Hi Jim,Yes if you want to have your cloud, sky and environment textures changed for each flight/session.No if you want to keep your existing textures as they are.I imagine in your case you'd want to YES use auto-submit using the wx-influenced themes, so each flight it reloads a new set of textures based on the weather conditions.Best,

thanks for the help, jim

Damian:Since they are separate programs, does this mean that ASG can be uninstalled if it is not used? That could save some disk space, I assume.Thanks,Wilson

Hi Wilson,They are separate programs but in a combined installed product and cannot be uninstalled independently via the add/remove programs function. ASG takes approximately 250-350MB most of which is texture content. If you wanted to save some space and didn't want to use ASG, you could manually remove the Texture folder in ASG.I do not recommend this though, as it could potentially interfere with the installation and/or installation of further updates.There are further enhancements coming and you will most likely want ASG installed and updated at that point :)Which brings me to a question... If you don't use ASG right now I wonder why? Is there a problem you are having with it or just prefer default textures, or other textures? As we are currently adding lots of new content and enhancements for the next update. If you have any suggestions or requests, then as always, we'd love to see them via email at [email protected],

I am not sure why you get both programs in one install? do these programs work together at the same time or do you run one or the other? I am not sure what the graphics one is supposed to do. I know ActiveSky changes your weather around and puts in new looking clouds, etc... but what is the Active Graphics all about?I don't know if I need to be running both programs or not, but Active Graphics when I opened it up said something about backing up all my FS9 textures, not sure what that means because I thought textures had to do with scenery. And I already am running the Ultimate Terrain add-on scenery so I don't want some other product to override that.Thanks for clearing this up.

Hi, Damian, and thanks for the quick reply. You guys never rest!With your hint of further enhancements, I'll be certain to keep the textures installed.Since you are always coming up with improvements, I don't want to do anything that would prevent me from receiving you enhancements.And, yes, I am running other textures that I prefer visually. When ASG came out with AS6, I started using your textures again because of the integration of the two. I thought that what I might lose visually would be made up by the synergistic combination. But, ASG textures bring my system to its knees, and I can't figure out why. I have tried Chris' recommendations over a number of months, but none seems to work. I still can drop into the single digit fps range. My other textures provide consistently better framerates. It's got to be a system-specific thing. Go figure.Thanks for your continued efforts to improve and enhance ActiveSky. AS6 and your support service continue to be the best in the business.Regards,Wilson

Update:This past weeekend I turned ASG back on and flew a few flights. Frame rates were quite a bit better -- comparable to my other textures.I am guessing that there is a specific group of textures and/or specific conditions that are causing my problem. I have not been able to pinpoint it, but it seems to be related to overcast, stormy conditions.I'll keep experimenting and see if I can isolate the problem. However, there are so many variables, I am not sure that I will be able to reach a logical conclusion.Wilson

HI Wilson,The texture are not the problem on performance, they are 512x512 to 64x64 32bitsDXT they will be the same like any others. Overcast, stormy conditions your frame rate will drop, Also if the metar is denser with many layer, the frame rate will be lower, on any set. Metar density and layers are the main reason of the preformance.You probably missed some post about this, there was an issue for some users, because of the ASG Interface, with the latest update released couple of day Service Update 2, it add option to leave open the interface in background, instant of opening and close the interface, this prevent lower perforamnce on some specific system, new feature are available in the option ASG interface.ThanksChris Willishttp://www.hifisim.comhttp://sales.hifisim.com/pub-download/asv6...development.jpg http://sales.hifisim.com/pub-download/asv6-banner-proud.jpghttp://sales.hifisim.com/pub-download/asv6-banner-beta.jpg

Chris:Thanks for the response.I did update, and ASG Interface is checked to stay open. That may explain the increased performance on my system. I'll continue testing.Yes, overcast and stormy is always a problem. I have cloud layers set to 3, but it still gets bogged down. I wish that there was a solution to this problem. This creates a bigger fps problem for me than any other situation with my system. Everything can be maxed out and I get fps in mid 20's until I am in stormy weather. Then fps goes to lower teens to single digits.Perhaps you are correct that all cloud textures are the same in terms of fps, but I seem to consistently get better fps with my other 256 textures. As I said, there are so many variables, it is hard to confirm. It may just be my imagination!Regards,Wilson

Hi, Damian:I have been reading the recent posts which seem to support the theory that ASG may be causing significant reductions in fps on SOME systems. Certainly, this may in some cases be symptomatic of "mass hysteria" with a "me too" syndrome.However, maybe it is time to offer the ability to uninstall ASG, as I asked earlier. As you said, the two programs are, in fact, separate and even written in different programming languages.This option would certainly not prevent those who are having a positive experience with ASG to continue doing so. But it would provide those who are having problems, whether real or imagined, to opt out and increase disk space.I am beginning to wonder if a weather program and texture program ever should have been integrated in the first place. Perhaps keeping the two different types of programs separate would have provided a more flexible integration into FS9, regardless of what weather program or what texture program was used. In theory, the combination appears to offer a user-friendly, seamless solution to weather presentation in FS9. But, reality appears to be somewhat less than ideal, if only in the perception of some users.Please accept this observation as admittedly naive, since I have no knowledge of the future developments that you mentioned earlier in this thread.Regards,Wilson