to the high-level of weathered detail added, verymuch add to the scene. As raindrops onto tarmac or as snow settles atthe side of concrete tiles, everything fits together to form alifelike scene, something you would expect to see when travelling tothe airport when the weather is a little worse for wear. /images/reviews/zinereag/t/zinereag-11.jpg /images/reviews/zinereag/t/zinereag-12.jpgGround reflections are also enhanced by the high-resolution groundtexture underneath. On a wet surface where water has settled, and whenviewed from a low angle, reflections emerge from the ground and paintthe scene of your airport and any movement that is taking place. Withdetailed ground textures and blemishes, these add small changes tothis scene which adds the impression of life within the simulator. Opinion And Closing RemarksSo far I have adored what Zinertek have done with their EnhancedAirport Graphics add-on for Microsoft Flight Simulator. Their textureenhancements have always greatly improved the experience of whateverpacks you have purchased, and this has certainly been no exception. Small graphical details are what have helped Microsoft FlightSimulator become the platform it is today. Visually it is superior toanything that currently exists on the market, so when an add-on comesalong that can take this even further, it's hard to look the otherway. By upgrading the graphical quality of default airports, it addslife and variety to an already vast number of locations dotted aroundthe globe. /images/reviews/zinereag/t/zinereag-13.jpg /images/reviews/zinereag/t/zinereag-14.jpgWhile it would be nice to see a future terminal enhancement to goalongside this, for the price, you cannot complain about what itprovides to the simulator and how much life it brings to tens ofthousands of airports within the virtual world. The Technical BitMinimum Requirements2.05 GB of hard drive spaceReview PC SpecMicrosoft Flight Simulator 2020Windows 10 Professional6th Generation Intel® Core™ i7 6700 Processor21 GB RAMNVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 1660/images/reviews/zinereag/title3.jpg Michael Hayward Purchase Zinertek - Enhanced Airport Graphics for MSFS 2020 -
/images/notams/notams21/zine0628.jpgWe are pleased to announce the release of Enhanced AirportGraphics version 2.0. Existing customers will be able toupgrade to this version for FREE! This new version includes new and reworked textures with thefollowing improvements: Improved PBR texturesImproved parking spacesImproved runwaysImproved taxiwaysImproved apronsImproved skid marksImproved ground reflections And much more! About Zinertek Enhanced Airport GraphicsEnhanced Airport Graphics is a comprehensive texturepackage that instantly upgrades ALL airports around the worldin MSFS 2020 including ALL handcraftedairports that come with the Standard,Deluxe, and Premium editionsof MSFS! Say goodbye to airport runways and surfaces that look too clean and"new". This product brings a new level of realism to all your airportsaround the world in MSFS with weathered runways andmore realistic surfaces. Whether you are taking off from your local municipal airport orlanding at LAX in Los Angeles you will instantly see morerealistic-looking airports around the world! This package also upgrades most freeware airports! Paywareairports will not be affected or modified. /images/notams/notams21/zine0103/zinertek-1.jpgFeaturesOver 100+ new and detailed airport textures More realistic asphalt, concrete, cement and bitumen runways Enhanced runway skid marks Enhanced airport aprons Runway marks now look more weathered More realistic taxiways More realistic taxiway lines More realistic taxiway markings Detailed parking spaces Detailed parking stains on the ground Details on ground such as cracks Enhances most freeware airports Frame rate friendly /images/notams/notams21/zine0103/zinertek-2.jpgFrequently Asked QuestionsWill this product modify or affect my payware airports? For the most part, payware airports come with their own customairport textures and to a lesser extent some freeware airports aswell. Therefore, these airports will NOT be affected by ourproduct. Are the new enhanced textures installed over the defaultMSFS textures or are they installed as an add-on in the CommunityFolder? Our enhanced textures are installed as an add-on in the MSFSCommunity folder. This means that if you remove our add-on from theCommunity folder, the sim automatically reverts back to the defaultairport textures. Purchase Zinertek - Enhanced Airport Graphics v2.0 for MSFS 2020
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/images/notams/notams21/zine0103/zine0103.jpgNew In Version 1.5[OPTIMIZATION]Optimized add-on so that it now only requires one folder (instead of two) in the MSFS Community folderOptimized textures to improve performance on some machines by bringing the overall size of the add-on from 2.07GB to 1.20GB (resolution of textures is still 2048x2048)[FIXES]Fixed ORBX Brisbane City pack compatibility issueFixed runway skid marks not displaying properly on some 3rd party airports[iMPROVEMENTS]Improved asphalt runwaysImproved runway skid marksImproved asphalt taxiwaysImproved apronsImproved parking spaces with stains that don't look too oily anymoreBefore installing this new version please ensure that you uninstallthe previous one by deleting both 'enhanced airport graphics' foldersfrom your MSFS community folder. About Zinertek Enhanced Airport GraphicsEnhanced Airport Graphics is a comprehensive texturepackage that instantly upgrades ALL airports around the worldin MSFS 2020 including ALL handcraftedairports that come with the Standard,Deluxe, and Premium editionsof MSFS! Say goodbye to airport runways and surfaces that look too clean and"new". This product brings a new level of realism to all your airportsaround the world in MSFS with weathered runways andmore realistic surfaces. Whether you are taking off from your local municipal airport orlanding at LAX in Los Angeles you will instantly see morerealistic-looking airports around the world! This package also upgrades most freeware airports! Paywareairports will not be affected or modified. /images/notams/notams21/zine0103/zinertek-1.jpgFeaturesOver 100+ new and detailed airport textures More realistic asphalt, concrete, cement and bitumen runways Enhanced runway skid marks Enhanced airport aprons Runway marks now look more weathered More realistic taxiways More realistic taxiway lines More realistic taxiway markings Detailed parking spaces Detailed parking stains on the ground Details on ground such as cracks Enhances most freeware airports Frame rate friendly /images/notams/notams21/zine0103/zinertek-2.jpgFrequently Asked QuestionsWill this product modify or affect my payware airports? For the most part, payware airports come with their own customairport textures and to a lesser extent some freeware airports aswell. Therefore, these airports will NOT be affected by ourproduct. Are the new enhanced textures installed over the defaultMSFS textures or are they installed as an add-on in the CommunityFolder? Our enhanced textures are installed as an add-on in the MSFSCommunity folder. This means that if you remove our add-on from theCommunity folder, the sim automatically reverts back to the defaultairport textures. Purchase Zinertek - Enhanced Airport Graphics for MSFS 2020
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Enhanced Airport GraphicsPublisher: ZinertekReview Author: Michael HaywardSuggested Price: $16.99/images/fsc/wbicons/store-buy-now-button.png /images/reviews/zinereag/t/zinereag-01.jpg /images/reviews/zinereag/t/zinereag-02.jpgZinertek is a well-respected sceneryenhancer development team for FSX and P3D. Recently they have releasedtheir first enhancement pack for Microsoft Flight Simulator, "EnhancedAirport Graphics", which provides a complete texture replacement forall default ground textures within Flight Simulator's airports. Inthis review, we take a look at the all-new add-on from Zinertek andsee how much it enhances the default airport environments forMicrosoft Flight Simulator. InstallationInstallation of Zinertek Enhanced Airport Graphics was simple andonly takes a few moments. When purchasing from the FlightSim.Com Storeyou are given a zip file and an activation key. Run the installerwithin the zip file, input your key and point the installer to yoursimulator's "Community" folder. /images/reviews/zinereag/t/zinereag-03.jpg /images/reviews/zinereag/t/zinereag-04.jpgThis will create two folders, Enhanced Airport Graphics 1 and2. When running the simulator these replace the default textures andis where the enhancement files are stored. This makes it easy tomanage your simulator without the need to overwrite default files,instead side-loading them on top of what MSFS already uses. Airport EnvironmentsEnhanced Airport Graphics replaces all default airport groundtextures with all-new high-resolution ground tiles and markings, andare much closer to what you would expect to see at real-worldairports. This includes a variety of different textures for differentmaterials used. Runways and taxiway surfaces are greatly improved on with all-newmarkings and base textures for all styles - tarmac, grooved concreteand tiled concrete. Runway touchdown zones have more pronounced tiremarks from where aircraft touch down and weathering has been appliedthroughout. This has the effect of taking away that clean and newfeeling that Microsoft Flight Simulator has by default. Airports aregenerally not pristine environments with fresh new ground paving, butare weathered from the constant movement of heavy jetliners and propcraft and other fast-moving traffic that cross through theirfacilities. /images/reviews/zinereag/t/zinereag-05.jpg /images/reviews/zinereag/t/zinereag-06.jpgColors are also no longer flat. Instead of a single shade of greyused to define what kind of ground you are on, these now have smallblemishes and imperfections which you will see over a large surfacearea. This adds life and variety to the scene and ensures that no twoairports will look the same. Each has their own layouts, tweaks anddifferences which help with differentiating airports, and eventuallyadds a sense of familiarity to them. Gates and stands are also enhanced with staining and cracks addedwhere spills and damage have taken place in years gone by. As beforewith taxiways and runways, adding age and weathering to the scenerybrings more life into the simulator where planes have been managed,worked and turned around at high-capacity over several decades. Ground markings, numbers and details have also been improved on.For example, taxiway centerlines have two distinct styles to them, aplain yellow line and backed black border. This also applies to runwaymarkings and boundaries which are marked and stand out (much more thanthe default textures). When combined, markings are more pronounced andhelp greatly in guiding your taxiing aircraft from stand to runway andvice versa. The shade of each color too has been carefully picked sothat it not only looks good, but also fits in with the scenery. /images/reviews/zinereag/t/zinereag-07.jpg /images/reviews/zinereag/t/zinereag-08.jpgIt is worth saying too that Enhanced Airport Graphics only changesthe textures of airports and not the layout directly. Taxiways,runways and stands are all in their same positions, however, thetextures that define each, as mentioned above, have been greatlyimproved on so as to add character and variety. Add-on airports thatcome with their own textures sets are also not affected by thisadd-on, only touching those that are within default airportenvironments. Lighting on taxiways and runways still follow the same defaultpatterns and don't appear too different at night, but when looking upclose at the light fittings and how they interact with the groundterrain, this too looks far better than the default layout with bulbsmuch more visible thanks to the difference in color when compared todefault. This makes for a fantastic night scene with improved groundtextures still featuring in the glow of your aircraft lights andground lighting fixtures. /images/reviews/zinereag/t/zinereag-09.jpg /images/reviews/zinereag/t/zinereag-10.jpgIf there is one thing I feel could have been included, it would bereplacement textures for terminal buildings. The updated groundtextures look fantastic within Microsoft Flight Simulator, but it isalmost a shame to see the terminals and facilities left in theiroriginal state. Perhaps we will see an update or a new pack release inthe future that will cater for these, but for now, this is not thecase. Seasons And WeatherOne thing that Microsoft Flight Simulator excels in is thedepiction of weather and snow. These are all shader-based and rendereddirectly on top of the simulator scenery. With Enhanced Airport Graphics, these weather patterns stand outmore, and thanks to the high-level of weathered detail added, verymuch add to the scene. As raindrops onto tarmac or as snow settles atthe side of concrete tiles, everything fits together to form alifelike scene, something you would expect to see when travelling tothe airport when the weather is a little worse for wear. /images/reviews/zinereag/t/zinereag-11.jpg /images/reviews/zinereag/t/zinereag-12.jpgGround reflections are also enhanced by the high-resolution groundtexture underneath. On a wet surface where water has settled, and whenviewed from a low angle, reflections emerge from the ground and paintthe scene of your airport and any movement that is taking place. Withdetailed ground textures and blemishes, these add small changes tothis scene which adds the impression of life within the simulator. Opinion And Closing RemarksSo far I have adored what Zinertek have done with their EnhancedAirport Graphics add-on for Microsoft Flight Simulator. Their textureenhancements have always greatly improved the experience of whateverpacks you have purchased, and this has certainly been no exception. Small graphical details are what have helped Microsoft FlightSimulator become the platform it is today. Visually it is superior toanything that currently exists on the market, so when an add-on comesalong that can take this even further, it's hard to look the otherway. By upgrading the graphical quality of default airports, it addslife and variety to an already vast number of locations dotted aroundthe globe. /images/reviews/zinereag/t/zinereag-13.jpg /images/reviews/zinereag/t/zinereag-14.jpgWhile it would be nice to see a future terminal enhancement to goalongside this, for the price, you cannot complain about what itprovides to the simulator and how much life it brings to tens ofthousands of airports within the virtual world. The Technical BitMinimum Requirements2.05 GB of hard drive spaceReview PC SpecMicrosoft Flight Simulator 2020Windows 10 Professional6th Generation Intel® Core™ i7 6700 Processor21 GB RAMNVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 1660/images/reviews/zinereag/title3.jpg Michael Hayward Purchase Zinertek - Enhanced Airport Graphics for MSFS 2020
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Zinertek - Enhanced Airport Graphics for MSFS 2020 /images/notams/notams21/zine0103/zine0103.jpgEnhanced Airport Graphics is a comprehensive texturepackage that instantly upgrades ALL airports around the worldin MSFS 2020 including ALL handcraftedairports that come with the Standard,Deluxe, and Premium editionsof MSFS! Say goodbye to airport runways and surfaces that look too clean and"new". This product brings a new level of realism to all your airportsaround the world in MSFS with weathered runways andmore realistic surfaces. Whether you are taking off from your local municipal airport orlanding at LAX in Los Angeles you will instantly see morerealistic-looking airports around the world! This package also upgrades most freeware airports! Paywareairports will not be affected or modified. /images/notams/notams21/zine0103/zinertek-1.jpgFeaturesOver 100+ new and detailed airport textures More realistic asphalt, concrete, cement and bitumen runways Enhanced runway skid marks Enhanced airport aprons Runway marks now look more weathered More realistic taxiways More realistic taxiway lines More realistic taxiway markings Detailed parking spaces Detailed parking stains on the ground Details on ground such as cracks Enhances most freeware airports Frame rate friendly /images/notams/notams21/zine0103/zinertek-2.jpgFrequently Asked QuestionsWill this product modify or affect my payware airports? For the most part, payware airports come with their own customairport textures and to a lesser extent some freeware airports aswell. Therefore, these airports will NOT be affected by ourproduct. Are the new enhanced textures installed over the defaultMSFS textures or are they installed as an add-on in the CommunityFolder? Our enhanced textures are installed as an add-on in the MSFSCommunity folder. This means that if you remove our add-on from theCommunity folder, the sim automatically reverts back to the defaultairport textures. Purchase Zinertek - Enhanced Airport Graphics for MSFS 2020
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Zinertek Team Interview Development When did you start developing for flight simulators and what got you interested in it? Zinertek first started developing products for Flight Simulator way back in the summer of 2005, but had been developing freeware add-ons for a year or so before that. Our first payware product 'Ultimate Night Environment Pro' was released in September of that same year. Back then (fall of 2005), the FlightSim.Com Pilot Shop was set to officially launch and open for business. In fact, we were one of the very first developers to come on board, as our product was among fifty or so other products available on the opening day. At that time we had no idea how big the Pilot Shop would eventually become. Ever since then we have been developing products for FS2004, FSX and now Prepar3D. Tell us about the nature of your designs and what you do? At Zinertek our main aim is to create add-ons that enhance the visuals of the simulators we develop for. Flight simmers usually want the best of both worlds; an experience that is as realistic as it gets but without frame-rate drops, and that's what our products do. We create quality add-ons that are realistic, frame-rate friendly and affordable. What do you consider your best or most popular work? One of our best and most popular products is 'Ultimate Airport Environment X' - an add-on which enhances all the default FSX airports around the world by using much more realistic ground textures, buildings, jetways, hangars and other improvements. It was well received when it was first released and to this day remains a favorite with our customers. What do you find to be the most challenging aspect of a project? I would say that the most challenging aspect of a project is creating a product that suits everyone's tastes. For example, our latest product, 'Natural Tree Environment X' was quite challenging in that we had to accurately balance the color, the hue, and the brightness of the trees. In products like these, the colors play an important role; you have to make sure that the trees don't look too dark, too bright or over saturated. It's quite difficult considering that not everyone has the same display and settings. Some users have displays with higher contrast ratios and saturation than others, so you have to test the trees with different displays in order to ensure that the colors and contrast are just right for everyone. Your new product, Natural Tree Environment X, looks like a really interesting product; how did you manage to model all the trees? Nowadays, the most successful developers have turned to photorealism when it comes to delivering high quality textures. Our trees are no different in that they were modelled based on high definition photography. Because of this, it was one of the hardest and most difficult projects we've ever worked on. We had to take pictures of different types of trees and then isolate the trees from the rest of the picture by erasing the background, thus leaving only the tree itself, the branches and the leaves. It's easy to cut out objects from pictures but when it comes to trees it's a painstaking process because you have to deal with so many fine details such as individual leaves and branches. Even when that is complete, you then have to create five different versions of the same tree, so as to cover all four seasons, plus a hard winter variant. Once you are done with that, you have to adjust the color, the hue, and the brightness for all five versions of the tree so that it looks right during every specific season. That's what made this project so challenging, but so rewarding at the same time. What have been your favorite projects? Developing the High Definition Virtual Cockpit for the Level-D 767 has probably been our favorite project so far. In our opinion, the Level-D 767 is still one of the finest aircraft to fly in FS2004 and we wanted to enhance it by adding HD textures and backlit gauges. Many of our customers have been so pleased with the improvements we have made, that some of them have requested that we create more HD cockpits for other aircraft. That's something we may explore in the future. Regrettably, we weren't able to release an FSX version of the Level-D 767 HD cockpit. This was due to technical issues and the way the cockpit lighting is rendered in the FSX version. Sadly, we couldn't find a way to add backlit gauges and instruments to the cockpit like we did with the FS2004 version. Who would you consider to be your mentors or inspiration in the development world if you have any? For me personally, it hasn't really been a specific person that has been a source of inspiration or mentor, but rather the flight simming community as a whole. Before I became a developer, I remember logging in every day to FlightSim.Com just to see what new freeware add-ons were available to download. I would just sit there looking at all the new aircraft, airports and modifications ready to be downloaded. It was like being a little kid in a candy store except that all the candy was free. It was difficult to know where to start, and you had to choose carefully because back in the days of dial-up connections, you couldn't just download everything. In fact, back in the early 2000's I remember trying to login on Saturdays and Sundays and hoping to get connected. In those days FlightSim.Com had a limited number of users who could be logged in at the same time. You would login on the weekends only to see a message saying that the number of connected users had reached its limit. I remember constantly trying to login hoping someone would log out or disconnect. Finally, after many repeated attempts you would see the main page and then the file library. Success! It sounds funny looking back, but logging-in to FlightSim.Com on a weekend back then wasn't easy eleven years ago. Now it totally blows my mind knowing that there are over 100,000 freeware add-ons available to download from the file library and that FlightSim.Com offer all this for free. That in itself is inspiration to me. The Team How many people work with you or your team? Our core developing group consists of eight people, including myself, but we have other members helping us with beta-testing as well. Do you or your team have any experience in real aviation? I myself don't have that much experience in real aviation, but a couple of our team members are private pilots and work with us in their free time. What started your interest in aviation? My interest in aviation was born in my youth back in the early 90's. Flying has always fascinated me but I became really hooked when my uncle (who is a helicopter pilot) gave me Microsoft Flight Simulator 4.0 as a Christmas gift in 1991. Ever since then I've had a passion for flying, whether it be virtual or real. Do you or your team have any memorable flights in real life? Well, this is a funny story. I remember the time I was flying as a passenger on a commercial flight from Dallas to Seattle. At one point we were passing through a thunderstorm and the airplane was shaking heavily due to the turbulence. Everyone on board was very tense and some people even started crying. Whilst everyone was panicking I just sat back and relaxed knowing that it really wasn't that big a deal. An elderly lady sitting beside me asked, "Young man, how do you manage to be so calm at a time like this? It feels like the plane is about to fall apart." I replied, "Don't worry, I have a lot of experience of this! You think this is bad? I have flown in worse weather conditions than this and landed safely every time!" She replied, "Well, that's a relief!" I then said to her whilst grinning, "Keep in mind that those experiences were on a simulator, though." At that point she almost jumped out of her seat; not knowing if she should laugh or be afraid. Future How do you choose your next new design or project? We sit down as a group and start brainstorming ideas. At Zinertek we always aim to release products that are original and that can appeal to everyone. Once we have an idea, we start working on prototypes to see if the idea will be able to be implemented in the simulator. If at any point we feel that the idea can't be fully realized as we intended it, then we discard it and move on to the next idea. We also take into account our customers suggestions when choosing to work on our next project. What simulators do you design for now and what ones do you plan to develop for in the future? As of today, we develop products for FS2004, FSX, and Prepar3D. In the future we also plan to develop products for X-Plane 10 if there is enough demand. We wanted to develop products for 'Microsoft Flight' but unfortunately, Microsoft hard-coded everything in the simulator making it impossible for third party developers to add or modify content. Sadly, the end result at this moment in time, is a simulator that is dead in the water. What would you like to see from P3D and X-Plane in the future? How could the developers help you? We would like to see them continue supporting not only the platform but also the developers. I think it's terrific that Lockheed Martin is offering developer licenses that include the 'Professional Plus Client' and the software development kit. This gives developers the resources and the additional help needed to understand, expand and integrate our ideas into P3D. In what ways do you see development changing in the future? I don't really see much of a change happening in the future in terms of development, as there will always be companies, as well as individuals, developing add-ons for simulators. Perhaps in the future there will be more competition, which in turn will mean that developers will have a harder time trying to come up with a product that is better than the rest. In the end, more competition is good for the consumer because it means more choices and better quality. What can sites like FlightSim.Com do to support you and the hobby better? FlightSim.Com and similar sites must continue to publish articles, reviews, announcements and interviews (like these) as well as maintaining forums and having contests. This sort of thing keeps the interest in flight simulation at its highest levels. How do you feel about the future of flight simulation in general? In general, I'm very optimistic about the future of flight simulation. It was a big blow to hear that Microsoft had discontinued development on their Flight Simulator franchise but it was nice to see Lockheed Martin pick up the ball and run with it. I think the improvements that Lockheed Martin have done with Prepar3D are remarkable and I'm very excited to see how they will keep improving it. Also, let us not forget that Microsoft did not say that they would never release another edition of the simulator in the future; they are still open to developing a new edition of Flight Simulator. It's just not high on their list of priorities at the moment. I am confident that one day we will see Flight Simulator 11. That being said, I commend Microsoft on their effort in releasing 'Microsoft Flight.' They wanted to expand this hobby beyond the hard-core enthusiasts. Clearly, with its simplicity this sim was aimed to appeal to young or casual gamers. In my opinion, this is what this hobby desperately needs; more young people to start entering the simulation arena, and to create a new generation that carries this hobby forward into the future. What would you like people to know about you or your team and work? We would like everyone to know that we are very grateful for the support we have received over these past eight years. We are always glad to receive comments and suggestions. Without our customers feedback (whether it is positive or negative), we wouldn't be able improve on our products. Most of all though, without their support we wouldn't be able to continue developing new products! Thank you all and happy flying! Zinertek Purchase Zinertek products at the FlightSim.Com Store More screen shots on the following page... More Screen Shots
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