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Unlike so many addons, Ruud's textures have made a permanent home on my hard disk.
(Andrew Herd - Chief reviewer Flightsim.com)


It kept me off the streets - short FScene history

  • 1982 Flight Simulator 1.0
  • 1983 Flight Simulator 2.0
  • 1988 Flight Simulator 3.0
  • 1989 Flight Simulator 4.0
  • My interest in Microsoft's Flight Simulator started in the early 1990's. Just for having some fun!
  • 1993 Flight Simulator 5.0
  • 1995 Flight Simulator 5.1

    i didn't like the default terrain textures, so why not change them

    • Aug. 1996: MSFS 6th Generation FSW95 (FS 6.0) the first Windows version.
    A great new Flight Simulator version indeed, but i didn't like the terrain textures when flying over my native country
    Released nothing, just busy flying this new wonder and painting some (300) sample bitmaps for the Netherlands. They never left my PC.
    Aug 1997: MSFS FS98 (FS 6.1): higher resolution (1280x1024, 16 bit color).
    Microsoft used a higher resolution, so had to start it all over again from scratch. Went on painting, got the taste of it and released some free trials.
    Somewhere in 1998 I released my first real flightsim "invention" .
    To build a city, I used at least 4 different styles of bmp's, partly overlapping each other!

    Andrew Herd of Flightsim.com later wrote in one of his reviews: "Long ago, in a far off time when FS was still a cutting edge simulation, a guy called Ruud Faber released a freeware set of Dutch polder textures. The Internet as we know it was young and Flight Simulator was graced with a single set of ground textures which served to cover everywhere from Barbados to Byelorus, the result being ever so slightly monotonous. The package (R_TEXTS.ZIP) was downloaded no less than 287 times, which wasn't bad going in the days when getting connected to the Internet meant a long distance call for most of us."
    Sep 1999: MSFS 7th Generation: FS2000 (FS 7.0) 3D-elevation terrain, better generic textures.
    My invention was not followed by the Microsoft developers, can you believe that! I had to follow their MSFS "engine". Had to start all over again. My experiences as a watercolorist came in handy now, secret: "the shadow makes the picture" and the idea of the artificial "3D ground texture" was born! Released the free Fscene2.0 version during2000/2001. Over 2000 hand made texture files. I never counted the hours it took to make them.

    Andrew wrote: "FScene.02 was typical of how former freeware developers' horizons tended to expand once they had the cash to justify concentrating on development, rather than taking time away from the family for no justifiable reason. The downside of the task Ruud faced was that it was an order of magnitude bigger than it once had been, thanks to the much more sophisticated management of ground textures in the new version of Flight Simulator, but undaunted, he set to work and painted a completely new set."
    Oct 2001: MSFS 8th Generation: FS 2002 (FS 8.0) Improved 3D-elevation (mesh-scenery), AutoGen buildings, trees.
    The Microsoft people changed so much in this version So, i again made a new set and released it as FScene2002 during 2002/2003. This time Payware and exactly that proved to be a breakthrough. More new users than ever before!

    Ian Scott, AVSIM staff reviewer at the time wrote: " ...."Okay I thought, I'll buy one season for Europe. Let's see what it looks like. And the rest (as my old grandpa never said but he could have if he wanted to!) is history! Since I bought Ruud's texture sets, my enjoyment of FS2002 has been immeasurably enhanced. I enjoy looking at the scenery in ways that no previous experience of flight simming has ever given me. "
    July 2003: MSFS 9th Generation: FS 2004 (FS 9.0) - "A Century of Flight". Improved weather, mesh and autogen.
    Released 24 completely revised Season Packs during 2004/2005: FScene2004. Still the base of the present version. This set was perfected during 2005/2006 by several free patches, plus the adjustment of all autogen files. What's more: FScene became popular, I earned some real money!

    Andrew Herd: "Last time I reviewed FScene, I couldn't help wondering why Microsoft didn't just go out and hire Ruud to do the FS2004 textures for them. Now I have the luxury of going back and taking a second look at them, I find I still think that way, so I guess these textures from the flying Dutchman deserve their Armchair Aviator Award. Unlike so many addons, Ruud's textures have made a permanent home on my hard disk."


    Early 2005: Just Flight published 3 FScene DVD boxes for FS 2004 (FS 9.0)
    This proved to be a niche in the marketplace. The boxes found their way to the FScene fans for at least 11 years.
    October 2006: MSFS 10th Generation: FSX (FS 10.0) - New PC to run it, but great show!
    Indeed! And again a new problem for yours truly. Because of the many changes in flightsimulator X , FScene2004 caused ugly "gaps" in the terrain. Moreover the difference in color between FSX and FScene was showing very prominently.
    That's why I rearranged and added hundreds of textures and at the same time left the many advantages of FSX intact, thus combining the best of two worlds.
    Many patchs have been released since. All products are updated on a regular base.

    Early 2007: All FScene items come available in the Flight1 "wrapper system"
    This means: Download before you pay.
    1. Select and download the product you wish to buy:
    2. Run the executable you downloaded : Purchase screen will appear on your PC.
    3. Buy & Pay online: All Credit Cards and Paypal accepted.
    4. Activation: After payment you will automatically get confirmation and personal activation Key.


    Early 2009: Just Flight published the FScene X DVD box for FS 2004 / FSX
    Again this proved to be a good decision . This DVD is a real best-seller!
    FScene got the PC-Pilot 5-stars Classic product award.
    2009/2010: FScene releases free "Beagle" Missions
    During 2009 and 2010 i have been very busy with the production of a new series of free FSX Missions, in cooperation with a team of old FS boys. The Team: Ruud Faber, Jaap van Hees, Chip Barber and Francois Dumas are all 'veterans' of the international flight simulation 'scene' and have put their spare time, enthusiasm and talents together to come up with this new "Beagle" series.
    The Theme: The missions are all Inspired by a in 2009 started 35-part Radio/TV series of VPRO, a Dutch Radio/TV station, to celebrate Charles Darwin's 200th birth year and the 150th anniversary of his publication of "On the Origin of Species". They follow Charles Darwin's journey on the "Beagle" (1831-1836). Packed with Scientists, writers and artists the clipper "Stad Amsterdam" has left Plymouth on the first of September 2009 for an 8 months' journey around the world. And we followed them as armchair pilots.
    June 2012: FScene TotalPack now available for Lockheed Martin’s Prepar3D® simulation software.
    Lockheed Martin announced in 2009 that they had negotiated with Microsoft to purchase the intellectual property and including source code for Microsoft ESP which was the commercial-use version of Flight Simulator X SP2. In 2010 Lockheed announced that the new product based upon the ESP source code would be called Prepar3D (pronounced "Prepared"). Lockheed has hired members of the original ACES Studios team to continue development of the product.



    January 2013: FScene ranked among the Top Flight Sims And Add-Ons Of 2012
    Published by Nels Anderson of Flightsim.com on 01-02-2013
    Top Flight Sims And Add-Ons Of 2012
    Make sure you check out the list of the top selling flight sim software of 2012 because if you don't already own these, you won't want to miss out! Ruud Faber wants to thank all FScene fans and looks forward to serving you many more times in 2013.

    1. A2A Simulations - Accu-Feel: Global FSX Enhancement
    2. FSPS - Xtreme FSX Booster v2
    3. Rise of Flight: Iron Cross Edition Download
    4. Flight Simulator X (FSX) Gold Edition
    5. FSInventions - FS Instant Approach: FSX Runway Approach Maker
    6. CLS - MD81/82 JetLiner
    7. IRIS - Air Force Series: Mudhen Driver

    8. FScene - TotalPack
    9. Area 51 - C-17 Globemaster
    10. Carenado - C337H Skymaster HD Series
    11. CLS - Airbus A330/A340
    12. Razbam - A-7 Corsair II Volume III
    13. Team SDB - USS Enterprise X
    14. Carenado - C208B Grand Caravan HD
    15. Carenado - PA46T JetProp HD Series
    16. IRIS - Air Force Series: Warthog Driver
    17. RailWorks Ultimate Train Simulator with Bonus Challenger
    18. Real Environment Xtreme (REX) Essential Plus w/ OverDrive
    19. X-Plane 10 Global (PC & MAC) w/ Bonus
    20. Milviz - F-15E Strike Eagle







    Demonstrating a "Beagle" Missions pilot to the VPRO studios staff





    FScene4X is still alive and kicking. Thanks to you all and the kind reviewers. Ruud Faber - FScene.com