Difference between CFS3 & FS9

Now that Microsoft are releasing a new sim, FS X, I thought I'd take a couple of contrasting shots of my Bristol Fighter from Microsoft's two most recent sims, FS2004 and CFS3.

CFS3


FS2004


Note the difference in the fine detail. The detail in the CFS3 model is much finer. Just look at details such as the sights and windscreen frame. The FS2004 version took another two weeks work and much trimming down of mesh. Most of the observer's cockpit was removed or reworked for the FS2004 version. Hopefully the export tools and capabilities of the new FS X will at least equal what can be acheived in CFS3 as far as vertex count and vertex resolution. FS 2004 was quite restrictive in that respect in comparison to CFS3.

FS X, as witness the demo, sports nice shiny new shader technology. Let's hope the differences in 3D engine go further than that. From the player perpective FS X looks very nice.

Edit: Sept 3 - Modelers will be pleasantly surprised by the possibilities offered by FS X.... more later.

Some FS X Demo Screenshots.

I posted these at Sim-Outhouse also - some pics of the DHC Beaver flying over some Carribbean scenery.

New Microsoft Flight Simulator X site

Flight Simulator X fever and excitement abounds on the internet today with the demo version of Flight Simulator X becoming available from a number of sites around the web including a new Microsoft Flight Simulator X site.

http://www.microsoft.com/games/flightsimulatorx/

also a Flash website http://www.microsoft.com/games/flightsimulatorx/flash/default.htm

As I type this the first user screenshots of the demo have appeared at Avsim. It will be interesting to see the various responses to the demo in the flight sim communities.

It is certainly a bold decision to release a demo at this stage as FS X is still in beta. Microsoft ACES bloggers Paul P-12C Lange and Mike Taildragger Gilbert have both commented on the demo and the challenges it has posed in their blogs.

http://blogs.msdn.com/tdragger/archive/2006/08/09/693623.aspx
http://blogs.technet.com/p-12c_pilot/archive/2006/08/04/445078.aspx

The demo is not to be confused with the beta which was available to subscribers of FilePlanet. Actually there are two beta groups for Flight Simulator X, one run by FilePlanet and one by Microsoft.

Demo Downloads

http://www.microsoft.com/games/flightsimulatorx/downloads.html
http://www.gamershell.com/download_14950.shtml
http://www.fileshack.com/file.x/9240/Flight+Simulator+X+Demo
http://www.3dgamers.com/dlselect/games/flightsim2006/fsxprereleasedemo.exe.html
http://www.fileplanet.com/166127/download/Microsoft-Flight-Simulator-X-Demo
http://www.worthdownloading.com/download.php?gid=1959&id=8270