Hi Chris.Just because some clouds look similar to you does not mean they used the same techniques to produce them. The scenery engines are quite different.Maybe they used similar textures. That's quite possible, because why reinvent the wheel? Could we say CFS3 uses design techniques from FS2002, because the shorelines and roads look similar in FS2002? Or do they have similar textures?FS9 has nothing to do with CFS3. I only make an issue of this because many buyers of CFS3 feel they were misled by the hype preceeding that game's release. CFS3 has gained a reputation of being a beta game, that never should have been released. It won't even run on many machines that flawlessly run other games and sims. You spen more time tweaking the setup than you do playing the game. It is slow, buggy, and full of visual oddities... and that also describes some aspects of the clouds in that sim. CFS3 clouds do have some visual problems that you probably would not tolertate in FS9.And perhaps we would do well to follow Microsoft's lead, and avoid mentioning that game when discussing FS9.Why not compare volumetric clouds to the real world instead? I think that's what the design group of FS9 might have been trying to emulate.I don't think they used any of the graphic techniques from CFS3... I've never read anything like that from Microsoft.Dick

Two questions for the pros: 1. These weather "fronts" that are being talked about. Do you think the FS enviroment will be global with only a few fronts that are hundreds of miles long, per every 1000 miles or so, or do you think its all local little weather boxes with fronts that apear 10 miles away...and disapear 10 miles on the other side of the airport? 2. With the new intelligent weather system, do you think weather radar is possible? Looking forward to FS9!!!!!! Mike

Chris and Dick,Reading some FS9 info from MS, they say that FS9 Clouds packs can be created in Gmax, does this fit in with how the clouds are edited in CFS3?

>miles or so, or do you think its all local little weather >boxes with fronts that apear 10 miles away...and disapear 10 >miles on the other side of the airport? I am not an expert but judging from information and screesnshots I believe it will still be a small "box" weather. Michael J.

Well...I'm gonna keep my fingers crossed! thanks Mike

Dick,Thanks for a very well thought out response. I'd like to add some comments made by Microsoft developers at the AVSIM conference in Lake Tahoe.It was made clear to the audience at the conference that the code base was no longer going to be shared between CFS and FS following the release of FS2002. Developments made in one simulator may be applied to the other when practical, but the underlying code would not be the same.Chris has worked with the clouds in CFS3, but based on what Microsoft has said, there is no assurance that the clouds from CFS3 will be similar or even related to FS9. Most likely there will be some simularities since the 2 teams are going to share developments, but again, the functionality may be very different.Which brings us back to the original point. Unless someone works at Mircosoft or is beta testing FS9, there is no way anyone can say for certain how the program will work. No offense is intended towards Chris, he has certainly contributed to the community with his work. But enthusiasm for a new product can many times cross the line and become hype.Look, if people want to hype the product, there is no way to stop them. But as a longtime user of FS, I really don't want to see posting after posting of people saying they were misled by the program. There's always going to be a few no matter how well the program turns out. Consider how many negative posts were made when the announcement didn't live up to what people wanted FS9 to be. Now compound that sentiment with people that thought the program was going to be more than it turns out to be (as in the CFS3 scenario). We really don't need that, do we?

> 1. These weather "fronts" that are being talked about. >Do you think the FS enviroment will be global with only a >few fronts that are hundreds of miles long, per every 1000 >miles or so, or do you think its all local little weather >boxes with fronts that apear 10 miles away...and disapear 10 >miles on the other side of the airport? >I'm not a pro, but I still believe in the latter. Have you seen those super-hyper 500000 GHz computers that are really used to simulate weather envinronments and create forecasts? :-hahSimulating weather phenomenon perfectly takes massive computing power..

"super-hyper 500000 GHz computers " where can I get my hands on one of thoses?! Been looking for a good computer to play minesweeper on...LOL!!Kil~