Ground Environment Pro

[Paul J 349]

Hi Kemo;Yeah - it's a bit confusing. The opening screen will show you what you've got installed. When you click "Create" you go to a screen which asks you how many sets of a particular environment you want: i.e. "partly cloudy" That zero means that you are creating no sets. So put a "3" there: it will then begin to create those three sets (2 runs per set), and dependent upon the horsepower of your pc - it can take 8 minutes per set - or 12 mps, or 25 mps - so if you want 15 sets of "overcast" - it can take quite a while. I think most folks let it do this overnight. Also - it will speed things up a bit if you click on the Task Manager, and change the priority to RealTime: this will push 99% of all the other processes into the background. I have a lot of ground set (I think), but not too many cloud sets, because I'm using FE. (I'm not sure this is correct logic - and maybe Jim will correct me :-) ?): It works, though, and you can see from the pics - I can get a huge volume of cloud cover, from wispy to full overcast/total IMC conditions. I fully agree with Bob's sentiments! All these programs are fantastic!http://forums.avsim.net/user_files/171234.jpgHi Bob:Here's my thought, and it may need correcting by Jim!:(FS Autostart to shutdown unecessary services, etc), then:1). FE2). SE (one of these two isn't really needed, because they both do Sky, but FE also does water as well. I don't have SE, so I don't know)3). AS - which will call GE (either manually or automatically, though I've never done it automatically)- to pick and install a ground texture set which will match what weather you're experiencing. The set will be the closest one to match your weather, and so it's a good idea to create a lot of sets when you first install it. . . and it can take d a y s and d a y s. . . . ;(4). Then start FS9.

[Guest KemoF15]

Thanks PJ,Bob, and Jim for the expert inputs--will save some head scratching later...one final question if I may; if I have created sky color, cloud textures etc in ASv6.5, will GE Pro continue to use those or am I required to develop sky/cloud texture sets in GE?ThanksKemoHere's a quick shot of KCLT from an F-16...roads joint together seamlessly (textures are a bit off from this perspective but I think I can adjust)--I downloaded FSWater to tone the water colors down---if anyone else has a good lead on where you can adjust water colors please let me know.Looks like I'll be busy the rest of today!

[Paul J 349]

You can force Active Sky to use GE Pro Sky or AS textures, Kemo. Look in the Graphics box on the right side.http://forums.avsim.net/user_files/171252.jpgBuild your ground textures (as many as you can tolerate waiting for!)- because that's what GE Pro excels at - and just ignore the sky textures and I think it will then continue to use the AS textures. Cheerspj

[Guest KemoF15]

PJ/JimI just purchased flight environment--and selected water, sky, and cloud textures--now how do I get FE to load the graphics but run on the ASv6.5 platform (dynamic weather)...along with GE pro?Kemo

[Paul J 349]

OK - my lawn is half-cut: the wife can finish it off! :-)Congratulations!Start FE: select whatever theme you think will look good: my current:-http://forums.avsim.net/user_files/171257.jpgthen just "Save and Install". That's all you need to do.Then: launch AS, get your weather; when it's "completed", click on "GE Pro", let it match and load it's ground textures. When that's done, you can close GE Pro and manually start FS9. Your cloud theme textures will now be those of FE, controlled and responding to the continuously- running ActiveSky weather, and with the ground textures being generated and installed by GE Pro - but the "look and feel" of them - the selection of the set - directed by ActiveSky in response to the downloaded weather. This is how I do it, Kemo: I hope this what you need.I'll also include my current fs9.cfg, as these settings also have some measure of influence:http://forums.avsim.net/user_files/171259.txt

[Dirk98 354]

Excellent thread and explanations, thanks.

[Guest KemoF15]

PJHopefully the spouse will understand--this is critical stuff!! I just give mine some plastic and she's off to the mall for the day (ahhh-guilt free simming--and, I cut the grass yesterday). I appreciate the assistance--I'm really amazed at the difference that GE PRO and FE make! Who needs FSX??? Just kidding! I've got that loaded too but haven't fired it up in several months.Kemo

[Paul J 349]

No sweat; you're right - don't they just. I just glad you're being successful. It's a lot of frustration and hard work sometimes. It's good to have the expert support that guys like Jim, Rob Young, Jim Vile, Al Kreisman, Holger, Justin - and a goodly number of other folks - provide; I've sure had my share of asking for help, so it's good to give a little bit back.Since I've had these seven or eight addons I've been mesmerized so many times. The real big issue comes when making these four work together:- Flight Scenery's Portland, FT KSEA, FS Genesis mesh and LC, plus UT_USA. This combined packaged is one b***** to recover from if it goes wrong - there are roads in the water, humps of land where they shouldn't be, plateaus, sloping water. . . but when set up and using GE Pro and Active Sky - I don't want to fly anywhere else! The whole north-western USA is utterly magic to explore, because it's done so well. Flight Scenery's Portland has four airports which are all first-class in detail. When you combine it with short hops, vmc - or even imc - flight from Hillsboro, Oregon, up to Paine (or even further up with the Jon Patch/Holger Sandman sceneries) and in something like the Digital Aviation Do27 - then (personally) I'm in Nirvana!Oh - and I hafta tell you - I just got swatted up the side o' my head for not finishing the lawn! . . and making it public. . .Too late to try the plastic, I guess. . . . .:-lol:-lol:-lol:-lol:-lolRegards,pj

[Guest KemoF15]

PJI was tooling around Kansas in B1900 and given the forecast, I ought to be seeing some major thunderstorms--does FE model those?Kemo

[Paul J 349]

hmmmm . . now that's one for Jim to answer. . . I don't think I've ever felt the effects of a thunderstorm - the way you do in the rw. I've seen them many times on radar, and have flown through heavy precip and black, turbulent cloud, but have never looked at the met forcast to actually know I was in one, or going into one. I guess we're both going to find out!pj

[JSkorna 137]

Hi All,You will get the visuals, but not quite the feel.Thanks!Jimhttp://www.hifisim.com/Active Sky V6 Development Team Active Sky V6 Proud SupporterHiFi Beta TeamRadar Contact Supporter: http://www.jdtllc.com/AirSource Member: http://www.air-source.us/FSEconomy Member:http://www.fseconomy.com/

[Paul J 349]

Jimmy! All day long we've been posting an' posting! Not once did you mention this! http://www.hifisim.com/index.htmlCongratulatons!:-beerchugpj

[JSkorna 137]

LOL! I had to wait until Damian posted. Thanks!!Jimhttp://www.hifisim.com/Active Sky V6 Development Team Active Sky V6 Proud SupporterHiFi Beta TeamRadar Contact Supporter: http://www.jdtllc.com/AirSource Member: http://www.air-source.us/FSEconomy Member:http://www.fseconomy.com/

[Dirk98 354]

>Hi All,>>You will get the visuals, but not quite the feel.>>Thanks!>JimWhat about "true" overcast visuals? MSFS has not delivered it yet, so I thought maybe HiFi Sim is capable of doing that?

[Dirk98 354]

Paul, I've noticed you have blank Wispy Edges setting in Flight Environment/Main section. How do you manage it? FE always place something in this field, there's no empty slot in the Cloud Options for Wishpy Edges.Thanks.