Xplane has an excellent system where they allow the community to develop different airports and submit them in a centralized system. Once approved for quality, they’re pushed as default airports in the next update iteration.
We can take this a step further and also include landmarks/POI’s which can be developed by the community and approved by Asobo or MS, which then can get included in the next update iteration.
I was wondering if MSFS has any such system in place or has plans for any such system.
As of now there is no official word on a Gateway style development plan although it is quite a popular feature. Depending on how much support this gets we could possibly see it implemented in the future.
I do agree with this completely though, it’s a great process.
That is great to hear. It certainly reduces the burden on Asobo bearing complete responsibility for improving scenery and lessens the wait for photogrammetry in unsupported areas. Also, keeps the community busy and productive during cruise
Very good idea! But I and maybe the one or the other would have a little more background knowledge if you implement something like this as a user to offer support here. It would be interesting to know how it all works and what things like software etc. are needed. maybe one or the other has done something for Xplane here. would certainly be nice to learn and to bring the project forward
I hope we can release freeware on the Marketplace.
We could get people together who know how to make / improve scenery in the SDK and then just merge them all together into like a World Airport Pack for free!
There seriously needs to be a better tool for basic scenery creation, like the World Editor (WED)/OverlayEditor for X-Plane. AFCAD editor is decent but we need amateurs to be able to go plopping objects LEGO-style for buildings and terminals.
FSX/P3D has better quality payware airports, but it’s the sheer volume of decent quality freeware airports that makes X-Plane so fun to fly - thanks to the easy-to-use editors. In comparison the freeware airports in FSX/P3D are fewer and look much worse in quality.
Yes, this is the way to go … everyone can add and submit their work. Asobo decides if it meets quality standards. This is also how Google Earth got populated with 3D buildings, made by hobbyists, in Sketchup, before they started with photogrammetry.
It wouldn’t be good, I deem this as ESSENTIAL, having a system in place like on Xplane Gateway where user can build airport with basics lego brick, just tried a few and are HORRENDOUS, possibly worse than FSX, at least with something like the gateway we would have look alike, however I doubt asobo or Microsoft give a ■■■■, the fact is that is a VFR oriented sim, with airfield looking so bad is a shame.
Just tried Orcas original and then bough the ORBX version, like day and night, surely not expecting same quality, however not even that buildings are totally random, all that “AI” “AZURE” “Superman and batman” then cannot even put generic buildings where buildings are in real life?
I know it is early days but considering a triple A like ASOBO won’t care at least give a tool for the community, else we have FSX 2.0 where without ORBX region we would have had airports years behind and looking grim.
I think many Xplane users would agree with it, the Gateway was personally one of the reason for moving from FSX (along with the horrible realism of FSX as a real world GA pilot for a decade).
