GDC: Designing the Terrain System of Flight Simulator

Microsoft Flight Simulator is one of the longest-running home flight simulators on the market that was well-received by both users and critics. Providing a realistic, in-depth experience with real-time weather, it allows players to visit almost any location on Earth with the help of advanced technology using streaming from Bing and Azure maps.

At the upcoming GDC, you'll have a chance to attend the session led by the technical director at Asobo Studio Lionel Fuentes who will go over the technical details and choices behind the terrain system of Microsoft Flight Simulator.

During the session, Fuentes will delve into the specific techniques revealing how to create an accurate representation of the Earth's terrain. The attendees will learn about the hybrid procedural/real-world data methods that have been developed to make Microsoft Flight Simulator possible.

Game programmers and technical artists who are interested in terrain systems, procedural generation, 3D rendering, and the challenges behind representing large worlds in videogames are welcome to attend the session.

The session will be held on March 21 in both in-person and virtual formats and will be available for the holders of All Access Pass, Summits Pass, and All Access Online Only Pass.

You can learn more about the session here. Also, don't forget to join our new Reddit page, our new Telegram channel, follow us on Instagram and Twitter, where we are sharing breakdowns, the latest news, awesome artworks, and more.