Hey Damian,I'm trying to reproduce/duplicate the problem that Dykes was seeing in respect to not having low clouds in the USA. What I'm trying to do is to write a custom METAR so that I can get a low cloud deck without searching half the reports for the US. What I did was (using OFFLINE mode) to download the 16Z (in the window) wx, which of course creates the cycle15Z.wxd file. I found that in wxRE's main folder, and used Notepad to modify the report for KBUF. I then saved the file and closed wxRE. Next I opened FS and went to KBUF and set the time to 16:00Z and cleared all weather. Then I loaded wxRE and selected the 15Z.wxd file and let it load. The report given though, gave the original download report and not the modified one I set. I went looking through my other METAR's to see if I could find a report matching what I had on the AS window in front of me, but I couldn't find it. The time was different, as well. I double checked the time in FS and even selected 15:00Z, which upon a wxRE refresh, brought up the next last report with different weather. So, I reset the FS time back to 16:00Z (I don't use system time, and have that deselected in wxRE), and got the original, unmodified report back again. I have no idea whatsoever which report wxRE is reading in this case. Below is a screenie of what AS is seeing in the main window, and what the actual 15Z.met report is giving. I've quadruple checked that I've got the right wx selected for the time in wxRE and that the right time is selected in FS (and date!). I'm at a total loss here, and unless I can modify the metar, it's hard to set up Dykes' problem. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks,Glennhttp://www3.sympatico.ca/g.davy/WXRE/B0202-03.jpg

Glenn,Thanks for working on this. Just do this.Start FS2002 and then go directly to KTVR and start wxRE. Let whatever weather loads load on up. It does not matter at this point. Now copy the KTVR weather line and paste it over the line where you write custom metars. Now modify the cloud portion of this line so that all you kave is OVC005. Go back to FS2002 and clear all weather. Now go back to wxRE and hit the custom write button. This line will now show up as KTVRs new weather. Watch FS2002 and see if the OVC005 layer forms. It will not for me.Dykes

Hi, yes the custom write feature is the best way to test these METARS. Glenn, I think the problem is the definition files within the .wxd.. the .wxd points to specific .met files.You should turn off TAF processing or be sure to use the right time in your custom METAR to avoid dynamic weather kicking in.-Damian[table border=0" cellspacing="30" cellpadding="0][tr][td align = "left"]Damian ClarkHiFi Simulation SoftwareDeveloper of ActiveSkyThe next-generation weather environment simulation for FS2002!http://hifi.avsim.net/activesky[/td][td]http://hifi.avsim.net/activesky/images/wxrebeta.jpg][/td][/tr][/table://http://hifi.avsim.net/activesky/ima...][/tr][/table

Hi Dykes,Remember the clear wx in FS2002 will not have much an effect if you already have wxRE processing clouds. This can actually mess up the transitions. The preferred method when doing this test would be to issue a NO CLOUD metar in the test, wait for it to transition to clear(set transition to 5 secs to make this easier) then issue the new one. This ensures no other cloud layers are affecting the transition engine.-Damian[table border=0" cellspacing="30" cellpadding="0][tr][td align = "left"]Damian ClarkHiFi Simulation SoftwareDeveloper of ActiveSkyThe next-generation weather environment simulation for FS2002!http://hifi.avsim.net/activesky[/td][td]http://hifi.avsim.net/activesky/images/wxrebeta.jpg][/td][/tr][/table://http://hifi.avsim.net/activesky/ima...][/tr][/table

Yup, sounds good Damian. I opened the wxd file using Notepad to see exactly what METAR it was trying to process, and I had the right one. However, I do have TAF engaged, so I'll try it without that and see what happens. Yours and Dykes' idea about using the custom write is better though, although I tried that too and got the same results, but, I may have not followed the correct procedure. It's getting late here and I have to work tomorrow (this damn work is getting in the way of my fun!! :-mad :-) ) so I'll have another go tomorrow night.Thanks guys, we'll get this one solved, I'm sure :-). Probably nothing major, just a minor setup thingie most likely ("finger trouble in the cockpit :-) ). Check back tomorrow night then,Glenn

Thanks Damian. Yes, that is a much cleaner way to set up the CLEAR conditions before writing the OVC layer to the processor. I'll remember that.This one really has me baffled, but for the third time tonight I proved that if I go directly to a USA airport after I start FS2002, wxRe won't create cloud layers below 1000 feet MSL until I leave USA and return. It may not be USA may be something else but whatever it is is strange.

Strange for sure!Can you try changing countries, then clearing clounds (via no clound entry), then back to US for the same test? Do you get your clouds this way? In other words, is it isolated to the NEW CLOUD LAYER where it works when there is an EXISTING cloud layer? Thanks!-Damian[table border=0" cellspacing="30" cellpadding="0][tr][td align = "left"]Damian ClarkHiFi Simulation SoftwareDeveloper of ActiveSkyThe next-generation weather environment simulation for FS2002!http://hifi.avsim.net/activesky[/td][td]http://hifi.avsim.net/activesky/images/wxrebeta.jpg][/td][/tr][/table://http://hifi.avsim.net/activesky/ima...][/tr][/table

>Strange for sure! >>Can you try changing countries, then clearing clounds (via >no clound entry), then back to US for the same test? Do you >get your clouds this way? In other words, is it isolated to >the NEW CLOUD LAYER where it works when there is an EXISTING >cloud layer? Thanks! >>-DamianDamian,I THINK YOUR ONTO SOMETHING HERE!I started FS2002 at KTVR then started wxRE which loaded the following metar:KTVR 031031Z AUTO 18010G17KT 10SM SCT024 BKN031 16/13 A2985After the clouds built in, I wrote the follwing custom metar to the processor without clearing anything:KTVR 031031Z AUTO 18010G17KT 10SM OVC005 16/13 A2985THE OVC005 LAYER FORMED AS IT SHOULD HAVE!I then wrote the following custom metar to the processor to clear the clouds out:KTVR 031031Z AUTO 18010G17KT 10SM CLR 16/13 A2985After the clouds cleared I wrote the overcast layer back in:KTVR 031031Z AUTO 18010G17KT 10SM OVC005 16/13 A2985THE OVC005 LAYER FORMED AGAIN JUST AS IT SHOULD!I then restarted FS2002 at KTVR and restrted wxRE the following metar as the current one (first one):KTVR 030153Z AUTO 15007KT 10SM CLR 13/11 A2989I then wrote the following custom metar to the processor:KTVR 030153Z AUTO 15007KT 10SM OVC005 13/11 A2989The OVC005 layer would not form this time. It is as if a low cloud layer will not form unless there have already been clouds in the sky before.So what I thought leaving the USA was doing was just a way of getting some clouds in the sky. That is why it worked. It really had nothing to do with leaving the field and coming back.So it appears I can not get a low cloud layer to form if it is the first layer wxRE sees when it starts. This is obviously a problem because I like to fly IFR and look for fields with low overcast layers when I start wxRE.

Hi Damian, Dykes,OK, after getting over my severe brain-dead state, I finally figured out how to do the Custom Write thing properly (man I can be dense at times!). So, I was able to put in a 200 foot ceiling (broken) at KBUF. It took about 5 or 6 minutes, but it did show up ok. So, that's not much help to you Dykes, but I'll experiment a bit more at the location you were having the trouble with and see what comes up. If I don't post back here, then you'll know it came up ok. Hopefully Damian will be able to track it down for you, if I don't come up with anything new here. Good luck!Glenn

"I finally figured out how to do the Custom Write thing properly."Would you mind explaining?The .pdf says to look at some "Offline Files Reference in this documentation" but I'll be danged if I can find that. I assume it would entail editing the exp . . .wxd files but any help wouldbe appreciated.Edit: Whoa, must have been a little brain-damaged myself. I just found "offline.txt".

OK, I set up a Custom folder and created my own .wxd, .met, .taf, & .fd files. I copied in the strings from a couple actual METARs and TAFs and just copied in the entire .fd contents of my last ActiveSky one.There were two problems. It didn't recognize the METAR for the destination airport, and it kept trying to update the Winds Aloft every two seconds.I'm finding the time/cycle stuff sort of confusing and that may have something to do with my problems.