Hello Active Sky teamI've been using Activesky 6.5 for quite awhile now and I really enjoy it. I would like to make a suggestion for Active Sky and FS9. I made this suggestion a few years ago under the name cb74, but I think we misunderstood each other a little.FS9 has always fallen short when it comes to depicting overcast situations IMHO. I was wondering if you would be able to add an option to use visibility in addition to the overcast enhancement to better simulate flying within an overcast layer. If Active Sky could tell when your aircraft is within the vertical limits of its generated overcast layer it could reduce the visibility to 1/16th mile until you emerge from the layer.For example if a METAR reports 300ft overcast, in addition to Active Sky's normal depiction of the layer, on climbout once you reach 300ft agl Active Sky will trigger an immediate reduction in visibility until you climb above whatever nominal top altitude AS generates. Also when decending below 300ft the visibility will revert back to whatever value the METAR is reporting. Of course the cloud textures dont match the nominal base and top altitudes 100 percent but thats ok. Once you exit the vertical limits you will still see the cloud tops and bases in texture form as usual. FSUIPC can already tell when the user aircraft is in an overcast area and therefore limit the maximum visibility according to the users input. It can also detect Rain, Cloudy, and Clear situations. FSUIPC can also change visibility according to altitude. I believe Active Sky can manipulate visibility as well.I think this could increase the realism a great deal, especially for those who like to fly IFR. May give a better "in the soup" feel and will keep you from seeing the ground or airport until reaching the base reported in the METAR.I use FS9 and Active Sky 6.5 at the moment. I am looking to upgrade to ASA but not FSX at this time. Thankyou for your consideration.Here's a link to our earlier discussion a long long time ago :( http://forums1.avsim.net/index.php?showtopic=193436John

I suggested the same thing a long time ago too. Maybe this isn't the place for suggestions? Where is HiFi's suggestion box then?I didn't think FS9 could do visibility layers, only FSX. But I haven't flown FS9 in 2.5 years so maybe I'm forgetting...Anyway, I can set up a vis layer scenario to simulate OVC, and the frame hit was negligible, so I don't understand why there can't be a toggle-option for it at the least.

Hi John,Try this:Go the the weather options in FS and see if within a cloud layer you can also set the visibility within that layer of clouds.Suggestions are always welcomed at tell-us(AT)hifisim.com.Thanks,

Hello JimI set the visibility to 1/16th and moved the base of the visibility layer to the base of an overcast layer. When I reach the visibility layer (also the overcast base) the visibility goes to 1/16th until I reach the top. below and above the layer Visibility is unlimited or limited to whatever is set in FSUIPC. FS9 only has one visibility layer so active sky would have to change visibility according to the overcast cloud layer and the Aircraft altitude. Maybe in FSX you can take advantage of multiple visibility layers.The biggest drawback is that the cloud bases and tops are not visually the same as the number values set is fs9 but the visibility layer is. This means I dont actually see myself fly into the clouds before the visibility drops. Also FS9 draws the tops of the cumulus clouds thousands of feet higher than the value set. I guess some kind of offset could help with the tops. I don't mind the drawbacks, so long as I dont see the ground before I reach the bases listed in the METARs and ATIS. :( I guess the trick is to have AS do this automatically whenever an overcast layer exists.thanks,John