FTX Global vs Aime Leclercq's free textures

[P38man]

I have held off on FTX Global because I haven't seen any video showing FTX Global as good as Aime Leclercq's textures (which I have installed).

I am sure that a video doesn't mean as much as your own experiences so would love to hear opinions.

Here is a video showing FTX Global compared to default - it seems an improvement for sure but doesn't seem so much (in this video anyway - actually adding that lighter green is something that FS Scene does (but not quite so well, I chose not to keep it)).


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


Aime's textures (this is showing 4096 by 4096 textures):


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odyVJLen8UI


So I was wondering if any of you guys and gals have experience with both Aime's textures and FTX Global and can comment on the differences?

EDIT - someone on the first video commented it changes "core" files on FSX. Does this only mean the texture files or something else?

I would be very very interested to know if anyone has swapped from Aime's textures to FTX Global and is happy with the result.

[Naismith]

Horses for courses methinks. I personally love the FTX but there is no way I can justify springing for their product ergo I will make do with the cheaper and free alternatives.
Nice comparison videos though.

[maikchaos]

The textures of Aime really look good, at least in the mountains. There's also really see in the video but nothing else and I the "Global" textures of Aime not know (industrial areas, small / large cities, etc) is hardly possible to compare.

[TheGrunt]

Aime's free texture sets don't cover the whole world in the sense. His 30cm/50cm projects are pretty much forest/rock textures and they sure look good. He has also produced some seasonal scenery textures as freeware, but as far as I know only true global set covering the whole world is his payware texture set, a What a Wonderful World by Oscar Lima Golf, which is available in SimMarket. It came out already in 2008 and has gotten quite little attention IMO. I have it and it is quite well done texture replacement set. You can also use Aime's freeware 30cm/50cm project texture sets with WWW if you like, I asked that from him by email some time ago.

WWW offers richer and deeper colour sets, although depending on the landclass used, it may make deserts too green also, like it is with FTX Global. Only true negative thing I found with WWW is perhaps that I noticed somewhat more of these texture blending anomalies with it, where, for example, urban and forest textures blend in with pixelated and blotchy mess. I tested textures with Cloud9 and SceneryTech landclasses as well as Prepar3d default and noticed anomalies with all of those, although places varied a bit, of course. How much those anomalies bother you, is probably pretty much a personal experience, but if you are flying low and happen to fly on one of those, you will notice it. I still used WWW happily until FTX Global came out.

[Firekitten]

Yeah, Aimie's textures are nice... but they're just forest, rock... etc, Global is everything including orbx's gorgeous urban, farmland, rural, and intermediate terrain. As others have said its also the globe... every different regional texture.


I've tried Aimie's stuff, I've tried Gex, I've tried phototexture... NOTHING compares to FTXG... its just peerless in quality.

[Paul Anderson]

I agree with Firekitten.

Finding I use FSX more often now just to eyeball the new textures, big difference.

[warchild]

At nearly a hundred dollars, FTXG better do more than look good. It better get its arse out of bed and make me coffee too.. Seriously, FTXG is beautiful, So is Oscars. FTXG has a bunch of of things Oscars doesnt have, like trees in the correct places; trees most people never heard of and could care less about. FTXG does cities ( and does them better than anything else thats ever existed ), Oscars doesnt.. Oscar claims that his textures are nothing more than upgraded stock textures, and after downloadin a couple gigabyte of them last night and installing them i can affirm that they are indeed replacements for stock textures, though at 7cm detail you can hardly call them upgrades. FTXG is a complete new set of textures. I dont know their level of detail. Oscar asks for a donation, but doesnt require it. FTXG demands a hundred bucks flat out with no compromise.
Bottom line though is that comparing the two to each other, is laughable. Both are simply excellent. If you want incredible vista's that you can get close enough to too hug, get Oscars. If you have a hundred dollars to put towards yourself and and would like an expansive scenery package thts highly detailed and has all the right items in the right place, then go with FTXG. Personally, I feel that FTX decided there were only 400 people left playing fsx, and priced the package accordingly, placing it way outside of the affordability of any but the comfortably rich ( rich being a relative term of course as for some of us "rich" could mean the ability to have bills paid, food on the table, gas in the car, and a little left over for something special ). Over all, Oscar's is the far better product. it may not have the bells and whistles, but it has a lot more love and and a lot less greed thats gone into making it. Besides, He's Belgian, and you just gotta love the Belgians :)..
Pam

[Firekitten]

Global does do more... my frame rate and fsx performance went up when using it! I can run comfortably at max autogen and not even sniff with global replacing the terrible default autogen annotations...

[mmann]

FTX Global ending out being very expensive for me. I installed it; then found that the areas I fly, when I'm not flying in the PNW, actually looked better with GEX. So I reverted to GEX and now FTX Global sits totally unused!

[Firekitten]

Odd... I hated Gex's cartoony textures... For me global was light years beyond them.

[mmann]

FTX Global made the Northern Canadian Prairies look like Ireland; GEX looks much more realistic in this region.

[Bjoern]

Aimés stuff is free, so it's a really easy decision for me.

[Paul Anderson]

FTX Global made the Northern Canadian Prairies look like Ireland; GEX looks much more realistic in this region.

You might try visiting flightontario.com, they have free landclass files for western Canada and Ontario.
I know the Ontario one is quite detailed, shows reclaimed land area in Hamilton bay.
I haven't tried out west yet.
Some of the scenery files work fine too without ultimate terrain, avoid the ones adjacent to water.

[P38man]

Wow...a lot of insightful comments from a lot of people whose comments I have valued over the years and I just have to say thanks and big respect to 100% everyone who has posted. All valid opinions I am sure. I have read everyone's opinion twice so far.....will do again :salute:

Could I please also ask if once you have installed FTX if you have to run a FTX Central kind of thing before using?

Might sound like a silly question but I don't like FTX Central (each to their own, right?). I like to think no matter where in the world I am flying I don't have to run something like that first to choose a region. I want to fly from one region to another often on longer flights these days without getting there and the textures are a mess also.

BTW I fly only in perfect cloudless weather (I never ever adjust REX textures or use the weather function) at lod_radius 6.5 (just what I like).

I guess I am asking if FTX Global is "user friendly"?

Probably no-one has done this but I assume FTX Global repalces standard textures? Is that right? Has anyone tried FTX Global with Aime's high-def 30 and 50cm projects? Just a silly thought it might work? (I like those a lot).

Thanks again......as I have started posting again after bit of a hiatus will have to donate for the 3rd time to SOH as well...

[Paul Anderson]

I would not mess with mixing textures with FTXG, I like everything I've seen so far, but then again I have not been all over the whole world (will take awhile :o).
Land classes you can turn off or delete as more are added in FTXG future updates.
Overwriting textures means you would have to go back and reinstall FTXG and any updates to compare.
I've tried all of Aime's textures, better than default, but FTXG has no checkerboard tiling repetition like I had before.
My advice would be to buy it, add free landclass or buy SceneryTech and turn off/on areas to compare thereafter as new updates are released.
At present (and likely not in future) I find no need to introduce any of my old findings for textures like railway, road, or runway textures.
They are committed to improve the FSX world, I am in for the ride.
Hope this helps.

[Naismith]

Have I missed something here? Whose this Oscars Warchild refers too?

[Firekitten]

Wow...a lot of insightful comments from a lot of people whose comments I have valued over the years and I just have to say thanks and big respect to 100% everyone who has posted. All valid opinions I am sure. I have read everyone's opinion twice so far.....will do again :salute:

Could I please also ask if once you have installed FTX if you have to run a FTX Central kind of thing before using?

Might sound like a silly question but I don't like FTX Central (each to their own, right?). I like to think no matter where in the world I am flying I don't have to run something like that first to choose a region. I want to fly from one region to another often on longer flights these days without getting there and the textures are a mess also.

BTW I fly only in perfect cloudless weather (I never ever adjust REX textures or use the weather function) at lod_radius 6.5 (just what I like).

I guess I am asking if FTX Global is "user friendly"?

Probably no-one has done this but I assume FTX Global repalces standard textures? Is that right? Has anyone tried FTX Global with Aime's high-def 30 and 50cm projects? Just a silly thought it might work? (I like those a lot).

Thanks again......as I have started posting again after bit of a hiatus will have to donate for the 3rd time to SOH as well...

Yes, you must run FTX Central the first time... at that point, 'global' replaces default, you can then engage hybrid global mode, which activates all installed orbx regions, and global.. and you never need to touch it again.

FTXG is perfectly user friendly.

Wouldn't mess with injecting further textures... global's own forest and rock etc textures are gorgeous... you don't need Aime's ones.

[P38man]

Oscar maybe refers to the Cloud textures?
https://sites.google.com/site/aimecreations/freeware-fsx

I think Pam has hit the nail on the head for me - they are not comparable products (I did not know that).

I also found out the cost is actually about $200 for FTX Global not the $100 I had thought ($100 is just a "base pack) and then on top of that $200 there will be releases of Orbx landclass products.

Will stay as I am but true thanks to all for helping me understand, I really appreciated the feedback. :salute:

[Firekitten]

Its only 200 if you WANT those packs...

the base pack includes LC for Europe and parts of North America and Africa to fix bits, but you can use any landclass with it... I have scenerytech and its fine... you can use utx with it too... All good. And the other lc packs are cheap... 20$ a pop for areas you want rather than the whole thing. Doesn't seem that bad to me.

[Naismith]

OK Thanks for the Oscar tip!

[Dumonceau]

Yes, you must run FTX Central the first time... at that point, 'global' replaces default, you can then engage hybrid global mode, which activates all installed orbx regions, and global.. and you never need to touch it again.

FTXG is perfectly user friendly.

Wouldn't mess with injecting further textures... global's own forest and rock etc textures are gorgeous... you don't need Aime's ones.

FK, would you mind explaining how to engage hybrid global mode please?

Thanks in advance!

Dumonceau

[P38man]

Its only 200 if you WANT those packs...

the base pack includes LC for Europe and parts of North America and Africa to fix bits, but you can use any landclass with it... I have scenerytech and its fine... you can use utx with it too... All good. And the other lc packs are cheap... 20$ a pop for areas you want rather than the whole thing. Doesn't seem that bad to me.

What I read was it was 2 editions of FTXS Global - $100 for the base pack then $100 to "subscribe" to get new fixes and releases of this pack.
http://www.orbxsystems.com/forum/topic/54511-ftx-global-vs-dex-edhk/

We are offering two editions of FTX Global:

1. Base Pack, no monthly DLC content, only bug fixes - AU$99.95 | €77

2. Subscription Pack, monthly DLC installed from custom front end app, new landclass, airports and POI's added continually - AU$189.95 | €145


Additionally they will release landclass packages called openLC - these are $19 each
http://www.orbxsystems.com/forum/topic/61436-ftx-global-openlc-worldwide-areas-rollout-plan-details/

Have I read it wrong?

[kilo delta]

FK, would you mind explaining how to engage hybrid global mode please?

Thanks in advance!

Dumonceau

There is an option to enable it under FTX Central..

Click on FTX Global and you have 3 options

Use ORBX trees
Enable Hybrid mode
Vector Road Lights

[Firekitten]

The base is 99$ yes, I guess the subscription pack is 'get everything as its done' But the Open LC packs are what you can get in the subscription... but it allows you to get just what you want not everything... Subscribing obviously is cheaper overall if you want it all.

As for fixes, the first patch is out and is free for ftxg base pack owners... so perhaps, perhaps not... the way I see it, I don't want some lc areas... so the subscription isn't worth it for me. so $20 per lc 'expansion' is fine. I'll be getting Africa, the Med, and Japan etc.. Depends what you want. It certainly doesn't 'have' to cost a total of $200.

is it worth it? Completely. Over all, its better than anything you can get.

[Dumonceau]

There is an option to enable it under FTX Central..

Click on FTX Global and you have 3 options

Use ORBX trees
Enable Hybrid mode
Vector Road Lights



Thanks KD!! Did just that and now I don't have to switch regions anymore. That is just brilliant!