While the methodology wasn't published, Microsoft did something similar for Flight Simulator.
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/air-space-magazine/flight-box...
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/air-space-magazine/flight-box...
I knew their name because, when I worked for an Airbus subsidiary, we talked with them about a solution to generate 3D environments for any/every airport.
They had some cool stuff but also some wonky stuff at the time (like highway overpasses actually being rendered as walls across the highway).
And also, was it any different for MSFS 2020?