Since the Freeware Forum & Payware Forums were split a few years ago, there seams to be a "grey" area that we would like to clear up with all of you.

Here is a little history as to why the TWO FORUMS were created.

Simviation has always been a BIG supporter of Freeware Addons! Our library consists of thousands of free aircraft, scenery, utilities and many other programs that give the flight Sim enthusiast a never-ending selection to chose from.

The Screenshot Forum was introduced by Pete to give us the opportunity to share our images and experiences with one another. This forum was started before Payware Companies even existed.

As the Payware companies became a growing part of the Flight Sim community, Payware images started becoming more and more frequent among all the great freeware shots.

Simviation has always been focused on offering the community FREE ad ons to enhance their simulator. It has always been Pete's goal to keep Simviation a site that caters to the many developers that want to share their products with the Flight Sim Community for free.

THE BIG SPLIT!

Since the Site is based on Free Add Ons, people should be able to view the Screenshot Forum and see what great free add ons they can add to their Sim. It allows people to say, "Wow, I can get that aircraft and scenery too and it does not cost me anything!" It stays true to what the vision of the site is and what this site is about....
"Over 60GB of Freeware Add-ons. Providing 2 Million Files Monthly to Flight Simulator Users Worldwide!"


The decision was made to split the Screenshot forums into 2 separate forums,
The Freeware Screen Shot Forum & The Payware Screen Shot Forum.
This way it gave the user a choice to view what the two different types of add ons had to offer. It also eliminated the constant question of, "Is that Payware or Freeware?"


By splitting the Forums it gave the Freeware user a forum of their own to share their images with everybody else who could get the same add on simply by downloading it.

It also gave the Payware user a separate forum of their own to share their Payware images and show what type of Aircraft & Scenery Payware Products had to offer.


Thus, the two separate forums were introduced...

THE GREY AREA!

Besides the obvious Payware Aircraft & Scenery add ons, a few Payware utilities have arrived. Payware products that do not "promote" the Aircraft or Scenery itself, but offer the viewer a different perspective of the image!

The Payware in question would be Active Camera or Walk & Follow.

From the PM's I constantly receive, many think that it should be allowed in the Freeware Forum. The shots are of Freeware Aircraft & Scenery but the shot has been captured with a Payware product. The person posting the shot is not showing you something you need to purchase but giving you a unique perspective of their shot.

Remember, the forums were split to separate
Freeware Aircraft & Scenery from Payware Aircraft & Scenery.
It never had anything to do with image capture programs.
This should not be about, "Hey, that is Payware, it does not belong here", because of how the shot was taken!
There are so many great shots in the Freeware forum and many talented people posting them.
Do you really want to lose some really unique shots in the Freeware Forum because somebody used a "different lens on their camera to take the shot"?
By telling people that they need to post their shots in the Payware Forum because of the "way it looks", is really a loss to The Freeware Screen Shot Forum itself, IMHO.


SINCE THE POLL OPTION IS NOT WORKING AT THE MOMENT, PLEASE START YOUR RESPONSE WITH
YES OR NO and maybe post a comment on how you feel about this, Thanks
We leave it up to you.

Should Payware Image Capture Programs
be allowed in the Freeware Forum?

Utilities that aren't part of the shot, should be allowed. It's the content of the image which matters.

So it's a big from me.

I'd say yes! But that's only because I've got W&F myself..

Well, I'm saying yes

Investing in a great screenshot programme seems to be a good investment. It also adds a new dimension to the flying experience...

My opinion is that the payware forum should just be about payware planes and scenery i.e. airports, mesh.
All other stuff should go in freeware.

But you paid for that stuff!!

Well, my computer has cost me 1500 dollars or something to date over the years. It's quite nice now. Judging by many people's sigs many have great systems which also cost them or their parents a lot. Should we 'cool pc owners' turn down all our settings and shoot jaggied shots in 800x600 because it makes people who haven't such a good system unhappy?

Remember, we are not competing...we are fans of aviation art, why not use things which make our pictures nicer and so on, if we can. By setting your heart against it you are doing yourself a disfavour, IMHO, because they improve your pics and pics is what we like... right?

I hope people will keep this friendly

Thats all...

However..... I've just started using my Flight Environment and after consultation with Fly2e I will be posting my otherwise all freeware shots in payware from now on anyway....LOL

It is the rules and I respect them, so bye bye to the Freeware Forum from me

....You will come and see me in payware sometime won't you (plaintive tone )?

Regards

Krigl

Put simply, it's not my opinion that matters, it's you (the mods) that make the rules...and whatever you guys say, we usually stick to that...so I don't mind...even though I have W&F... 8)

For the freeware forum, I don't really care what Image Capture Program someone uses.  As long as there is no payware in the shot itself I'm ok with it (not that I would recognize any payware )

So I say

YES

There is no outside shot that can be captured with a payweare program that cannot be captured with a little thought:

Considerations? Distance of spotplane & zoom - in or out.

Challenge: Show me something you think only a payware Image capture program can produce & I will produce it in a couple of minutes using nothing but FS9.

My opinion, obviously,  is that these are irrelevant for outside shots ......

& it doesn't need to be payware either - there are free such utilities ....  8)

Quote:


Well, pete...
I was just thinking, with some payware programs you may have to use them on your pc rather than a freeware program (for instance, I have a laptop, and want F1view, but I would need a scrolling mouse, and, seeing as I know of no other freeware programs that can do it, I may need a payware one.)

I see your point perfectly pete, and I may change my opinion, but still, it was just a thought.
Thanks