As impressive as the scenery in Flight Simulator can be, there’s always room for improvement. We see that constantly with developers releasing custom-designed airports, or higher resolution aerial imagery, but another aspect of the terrain that can often be improved is the elevation data. Higher-resolution elevation data allows for crispier, more detailed mountains, eliminating some of the “roundness” that is many times seen on mountain peaks, which are nowhere near realistic.
Interestingly, Orbx has just released a few days ago a product of this kind for New Zealand. NZ Mesh brings more detailed DEM (digital elevation model) data for that country. Today, we bring you a very similar mod dedicated to Austria. These two countries are prime examples of where this kind of add-on makes more sense: numerous mountain ranges, filled with peaks and valleys, where accurate and detailed data is crucial to get the best experience when flying above them.
Austria is known for its stunning alpine setting, so having higher resolution elevation data enables the famous peaks in the Alps to actually look like… peaks, and not just rounded up hills. This new mod by Troglodytus brings a dramatic improvement to the scenery in this country in Central Europe. Taking off from Innsbruck now and climbing up above the Alps, it’s breathtaking to see the level of detail that has been achieved. A truly spectacular sight!
These high-resolution meshes bring a few potential performance issues. Some users have reported stuttering, which is caused by the scenery loading at a distance. Depending on your setup, your mileage may vary. We experienced some slight issues on the first couple of minutes of flying, and then subsided.
While the creator says most third-party scenery should be compatible, there are also some reports about floating objects on the ground, specifically on airports, so be aware of that. In any case, flying in the Austrian Alps has now become a sensational activity to have in Flight Simulator, highly recommended to everyone!
