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The virtual world in which you fly is probably the most important part of your flight sim experience. It doesn't take long to get to know your virtual world well. There are many reasons why you may be interested in expanding the world in which you fly, it could be just the challenge of creating scenery or you could just wish to include local landmarks. It is possible to design and build flight simulator scenery for little or no cost. In fact the biggest investment you will need to make to design and build you own scenery is in the time to learn and become skilled in the software that you use.

One of the most important elements of your flight simulator experience is the virtual world in which you are flying. After you have been flying for some time you will get to know your virtual world well. It may be that you are missing some favorite landmarks or just have the desire to add some special scenery to your surroundings. These days it is possible to design and build your own flight simulator scenery and at little or no cost. In fact the biggest investment you will need to make to design and build you own scenery is in the time to learn and become skilled in the software that you use.

Scenery design for flight simulators requires a CAD (computer aided design) program. Everything you can see in your virtual world such as buildings, trees, signs and roads has been modeled as a 3D object. The CAD program will allow you to design and model your own 3D objects. There are several options if you are interested in creating your own scenery.

If you are just considering learning what is involved in 3D modeling then this is the best option. Gmax is the name of the program. Gmax was actually distributed together with Microsoft flight simulator from the 2002 version and continued until 2005 when it was discontinued. As it has been around for many years and it was distributed for free, heaps of scenery and aircraft were designed and built using the software. Although it has been discontinued and is no longer being updated, it is still a good choice if you have an interest in learning what is necessary to be able to model 3D objects.

The next option is a inexpensive package called Flight Simulator Design Studio. This program is very user friendly and is straightforward to use and get started with, even if you have no experience. Although it has a low cost it still comes with advanced features that let you create complex scenery such as an oil rig or aircraft such as the Catalina.

The last option is 3ds Max and is only really for professionals, as the price is in the thousands of dollars. This program is the most powerful program available and includes lots of advanced features for building scenery and aircrafts.