Update Review : EDDM Munich v1.2 by ShortFinal Designs

[Stephen]

 

Update Review : EDDM Munich v1.2 by ShortFinal Designs

 

There is no need for an introduction to ShortFinal Designs, or if you prefer to call him "MisterX6", as the reputation of this extremely skilled developer knows no bounds. But I will still highlight his work with LAX - Los Angeles International and SFO - San Francisco International, which are both award winning sceneries, then add in SFD Global, a tool to replace the boring twin American and European X-Plane autogen with different cultural facades in the different areas of the world, say, Australian, Arab, African and Japanese...  yes it all so brilliant, and the quality sticks to everything MisterX6 does, or Justin Kissling...  want to know more of MisterX6? then check out this current "Developer Spotlight" interview with Dominic Smith.

 

Which brings us to another ShortFinal Design masterpiece...  EDDM Munich.

 

X-PlaneReviews did a full review of the X-Plane 11 release of Munich International in January 2019; EDDM - Munich by ShortFinal Designs and this scenery won...   Best Airport Scenery : EDDM - Munich by ShortFinal winner 2019 🏅 in other words it was the best scenery overall in the year 2019.

 

The MUC scenery then had an update to v1.1 in January 2021, with mostly nips and tucks that covered the latest in a construction site at T1 and updated taxiway layout, introduction of SAM Seasons and an updated layout of apron 5 and 13 (East of T2)... but they were all for X-Plane 11.

 

So here is Version v1,2 of Munich International from SFD, and its also an X-Plane 12 update as well, it is still also compatible with X-Plane 11 (and included in the package), but obviously the X-Plane 12 elements don't work.

 

 

Munich Airport, also named "Munich Franz Josef Strauss Airport", is an international airport serving Munich and Upper Bavaria. To the German Aeronautical Information Publication it is known as "Muenchen Airport". It is the second-busiest airport in Germany in terms of passenger traffic after Frankfurt Airport, and the ninth-busiest airport in Europe, handling 47.9 million passengers in 2019. It is the world's 15th-busiest airport in terms of international passenger traffic, and was the 38th-busiest airport worldwide in 2018.

 

The airport is located 28.5 km (17.7 mi) northeast of Munich near the town of Freising. It is named after former Bavarian minister-president Franz Josef Strauss. It has two passenger terminals with an additional midfield terminal, two runways as well as extensive cargo and maintenance facilities and is fully equipped to handle wide-body aircraft including the Airbus A380.

 

It serves as hub for Lufthansa including its subsidiaries Lufthansa CityLine, Air Dolomiti and Eurowings, as well as a base for Condor and TUI fly Deutschland.

 

 

Nothing really prepares you for the size of EDDM, it's absolutely massive, and this is also a complex scenery. But also highly refined for a very good framerate return, thankfully there isn't a lot of autogen around the airport like at EDDF Frankfurt, but still a reasonable expectation on what your computer can deliver to the reality of the complexity here is still a welcome point. I get upper 47 frames on my specs (below), which I would call out as being exceptional.

 

 

It's not called a masterpiece for nothing, this is one amazingly detailed and realistic scenery.

 

First of all v1.2 is an update, not a pay upgrade which is very nice, but for those (few) that don't currently have the SFD EDDM, it is priced at only US$26.95, a crazy price for the amount of quality and detail here.

 

With the X-Plane 12 update, you now get the X-Plane 12 effects, like brilliant rain, lighting and widespread snow winter conditions, very good it is...

 

 

So the added SAM Seasons in v1.1, have now been again removed for X-Plane 12 (but available for XP11). Another odd point with X-Plane 12 is when I run the download of any real weather, it always rains? ALWAYS? never a nice day or any clear skies at Munich MUC. So here to get a normal day, I had to switch to the manual weather settings...  very odd.

 

In v1.1 you had the cranes over a new terminal development, the cranes have now gone in v1.2 to be replaced with the new terminal 1 extension building, but the extension is still under development with currently a fence around the new T1 Terminal, also here there is no Airbridges attached, so it looks like we may have to wait to v1.3 to get a working terminal area... but clever isn't it.

 

 

Terminal 2 satellite (another recent addition) has also had attention with improved facade textures, they were quite good before, but this is refinement 101. It's new but in a wear of a few years way.

 

 

Also improved are the Terminal 2 satellite entrance buildings

 

 

There is both a new EFM building (EFM – Towing and De-icing) and new fire station building, both situated northeast by the T2 Satellite

 

 

Southeast, and Apron 35 has also been completed and is now available for use, it comes also with new blast fencing in 3d.

 

 

On the same note, in X-Plane 12, there are now 3d trees (very nice and move in the wind), and the new high quality fencing is 3d as well, not facade style.

 

 

With the release of SFO -San Francisco. ShortFinal Design has moved away from the GroundTraffic plugin to X-Codr's...  "Living Scenery Technology" plugin (Plugin required). The newer faster, but more importantly flexible plugin allows more movement in the scenery, more vehicles and animations...  even realistic walking ground staff.

 

 

So clutter is far better, all locally branded as well. Traffic is also excellent, but not overwhelmingly so, but enough to create that perfect active environment.

 

One note are the taxi bridges. In the X-Plane 11 version there was an option to stop (harden the bridge) in for traffic aircraft, that bounced down through the bridge and then climbed back out of the underlaying gradients. They do that again here, but ShortFinal have noted a patch is coming to bring the hard surface bridges back to normal.

 

 

In the X-Plane 12 version, orthoimagery has been totally updated. It's a bit strong in my eyes and doesn't blend in as much as before, but it is still well done, the already noted 3d trees are also changed within in the airport boundary areas...  any other changes like taxiway names and linage have all been brought up to date.  Grass is nice, very nice.

 

 

Lighting is still excellent, but now also X-Plane 12 powered, so everything is sharper and brighter...

 

 

...    the runways (lighting) are also ICAO compliant (X-Plane 12), and the navigation signage is exceptional...  and ground reflective.

 

 

The ShortFinal Design EDDM still uses the SAM 3 system for airbridge connectivity, and for opening the doors of five Lufthansa Technik Hangers...  AB Technik (left and right doors), Lufthansa Cityline Technik, and Lufthansa Technik (left and right doors).

 

 

I think that Munich has the most number of active gates on SAM, maybe San Francisco can cut it close, LAX, well maybe when the new extension is open, but here the numbers available are still in the hundreds...  that is a lot of choice and very impressive.

 

Summary

An award winning scenery always has a lot to live up to. This masterful reproduction of Munich International Airport released in 2019 by ShortFinal Design (or MisterX6), has everything and of course won the best of the year award from X-PlaneReviews for the same year.

 

This is the Munich scenery update to X-Plane 12, or Version 1.2. The X-Plane 11 version is also still available, but without a lot of the dynamic features noted here. This scenery is an update, not an upgrade considering it is a move over to X-Plane 12 from eleven.

 

X-Plane 12 effects cover; Rain, Snow (winter conditions), scenery lighting, X-Plane 12 animated 3d trees, and the far better Global Lighting effects (you can throw dynamic clouds in there as well). The effect is huge of course on the useability of the airport, but also on the look with the now four different seasonal conditions. 

 

Changes to the Munich Airport in real terms are also noted here, The new T1 Terminal extension, done but not yet operational. T2 satellite comes with better refined textures, Apron 35 is now completed, as is there is also a new Fire Station and EFM building. New 3d fencing and blast fences also are in the update. Ground orthoimagery and taxiway signage have all had attention.

 

Like with SFO -San Francisco. ShortFinal Design has moved away from the GroundTraffic plugin to X-Codr's...  "Living Scenery Technology" plugin. It requires a new plugin in your X-Plane/Resources/Plugin's folder, but the more dynamic (and more modern tool) gives the scenery a more lively and animated feel.

 

You don't really have to explain or venerate the accolades to MisterX6 - ShortFinal Design's tools and sceneries, the reputation in the X-Plane Simulator well proceeds that... value is also a huge factor as well, with this exceptional massive framerate friendly scenery coming in at only US$26.95, a steal really or a very valuable investment, as it doesn't much regard in anyway you look at this airport, It's brilliant, useable, dynamic...  and now available in X-Plane 12!

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Yes! EDDM - Munich by ShortFinal Designs v1.2 is now Available from the X-Plane.Org Store here :

 

EDDM - Munich Airport

Price Is US$26.95

 

Requirements

X-Plane  12 or X-Plane 11

4 GB VRAM Minimum. 8 GB+ VRAM Recommended

Download size: 770Mb

Current version: 1.2 (August 24th 2023)

 

Note the Living Scenery Tech plugin is required for this scenery.

 

The v1.2 update is free to all current SFD EDDM-Munich purchasers, just go to your X-PlaneStore account...  Download is 770Mb

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Review System Specifications

Windows  - 12th Gen IS1700 Core i7 12700K 12 Core 3.60 GHz CPU - 64bit -32 Gb single 1067 Mhz DDR4 2133 - PNY GeForce RTX 3080 10GB XLR8 - Samsung 970 EVO+ 2TB SSD

Software:   - Windows 11 Pro - X-Plane 12.06b7 (This is a beta review).

Plugins: Traffic Global - JustFlight-Traffic (X-Plane.OrgStore) US$52.99 : Global SFD plugin US$30.00

Scenery or Aircraft

- Airbus A319-100 XP12 by ToLiSS (X-Plane.OrgStore) - US$89.99

 

Update Review by Stephen Dutton

1st September 2023

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