An update on what's happening behind-the-scenes
Added 2023-07-06 00:08:07 +0000 UTCDear Real Sim Roads Patrons,
I apologize for the longer-than-expected gap between updates. I know many of you have been patiently waiting for the release of Decker Canyon and Encinal Canyon but there have been some major hurdles in the photogrammetry and reconstruction process that have caused delays.
The biggest issue has been a major oversight on my part. When photo-scanning Decker Canyon and Encinal Canyon, I failed to record GPS data along the route. This means the reconstruction process has been incredibly challenging and error-prone without that vital location data.
This has been an expensive lesson to learn. So far Amazon Web Services has cost over $50,000 in computing resources for the reconstruction due to the excessive computing time and extra iterations needed to correct errors. While I received an NVIDIA Inception AWS credit of $100k, that budget is quickly dwindling.
It's not supposed to look like this - the curling effect is a result of not having GPS data for each image. Unfortunately, it's not easy to fix!
I want to assure you that I am working tirelessly every day to get this release complete and accurate. I regret the delay and inconvenience this has caused and thank you for your continued patience and support.
I know the wait will prove worthwhile once Decker Canyon and Encinal Canyon are faithfully recreated. In the meantime, I'll be releasing 3 photo maps captured in Venice Beach, California. These extremely high-resolution, VFX quality photogrammetry scans depict gorgeous street art murals perfect for those wanting to create the most realistic photos and video of their cars. I'll upload these within the next 2 weeks for your viewing pleasure.
I'll provide another update in 2 weeks with our reconstruction progress and estimated release timeline. Please let me know if you have any questions. Your support helps make Real Sim Roads a reality, and I truly appreciate each and every one of you!
Sincerely,
Mike Jenkins
