REX or FEX

[Guest Brad33712]

Little explanation: FEX and REX simply install new custom textures into the FSX texture folders. This means that when you run FSX, it will use for instance the newly installed cloud textures instead of the default cloud textures, because REX or FEX have simply overwritten the default ones. Same goes for skies and water. This also means that you only have to run FEX or REX to install the textures of your choice (GEX clouds and REX water for instance) and after that you can close the programs. You do not have to run them while running FSX, because, as said, both programs simply install textures and after that they are done! If you like the clouds etc. and don't feel the need to change them, you never ever have to run FEX or REX again!Of course, when you want to use the REX weather engine, you wil have to keep it running because REX wil then constantly feed and update FSX with weather data.

Thanks J van E... But what happens if I have both FEX and REX installed... Will one overwrite the other? Can I somehow choose to use FEX clouds with REX runway and water textures and drive FEX clouds with the REX weather engine?

[Guest PPSFA]

You are using REX for textures only? Can you actually run REX and FEX at the same time? Say use REX for water and runway textures while using FEX for clouds? And drive FEX clouds with the REX weather engine? I have FEX and I like the look... And I've been wanting ASA (Active Sky Advanced) But ASA seems to be having issues (Bugs and turning on DA's Piper Cheyenne radar will crash your system, so says users on their support forum) Sooo, I've been waiting, half hoping FEX's weather engine would be released soon... But what I'm reading this seems like maybe a lost hope... It would be good for an FEX developer to reply!!! HECK, if REX and FEX run at the same time happy, maybe I should get HiFi sims XGraphics as well and use their sky textures... Is their anybody out there actually doing this? Mixing these with success? I've never thought to even attempt such a thing... But I'm pretty new...BradCore2 Duo 3.33Ghz2gb DDR3 Ram300Gb Velociraptor WD HDEVGA 9800GTX+ 1Gb

I have FEX, GEX, UTX, and X Graphics and they all work seamlessly together. You have the options in all of them to enable/disable any and all textures. I also use FS Genesis mesh and Scenery Tech and the combination of all of them give me a sim thats as close to real as I can get while providing good performance. hope this helps answer your question.

[Guest]

Thanks J van E... But what happens if I have both FEX and REX installed... Will one overwrite the other? Can I somehow choose to use FEX clouds with REX runway and water textures and drive FEX clouds with the REX weather engine?

PPSFA is right. And don't forget that when you install cloudtextures from REX of FEX they will overwrite the default FSX textures with the exact same name. Imagine (simplifying it all!) the default cloudtexture is called cloud1. When you install a whispy cloud texture using FEX it will be called... cloud1 and it will overwrite the original one. And when after that you install heavy thunderstorm clouds with REX the texture will be called... cloud1 and it will overwrite the FEX created one. And so on. So REX and FEX do not ADD anything: they simply replace what's there! And so... a weather engine, the default FSX one or REX or ASA or whatever, doesn't know or need to know or even care what program provided the clouds: it will always look for and use that same texture cloud1 and that's it.

[Guest Brad33712]

PPSFA is right. And don't forget that when you install cloudtextures from REX of FEX they will overwrite the default FSX textures with the exact same name. Imagine (simplifying it all!) the default cloudtexture is called cloud1. When you install a whispy cloud texture using FEX it will be called... cloud1 and it will overwrite the original one. And when after that you install heavy thunderstorm clouds with REX the texture will be called... cloud1 and it will overwrite the FEX created one. And so on. So REX and FEX do not ADD anything: they simply replace what's there! And so... a weather engine, the default FSX one or REX or ASA or whatever, doesn't know or need to know or even care what program provided the clouds: it will always look for and use that same texture cloud1 and that's it.

Ok, I think I get it... If I want to have a system where I'm flying in an evironment using REX runway textures and REX's weather engine driving FEX clouds I need to install REX first, then FEX so that FEX will overwrite REX clouds... Very very interesting... And, say for instance REX has 3000 different cloud types, and by default FSX only has 2000, then REX will overwrite all 2000 and add another 1000??... And if FEX has 2500 cloud types then installing it last it will overwrite the first 2500 REX cloud types and I'll be left with the remaining 500 REX clouds? This is deep, but very interesting... And I've never seen the subject talked about here on the forum anywhere... Am I missing anything?

[Guest]

Ok, I think I get it... This is deep, but very interesting... Am I missing anything?

No, you don't get it, it's deep and very wrong and yes, you are missing something. hahahaha! :( Just kidding ya. Let me give it another try. As I said FEX or REX add nothing, so they won't add more clouds than FSX has by default. Certainly not thousands! In fact (I don't know the real numbers: I am not behind my FSX computer so I can't check) but FSX comes with about 15 to 20 files for cirrus, the same amount for cumulus and even less for stratus. Let's say there are some 40 files in total. These 40 files are used to show you ALL the various clouds you will ever see in the FSX world! These 40 or so files also have very specific names and FSX will ONLY look and use those 40 files with those very specific names.If you let FEX or REX install new clouds it will overwrite all those 40 files with new ones, using the exact same filenames, not one more and not one less. And after that FSX will show you different clouds: more whispy or more white or whatever, using those 40 new files with the exact same names. And that's it!FEX and REX can create virtually numerous variations of different clouds but you will only be able to install one set of 40 (or so) files at a time! And if you want different clouds, you will have to run FEX or REX again to install one set of different clouds. And that one set of about 40 files will show you all the clouds you need in FSX.About having to run FEX after REX in order to get the right files installed: that's not necessary. You can select which sort of files each program has to install. If you know you will be using FEX clouds, you can disable the option to install REX clouds in REX. But if you want to use REX clouds after using the FEX ones, you can simply enable the option again in REX and REX will overwrite them. It doesn't matter who created those files, if they are default FSX or REX or FEX because as said, there are about 40 and they will always have the exact same names and FSX will only look at those specific files, without the need to know who created them. And hence any weather engine can work with them because to that engine these files are always the same 40 files: the weather engine nor FSX don't know or need to know the files are changed. The only one who can see a difference is you, when you are flying.Hope this clears it up for ya. If not, some else may give it a try, hahaha! :(

[Guest Brad33712]

No, you don't get it, it's deep and very wrong and yes, you are missing something. hahahaha! :( Just kidding ya. Let me give it another try. As I said FEX or REX add nothing, so they won't add more clouds than FSX has by default. Certainly not thousands! In fact (I don't know the real numbers: I am not behind my FSX computer so I can't check) but FSX comes with about 15 to 20 files for cirrus, the same amount for cumulus and even less for stratus. Let's say there are some 40 files in total. These 40 files are used to show you ALL the various clouds you will ever see in the FSX world! These 40 or so files also have very specific names and FSX will ONLY look and use those 40 files with those very specific names.If you let FEX or REX install new clouds it will overwrite all those 40 files with new ones, using the exact same filenames, not one more and not one less. And after that FSX will show you different clouds: more whispy or more white or whatever, using those 40 new files with the exact same names. And that's it!FEX and REX can create virtually numerous variations of different clouds but you will only be able to install one set of 40 (or so) files at a time! And if you want different clouds, you will have to run FEX or REX again to install one set of different clouds. And that one set of about 40 files will show you all the clouds you need in FSX.About having to run FEX after REX in order to get the right files installed: that's not necessary. You can select which sort of files each program has to install. If you know you will be using FEX clouds, you can disable the option to install REX clouds in REX. But if you want to use REX clouds after using the FEX ones, you can simply enable the option again in REX and REX will overwrite them. It doesn't matter who created those files, if they are default FSX or REX or FEX because as said, there are about 40 and they will always have the exact same names and FSX will only look at those specific files, without the need to know who created them. And hence any weather engine can work with them because to that engine these files are always the same 40 files: the weather engine nor FSX don't know or need to know the files are changed. The only one who can see a difference is you, when you are flying.Hope this clears it up for ya. If not, some else may give it a try, hahaha! :(

Ok, I pretty much get everthing except (FEX and REX can create virtually numerous variations of different clouds but you will only be able to install one set of 40 (or so) files at a time! And if you want different clouds, you will have to run FEX or REX again to install one set of different clouds. And that one set of about 40 files will show you all the clouds you need in FSX.) I'm amazed I don't see or notice clouds that look exacly like alike... To me the variety seems endless... Like snowflakes, no two alike... I'll have to puchase REX now and play with it a couple weeks... I'm very excited to try their weather engine... I originally wanted ASA but there seems to be too much chatter about bugs on the HiFi help forum...PS Do you happen to know if REX's weather engine does any vertical air simulation? Thermals and Dynamic ridge lift for use with sailplanes? ASA proported to model this...Thanks, Brad

[Guest PPSFA]

Ok, I pretty much get everthing except (FEX and REX can create virtually numerous variations of different clouds but you will only be able to install one set of 40 (or so) files at a time! And if you want different clouds, you will have to run FEX or REX again to install one set of different clouds. And that one set of about 40 files will show you all the clouds you need in FSX.) I'm amazed I don't see or notice clouds that look exacly like alike... To me the variety seems endless... Like snowflakes, no two alike... I'll have to puchase REX now and play with it a couple weeks... I'm very excited to try their weather engine... I originally wanted ASA but there seems to be too much chatter about bugs on the HiFi help forum...PS Do you happen to know if REX's weather engine does any vertical air simulation? Thermals and Dynamic ridge lift for use with sailplanes? ASA proported to model this...Thanks, Brad

If you want a weather engine, you might want to check out the bugs with REX as well, both ASA and REX have issues. I use ASX and have not upgraded to any other engine because of bugs with all of them. As a matter of fact, 90% of the time I just use the built in FSX weather. Just a heads up.

[ryanbatc 12,864]

FEX:)

[yellowjack 28]

Hopefully it's freeware for I will never pay for SEX! ;-)

Perhaps its "Shareware". :(

[Guest]

I'm amazed I don't see or notice clouds that look exacly like alike... To me the variety seems endless... Like snowflakes, no two alike... I'll have to puchase REX now and play with it a couple weeks... I'm very excited to try their weather engine... I originally wanted ASA but there seems to be too much chatter about bugs on the HiFi help forum...

Well, those 40 files do not simply contain a single cloud in every file: it's not as simple as that! The files are used to generate a great and apparently endless variety of clouds indeed. FSX does not show you a maximum of 40 different clouds with those 40 texture files! But... if you look well, you will notice all the clouds, for instance cumulus, are of the same sort: the same whispiness or whiteness or basic form. So the 40 (or so) files tell FSX how the basics of all the clouds look like and FSX/the weather engine then generates a great variety of clouds that share common basics. And no matter where you fly or what the weather is, all clouds will look similar in that regard (whispy or not, very white or not). You won't see for instance 8 exact copies of a cloud around you: just like in real life they all look different. And if you want complete none-whispy clouds that aren't very white, then you will have to use REX or FEX to install a different set of clouds, and then again you will apparently see thousands of different clouds, but all with the same none-whispy not too white basics.BTW don't forget the looks of the clouds will also change with the weather and time of day. This all will make it look even more varied. And I've been talking about clouds all the time, but the same goes for water and skies. You only have a specific set of water and sky textures and you will see they are the same wherever you fly in FSX: if you want a really different sky or water, you will have to use FEX/REX to install a new set!

[Guest Bambi]

No, you don't get it, it's deep and very wrong and yes, you are missing something. hahahaha! :( Just kidding ya. Let me give it another try. As I said FEX or REX add nothing, so they won't add more clouds than FSX has by default. Certainly not thousands! In fact (I don't know the real numbers: I am not behind my FSX computer so I can't check) but FSX comes with about 15 to 20 files for cirrus, the same amount for cumulus and even less for stratus. Let's say there are some 40 files in total. These 40 files are used to show you ALL the various clouds you will ever see in the FSX world! These 40 or so files also have very specific names and FSX will ONLY look and use those 40 files with those very specific names.If you let FEX or REX install new clouds it will overwrite all those 40 files with new ones, using the exact same filenames, not one more and not one less. And after that FSX will show you different clouds: more whispy or more white or whatever, using those 40 new files with the exact same names. And that's it!FEX and REX can create virtually numerous variations of different clouds but you will only be able to install one set of 40 (or so) files at a time! And if you want different clouds, you will have to run FEX or REX again to install one set of different clouds. And that one set of about 40 files will show you all the clouds you need in FSX.About having to run FEX after REX in order to get the right files installed: that's not necessary. You can select which sort of files each program has to install. If you know you will be using FEX clouds, you can disable the option to install REX clouds in REX. But if you want to use REX clouds after using the FEX ones, you can simply enable the option again in REX and REX will overwrite them. It doesn't matter who created those files, if they are default FSX or REX or FEX because as said, there are about 40 and they will always have the exact same names and FSX will only look at those specific files, without the need to know who created them. And hence any weather engine can work with them because to that engine these files are always the same 40 files: the weather engine nor FSX don't know or need to know the files are changed. The only one who can see a difference is you, when you are flying.Hope this clears it up for ya. If not, some else may give it a try, hahaha! :(

Pardon me for jumping in, but I've got REX waiting in the wings and am going to install FSX on my new PC for the 1st time. After installing FSX, SP1, SP2, & Acceleration, what directories should I backup in case I want to go back to the default FSX textures? Or, does REX back them up for you? Just asking as FSX is brand-new to me.Thanks much for any help ! :( Odie

[Guest sillyeagle]

REX does the backup for you. In fact any add on that replaces default files will have a backup process.

[Guest a42abid]

i hope im not taking away from the discussion but i had a question about GEX. Does it have an impact on the world terrain mesh (http://www.fsgenesis.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=WRDEM-X&Category_Code=WRX) or are these completely seperate features in fsx? im really scared of messing everything up but i really want to improve the scenery in the simulator.

[Guest PPSFA]

i hope im not taking away from the discussion but i had a question about GEX. Does it have an impact on the world terrain mesh (http://www.fsgenesis.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=WRDEM-X&Category_Code=WRX) or are these completely seperate features in fsx? im really scared of messing everything up but i really want to improve the scenery in the simulator.

GEX is textures, not mesh. If you want great mesh then yes, get FS Genesis and GEX, you will have the best of both.

[jfri 42]

When it comes to water textures REX is the winner, no question about that(see first image), though when it comes to clouds it can be argued the FEX clouds are just as nice as the REX clouds, though personally I like the REX clouds much better. As to performance you can use any resolution you want, and even at the default 1024 resolution the REX clouds look awesome(see the second image).So I recommend REX as it has the best water, arguably the best clouds, plus it has a weather engine and airport textures which FEX does not.

What setting on the waterslider did you use to get such nice water?