Download the Main File if you do not have the Orbx UK North scenery. Otherwise download the compatible file without the lighthouses I added
FINAL UPDATE v2.2 - I've flown on from this area so unless someone comments with something they found that they want fixed (trees or water masking related) this will be the final update unless some external party makes some changes/improvements I need to adapt the scenery for
The ground imagery for the Orkney Islands is absolutely stunning - you can make out the ruins of prehistoric settlements and details of the rocky shorelines in addition to stone walls and overall detailed terrain. It begs to be flown over low and slow however doing so is ruined by not only the amount of trees in general but the poor water masking along the shorelines that make trees spawn there as well. I could have been lazy and just threw a vegetation exclude over the entire set of islands but the Orkney's do have trees, just not a lot of them. I've left them mainly around buildings and towns, you won't find any in open fields. I've also cleaned up shorelines to cover the solid blue areas with water. You'll still see some "borders" along the shorelines here and there but nothing too obvious.
I checked Wikipedia for a list of lighthouses and placed them all with the Out Skerries lighthouse model, which has a working light at night. Some static ships are placed over visible wakes in the water and if I noticed some missing windmills or cell towers I added those too - see the dependencies.
A lot of the shoreline issues come from the steep cliffs of the islands being rendered rather flat, so the water does not match them properly. If in the future anyone uses a more hi-def terrain mesh than the area's default you may perhaps see a lot of water climbing up cliff faces with the changes I made to improve the look of the coastlines with the current mesh.
This is not a hyper-realism mod so you still may notice trees where they shouldn't be and missing trees where they should be. I welcome feedback but it looks good to me. Will likely give it one more pass after SU9 drops and I can turn the trees red to find any still sitting in open fields, sometimes they are small and easy to miss.
Enjoy your low flights over the Orkneys!
Thanks for this scenery.
2 years ago
Djeez2
Brilliant job on this! Really sharpens up the area. Actually looks like a different game! Great stuff. Do you have any more tidying of this type planned? Some of the Jamaican / Bahamas islands areas could do with this treatment - they look so indistinct in places 😉
2 years ago
I only work on where I fly. Been through the Bahamas already they weren't too bad. Skipping Jamaica, that will just have to wait for a World Update :P
2 years ago
Gaiiden
Baracus250
I had to look through the "textures" folder of the Orbx release to find out what was included. Did you find another source? There wasn't a list on the Orbx site last I looked.
2 years ago
they provide a KML file for Google Earth in the main folder - at least for me installing via Orbx Direct. I think they shoulda done in-game POIs too tho
2 years ago
Gaiiden
newtestleper
Great work on the scenery. I've always wanted to visit Orkney, but never had the chance to. Thanks for making it a joy to fly in my H145 and view this.
2 years ago
Harag
This excellent. Added a new dimension of realism to the Orkneys..
2 years ago
Transair
Great news and well worth adding in...
I note you say it is compatible with other sceneries (e.g. Superspud) but what about with 3rd party airports such as Westray/Papa Westray which have been done too by FloydWaterhouse?
2 years ago
I've downloaded all relevant mods I could find listed on the scenery map for the Orkneys. As a general note, there are no other mods or products for the Orkneys that I am aware of
2 years ago
Gaiiden
Transair
Thanks very much for this. I flew a tour of Orkney last summer, if I remember correctly Hoy has particularly affected by tree coverage. Still enjoyed the tour and must do a return visit once you are done.
2 years ago
outforaflight
Thank you for this work I live here and fly around a lot
Too many trees as you say but you sceneries making the difference
xxd09
2 years ago
xxd09
Thanks for this. Is it compatible with Superspud's work on the Orkneys?
2 years ago
Yea I have every other Orkney scenery here installed as I'm working on this
2 years ago
Gaiiden
Sender46