TDM Scenery Design is a long-time scenery development group owned and led by Trino Rojas. They have a range of sceneries available for X-Plane 11, however, after the release of Microsoft Flight Simulator, the team has shifted focus to that.
During their years in the community, TDM Scenery Design has released multiple sceneries for both X-Plane and Microsoft Flight Simulator. Alas, they have come across some bulges and two of their sceneries had to be taken down for the same reason – usage of assets without consent.
While we do not favour heating things up in the community, we also find it important not to overlook such practices. Consequently, we did an investigation, approached the parties involved, and summarised it below.
The article speaks about the first takedown in 2020 of TDM Scenery Design’s Barinas Airport for MSFS, and then the second takedown in 2022 of their much more prominent project, Santiago de Compostela Airport for Microsoft Flight Simulator.
first takedown of TDM Scenery Design’s Scenery
Latinwings is, on the other side, a development group that worked on the scenery of Barinas Airport (SVBI). Latinwings have claimed and demonstrated that some of its assets were stolen and used by TDM Scenery Design in their own rendition of the scenery for Microsoft Flight Simulator.
This, in September of 2020, resulted in the first takedown of TDM Scenery Design’s Barinas Airport (SVBI) scenery for Microsoft Flight Simulator from all three major market platforms. Since, the scenery is not available, indicating that the takedown was justified by Latinwings.
Second takedown of TDM Scenery Design’s scenery
The second takedown in the history of TDM Scenery Design and the initial takedown of the Santiago de Compostela Airport (LEST) for Microsoft Flight Simulator happened on February 13th, 2022. The takedown was announced by TDM Scenery Design through their Facebook page.
The rendition of Santiago de Compostela Airport (LEST) from TDM Scenery Design is no longer available to be bought through three stores it has been available at – Simmarket, Contrail and the in-game Marketplace.
At the same time as TDM Scenery Design’s takedown, PILOT’S had taken down their rendition of Alicante Airport (LEAL). It became soon clear, that there was an ongoing legal dispute between the two parties.
Revenge of TDM Scenery Design
We have approached PILOT’S with an inquiry to detail what has happened. PR team at PILOT’S was glad enough to provide us with all the answers we needed.
He mentioned that their team at PILOT’S found out that Trino used their assets in his rendition of Santiago de Compostela Airport (LEST) and reported him to the stores and various legal entities.
So, why was PILOT’S’ Alicante Airport (LEAL) taken down?
Trino Rojas from TDM Scenery Design was then supposed to report PILOT’S Alicante Airport (LEAL) scenery in revenge. That resulted in the takedown of the PILOT’S Alicante Airport (LEAL) from the stores.
As the PR team continued to explain, PILOT’S has provided all the evidence to support their statements and asset ownership to the stores. Their scenery soon went back to the stores while TDM Scenery Design’s Santiago de Compostela Airport (LEST) is still unavailable.
Again, indicating that something was not alright with the scenery.
History of Santiago de Compostela Airport (LEST) scenery
Latinwings terminated all of their development in 2018 when we heard from them for the last time through their Facebook page.
In 2017, the scenery of Santiago de Compostela Airport (LEST) from Latinwings for the ESP engine platform was undergoing development, which was never finished. Latinwings made an agreement with a wildly renowned ESP engine developer, PILOT’S.
Latinwings gave all rights to PILOT’S to continue working on the scenery of Santiago AirportSantiago de Compostela Airport (LEST) with all their assets made to the day.
Since TDM Scenery Design’s Trino left Latinwings while the development was being transferred between the studios, there is a high possibility that he still had some assets of the scenery on his computer.
This could’ve resulted in the release of TDM Scenery Design’s Santiago de Compostela Airport (LEST) in September of 2021, which was later taken down in February of 2022 and never returned to the market since.
Our investigation
From my investigation of preview screenshots by each of those developers mentioned above, the assets share a lot of similarities in colour, modelling style, as well as ground marking placement and other minor details that don’t affect the scenery as much.
There are many similarities in the colour of the ground marking used, which is not as bright as on the screenshot from both PILOT’S and TDM Scenery Design in real life. There are also many similarities in the terminal model and its 3D interior, as well as the colour map of the terminal.
There’s one significant change, though, by the side of TDM Scenery Design. It seems that the sign on the main terminal, which literally spells „Santiago“ on all currently available payware, as well as freeware sceneries, including PILOT’s, is, TDM Scenery Design replaced it with „Rosalia de Castro“, which is not there in real life according to Google Maps and images from 2021.
This „Rosalia de Castro“ sign might be TDM’s attempt to somehow make the scenery different from the one by PILOT’S, and thus, previously Latinwings.
Conclusion
To put it bluntly, there is something strange going on around TDM Scenery Design. We can’t however put all their sceneries in one pool. Nonetheless, we are in a community where such practices are heavily criticized, are often hard to forget, and should not be overlooked.
Namely, our long-time skeleton in the closet, Walter White 737 MAX for X-Plane.
We, at FSNews, in no way promote or encourage anyone to use someone else’s assets and work. This article is not meant to harm TDM Scenery Design, or any other involved parties, in any way. It is conveyed to introduce a recent issue with sceneries we have come across.
Let us know what you think about this, and if this will influence you when purchasing sceneries from TDM Scenery Design next time.
