A question about UTX and GEX

[Wing Nut]

Well actually a few questions ...

I'm currently running UTX and am thinking about GEX. How well do the two combine? UTX already has pretty good looking ground so what effect will adding GEX have? Are there any redundancies? Do you have to change priorities in the scenery library? How bout FPS?

Oh, and also I'm using MegaScenery Earth for the local areas. How will this be effected?

Thanks

[Ron]

Hi Wingnut,
I`m currently using UTX and I really like it ! I tried GEX and didn`t care for it ; it is sort of photorealistic and I found that I like the default textures better with UTX . Same problem with REX ! My preferences ; yours may differ . Ron

[falcon409]

Well actually a few questions ...

I'm currently running UTX and am thinking about GEX. How well do the two combine? UTX already has pretty good looking ground so what effect will adding GEX have? Are there any redundancies? Do you have to change priorities in the scenery library? How bout FPS?

Oh, and also I'm using MegaScenery Earth for the local areas. How will this be effected?

Thanks
Actually, UTX and GEX are totally different in what they do for FSX. GEX is strictly ground texturing and adds a great deal to the ground environment but has no effect on terrain mesh at all.
UTX on the other hand manipulates the terrain mesh to enhance the hills, valleys, cracks and crevices of the FSX world.

Finally, if you are using MegaScenery Earth, that overrides the GEX portion of the equation since it's basically just a ground environment texture.

I haven't seen any effect on FPS.

[JimC1702]

Actually, UTX and GEX are totally different in what they do for FSX. GEX is strictly ground texturing and adds a great deal to the ground environment but has no effect on terrain mesh at all.
UTX on the other hand manipulates the terrain mesh to enhance the hills, valleys, cracks and crevices of the FSX world.

Finally, if you are using MegaScenery Earth, that overrides the GEX portion of the equation since it's basically just a ground environment texture.

I haven't seen any effect on FPS.

Not true, UTX doesn't change mesh at all. It puts roads, railroads, lakes, rivers, streams and coastlines in their proper locations, and also contains urban landclass.

Jim

[falcon409]

Not true, UTX doesn't change mesh at all. It puts roads, railroads, lakes, rivers, streams and coastlines in their proper locations, and also contains urban landclass.
Jim
Just shows how little I pay attention to anything I install. I stand corrected.

[harleyman]

Just shows how little I pay attention to anything I install. I stand corrected.



Yes but it acts like it does mesh cause it can and will change coastlines and such to real life over FSX goofy stuff(interpitation)

[Helldiver]

What the heck are you guys talking about? What is a" GTX UTX and REX"? Is it catching and do you have to take a shot?

Don't mind if I do and make it a double and see what else the bar is having.

[JimC1702]

What the heck are you guys talking about? What is a" GTX UTX and REX"? Is it catching and do you have to take a shot?

Don't mind if I do and make it a double and see what else the bar is having.

Yes, it is extremely contagious. If you get one of them, you will undoubtedly end up getting the other two. :)

Jim

[Cazzie]

What the heck are you guys talking about? What is a" GTX UTX and REX"? Is it catching and do you have to take a shot?

Don't mind if I do and make it a double and see what else the bar is having.

Make that a double HD. I don't know about GTX, maybe you;'re referring to GEX, which is Ground Environment Xtreme, UTX is Ultimate Terrain Xtreme, and REX is Real Environment Xtreme. Both GEX and UTX come as packages for the USA/Canada and Europe at present, REX covers the globe with sky textures, new runways, inland waters, ocean height depth and color, adds algae and lagoon water textures. GEX-Europe is better than GEX - USA IMHO, textures are sharper. UTX adds Landclass, real highways and roads (with traffic), golf clubs, cemeteries, a slue of other enhancements which can be altered easily. GEX has an interface where one can make his custome landscapes, but it takes forever to create and then to load into FSX. REX too takes a trip to the stop & rob before one's custom textures load.

But once loaded, they're there and the beauty of it all if bewitching. For me, GEX takes a hit from your fps, but REX and UTX are negligible, in fact REX gets better fps than default sky textures.

Caz

[Pips]

Have been thinking for a while as to which terrain enhancement to get. Read the blurb but it doesn't really clarify things for me. Any chance of anyone posting some screenshots of both GEX and UTX? Might help. :) I spend all my time down low and slow, so lotsa detail is great.

If it makes it any easier to make a recommendation, what I'm looking for in improvements over the standard terrain are things like:
castles
coastline
roads
rivers and lakes
mountains
racetracks
railway lines etc

Cheers :)

[modelr]

Have been thinking for a while as to which terrain enhancement to get. Read the blurb but it doesn't really clarify things for me. Any chance of anyone posting some screenshots of both GEX and UTX? Might help. :) I spend all my time down low and slow, so lotsa detail is great.

If it makes it any easier to make a recommendation, what I'm looking for in improvements over the standard terrain are things like:
castles
coastline
roads
rivers and lakes
mountains
racetracks
railway lines etc

Cheers :)

Pips,
Coastlines, roads, rivers and lakes, racetracks (some), and railway lines taken care of by UTX.

I don't have GEX, yet, so I don't know what it does for mountains, but your "mesh" is 95% of mountain appearance. FSGenesis mesh is very good, and continueously upgraded.

Castles are individual models, quite a few have been done. You have to search the usual sites for them.

REX is more about your sky and water environment, and I really like it.

For the best screenshots of each of the products, especially "before and after" ones, go to each of the product's websites.

[Dimus]

I have UTX and GEX for both USA and Europe and loving them all. The products really complement each other and personally I much prefer them to default. Check the screenshots in each product page and you will get an idea. If you need to see a particular area let me know and I can get a shot for you from my installation.

One of the great things that GEX has done to my install is the optimization in the autogen annotation, especially trees and forests that really helped reduce stutters in my install.

[Pips]

Dimus, any chance of posting a screenie of the area (coastal and inland) around Dover? Would really appreciate that as I spend a lot of time flying in that region, and know it fairly well.

[Dimus]

I will try Pips, if I find some time in the evening later or during the weekend.

From my memory though, don't expect to see white cliffs from a lanclass/texture combination as the Dover cliffs are quite unique and can be depicted only by a specialized product if there was one for FSX.

[Dimus]

I setup a flight from Lydd in David Garwoods excellent and most appropriate Auster Autocrat and here is what I got:

You can see Dover harbour, the ciffs and the last one a typical more inland terrain. These are taken from an altitude of 2000ft at 0730 and using the ENB light mod. I usually take GEX shots at early morning as the low sun shows off how these textures respond to light.

Let me know if you need any more.

[Pips]

Thanks for taking the trouble to do that Dimus. I really appreciate it! :)

Just made the same flight (also in the Auster) and the difference is chalk and cheese. You've help me make up my mind. Think I'll get both UTX and GEX. :)

Shame about the poor colour rendition of the cliffs though (and the missing Dover castle). Still, the improvements far outweigh a few shortcomings.

Cheers and many thanks.

[Dimus]

No problem Pips, glad I could help.

Not everybody likes GEX textures and I can appreciate that. The good thing is that they have a money back policy so if you don't like them just get your money back.

The cliffs can not be coloured white by a product like UTX or GEX as this would mean that all cliffs in Europe would then be white. That would need a cuatom landclass product or photoscenery.

Perhaps there is a Dover castle scenery somewhere.

[Pips]

I've always found it odd that, for such a highly sophisticated product, FSX cannot render the White Cliffs of Dover. Yet products like Over Flanders Field, Battle Of Britain and the CFS series could.

Ah well. :)