Scenery & Graphical Upgrades - FS2004?
 

Apart from FS Global 2008 (getting soon, after I free up more space on the HDD. FS Global is another 12-13GB installed:o), are there any other graphical update packs/tweaks for FS2004 (century of flight)?

I really enjoy the sim but it's looking dated & I'm not sure FSX will run acceptably on my system.

I know the FS series is not the 'prettiest' sim available but it really needs scenery upgrading, like this -

http://www.flightsim.com/cgi/kds?$=m.../fsg/fsg01.htm
to this -
http://www.flightsim.com/cgi/kds?$=m.../fsg/fsg02.htm

Currently running FS2004 on maxed settings and getting 45+ FPS in all areas. Is FSX much more of a drain?:hmm:

Ground Environment (replacement textures, new autogen, and more)
http://www.aerosoft.de/_php_projekte/_php_screenshots2/screenshots.php?sp=fs2004&p=ground_environment

Ultimate Terrain (three parts, new landclasses for Europe, Alaska/Canada, USA)
for example: http://www.aerosoft.de/_php_projekte/_php_screenshots2/screenshots.php?sp=fs2004&p=ut_europe

Flight Environment (replacement textures for clouds and skies, sun textures, new weather effects - absolutely fantastic and sometimes most beautiful)

http://www.aerosoft.de/_php_projekte/_php_screenshots2/screenshots.php?sp=fs2004&p=flightenvironment

And finally diverse local sceneries and airports sceneries for the regions you fly in most of the time, for example http://www.aerosoft.com/cgi-local/us/iboshop.cgi?show70,4609965590

Monacco: http://www.aerosoft.de/_php_projekte/_php_screenshots2/screenshots.php?sp=fs2004&p=monaco

Helgoland: http://www.aerosoft.de/_php_projekte/_php_screenshots2/screenshots.php?sp=fs2004&p=helgoland

German Airports series: http://www.aerosoft.de/_php_projekte/_php_screenshots2/screenshots.php?sp=fs2004&p=ga1fs2004

Frankfurt:
http://www.aerosoft.de/_php_projekte/_php_screenshots2/screenshots.php?sp=fs2004&p=megaairportfrankfurt

Satellite picture sceneries:
http://www.aerosoft.de/_php_projekte/_php_screenshots2/screenshots.php?sp=fs2004&p=realgermany3

There is so much more. Wile I refer to german scenery for the most (no wonder, I live here), pendants are available for Europe and America as well. Air picture sceneries have no season- and time of day-dependant weather effects anbd lights, since they are pohotos you are flying over, keep that in mind. such sceneries are available for parts of the US, complete Netherlands, Britain (for example: http://www.aerosoft.com/cgi-local/re/iboshop.cgi?showd20!0,4609983870,10306 ), major parts of Germany, complete Switzerland. there is also a FREE Netherlöands scenery, check the news at AVSIM.com.

Beside German Aerosoft, this is also a major player in commercial products:
http://www.flight1.com/products.asp?category=scenery

I bought FS9 plus Ultimate Terrain 1-3, Flight Environment, FS Global 2006, Ground Environment and some aircraft when FSX was released, and I bought it all via Ebay, saving me 50-60% of the money I would have lost when buying new in stores. Will upgrade my German Airports 1-4 and Austrian Airports next.

If you want to fly over a better looking Finland, go here: http://fisd.fsnordic.net/site/
For some good Swedish sceneries go here: http://www.swedflight.com/
For Norway, go here:http://www.flightsim.no/norway/
Or, you could try this listing of scenerie sites: http://walhalla.mine.nu/fs2004.php

Excellent!:D

Thanks guy's. I have FS Global installed now and it makes a huge difference.

I will investigate the links you have supplied. Anything that improves FS2004 is a must for me.

Most times, I will take short scenic flights and, dammit, I'm a eyecandy lover.:)

FSX runs really noticeably quicker on Vista and is much improved by the recent patch too.

:D Chock