Now available from designer Alexander Lawrence is version 2.0 of Tel Aviv Photoreal Scenery. This VFR scenery includes 56 of the city's major buildings overlaid on 4.8m/pixel satellite photos. For full details and to download, click on Read More.
Marking the 56th Israel Independence Day: First Tel Aviv Photoreal Scenery released.
The new freeware Tel Aviv Photoreal VFR scenery has been released on VATSIM Israel website (http://www.vatil.org) and Fly Away Simulation. This release covers the 56 most significant buildings in Tel Aviv, overlaid on enhanced, multi-seasonal 4.8m/pixel satellite photo. Author: Alexander Lawrence.
About the Tel Aviv Photoreal Project
This work is the most accurate Tel Aviv VFR scenery to date and is a result of about five months of research and development. The sizing, object location etc. was based on a combination of maps, satellite photos, pictures and visits to location. In addition it closely follows tips and information from various architecture companies which planned the buildings, leading to very accurate modeling. Wherever possible photo-realistic textures were used.
The buildings were designed with performance in mind - the key issue was to make them realistic to viewing distances of more than 300'(100m). The new version adds five new buildings (for a total of 56 buildings) and some fixes and optimization to the previous release.
All the 3D structures were overlaid on a 4.8m/pixel satellite picture which covers four seasons and night-time texturing. To make the low-level flight over Tel Aviv more realistic, I have also created an extremely dense, custom Autogen layout with customized Autogen textures.
Tel Aviv Photoreal VFR 2 currently covers:
- The Ramat Gan Business District (9 towers)
- The Azrieli Towers (2 towers)
- The Shalom Meir Tower
- Marganit Twr
- Platinum, Medial and Millenium Towers complex (3 towers)
- Rubinstein Twr
- Elrov Twr
- Levinstein Twr
- Gan Ha'ir Twr + Rabin Square (1 tower + City Hall)
- IBM Building
- The Tower
- 6 seaside hotels
- The Textile Center Complex (8 towers)
- Opera House Twr
- Isrotel Twr
- Twin Towers (Ramat Gan - 2 towers)
- Toyota House
- Amot Center (3 Towers)
- Dizengoff Center (2 towers)
- NIP Tower
- Tel Aviv Towers (2 residential towers)
- Zion Tower
- Africa Israel Tower
- Ramat Gan Soccer Stadium
- Bloomfield Soccer Stadium
- Yad Eliahu Basketball Hall
A little bit about Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv is the busiest city in Israel. It is also the first newly founded Jewish city in the reborn Israel, but it is anything but "traditional". In the recent years, many skyscrapers have been added to the skyline which once was dominated by the Shalom Meir Tower in Tel-Aviv and the Diamond Exchange building in Ramat-Gan Business District. While Shalom Meir Tower still stands out among the less tall buildings surrounding it, the Diamond Exchange building has been literally engulfed by many post-modern architectural wonders which dwarf it to the point of non-relevance.
Although technically not Tel Aviv, my scenery covers almost all of the important towers of the Ramat Gan Business District. Looking at the imposing architectural complex and its tallest feature (City Gate Tower - standing 244m) will make you understand why.
Another important much talked-about project is the Azrieli Towers or better known as "Shalom towers" (not to be confused with the old Meir Shalom Meir Tower) - Shalom means "Peace". This project has seen several changes during its construction, the most significant ones being the cancellation of one of the three towers - the Square Tower - and the height increase of the remaining two - the Round Tower (187m) and the Triangle Tower (169m).
Now you can also fly over the Ramat Gan and Bloomfield stadiums where some of the most of the important national and international soccer games are held. The big oval structure South of the Toyota Tower is the Yad Eliahu Basketball Hall which is the home of the Maccabi Tel-Aviv Basketball Team - twice European Champions and this year's Final Four players ;-).
The scenery is by no means complete. There are additional less tall, but imp ortant structures that are scheduled for future releases. Besides, there are many towers in Tel Aviv that are being built or planned, two of them towering at around 240m each; so there is plenty to do.
Meanwhile enjoy VFR-ing over Tel Aviv, or the LLBG RWY 12 approaches. The Lima Lima RWY12 Outer Marker is located on top of the Shalom Meir Tower.
Download the scenery now from the Fly Away File Library here.
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