dtrjones

16 minutes ago, chass32 said:

I`ve always wanted to fly thru all of europe at that detail. Barcelona is one of the 3D cities in Bing maps, I do really hope that we´ll have plenty more like Paris or London.

Cheers

Carlos

Yeah it's very odd that Paris and London are not featured (I.e. missing from Earth View). Could Google have some sort of licence exclusivity agreement or maybe Bing simply haven't got around to it. Given some of the nondescript cities in the US which are 3D I'm baffled.

Very happy to read Microsofts latest 25th July update. Hey I guess @188AHC is probably still sleeping and missed the shout-out, I second that by the way!

39 minutes ago, threegreen said:

Has that been confirmed though?

You can infer it from Microsoft's own text "We are supporting 3rd Party Content Development and Community Content creation.".

Remember a Software Developer Kit is a set of tools not necesserily an API although that should be expected as well.

1 hour ago, Paraffin said:

The information is still fuzzy, because the last info I saw was that the PC release would come earlier than the new Xbox Scarlett introduction in late 2020. However, the Wikipedia entry is still saying that MFS will also be released on the current Xbox One. 

So we could read that two ways: 1) The PC release and Xbox One release will happen simultaneously, and before Xbox Scarlett comes out.

Or 2) the PC release will be "Early Access" and will become final when XboX Scarlett comes out. In effect, a simultaneous release in late 2020. I think that's the most likely scenario, but who knows?
 

Yes, but we don't know whether they'll go the Early Access route with the PC release, which is what I'm guessing might happen. Just a guess though. And then we get into semantics when talking about whether Early Access is actually a "release" or not. 😉

 

No, it should come earlier. 

I'm pretty sure the PC version will be relased first but late in 2020, the Xbox One/Scarlett versions will be later (probably 2021) although I've forgotten where I read that. Hopefully we'll get more information soon.

On 6/17/2019 at 11:13 PM, bonchie said:

Pretty big decision for them to make if they don't actually know anything. We are at least a year off from FS2020 releasing.

Maybe they've been briefed?

Yep agreed, why would they say they cannot provide any details if they had none to share with us in the first place? Something tells me they know more than they are letting on. To me it's pretty clear that Microsoft are working with partners but at the moment they are tight lipped. Maybe in August we'll learn more...

1 minute ago, Superdelphinus said:

I will fly from Manchester (where I live) to Carlisle because it’s a flight I know well in real life, the scenery should be lovely and variable and it’s a good mix of sprawling city and wide open mountain ranges. 

Tell me you have Orbx TrueEarth for Great Brittain... 😀 wonderful wonderful package and exactly the reason us simmers shouldn't shun any of the flight sims out there, try them all!

1 minute ago, MikeT707 said:

This looks to be NOT an actual Microsoft account. This account only has two odd videos and in the video, they reference more news available on june 25th. Not July, but june and june does is not capitalized.

Oh my, thanks guys. Probably thats why they don't read any social media posts LOL! 😥

4 minutes ago, ganter said:

Hi,

Could you provide a link to your YT video and specifically that comment from MS.

It's probably my antiquated Mac but when I click on the above I'm taken to i.ibb.co site that returns 404.

Thanks.

Sure here you go:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgaipP0Eov8

On 7/12/2019 at 1:12 AM, simbol said:

Microsoft don't read AVSIM or any other forums, they read their own gaming forums and insiders community forums, it is standard company policy.

S.

I've already commented on simbols post before, just wanted to share with the forum users here that I had a reply from Microsoft on YouTube.

So they are obviously reading social media posts which is great, nothing new though just reiterating the news article on fsi which in itself is also great!

6 minutes ago, Ray Proudfoot said:

Am I alone asking why a shot of the instrument panel would be taken from such an acute angle? Why not from the pilot’s perspective? If I’m viewing the instruments then the last thing I need is a shallow depth of field.

And why the need for so much post processing of the image assuming the experts on such matters believe that to be the case? What is it trying to prove? Just give us a plain screenshot without any embellishments.

Yes Ray well spotted, it's a teaser image! 😁 There will be another short news update on the 25th of July with a more significant update in August.

14 hours ago, Ricardo41 said:

Simmers are a gullible bunch. They'll buy the same add-on for the 10th time if it promises an upgrade where the left row of circuit breakers now work exactly like the real thing, tested by 30 different kinds of airline pilots.

This whole thing reminds me of the brouhaha that surrounded the release of FS 2000: MS promised "high def Areas" - immediately everyone flew to these areas, got slideshows, CTDs, OOMs and what not, and then the various fora blew up with caterwauling simmers.

I'm definitely stocking up on beer and popcorn as soon as the release date of this "flightsim to end all flightsims" is announced.

Well I'm certainly going to have my fun with this sim.

You know there is no rule that says you should stop playing P3D or X-Plane when this comes out, but sooner or later you'll stop buying add-ons for your older sims and start investing in the new one.

Progress is a wheel that will continue to turn with or without peoples support. Might as well jump on board and see what all the fuss is about, with the lovely looking visuals being shown what have you got to lose?

I find a few comments here about the post processing of the MSFS2020 panel very odd. Of course it's been edited but that can only take you so far and if people can't see the qualtity in the panel beyond the DOF effects etc than I'm gobsmacked. Why do people have such a hard time accepting that it's not a big step forward from FSX and P3D and just be greatfull that we'll have that capability in the new sim.

On 7/12/2019 at 12:05 AM, Greazer said:

I will get it for a 2nd side sim, if they tick all the boxes in the other thread (key things MS has to do). But I half expect they will cut corners and not fully deliver i.e. with 2d clouds. I hope I am wrong and it gives XP a real run for the money.

Well you are right to be apprehensive - there arn't too many sims with volumentic clouds, especially showing the details the way the trailer has them. I think it's the most impressive aspect of the trailer and seeing how this will be delivered will go a long way to the community 'trusting' Microsoft to deliver a next iteration of Microsoft Flight Simulator. If they have to go back to 2D clouds then that would kill the momentum they have achieved from the trailer so it will be interesting to see develops going forward. My view is that they have 3D clouds but it will cost you in terms of performance.

On 7/11/2019 at 2:15 AM, Greazer said:

There's no actual proof the clouds are 3d. Everybody waiting on more info or video. Please don't post false information. As for XP, don't worry it will always have proper flight models, physics and realism. The graphics engine is getting upgraded. The Vulkan is landing.

This is not true - towards the end of the video a plane travels through two clouds where are clearly volumentric. Also the clouds absorb light which is evidenced in several scenes - if you look closely the shadows on the clouds appear to accurately reflect the position of the sun. There is quite a bit of evidence to support the fact these clouds are not 2D but that doesn't of course rule out 2D clouds completely in MSFS 2020.

14 hours ago, nas123 said:

The problem with the flighsim from Microsoft is that I have lost all interest in simming in P3D. It just looks outdated and boring, even before MSFS2020 is released.

The first new flight I will be firing up is going to be in MSFS2020.

Is it just me?

Hi Nas, I moved to X-Plane 11 with the introduction of True Earth for Great Brittain and it's truely wonderful. X-Plane 11 is an amazing sim but there is plenty I miss from FSX and I'm so looking forward to MSFS 2020 when it's released.

You can certainly have a great experience simming right now largly thanks to the steller 3PD developers out there who have dragged our hobby into the 21st century. I also use Reshade with X-Plane to get it looking reasonable but I'm pretty happy with the planes, flight model and (UK) scenery now. The weather is the only thing which remains sub par. Even FSX had better weather. Xenviro 1.10 improves things but it's still not as good as Dovetail's FSW in my opinion.

5 hours ago, MartinHannon said:

Looks great, makes me wonder if it's game footage or a cutscene.

LOL probably neither! I think the screenshot is fantastic but to me it looks like in game capture which has had some post proccessing done to it, I.e. depth of field.

I think it's a fair reflection of the quality of the default panels though, I mean why wouldn't it be if Microsoft are publishing this to the community.

3 hours ago, Paraffin said:

I'm having a hard time understanding some of these reactions. Not just yours, there's a lot of shock and awe being expressed over that MFS panel screenshot. Haven't any of 'yall ever flown a recent sim?

I don't get it. That's a nice pane,l but it's not world-shattering increase over what's out there and flyable now. Here's what the panel of my Bell 412 looks like in XP11.

 

3D gauges and sunlight/shadow has been in sims for years. This isn't "my sim is better than yours," just a demonstration of the state of the art. It's nice that MS is catching up, but I don't see anything world-shattering in that panel shot at the top of the thread, unless you've only been flying FS9 or something similar.

Paraffin, it's not even close. Take the circumference of the dials, the curved geometry is made of flat lines in Bell 412 cockpit but look totally smooth on the MSFS 2020 screenshot. Every aspect of the MSFS cockpit is rendered significantly better quality than the screenshot you posted and thats really exciting for 3PD when they get there hand's on the tech in the near future.

20 hours ago, simbol said:

Microsoft don't read AVSIM or any other forums, they read their own gaming forums and insiders community forums, it is standard company policy.

S.

The suggestion by Microsoft is that they have recieved feedback from the community and not there own gaming forums, this was evidenced in the June 20th post on the fsi website.

7 minutes ago, Superdelphinus said:

If you do a google image search of the screenshot it takes you to a list of real photographs taken in a similar, shallow depth of focus way. 

Yeah I found the below image but not much else... But Microsoft have stated here’s a work-in-progress screenshot - thats a bit of a give away folks!

ps the below screenshot is from a google image search as Superdelphinus has pointed out and not MSFS 2020 fsi website!

46 minutes ago, Bert Pieke said:

Anyone notice the narrow range of focus..?

Looks great on a photo, but how does that work when looking at the instruments in flight?

I don't think you need to worry about that in the sim Bert, more than likely it's just for the screenshot. It doesn't take away from the fact the modelling and texture work is of very high quality.

On 7/10/2019 at 11:39 PM, Bert Pieke said:

Microsoft has not said anything on what is or is not covered, so it seems premature to me to start worrying about the coverage..

Yes thanks Bert you are right! Incidentally I also noticed Giza wasn't rendered in 3D in Earth View but it does appear in the trailer so quite clearly we'll just have to wait and see. 👍

On 6/14/2019 at 9:00 PM, ganter said:

That's great for you guys across the pond. In London - if you go a mile and a half away from Buckingham Palace it all goes to cock (2D).

Luckily, I love flying in the States, especially in the Rockies.

Hi ganter, what are you using the view London/Buckingham Palace in 3D? In Earth View I don't see any 3D in the UK apart from Southampton.

On 6/30/2019 at 3:45 PM, Bert Pieke said:

Microsoft and Google each own proprietary imagery data for much of the world.. neither allows other commercial users to use this data "for free", like many governments do.. as best I know.

Does that explain why London is not covered by Bing Earth Viewer but it is in Google Earth, it would really suck not having London as a highly detailed city area in FS 2020.

On 7/2/2019 at 7:25 PM, Greazer said:

FS2020 will not look like that worldwide. Many locations will have boring stock textures. MS want to keep you in Dream Land and not think about that.

Of course that is obvious but the scenery looks much better than any other stock scenery, I mean it can't get any worst than X-Plane 11 (now don't get me wrong I love X-Plane but stock scenery isn't it's fortay)

From what I've seen the scenery looks very natural with detailed maps over landclass textures and use of high fidelity objects including speedtrees. That combined with enhanced water, 3D cloud and shadows effects and atmospherics then I'd say it's look a little less than boring.

On 6/30/2019 at 11:47 AM, Skywatcher said:

Like I said, not enough information released to really have any idea of what their plan is. Just like the video shows only a snippet of the Earth, it also only shows a snippet of their plan. Satellite I just hope is not the only option for the game. Landclass/autogen based graphics as in the other sims are fine. Satellite or photo should be an option as it is in the older sims. At this point, they have just tried to create a WOW show with their video but it really doesn't tell us what the game will be. You can't have satellite everywhere, it just won't work, the resolution is too low.

I don't follow your comments. The video by Kevin Miller clearly outlines use of landclass/autogen. It's quite obvious that select areas will have the photogrammetry but to what extent we don't know. I think the detailed areas look amazing yet there is scope for 3PD to work on areas to improve, all in all providing the terms for the 3PD are fair, it's a win win. The technology in the trailer is absolutely stunning.