Autogen Tree and Building Height Scaling

[MatthewS]

Please LM fix the comically over-sized scaling of both autogen trees and buildings!

Even if all LM does is add a configuration file option to let the user apply a scaling factor to the default height of the trees and buildings.

For example...

The default (ie no user applied factor)
AutogenTreeHeight_ScalingFactor=1
AutogenBuildingHeight_ScalingFactor=1

Then for someone like me who thinks autogen is too tall, I could change to
AutogenTreeHeight_ScalingFactor=0.75
AutogenBuildingHeight_ScalingFactor=0.75

Of course I'm probably oversimplifying the solution and maybe some other posters could offer some suggestions.

IMHO it's something that LM needs to address!

Just compare any real life cockpit video on Youtube to P3D and you will see how over-sized the autogen is.

When the autogen is over-sized it creates a false sense of scale and wrong impression of how high above the ground the aircraft is.

This is especially true of double storey houses, they look like the size of small warehouses!
Have a look at this screenshot from Orbx Cairns. Those autogen houses are enormous!


Also IMHO the amount of roof pitch is far too much maybe make that configurable also? I never fly to alpine areas where that amount roof pitch might be justified, and it just looks wrong in places like Asia and Australia.

Come on LM you can do it and "me love you long time"...

[MatthewS]

According to the P3D SDK "The height of each building is generated at runtime"

http://www.prepar3d.com/SDKv3/LearningC ... togen.html

So it would seem possible that LM could add a configuration setting that would allow the height to be somehow scaled/constrained.

[kevinfirth]

Its already possible for 3PD to vary autogen roofs.
What would be useful is if the height of each individual autogen building could be set, rather than just at the autogen tile level.
The default texture sets do appear to overemphasise the height of buildings though, so a vertical scaling factor would be one way to possibly improve things.

[bekesdd]

Aside from the autogen objects, generic airport buildings and stock detailed airports as well generally seem to be taller than their real world or addon counterparts (eg ksfo, kewr). Could have been in FSX heights of all 3d scenery objects were bumped by a certain fraction to make them more visible from air at the cost of some realism, if so would be nice to have it turned back down to more realistic level.

[MatthewS]

so would be nice to have it turned back down to more realistic level.

If LM could add some options to a configuration file (eg scaling factors for various autogen elements and airport buildings / objects) then users who are so inclined can tweak the settings themselves, whilst by default nothing changes.

For me, the autogen houses are the height of small warehouses and trees are the size of Redwoods! The Autogen height is so exaggerated and "cartoonish" that I always leave autogen buildings and trees turned off.

[Azzurro]

Agree. Autogen is oversized. And maybe the forests should be more dense.

[deltamike172]

I fully agree with this. I was considering asking ORBX to do something about this, but can it be done by LM? This oversized autogen cuases a normal 3 degree final approach glide path to appear very low.

[MatthewS]

Now that v4 has been announced does anyone know if this autogen height issue has been addressed?

[MikeT707]

I hope the size of the autogen can be made to be realistic. When landing the incorrectly scaled autogen gives the perspective that the pilot is closer to the ground than is actually the case. When you are 1000 above the ground it looks as if you are 500ft above. and when you are 500ft above, it looks like you are right over the houses. The part that is worse is when you look at the runway, which is properly scaled and you look at the houses around the airport. It is hard to really judge the landing.

[MatthewS]

Can LM comment on my original post above?

And I'm happy to be a beta tester of such a feature.

I find it hard to believe that people actually think the grossly over sized height of auto-gen houses (and their roof pitch) and trees is realistic.

Just imagine just how much better P3D would look if auto-gen house & tree height was realistic.

I understand there would be issue with the auto-gen house textures, that it would either need to be squeezed vertically or clipped along bottom, but its not something that would be noticeable IMO.

IMHO the over sized auto-gen house/tree height makes P3D look like a "cartoon" no matter how pretty addons like FTX are.

Come on LM you can do it!