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Sceneries Reinstatement : TruScenery in Finland


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TruScenery logo edit.jpg

 

Sceneries Reinstatement : TruScenery in Finland

 

You can prove your X-Plane credentials if you remember a developer group called TruScenery. Yes they are still actually around, but these hugely popular X-Plane developers decided many moons ago to go solo with their own sales site, and like every thing else in the huge internet ocean they quickly fell off our simulation radar. The point here is that unless you stay close to main flowing streams of the internet, you can be quickly forgotten no matter how good your brand is, non-release or even constant updates of new product can really also help in the context of doing an invisible magic act. Simulation as a whole is marginal segment, inside it is a big universe of wonder, but just step outside of that boundary and you will be quickly forgotten.

 

So TruScenery are back, well sort of...  in re-releasing their original sceneries back onto the X-Plane.OrgStore, in the series that covers Finland is also one new airport, the original first three sceneries have had various touchups over the years with EFPT -Tampere–Pirkkala, EFHF - Helsinki-Malmi and EFJO -Joensuu Airport have been joined lately by EFRY - Rayskala Airfield... So I was curious to find out how they still stand up today and set within the higher X-Plane dynamics and detail, so let us take a quick look around all of them.

 

EFPT -Tampere–Pirkkala

This is a scenery of multiple award wins, including X-PlaneReview's best scenery of 2013 which is Tampere–Pirkkala in northern Finland... at the time EFTP was head and shoulders above everything else in X-Plane scenery for detail and quality, so does it still stand up six years later? If fact it does, which shows how advanced the scenery was at the time of it's 2012 release, I will note is that missing here are the later X-Plane11 PBR dynamics of reflective glass and wet runways and built in ATC routes (Parking spots exist, but not taxi routes for a good WT3 generation) features.

 

The custom darker tree lines show the boundaries of the scenery, but otherwise Tampere–Pirkkala blends nicely into the scenery, it was good 6 years ago but with the advances in X-Plane the integration is now far better, and helped enormously by the far better autogen and SFD Global local housing...

 

EFTP - Header 1.jpgEFTP - Header 2.jpgEFTP - Header 3.jpgEFTP - Header 4.jpg

 

....  the once remote custom ABC 24hr service station is now part of the local scenery, and the custom Näsinneula observation tower in Tampere is not so isolated as well.

 

EFTP - Header 5.jpg

 

The single original apron is now split into Apron 1 for the newer terminal (A1 - A5) from the original terminal that is now apron 2 (B1-B5), you do notice the very flat now but well detailed textures, and that reflection PBR gloss you expect is not here, but the detail is still extremely good, Tampere–Pirkkala was one of the first really walkaround to feel the realistic scenery releases for X-Plane and that is still a worthwhile thing to do...

 

EFTP - Head 1.jpgEFTP - Head 2.jpgEFTP - Head 3.jpgEFTP - Head 4.jpg

 

3d grass and flowers were a big deal back then, and it is still very well done compared to even today's versions... Simulated metal reflections also looked excellent, but now with the PBR metalness feature in X-Plane it looks a little dated, textures are still very good however as is the intimate detailing.

 

EFTP - Head 5.jpgEFTP - Head 6.jpg

EFTP - Head 7.jpgEFTP - Head 8.jpg

 

Animated vehicles (baggage cart) was another innovation at the time, and the scenery realism from the ramp still looks very good.

 

EFTP - Head 9.jpg

 

Nightlighting is still excellent as well, it was a poster on how to do great terminal night textures, and to a point it still is...  landside and apron lighting is excellent as well.

 

EFTP - Lighting 1.jpgEFTP - Lighting 2.jpg

 

Overall EFPT - Tampere–Pirkkala stands up amazingly well for it's age, certainly if upgraded with the lastest X-Plane dynamics (reflections, metalness and textures) it would certainly be well up there with the best of current sceneries.

 

Tampere-Pirkkala Airport (IATA: TMP, ICAO: EFTP) is now available from the X-Plane.OrgStore for: US$19.95

 

EFTP Tampere Airport

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EFHF - Helsinki-Malmi

The first of the TruScenery releases was the extraordinary Helsinki-Malmi airport.

 

EFHF - Head 5 LG.jpg

 

EFHF - Head 2.jpgEFHF - Head 1.jpgEFHF - Head 3.jpgEFHF - Head 4.jpg

 

All these years on and it is still outstanding...  more so with the better autogen and European urban industrial objects, as what was once a blank area is now a very filled in VFR landscape. Highlight then and it is still now was the functionalist terminal building which was completed in 1938 and designed by architects Dag Englund and Vera Rosendahl. The official opening ceremony took place on 15 May 1938.

 

Here we have outstanding modeling of this amazing functionalist terminal that is still breathtaking today, detailing is amazing with also a working clock! (there are actually two clocks) Chimney below smokes, but sheer detail here is second to none...

 

EFHF - Terminal 1.jpgEFHF - Terminal 2.jpgEFHF - Terminal 3.jpgEFHF - Terminal 4.jpg

 

You pay for authenticity and that means authentic real hangers like at EFHF, as there is no generic LR buildings here, it is all as real as the real airport of Helsinki-Malmi. Oddly unlike Tampere–Pirkkala there is no 3d grass here at Malmi, and it certainly would have been a very nice visual feature to have. There is a lot of nice static aircraft also set around the scenery and branding is very good as well, but basically EFEH is a general aviation airport only, but a worthwhile one to use.

 

EFHF - Header 1.jpgEFHF - Header 2.jpgEFHF - Header 3.jpgEFHF - Header 4.jpg

 

Helsinki-Malmi is not really a night time operations airport, but EFHF still shines very well in the dark, close lighting detail of the functionalist terminal is breathtaking at night, note the slightly different lit aged clock face.

 

EFHF - Lighting 1.jpgEFHF - Lighting 2.jpg

 

In reality all those years ago we were totally spoilt for this excellent scenery, as it still stacks up very well after all these years on.

 

Helsinki-Malmi Airport (IATA: HEM, ICAO: EFHF) is now available from the X-Plane.OrgStore for: US$16.90


EFHF - Helsinki Malmi Airport

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EFJO - Joensuu Airport

Joensuu Airport is an airport in Liperi, Finland, about 11 kilometres (7 mi) northwest of Joensuu city centre.

 

EFJO_Header Main.jpg

 

EFJO_Header 1.jpgEFJO_Header 2.jpg

 

Joensuu Airport is not as highly modeled as the other sceneries here, but again the detailing is very good, it feels like a very remote airport, but it is not that far as say up into the Arctic Circle like EFRO - Rovaniemi.

 

EFJO_Head 1.jpgEFJO_Head 2.jpgEFJO_Head 3.jpgEFJO_Head 4.jpg

 

Some buildings feel just 3d modeled and not textured like with the control tower, but with the way the expert work has been done, it mostly hides the short cut...

 

EFJO_Head 5.jpgEFJO_Head 6.jpgEFJO_Head 7.jpgEFJO_Head 8.jpg

 

...  where it has been actually textured like with the hangar doors and building detail, then the wear and tear is very good, yes EFJO is an old scenery, but still a worthwhile one.

 

Lighting

The night lighting at Joensuu Airport is very good, again those exceptional night textures are so highly realistic.

 

EFJO_Lighting 5 LG.jpg

 

EFJO_Lighting 1.jpgEFJO_Lighting 2.jpgEFJO_Lighting 3.jpgEFJO_Lighting 4.jpg

 

It is still very hard to believe that these sceneries are 4 to 5 years old...

 

Certainly EFJO is a worthwhile scenery if you love regional airport hopping, and it delivers very well as a fly in and fly out spoke and hub destination...

 

Joensuu Airport (IATA: JOE, ICAO: EFJO)is now available from the X-Plane.OrgStore for: US$12.90


EFJO - Joesuu Airport

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EFRY - Räyskälä Airfield

Räyskälä  Airfield is an airfield in Rayskala, Loppi, Finland, about 23 kilometers (14 mi) west of Loppi center and 37 kilometers (23 mi) east of Forssa town centre. It is also the largest sports aviation center in the Nordic countries and one of the busiest general aviation airfields in Finland. It is also home to the Finnish Sports Aviation Academy.

 

EFRY - Räyskälä is the youngest of all these TruScenery airports, in that it was just released only a few years ago...

 

EFRY_Header Main.jpg

 

EFRY_Header 2.jpgEFRY_Header 3.jpgEFRY_Header 4.jpgEFRY_Header 1.jpg

 

....  that aspect is immediately apparent by the far more modern textures on the buildings. The Räyskälä Airfield layout is also quite unusual in having one main runway 12L/30R, but part of twin parallel runways:

 

08L/26R - 800m (2,625ft) Asphalt

08R/26L - 1,020m (3,346ft) Asphalt/Gravel

12L/30R - 1,270m (4,167ft) Asphalt/Gravel

12R/30L - 480m (1,575ft) Asphalt

 

EFRY_Header 5 Field.jpg

 

The airport is basically a field with a small box tower, hangars and buildings for the extensive gliding activity that goes on at Räyskälä Airfield.

 

EFRY_Head 1.jpgEFRY_Head 2.jpgEFRY_Head 3.jpgEFRY_Head 4.jpg

 

The detailing is extemely good and highly realistic, and obviously done by someone who knows the airfield very well.

 

EFRY_Head 5.jpgEFRY_Head 6.jpg

 

For a field and a few cabins, the lighting is also highly impressive...

 

EFRY_Lighting 1.jpgEFRY_Lighting 2.jpgEFRY_Lighting 3 LG.jpg

 

...   all the windows and porch lighting is well done, with the clubhouse which is also well lit and signed. Overall it was all very authentic in the dark, and you want to stay there and then get ready for that very early glider flight at the first sight of dawn....  impressive.

 

EFRY_Lighting 4.jpgEFRY_Lighting 5.jpgEFRY_Lighting 6.jpg

 

EFRY - Räyskälä Airfield (IATA: None - ICAO: EFRY) is now available from the X-Plane.OrgStore for: US$9.90


EFRY - Räyskälä Airfield

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The journey to reconnect with these sceneries brings back a lot of great memories. TruScenery was a pioneer in creating very authentic and highly detailed sceneries for X-Plane, there were then excellent and very far ahead of the game when they were originally released, and unusually I didn't get that old out of date feel when using them again, so they have all certainly more than weathered the test of time.

Yes no doubt a bit of attention on using the more dynamic elements of X-Plane11 in glass, Metalness and reflections would certainly be well worth the investment by the developer, and certainly they would benefit from the upgrades, otherwise they are still great if still some of the best scenery ever created for the X-Plane simulator.

 

TruScenery for years have also been working on a large scale Helsinki Airport EFHK or Vantaa, and noted that the development on the scenery is still continuing, we obviously hope so, as a gateway to Finland then Vantaa is the main airport, and currently there is no large scale custom EFHK to fill that void... if TruScenery did deliver such a scenery then they would certainly mark their total presence on the country they obviously love...

 

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TruScenery Overview by Stephen Dutton

1st November 2019

Copyright©2019: X-Plane Reviews

 

(Disclaimer. All images and text in this preview are the work and property of X-PlaneReviews, no sharing or copy of the content is allowed without consent from the author as per copyright conditions)

 

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