Real vs Sim

[Anthony]

I also like Nick's SoundsAir shot. The angles, etc are great and it's also pretty accurate compared to the real image.

This entire thread is full of accurate sim screenshot versions of real photos.
Some really great work on a lot of peoples part.

Happy simming
Anthony Harris

[Charl]

OK this doesn't really belong here, but doesn't this just rock??

[Ian Warren]

Now what one is REAL! ...50/50 I'll say the left

[Timmo]

This probably doesnt belong here either.....but it is awesome (well, at least I think so): Fractal Terrains!!!

The long and short of it (at least this is how ive explained it other people) is: obviously you can plot a two dimensional line with a simple equation and then render it. You can plot curves with a slightly more complicated equation and render that. You can plot very detailed lines/curves etc with a fairly complicated equation and render that. You can now add a third dimension by adding another variable/dimension and render a very compliacated surface. You can add recursive functionality to this surface as well 'noise' so that your 3D surface repeats itself but with an element of randomness. A fractal is of course a shape that repeats its self at ever decreasing scales such as a snow flake or drainage patterns (a river delta is a good example of this).

For example (2D Fractal):









If you get the equations right you end up with an equation that renders to something that very closely resembles a real world terrain. The beauty of this, since it is a recursive mathmatical function is that you can zoom in on the fractal terrain and never loose detail (and of course you can apply a fractal texture that will also never go 'blurry').....Effectively you have unlimited resolution

So what does this look like? A guy called Dmytry Lavrov does a lot of this stuff (his brain must be huge!) but there is also a few programs out there that allow to create whole fractal planets (Such as Mojoworld)

Real or computer animated? Well, you know the answer since ive just described that these are rendered....but I bet not many people could pick it!





Some more here......I could look at these all day
http://dmytry.pandromeda.com/volumetrics/index.html

[Charl]

Oh my...so could I.
"Save as background" - no, THIS one, ah nope THAT one!
"Add to Favourites" then...
Recursive noisy fractals...there's no such thing as a free lunch.
What computing power to generate a fly-through?
More even, than, say Microsoft Flight Simulator X

[toprob]

One of my first 3D game experiences was 'Rescue on Fractalus'! I played this on my Commodore 64 over 20 years ago, the gameplay is best described as 'dreary', but it does suggest that fractal landscapes are quick to render, after all this was a 4Mhz machine:) From memory the game was overshadowed by another Lucasarts game, 'Ballblazer', now there was a true 3D masterpiece...
Speaking of getting old, I'm off to get some exercise now, I need to live long enough to see this type of realism in FS...

[Timmo]

Yep the thing to remember is you only ever need to render at screen resolution....but the resolution of the underlying data is unlimited. The traditional way of thinking about resolution (for textures, terrains etc) is that it is 'fixed'- So the only reason you need a 2048*2048 texture on an building/aircraft is so you can zoom in a bit further before it goes blurry (even if you are displaying it on a 800*600 res monitor etc).

In effect computer resources get shifted from loading data to creating data. The mojoworld fractal planets can be navigated in real time (like a flythrough) but are fairly low res i think.....this will only get better though.

There are certainly some ways the ideas of fractals could be implemented into FS without going the full hog though. The key, as MS knows, to making a planet that fits on a DVD is to find the 'rules' that create a planet and use a combination of low res and hi res data: The low resolution data adds value to high resolution data. The LandClass + ground texture method or 'land detail' texture are good examples.

Fractal technology could suppliment the lower resolution data by adding a level of detail to it which doesnt change its inherent form/shape but which adds infinite 'detail'. I.e. Basic shape of a mountain is defined by a 20m mesh, extra detail is added by a fractal algorithm.

[Kea]

[Ian Warren]

KEA , now that is NICE a Bear with a Typhoon , so many years apart , but still the same mission

[Naki]

Yep real nice Kea!

[ardypilot]

Timmo, those Fractal Terrain images are incredible, and Kea, that's gotta be the most accurate Real vs Sim shot in this thread! Where did you get that Eurofighter from?

Last weekend I went up to the top of Mount Maunganui and took this picture:


Thought it would be good to compare with the Red Baron topo scenery:


Surprisingly dissapointing- but the REAL NZ photoreal fixes all that:


What I noticed comparing these images are the lack of cloud shadows in FS, cloud reflections on water surfaces are abundant with updated texture sets, but not seen in real life... would also be great to see an updated FS9/FSX high res colour Tauranga, hint hint

[Kea]

It's a DSB Typhoon (FS9 hand-me-down) with an 11Sqn paint job. I was keen on making another video based around this theme, but as always seems to be the case, time is a bit of a problem. Who knows, maybe in a month or so I'll get something sorted.

[Ian Warren]

Harvard,s all over the place .... jezzzz ya think ya hear them coming

[Peppermint]

Looks terrific Ian!

[Naki]

yep awesome pic Ian - trying to place where I have seen the orgibnal pic.

[Charl]

Oi! Where'd you get that Harvard???

Pretty good RealvsSIm too!
Have you dipped a toe into Recorder Module or was it all shopped?

[Ian Warren]

Our first topdressing DC-3 'James" ZK-AZL at New Plymouth in November 1957 , Of note is the loader ,and the pilots car . By Brian Lockstone in 'Classic Corner' of the AVIATION NEWS Oct 2004.


ALL GREAT FUN

[Charl]

Caused quite a stir, this splendid picture did!
I'm still trying to figure out how you cut up that old newspaper - and pasted it back again!
What glue are you using??

[Ian Warren]

QUOTE (Charl @ Apr 7 2008, 08:45 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Caused quite a stir, this splendid picture did!
I'm still trying to figure out how you cut up that old newspaper - and pasted it back again!
What glue are you using??

don't think we were topdressing super ......... i wonder was it agent orange

[ardypilot]

With the release of the 3 livery set 'posky_b744_corsairfly_f-gtui.zip' on avsim yesterday...




This shot took me a good five minutes to set up, and now I look at the comparison, I realise the angle is far from perfect, plus the windsock isn't flying- oh well, was a good bit of Wednesday evening fun all the same