New Version of ActiveSky - In Final Development!

[Guest canyonblue737]

>Hi Dave,>>ASV is a new program and not an upgrade. Are you asking that>for anyone who purchased AS4.5 after the announcement of ASV>should get ASV for free? That would mean you would get 2>programs and pay for one. Or should we offer a discount for>all AS2004 users no matter when they purchased? Which way is>fair for everyone?>>Hope this helps,>Jim>ActiveSky Sales and Support>http://www.hifisim.com/images/as2004proudsupporter.jpgJim,I certainly wasn't trying to open a can of worms. While ASV is a major new revision to the program, its goal is the same as 4.5, to provide the core weather engine for MSFS 2004. It has been a long standing practice in many software categories to offer free or highly discounted new program version to customers who purchased their older products after the announcement of a new version due to arrive. I have seen this in the FS community, from Microsoft with their OS's and Office products, from Apple software etc. This of course is designed to keep people purchasing the old version and not have them just "wait for the new one." While I am prepared to pay an upgrade fee, I personally feel those of us who purchased after you announced the final development of ASV should get a more highly discounted version since we supported you by not waiting to purchase ASV but rather becoming a customer immediately. I know there are different viewpoints and you certain can set your policies as you wish, I am just stating what *I* think is fair.

[Damian Clark 1,235]

Hello once again all!It is with great pleasure that I finally get to officially announce what we have been working on over the past several months!ActiveSky Version 5 (ASV) is a new upgraded version of the AS wx engine with several new great features and enhancements!You can read our press release below for the exciting details (or at http://www.hifisim.com/activesky5.htm). Note that more information and screenshots are on the way. As to ETA/pricing, we have yet to determine, but we are working on it feverishly until it is finished and done right.We would also like to officially welcome Chris Willis to the HiFi Development Team! Most of you probably know Chris from FSW and his great contribution to us weather enthusiasts: FS Sky World! His talent, great user support dedication and enthusiasm have been a great match with our team and we have been working great together through the ASV development cycle. Please join me in welcoming him!Thanks to all our users for your ongoing support of our development projects! Your feedback is always extremely valuable to us and has formed the foundation of ASV's feature set. ASV is only one more small step in our larger goal of always providing the best technology to give you the best sim experience possible!Thanks to Jim Skorna, Pete Dowson, the AS2004 beta team, AVSIM and everyone else who contributes so much to us and the rest of the community!Without further delay, the press release:Press Release from HiFi Simulation Software - 3/24/05 For Immediate ReleaseAnnouncing ASV - ActiveSky Weather Simulator Version 5ASV has been in development for over 10 months, incorporating new features and enhancements for the best possible FS9 weather experience.Chris Willis, developer of the extremely popular "FS Sky World" (and very talented graphics artist), has teamed up with HiFi to create a new integrated weather engine and complete cloud/environment upgrade named "Active Environment", included with ASV. Active Environment (AE) contains over 15,000 textures in dozens of categories, including a full suite of realistic cloud texture style groups such as Translucent, Wispy, Sharp, Detailed, Smoky, etc. Each cloud style has several different selectable edge types and variations. Other optional environment graphics include Sun/Moon/Snow/Rain Textures, Haze Textures, Sky Color Textures, and much more, all integrated into the AE Interface!Active Environment (AE) and the ASV wx engine utilize an intelligent environment selection system (optional) to provide matched weatherscape variations influenced by the departure weather conditions. In addition, ASV integrated with AE incorporates new logic to better depict realistic overcast, fog, cirrus, stratus and more.Chris Willis explains: "The main reason I joined HiFi Simulation Software is to achieve my goal of providing realistic, high-quality visual environments with realistic weather data and processing. This was impossible with two separate utilities. With ASV, everything is integrated. Another reason for joining HiFi is the compatibility of our customer-service philosophies. Their excellent support, availability, and continuous updates within product life cycles proves their commitment to their customers. This is an important priority for me as a HiFi Development Team Member. I always contribute on all major Flight Sim forums and interact with the community. I enjoy listening and responding to feedback (both positive and negative) and together with HiFi we will always care about our users and always try to improve our products and technology as much as possible, on an ongoing and continuous basis.

[Guest AndrewW]

At SSTSIM we

[Guest lenrow]

Active sky has been a great program...the best weather program available. There have been a lot of individual problems but the major global issue with the program is the lack of integrity with visibility. It is nonsensical to have a low layer of low vis suddenly appear as you decend from clear skies (in some cases where you could see the airport on approach, then it disappears). Similarly, it is a struggle to have to compensate for that by raising the ground visibility to infinity just to get the sense of a true low vis approach where you never (as should be the case) see the runway until the approach lights.The clouds never seems to have the same authority that the visibility does in this regard. Hopefully you'll adddress this in the new version. Doug, CFII, but forever addicted to virtual flying as well

[Barbs 2]

Hi,I will gladly pay the dollars for ASV. My concerns however don't revolve around excellent weather effects, or pricing structure.As one who flies almost all the time in Australia, will there be added converage in the METAR and TAF network? Or will there be a new way around this? With AS2004 I often find myself landing at a destination that is some 200nm from the station I am getting weather from.If this cannot be included, are there any possibilities for users to add wx stations or at least to ask for them to be added?RegardsGreg

[JSkorna 137]

Hi Greg,Thanks for the comments. We have added a number of weather stations both real-world and psuedo. Not sure of where and how many. One limitation that I know of, is getting data for stations. Some stations just do not generate weather data for us to pull onto the AS server. We have also improved on how ASV will generate weather in areas of few stations.If the data is out there and we can pull it, it may be possible for us to add stations upon request.Hope this helps,JimActiveSky Sales and Supporthttp://www.hifisim.com/images/as2004proudsupporter.jpg

[Guest saywhuut]

Is there anyway to get ActiveSky to smooothly transition between different weather changes like the function the default weather system has in flight sim.. mild/moderate/fast or somethin like that. to me that is the only thing holding back this program..awesome job!stephen

[JSkorna 137]

Hi Stephen,Thanks for that! Are you saying that you are not getting smooth transitions? Or are you asking for a way to control the speed of the changes you are seeing?Hope this helps,JimActiveSky Sales and Supporthttp://www.hifisim.com/images/as2004proudsupporter.jpg

[Guest saywhuut]

>Hi Stephen,>>Thanks for that! Are you saying that you are not getting>smooth transitions? Or are you asking for a way to control the>speed of the changes you are seeing?>>Hope this helps,>Jim>ActiveSky Sales and Support>http://www.hifisim.com/images/as2004proudsupporter.jpgI'm getting some pretty smooth transitions, sometimes stuff just "boom" changes but overall its smooth..i was just wondering if there was a way to control the speed of the changes.thanks for help

[JSkorna 137]

Hi,Would be glad to help out, but we've kind of hijacked this announcement thread!! We want you to have smooth transitions! So please either start a new thread or shoot me an e-mail. Either way, we want to help you!!!Hope this helps,JimActiveSky Sales and Supporthttp://www.hifisim.com/images/as2004proudsupporter.jpg

[slait 169]

I know, I know, another dolt that's going to ask about a release date, but I can't help myself. I really have been on the verge of buying your product, but don't want it to be outdated the second I make the purchase with a new version pending. Can you publicly speculate at all if you are within arms reach of release, or can we expect a few more months to pass before it's ready? Feel free shake your head in disgust at the question, but again I'd like to wait for the latest release, but not if it's still a ways out.Thanks in advance.

[victorwest2 0]

>I know, I know, another dolt that's going to ask about a>release date, but I can't help myself. I really have been on>the verge of buying your product, but don't want it to be>outdated the second I make the purchase with a new version>pending. Can you publicly speculate at all if you are within>arms reach of release, or can we expect a few more months to>pass before it's ready? Feel free shake your head in disgust>at the question, but again I'd like to wait for the latest>release, but not if it's still a ways out.>>Thanks in advance.I'm guessing shortly after 9th/10 July. :-lol :) :D ;)

[JSkorna 137]

Hi Aaron,I'll use your words and say that we are within arms reach of release. It is not a ways out!Hope this helps,JimActiveSky Sales and Supporthttp://www.hifisim.com/images/as2004proudsupporter.jpg

[slait 169]

Thank you very much for your reply Jim. I'll renew my patience and wait for it's release.

[Ken Pryor 0]

Credit card in hand..... ;)KP