September Screenshots!

[BrandonF]

http://www.microsoft.com/games/flight/

The rumors about Flight being canceled can be put to rest with these 9 new screenshots. Also check the news section for some information and more screenshots on the updates to the weather system. I have to say, these improvements are really looking good!

[F35LightningII]

The new weather system is definitely an improvement from FSX.

The screens look great.

[Strategic Retreat]

My, finally M$ seems to have considered to use that esoteric and very new volumetric fog. SO NEW, that was already available in the first 3DFX cards of the half of the 90ies.

[Daube]

I'm not sure those are "volumetric" clouds.
The bad screenshot quality makes it hard to tell, but it seems to me that they have replaced the flat cirrus layer by a stratus layer, which means this fog is just a big set of 2D clouds like it was before, but more detailled (better cloud density).
But again, on those screenshots, it's hard to tell.

[hyperpep111]

I still don't see cloud shadows

[Al_Fallujah]

I still don't see cloud shadows

Not defined shadows, but, in my opinion, the terrain does look darker or shaded in areas below cloud cover.
I see this in shots 9.
Hard to say.
It looks like that for the hills to the right side of the frame, not so much for the distant mountains on the left.

But cloud rendering in the distance is adjustable in FSX.  For performance sake you can control how far off you want them to draw. I have always assumed that the clouds further away were rendered differently anyway. I wonder if they can render shadows for the closer high detail stuff, but not the distance stuff.

This is  of course, pure speculation on my part. Thinking out loud, so to speak.

In any case, clouds never have defined, hard edges shadows on the ground anyway. If it did, it would not look right.

[Al_Fallujah]

I'm not sure those are "volumetric" clouds.
The bad screenshot quality makes it hard to tell, but it seems to me that they have replaced the flat cirrus layer by a stratus layer, which means this fog is just a big set of 2D clouds like it was before, but more detailled (better cloud density).

But again, on those screenshots, it's hard to tell.

I think your right.
Shot 6. Maybe I am seeing things, but some parts of the clouds identical.
If I get time, I will pull it down, and circle the parts I am referring to.

[Al_Fallujah]

Overall I am still impressed.
The terrain looks good.





...even if it is Hawaii.

[Strategic Retreat]

I still don't see cloud shadows

Forget about them. I've reached the conclusion that in M$ cloudy skies are thought to be inauspicious and so NEVER to be replicated in one of their softwares, if not done VERY BAD.

If you want clouds to project shadows, you have to branch out to other sims. Them at M$ are very superstitious and wary to cross that line.

[Al_Fallujah]

I went back and looked again today.
That city-scape looks really good.
The red clouds had distracted me the first time.

The detail of the buildings are good. I am presuming that they have any scenery options in the software maxed.

I also like the Mauna Kea Observatory shot. I am gonna fire up FSX later, and do a flyby, just to compare.

[BrandonF]

I also like the Mauna Kea Observatory shot. I am gonna fire up FSX later, and do a flyby, just to compare.

I'd be surprised if it was even there in FSX. 

[pete]

[quote] I'd be surprised if it was even there in FSX.

[Hagar]

[quote][quote] I'd be surprised if it was even there in FSX.

[Al_Fallujah]

I also like the Mauna Kea Observatory shot. I am gonna fire up FSX later, and do a flyby, just to compare.

I'd be surprised if it was even there in FSX.

[Boikat]

I saw them, but I don't know if they were there by default or added with the FSX Power Project scenery add-ons, which did add some things, like the VLA antennas, and a few other non-power generating (wind farms, and the like) scenery objects.