depiction of FS9 haze

[Guest flight]

Hey AS2004.5 team, As I've said before, this is a most excellent program. I've always said, the real scenery is in the skies, and your excellent program has really brought my virtual skies to life. There are so many little things that I keep experiencing in the virtual weather that at times leaves me wishing I had someone standing behind me all the time watching me fly so I could point it out to them. Of course I realize flight simmers are an exclusive breed that probably aren't too high on the donors list (or weathermen for that matter), and would turn around to probably find them fast asleep, but all the same, your program is truly revolutionary when it comes to weather effects. It is the tight depiction and presentation of the visual aspect of weather within the FS9 world that truly amazes me. So much so, that I don't want to turn off an option that may produce an effect that is truly realistic, even if what it does may only occurr now and then. (Deep breath). Now I said all of that so you would understand my topic better, and hopefully give me a better understanding of the "depict FS9 haze layer" option. The best I could get from the manual and updates to explain this option was, "Added new visibility graduation handling to allow depiction of FS9 haze while providing transition smoothing at the same time".This helps but still leaves me wondering, so I hope someone from the AS2004 Team can help me understand this option better.What I really want to know, is which will give me the most realistic effect. I like to have the visibility graduation checked, as I believe this is more realistic, but should I have the "depict FS9 haze layer" checked also?I've tried flying with and without this option. I'll be flying this morning without the "depict FS9 haze layer" option checked, but I would really like a bit further explanation as to what exactly this option does and why it is an option.Thank you in advance.

[JSkorna 137]

Hi,Thanks for your kind words!This option was created for some FS04 users who enjoy the constant moving island of fog that follows the plane. To me that is the best way to describe it. I know the explanation is not deep! Hope this helps,JimActiveSky Supporthttp://www.hifisim.com/images/as2004proudsupporter.jpg

[Guest flight]

So does that mean FS04 makes its own haze layer regardless of the visibility report?And if that's true, does that mean with that option on, AS2004 makes its own haze layer to replace FS04's, regardless of the visibility report?And if both of the above are true, wouldn't it be more consistent with actual weather reports to just leave it off, or is this haze layer something that is always apparent in real world flying?I'm not sure, but it seemed flying with it off gave me clear visuals with no graduation as I increased height. With it on I seemed to get cloud (whispy fog) patches here and there along the ground. Would that have been from the haze depiction option, or was I experiencing something else within the weather program that was just coincidental.If all it does is produce a moving haze, I'd just rather turn it off, unless of course it's more realistic to have it on and that's the only way this realism can be met, (after all I can't recall the last time I looked out a window and saw a moving haze of fog following me around, although there is that dang black cloud over my head that keeps raining on me. Sorry, mind wandering, it's early here). Hope this makes sense and appreciate your feedback.

[Damian Clark 948]

Hi!FS will make its own haze layer when FS9 haze layer depiction ON and the surface visibility is less than approximately 40 miles.When FS9 haze layer depiction OFF, AS will add ground haze effects (via thin low stratus layer) when the visibility is 3 miles or less.As Jim mentioned, the FS9 haze layer will appear to be a "moving island of haze" when you are cruising along at higher altitudes (above approx 15K). Basically, the FS9 haze layer looks good and is recommended for lower-level flights. When flying high, many prefer NOT to have this effect.The reason that transitions can appear mode sudden with FS9 haze layer depiction OFF is that there may be no visibile layer of haze that you climb above when FS transitions through the 10sm and 60sm visiiblity marks. I say MAY be no visible layer because this depends on the clouds in the area and suface visibility reports. When clouds exist we can mesh the transition with the top of the appropriate cloud layer, so you appear to "climb above" all this at the same time.With all that, there is a last remaining quirk with visibility transitions that some have experienced, and we are working on a solution for that. This mainly effects use with FS9 haze layer depiction OFF.Hope that helps!

[Guest Floyd312]

>Basically, the FS9 haze layer>looks good and is recommended for lower-level flights. When>flying high, many prefer NOT to have this effect.>...>When clouds exist we can mesh the>transition with the top of the appropriate cloud layer, so you>appear to "climb above" all this at the same time.Hi Damian,Thanks for the explanation of the FS9 haze layer. I, too, had been wondering about that for a while now. As a possible enhancement would it be possible to provide an option to enable ActiveSky to automatically toggle the haze layer option on or off depending on aircraft altitude or the presence of appropriate lower level clouds? Of course, this wouldn't be feasible if the effect of toggling the haze layer "on the fly" was worse than the depiction of the haze layer itself.