Overcast In Fs

[Leffe 4]

Hi!Are there someone who could give some answer about those question as follow! (Not a PMDG question though)1. Is it possibly to see from above, a total overcast landscape in FS ( (not possibly to see the ground) 2. If not, would Active Sky ver 6.5 help ? If I can remember I could have an total overcast environment in FS 2000 but not in 2002 or 2004.Have tried to mix a little myself with the clouds, but can

[downscc 1,327]

I don't think so... at least that what the folks next door in the HiFi Simulation (ASX) told me. I've never seen overcast below in FS9/FSX, it always turns into a thin layer no matter how thick you try to make it. They told me to force stratus, so if you have a solid stratus layer below FSX will sorta do an overcast below. The Wx engine used by MSFS is inadequate. I'm sure you'll find threads on this next door if you are interested.

[DLP084 5]

Hi, try this settings in the FS9.cfgCLOUD_COVERAGE_DENSITY=12 CLOUD_DRAW_DISTANCE=12 (Clouds will get enhanced to the horizon, frame impact possible due to the larger draw radius of the clouds) The default values are 8. Don't touch the sliders in the settings menu, or they will get overwritten by the default ones. This settings gave me a complete overcast conditions, the are no holes anymore. This has really changed the FS9 experience.You can use this settings together with active sky. Jan-Paul

[downscc 1,327]

I was really hoping that would work, just tried it with bases at 2000 and tops at 6000 (not an unusual overcast), but as I slewed upwards into the cloud it lost solidarity and from above at less than 3600 (not 6000 as set) it again looked like thin layer. A real overcast below looks like a flat ocean of white with no indication of what is below, FS9 gives the appearance of "thin" and major ground features are easily visible. I think we gotta wait for FS11, at least I hope they fix this.Jan-Paul, maybe there is something else in conjuction with your settings that helps. Are you able to get a solid undercast?

[Leffe 4]

Hi,

try this settings in the FS9.cfgCLOUD_COVERAGE_DENSITY=12 CLOUD_DRAW_DISTANCE=12 (Clouds will get enhanced to the horizon, frame impact possible due to the larger draw radius of the clouds) The default values are 8. Don't touch the sliders in the settings menu, or they will get overwritten by the default ones. This settings gave me a complete overcast conditions, the are no holes anymore. This has really changed the FS9 experience.You can use this settings together with active sky.

I was really hoping that would work, just tried it with bases at 2000 and tops at 6000 (not an unusual overcast), but as I slewed upwards into the cloud it lost solidarity and from above at less than 3600 (not 6000 as set) it again looked like thin layer. A real overcast below looks like a flat ocean of white with no indication of what is below, FS9 gives the appearance of "thin" and major ground features are easily visible. I think we gotta wait for FS11, at least I hope they fix this.Thx guys!I really miss this REAL thing. Anyway I will try your suggestion Jan Paul. Would hope for an solution though./ Leffe

[Leffe 4]

Dan and Jan Paul!Did a test with the Cessna, not to bad..... .2 layer stratus + 1 higher layer cumulus. But of course there were some holes here and there. Framerate dropped significant though./ Leffe

[cavaricooper 2,613]

I'm with Dan- perhaps this time they will forgo the giraffes on the Serengiti and work on a more real Wx engine? One can only hope- but I keep reminding myself there are those who will miss the giraffes!

[pscharff 56]

Hello together,It's curious that the overcast problem didn't appear with FS2002. Even the good old Flight Simulator "Fly!" produced nice clouds with very good overcast conditions.Patric

[Mace 1,902]

For FSX, I have found that there is 1 other thing I can do (in addition to what was said above) that gives better OVC. That thing is to add a Visibility Layer (of very low vis) into the sim at the same level as your clouds. Of course when you do this, if you have ASX or some other weather generator going, your layer can get overwritten quickly.In so doing, you can enhance your "deck" so-to-speak.I don't think FS9 has Visibility Layers in it though.

[Leffe 4]

Hi!After having a longhaul flight from Amsterdam to Denver, I decided to test a flight from Denver after arriving (with the same a/c KLM), with the suggestion Jan Paul wrote earlier in this thread above.Here in those pics below I used downloaded static weather (some days ago) and today made a fligtplan from Denver to Torontowith that weather and with Jan Pauls suggestion. Not to bad at all....... / LeffeHERE

[downscc 1,327]

That is a cumulus cloud type, broken maybe 5/8 - 7/8. The complaint is lack of stratus undercast. When I complained in the ASX forum they told me to use cumulus type because MSFS cannot do a thick stratus layer. Like someone pointed out, FS2002 did quite well but they broke it somehow.

[tcas_climb 45]

And who remembers FS98 which had the effect of the strobe lights reflecting off the clouds at night

[philbrown 9]

I have ActiveSky 6 and it can do overcast quite well. In fact, just recently made a flight from VABB to EGLL, and the overcast over Mumbai on departure was very good, including the transition from low vis on the ground and going through the cloud:I guess it depends on the METAR's for the surrounding stations. With Mumbai being on the west coast of India, and my route taking me to the west, perhaps there were no other stations to conflict with VABB's METAR, helping with the overcast enhancement.-Phil

[downscc 1,327]

That is a nice picture of cumulus. A stratus undercast is flat as water, that is what is beyond MSFS capability.

[Tabs 2,790]

Yeah I'm pretty sure we're not going to see a realistic overcast (nor realistic thunderstorms/rain clouds) until MS gives us a new weather engine. (hopefully in FS11)