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Scenery Review : Cortina - Cadore by Frank Dainese and Fabio Bellini


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CORTINA - CADORE_Header.jpg

 

Scenery Review : Cortina - Cadore by Frank Dainese and Fabio Bellini

 

This is the second of five sceneries that will cover the Dolomite Mountain Ranges in the eastern north of Italy. This new area covers the Cortina and Cadore Valley areas, that are positioned just to the south and west of the first release in the Drei Zinnen National Park, full review is here: Scenery Review : Drei Zinnen Natural Park by Frank Dainese and Fabio Bellini

 

Map Cortina wide.jpgMap Cortina.jpg

 

First of all you need to get a location of where you are in the Dolomites. It is harder than it looks in X-plane because in reality all the mountain ranges look exactly the same. The earlier Drei Zinnen National Park (marked in red) is just above and to the side of the wide u shaped valleys of the Ampezzo and Cadore.

 

Map Cortina Map.jpg

 

We will start in Cortina go west along the Fanes Group, come back and then work our way anti-clockwise around the wide U shaped valleys to the Auronzo Valley then come back again to Cortina, and then finally we will go north.

 

Ampezzo Valley

Cortina d'Ampezzo (Curtain of the Ampezzo Valley) sits at the heart or it is really the crossroads of the Dolomites and the town (commune) itself sits in a huge wide valley at the top of the Valle del Boite...  Top two images are (left) South looking North, (right) North looking South...

 

Map Cortina-Ampezzo 1.jpgMap Cortina-Ampezzo 2.jpg

 

....  (left) West looking East and finally (right) East looking West.

 

Map Cortina-Ampezzo 3.jpgMap Cortina-Ampezzo 4.jpg

 

Cortina is a major winter sport resort renowned for its skiing trails, scenery, accommodation, shops and après-ski scene, and for its jet set Italian aristocratic crowd and atmosphere. These Dainese and Bellini sceneries are all about the mountain ranges or the significant peaks in the areas, they are created to be explored and to create a significant visual aspect to the X-Plane simulator...  you could throw in a serious geography lesson in there as well.

 

Map Cortina-Ampezzo 5.jpgMap Cortina-Ampezzo 6.jpg

 

On each corner of the Cortina township there is a significant range...  Northeast is the Croda Rossa (left image below, centre rear)...

 

Map Cortina-Ampezzo 11.jpgMap Cortina-Ampezzo 7.jpg

Map Cortina-Ampezzo 12.jpg

 

In front is the Pomagagnon (2450m) - (right above, second left) and the lovely Cristallo (3221m) group of peaks, d'Ampezzo, Cristallo di Mezzo and Monte Crisallo (far right)...

 

Cortina - Tofane 1.jpgCortina - Tofane 2.jpg

 

Map Cortina-Ampezzo 13.jpg

 

....  Northwest there are four peaks (left to right) Tofana di Rozes (3225m), Tofana de Pomedes (2750m) and the largest in the Tofana di Mezzo (3244m) and the Tofana di Dentro (3238m)...   the peaks can't really be seen from low down in Cortina, but the Mezzo as the highest peak in the area just pops into view. South(east) down the valley and visible is the Punta Sorapiss (3205m) and the Monte Antelao (3263m) of which we will look at closer soon.

 

Cortina - Sorapiss 1.jpgCortina - Sorapiss 2.jpg

 

Southwest corner is the significant Croda da Lago (below), the range was popularised in the film Cliffhanger in 1993 (other scenes were shot on the Tofane cliffs opposite the Croda da Lago), but the intro images are the Croda da Lago..

 

Cortina - Croda da Lago.jpg

 

... the highest peak of the Lago group is the Cima d'Ambrizzola (2,71 m)

 

Cortina

In the Dainese and Bellini scenery the town is represented by the standard village objects that are situated thoughout all their sceneries, and these objects create a sort of generalisation of Cortina more than a pure replication of the township. Cortina has hosted the Winter Olympics back in 1956 and subsequently a number of world winter-sports events. And Cortina will again host the Winter Olympics for a second time when it co-hosts the 2026 Winter Olympics with Milan. A custom number of the original 1956 Olympic facilities are noted in the scenery.

 

Map Cortina-Ampezzo 14.jpgMap Cortina-Ampezzo 15.jpgMap Cortina-Ampezzo 16.jpgMap Cortina-Ampezzo 17.jpg

Map Cortina-Ampezzo 18.jpg

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Fanes Group and West

We will now fly a loop anti-clockwise around the valleys. Our equipment is again the excellent Bell 407 by Dreamfoil. Before we head south though, we need to actually head west from Cortina and climb up high...  directly in front of you is the Cinque Torri a small rock formation belonging to Nuvolao group, and it is extremely well modeled and detailed...

 

Map Cortina-West 1.jpgMap Cortina-West 2.jpgMap Cortina-West 3.jpgMap Cortina-West 4.jpg

 

The Cortina scenery package extends quite a way west, and the significant ranges are on your right past the Tofana di Rozes formations... First up is Lagazuoi (2,835m), the famous cross is visable, and the mountain range is well known for its wartime tunnels and First World War mine warfare.

 

Map West 3.jpgMap West 4.jpg

 

The views out here are excellent, and there is so much detail to absorb, the valleys below are a highlight.

 

Map West 1.jpgMap West 2.jpg

 

Sited behind Lagazuoi is the Cimi Di Fanes and P.ta South.

 

Map West 5.jpgMap West 6.jpg

 

The famous Cima Conturines (3064 m) or Conturines are also part of the Fanes Group and has two subpeaks called Taibun Spitze (2928 m) and Cunturines Zahn (2693 m).

 

The boundary of the scenery is a circular range that looks almost volcanic that is still part of the Fanes group that rises out of the Fanes Plateau, it is totally spectacular, and the rim includes the Piz de Medesc (2709m), Piz di Zuber ((2718m), L'Ciaval (2907m), Piz dle Diesc (Sasso delle Dieci) - (3026m), Sas dles Nü (Cima Nove) - (2968m), but the only way to get the sheer scale of the Fanes group is to fly away a fair distance from the mountain range to get the right perspective.

 

Map West 10.jpgMap West 11.jpg

Map West 9.jpg

 

These 3D models are obtained from DEM (digital elevation model) and transformed into 3D objects as if they were buildings, with hundreds of thousands of triangles, the amount of work above is overwhelming in creating such realism and detail.

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We now head back east towards Cortina and the the Cinque Torri acts like a sentinel as you come back down into the Ampezzo Valley...

 

Map West 13.jpgMap West 12.jpg

 

And at the Cinque Torri then Averau (2,649m) directly in your sight on your right...  and directly opposite is the Rifugio Averau (there is a H here that we will look at later)

 

Map Cortina-West 5.jpgMap Cortina-West 6.jpg

 

The southwest corner of Cortina d'Ampezzo is the Torrione Marcella ( 2345m) - (rear) and the Cima Ambrizzola (2715m) and the Croda da Lago on the entrance to the Cadore Valley.

 

Map Cortina-West 7.jpgMap Cortina-West 8.jpgMap Cortina-West 9.jpgMap Cortina-West 10.jpg

 

Cadore Valley

On the left of the Cadore Valley now flying south is the huge wall of the Punta Sorapiss (3205m)...

 

Map Cortina-West 11.jpgMap Cortina-West 12.jpg

 

...   and the Monte Antelao (3263m) now is directly in front of you. It is known as the "King of the Dolomites". (Marmolada, the highest of all the Dolomites, is the "Queen" although composed mostly of limestone) Like many Dolomite peaks, Antelao is steep, rocky, and pointed; it also sits close to the edge of the Dolomite uplift and so has dramatic drops to the nearby valleys. Visually Antelao is one of the most dramatic mountains in this Cortina Scenery, and the township of San Vito di Cadore sits directly below in the valley.

 

Map Cortina-West 13.jpgMap Cortina-West 14.jpg

Map Cortina-West 15.jpg

 

On your right directly opposite Antelao is Monte Pelmo which is also a significant mountain of the Dolomites, The mountain resembles a giant block which stands isolated from other peaks, so can be seen clearly from the neighbouring valleys and from nearby mountains such as Antelao and Monte Civetta.

 

Map Cortina-West 16.jpgMap Cortina-West 17.jpg

Map Cortina-West 18.jpg

 

Three mountains actually make up the Pelmo formation, the main two are Monte Pelmo (3,168m) the centre formation, Pelmetto (meaning "Little Pelmo" in Italian), at 2,990m high and at the rear the Cime di Forca Rossa (2716m)...

 

Monte Civetta (3,220 m) is located in the background...  Its north-west face can be viewed from the Taibon Agordino valley, and is classed as one of the symbols of the Dolomites.

 

Map Cortina-West 19.jpgMap Cortina-West 20.jpg

 

Pieve di Cadore

You are now coming into the bottom of the U shape of the Cadore Valley, with communes of Cancia then Vodo di Cadore which are both each end of the lake, Peaio commune is then further along until you arrive at Sottocastello (lower) and Pieve di Cadore (higher) which a hilltop strategic location and the town was a medieval stronghold with fortifications, called the "walled city of the Veneto." Below is the Vodo di Cadore which is an artificial reservoir obtained from the waters of the Boite river.

 

Map Cadore 1.jpgMap Cadore 2.jpg

 

The main sight in Pieve is the Palazzo della Magnifica Comunità ("Palace of the Magnificent Community"), built in 1447, and the "Giovanni Paolo II" Hospital which is represented, there is also a H Pad located here as well.

 

Map Cadore 3.jpgMap Cadore 4.jpg

 

Departing Pieve you fly over the reservoir and start up the east side of the curve, passing Calalzo, Valleslla then Domegge on the left up to the Lozzo di Cadore....

 

Map Cadore 5.jpgMap Cadore 6.jpg

 

... notable here are the hundreds and thousands of objects in this scenery, every valley and hillside is filled with objects to give you the full vista of the valleys.

 

Further up is a big surprise around the corner as you follow the valley as it then into turns into the very familiar sight of the Auronzo Valley (see Scenery Review : Drei Zinnen Natural Park) ...

 

Map Cadore 7.jpgMap Cadore 8.jpg

 

...  with the spectacular Drei Zinnen National Park now on your right. You can follow the Auronzo Valley right around and straight back to Cortina, a note that you are deep into the Drei Zinnen territory of the scenery here with the Marmarole range and it's highest peak the Cimon del Froppa (2,932m) is on your left or to the south... The del Froppa is however rarely climbed, as it is somewhat overshadowed by its higher neighbours in the Antelao and Sorapiss.

 

Map Cadore 15.jpgMap Cadore 16.jpg

 

The southern boundary of the Marmarole range connects up the two packages of the Cortina and Drei Zinnen sceneries, so make sure you have the correct connector scenery (D2G_Exclusions) and it is also set correctly in the right .ini scenery order to make a perfect transition between the two packages, the scenery join comes out between the Marmarole and Punta Sorapiss formations so as you reach the spectacular Cadini Range of mountains on your right you are now back into the Cortina territory again....  The Cadini Range (below) has four significant peaks in the Cadin di San Lucano (2839m), Cima Eötvös (2825m), Cadin Nord Est (2788m) and Cadin della Neve (2757m)...

 

Map Cadore 13.jpgMap Cadore 14.jpg

 

.... note the Tre Cime di Lavaredo formation in the background behind the Cadini formations, and this range is also on the boundary of Cadini di Misurina (the lake also in the Drei Zinnen package).

 

Flying on westward and it will soon bring you back to Cortina in coming in from the east and then in passing the Cristallo range on my right, with the now famliar Pomagagnon formations directly ahead...

 

Map Cadore 9.jpgMap Cadore 10.jpg

 

...   a look down to the left and there is Cortina sitting in the middle of its large basin bowl..

 

Map Cadore 11.jpgMap Cadore 12.jpg

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Map North 6 LG.jpg

 

North

The Cortina - Cadore scenery is far larger than the Drei Zinnen package, you could say it is an extension west as much as south over an area of about 1000 sq km in this eastern part of the Dolomitesto. Flying north from Cortina you will first see the only airport LIDI (noted later) in the scenery...  

 

Map North 1.jpgMap North 2.jpg

 

...   then you take a right following the Strada Statale 51 di Alemagna into the Braies Valley which goes around another very significant and spectacular mountain in the Hohe Gaisl - Croda Rossa d'Ampezzo in Italian (3,146m).

 

Map North 3.jpgMap North 4.jpg

Map North 9.jpg

Map North 5 LG.jpg

 

The Croda Rossa's summit has a pyramid shape and the detail is exceptional as the mountain's slopes glow in a deep red colour, it is a feature it has in common with many Dolomite peaks. The mountain is however rarely climbed as it is particularly prone to rockfall. It is more appreciated for its beauty as seen here.

 

Opposite the Croda Rossa is the Dürrenstein or Picco di Vallandro (869m), it is an odd shape but quite spectacular up close or from a distance.

 

Map North 7.jpgMap North 8.jpg

 

It looks like the formation is still coming out of the surrounding landscape, and is being thrust into the sky...

 

Slightly further north than the Picco di Vallandro is the Val Pusteria (Puster Valley), turn right and you go to Dobbiaco, which was the main airport (LIVD) focus of the Drei Zinnen scenery, turn left and into the Cortina - Cadore scenery as it now extends the scenery far further west out to Valdaora.

 

Going west down the Val Pusteria on your left is the Seekofel-Croda del Becco (2,810m) and the Grosser Roskopf (2559m)...

 

Map North 12.jpg

Map North 10.jpgMap North 11.jpg

 

Familiar? well they should be because the same mountains that frame Braies lake "Lago di Braies" as in the Drei Zinnen scenery, only now the significant mountains around the lake have now been completed...  this chain is also still part of the same formations of the extensive Fanes Group. There is a H Pad (LIBRH-Drei Zinnen) here as well. The Val Pusteria peters out around Valdaora which is the northwest boundary of the scenery, however if you are enterprising enough you could go out further west and then circle around back south to the Fanes Plateau and then complete the full circle back to Cortina.

 

Map North 13.jpgMap North 14.jpg

 

Valdaora is reconisable by the lake (above) - Lago di Valdaora.

 

Lighting

Overall lighting is not the main aspect of this scenery...  there is lighting of course, but it is mainly just housing (window) lighting to create an alpine village feel...  here at Cortina it works very nicely in recreating the effect, odd buildings and the many football (Soccer) fields are also well lit in the scenery.

 

Cortina - Lighting 1.jpgCortina - Lighting 2.jpgCortina - Lighting 3.jpgCortina - Lighting 4.jpg

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There is one airport and five H pads in the scenery, which is significantly less than most other

provided landing areas in Dainese and Bellini sceneries, provided are:

 

  • LIDI - Airport - 46.5829754 012.1119898 – CORTINA d’AMPEZZO
  • HELCO- HELIPAD – 46.57413275 012.11549615 AIRPORT CORTINA
  • HLICD - HELIPAD - 46.5567965 012.1314460 – CORTINA CODIVILLA
  • HLCR - HELIPAD - 46.4858144 012.1059620 – CRODA DA LAGO
  • HLHP - HELIPAD - 46.4321646 012.3760996 – PIEVE OSPEDALE
  • HLNV - HELIPAD - 46.4952058 012.0461872 - Ref.NUVOLAU

 

LIDI - Airport – CORTINA d’AMPEZZO

There is actually an airport in the Ampezzo Valley, but it is a very odd looking facility? 

 

Cortina - LIDI 1.jpgCortina - LIDI 2.jpgCortina - LIDI 3.jpgCortina - LIDI 4.jpg

 

An extremely long runway that is threaded between a hangar and the apron areas...  but the details here are actually correct, but at the real airport the runway is now discontinued (surprise, surprise), the aprons however only provide helicopter services. The airport was built for the 1956 Winter Olympics. It has remained closed to traffic since an accident involving a Cessna 206 on 31 May 1976.

 

HELCO - H AIRPORT CORTINA 

On the southern part of the apron there is a H Pad, and it is a tricky one because the fencing gets in the way of the southern approach line.

 

Cortina - HELCO 1.jpgCortina - HELCO 2.jpg

 

HLICD - H CORTINA CODIVILLA

Very odd H pad that has a very angled slope in front of the Istituto Codivilla Putti Di Cortina SpA a sort of (expensive) health retreat. Extremely hard to takeoff and harder still to land on without tipping over?

 

Cortina - HLICD 1.jpgCortina - HLICD 2.jpg

 

HLCR - H CRODA DA LAGO

This H pad sits by the lake Federa right next to the Croda da Lago Refuge, the Croda Da Lago then towers above you...

 

Cortina - HLCR 2.jpgCortina - HLCR 3.jpgCortina - HLCR 1.jpg

 

HLHP - H PIEVE OSPEDALE (Hospital)

This H pad is situated behind the hospital on a platform, tricky because of the tall trees surrounding the H pad, but it is well done.

 

Cortina - HLHP 1.jpgCortina - HLHP 2.jpg

 

HLNV - H Ref.NUVOLAU

Refuge Nuvolau hut is one of the oldest ones in all Dolomites as it was founded in 1883 and keeps its original aspect in all of its parts. Situated on top of the orcella Nuvolau, it is also known as the Averau refuge. it sits at 2,413m

 

Cortina - HLNV 1.jpgCortina - HLNV 2.jpg

 

Summary

Frank Dainese and Fabio Bellini create unique sceneries based on famous or iconic mountain ranges and their environs. This is the second of five sceneries that will cover the Dolomite Mountain Ranges in the eastern north of Italy. This new area D2 covers the Cortina and Cadore Valley areas, that are positioned just to the south and west of the first release in Drei Zinnen National Park

 

This new Dolomite scenery dovetails into the first Drei Zinnen scenery, so in reality you will need both packages to get the full perspective of this growing Dolomite spectacular landscape...  and brilliant it is.

 

All the numerous mountains and glaciers are all very highly created mesh from DEM data 3D graphics programs, and the Hi-Res textures are all in 4K resolution. The focus mountains are simply excellent in their 3D reproductions highlights are Antelao, Tofane, Fanes Group and the Croda Rossa.

 

This package is again extensive and covers the central point of Cortina itself, with all the landmark ranges surrounding it...  represented is the Le Tofane, Pomagagnon, Cristallo, Lagazuoi, Huge Dolomiti di Fanes, Averau, Conturines, 5 Torri, Lagusela, Lastoni di Formin, Croda da Lago, Sorapis, Scoton and the spectacular Antelao and Croda Rossa.

 

These excellent representations of iconic mountain areas of the world are for exploration, sightseeing or just plain exploring...  and you could throw in a bit of geography as well. All are highly detailed of the areas they represent, the mountain ranges are of course the stars and the focal point.

 

Should these sceneries come with a warning? well yes, as you can get seriously lost exploring the valleys and huge areas now at your disposal, but I do recommend the Drei Zinnen package as well as the Cortina to complete the full flow and the perfect transition between the two areas.

 

Hugely popular and yes I really love these amazing and hugely detailed sceneries that can change your perspective of an iconic area and in this case Cortina and it's spectacular surroundings and allow them to come to life in your simulation world...   Highly recommended, so now two down and only three more Dolomites to go!

 

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X-Plane Store logo sm.jpg

 

Yes! Dolomites 3D Cortina - Cadore by Frank Dainese and Fabio Bellini is NOW available from the X-Plane.Org Store here :

 

Dolomites 3D Cortina - Cadore

 

Price Is US$24.95

 

Customer who already own Dolomites 3D- Drei Zinnen Park can get this new scenery for $5 off. Please go to the original invoice for coupon code

 

Features

  • Included in degree + 46. + 012, territory of about 1000 sq km.
  • 1 Cortina airport (LIDI) and several heliports in the most interesting points (Alpine refuges ...)
  • 13  3D models of  Dolomites with 4K textures
  • All the tourist attractions of area with the queen of Dolomites: Cortina d'Ampezzo.
  • Cortina reproduced for most part with all its ski lifts.
  • All vegetation mapped  and reproduced.
  • Territory totally covered with polygons / textures that reproduce the real terrain.

 

WT3: Your joking of course! no, you are on your own here

 

Requirements

X-Plane 11 

Windows, Mac or Linux
4GB VRAM Minimum - 8GB+ VRAM Recommended
Download Size: 870Mb
Release and Review version 1.0 (2nd April 2020)
 
Installation
Download scenery file size is download 870.20mb and with the full installation installed in your custom scenery folder as there are eight install folders in the order below in the .INI File (included and listing below also includes the Drei Zinnen packs): 
 
  • SCENERY_PACK Custom Scenery/D1A_DOLOMITI_3D_Part1/
  • SCENERY_PACK Custom Scenery/D1B_AIRPORT_LIVD/
  • SCENERY_PACK Custom Scenery/D1C_CableWay_Dolomitti1/
  • SCENERY_PACK Custom Scenery/D1D_PUSTERIA_Comelico/
  • SCENERY_PACK Custom Scenery/D1E_MISURINA/
  • SCENERY_PACK Custom Scenery/D1F_AURONZO/
  • SCENERY_PACK Custom Scenery/D1G_Exclusions/
  • SCENERY_PACK Custom Scenery/D2A_DOLOMITI_3d_Part2/
  • SCENERY_PACK Custom Scenery/D2B_AIPORT_LIDI/
  • SCENERY_PACK Custom Scenery/D2C_CableWay_Dolomiti2/
  • SCENERY_PACK Custom Scenery/D2D_CORTINA/
  • SCENERY_PACK Custom Scenery/D2E_CADORE/
  • SCENERY_PACK Custom Scenery/D2F_CRODALAGO/
  • SCENERY_PACK Custom Scenery/D2G_Exclusions/
  • SCENERY_PACK Custom Scenery/Dolomiti2_lib/
  • SCENERY_PACK Custom Scenery/MESH_DOLOMITI1/

 

Total scenery installation (Cortina) : 1.46gb

 

connector scenery (D2G_Exclusions- Highlighted) is IMPORTANT in its position in the scenery order .ini to make sure there is a perfect transition between the two packages.

 

Documents

One manual with notes

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Review by Stephen Dutton

4th April 2020

Copyright©2020 : X-Plane Reviews 

 

(Disclaimer. All images and text in this review 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)

 

Review System Specifications:

Computer System: Windows  - Intel Core i7 6700K CPU 4.00GHz / 64bit - 32 Gb single 1067 Mhz DDR4 2133 - ASUS GeForce GTX 1080 8Gb - Samsung Evo 512gb SSD 

Software:   - Windows 10 - X-Plane 11.31

Addons: Saitek x52 Pro system Joystick and Throttle : Sound - Bose  Soundlink Mini 

Plugins: Environment Engine by xEnviro US$69.90

Scenery or Aircraft

- Bell 407 XP11 by Dreamfoil (X-Plane.OrgStore) - US$35.00

 

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