ASV & The Automatic Selection of Cloud Textures

[MM 422]

Hi Chris & Damian,This is just a repetition of the Claudio's original suggestion in another thread. This repetition is intended to clarify matters (at least one hopes).It seems that many of us believe that a wonderful enhancement for ASV would be an automatic selection of cloud (and environment) textures to fit the local conditions. This means that Damian & Chris (and others involved in the project) would make some informed judgments about what sorts of cloud textures work best to represent weather during different seasons, times of day, geographical zones, and local weather conditions. And then have ActiveSky (ASV) automatically use those optimal textures when portraying the weather that ActiveSky generates.(Perhaps you could have some sort of local randomization. For example, during sunset in the tropics the best cloud sets are E3 and F2 so you randomly select one of those two under these conditions. And thunderheads would use a different cloud set. You could use differential weighting schemes to allow for occasionally unusual cloud textures--while at the same time allowing the normal ones to dominate statistically.)Note we are asking for some real judgment and information. You are the best people to make those judgments. (You could allow users to intervene to select their own favorites. Useful for screen-shot artists, perhaps. But many of us would like to have ASV make the decisions.)In this way, we users would have a set of weather and cloud textures (and sky conditions?) that are exogenously determined. And so we could be surprised by the weather just as we would be in the real world. That would be fantastic.Best wishes,Mike MacKuen

[Tabs 2,790]

I second this - that was one thing that always completely baffled me when using FSW - how do you know which clouds to pick when there are so many possible sets? I'd really appreciate a function that would randomly pick cloud sets or use HiFi's best judgement of which ones look most realistic for the given conditions...

[flightsimmer747 0]

I agree too i spent alot of wasted time finding clouds that suit me, end result i still didn't!

[Damian Clark 1,144]

Hi all,ICS (Intelligent Cloud Selection) in ASV basically does just this. It intelligently uses it's best judgement based on your route conditions, adds a small bit of randomness for dynamics, and sets textures accordingly. You don't even have to press a button (after the options are set for auto ICS, anyhow!). More will be revealed soon including screenshots so you can see how it all works.As to geographic influence, this is not something we have incorporated at this time but it sounds like a great idea for the future!

[Guest Derek D]

I must say I am surprised that you were able to implement this feature. I was under the impression that it was impossible to change the textures while FS was running, but I'm glad to see I'm mistaken! :-)

[flightsimmer747 0]

Hiim no expert but it might not be on the fly and prior to your flight.

[Damian Clark 1,144]

Hi,Most cloud texture changes will not be recognized by FS after loading. So yes setting your 3D cloud textures must be done before your flight. ICS handles this and reminds you to restart FS (if required). While only one combination of textures can be used during a single flight, we have lots of control of things (cloud variation patterns, and some other stuff that we can't release info about yet :). So the weather depicted will be plenty different throughout the flight. The ICS logic pics the best texture combo to use based on the average conditions (based on your route).But other textures can and will change "on the fly", including cirrus clouds.Hope that helps...

[Guest Erups]

My stomach is acheing from hanger :D

[victorwest2 0]

>While only one combination of textures can be used during a single >flight, we have lots of >control of things (cloud variation >patterns, and some other >stuff that we can't release info about >yet :). Oh, you are a tease Damian. :-hah