Registered FSUIPC and Weather

[leeflet 0]

My question first - how capable is the registered version of FSUIPC at improving basic weather depictions by FSX (deluxe) without having to purchase ASA +/- REX2?Some background on what I have and what I am really looking for or expecting... I currently run FSX on an older PC (XP Pro) - an NVidea 7600 GS 512 MB AGP video card, 3 GHz Pentium processor with 3 Ghz RAM. XP and FSX all updated to the latest SPs, etc, etc. Using NHancer and following the more popular suggestions on performance tweaks, my frame rates are actually quite decent as long as I don't invoke detailed clouds.I originally was looking to register my version of FSUIPC because it is the only program that will allow me to map spoilers (Level-D 767) to a lever on my Saitek Pro Flight Yoke (default spoilers is a toggle on/off rather than discrete deploy and retract commands, and mapping it to my mixture lever will give me a good visual cue on spoiler status and operate them in a variable fashion). But looking at it's other capabilites, I was intrigued about the weather improvements it makes to FSX and if - for my purposes - I even need to spring for ASA.I was all set to purchase ASA as well, but my limited performance capability with the current system precludes "eye candy" weather programs such as REX2 (or does it?). :( That's OK - but I hate shooting approaches in 500 overcast & 1/4 mile vis and yet still see the outline of the REILs from the FAF! And blue sky between cloud layers is just so wrong. Will the registered version of FSUIPC help me with that?

[Pete Dowson 558]

My question first - how capable is the registered version of FSUIPC at improving basic weather depictions by FSX (deluxe) without having to purchase ASA +/- REX2?

It doesn't. It has some weather FILTERS included, mainly to help with frame rates.

Some background on what I have and what I am really looking for or expecting... I currently run FSX on an older PC (XP Pro) - an NVidea 7600 GS 512 MB AGP video card, 3 GHz Pentium processor with 3 Ghz RAM. XP and FSX all updated to the latest SPs, etc, etc. Using NHancer and following the more popular suggestions on performance tweaks, my frame rates are actually quite decent as long as I don't invoke detailed clouds.

Ah, FSX. FSUIPC can't really do much at all with FSX weather, except for older FS9 weather programs setting its weather -- then it can restrict its number of cloud layers, things like that.

I originally was looking to register my version of FSUIPC because it is the only program that will allow me to map spoilers (Level-D 767) to a lever on my Saitek Pro Flight Yoke (default spoilers is a toggle on/off rather than discrete deploy and retract commands

Are you sure about that? I thought spoilers (speed brakes) were an assignable axis in FSX?

... and mapping it to my mixture lever will give me a good visual cue on spoiler status and operate them in a variable fashion). But looking at it's other capabilites, I was intrigued about the weather improvements it makes to FSX and if - for my purposes - I even need to spring for ASA.

Sorry. you can download and install it and read the full user documentation. It you do that you'll find out that the weather stuff is mostly not applicable EXCEPT for external programs setting their weather THROUGH FSUIPC -- as they all did before FSX.

... I hate shooting approaches in 500 overcast & 1/4 mile vis and yet still see the outline of the REILs from the FAF! And blue sky between cloud layers is just so wrong. Will the registered version of FSUIPC help me with that?

No. sorry. I use ASA (and/or ASX -- I've not yet made up my mind which is best with FSX). There are lots of options in ASA and ASX about how you want it to work, and many of them will certainly help preserve your frame rates.It isn't that I want to lose a paying customer, but I don't want you to buy FSUIPC under false impressions. (Just more questions for me to fend later, eh? ;-) ).RegardsPete

[leeflet 0]

Wow - a response from Pete himself - I couldn't ask for a better authority on answering my questions! Let me say from the outset that I have heard great praise for what you have accomplished with FSUIPC across the board; your knowledge and guidance in the various forums makes you - at least in my eyes - the Obi Wan Kenobi of the flight sim world. And even though that may sound funny, I say it with great respect (and perhaps a little humor).I really appreciate your candor in explaining what FSUIPC can and cannot do with respect to weather. It sounds like I may be able to achieve what I want (at least with respect to weather) with the unregistered version of FSUIPC plus ASA - and not have to worry about REX2 or other graphics add-ons to ASA (not that I'm cheap so much as I am trying to save my frame rates). Again the eye candy is not as important as a generally accurate depiction (low vis without seeing the REILS peeking through 10 miles out, actual overcast above me rather than blue skies, etc). Using the registered version of FSUIPC can, however, improve performance with its "filters" - possibly improving my frame rates with ASA. Is what I mentioned in this paragraph essentially correct?What I wanted to discuss just a bit more was the issue with spoilers. I fly the Level-D 767, and FSX maps spoilers only as a toggle (just like the gear!). That means I press the same button to both deploy and retract, rather than separate discrete commands for retract and deploy. The problem with that is - while I can glance at the main panel and actually see the gear handle - it's not so easy to get visual feedback on the spoiler handle without opening another window (extra keystrokes and lower frame rates just when I don't want them). In other words - when I hit the spoiler button - am I deploying or retracting? Hmmm - better look at the wing from an economy class seat to be sure... It sounds like FSUIPC can map the spoilers to an axis such as the mixture lever (I use the Siatek Pro Flight yoke and throttle quadrant). That would enable not only a big visual cue on spoiler position (the physical Saitek lever), but enable variable deployment of the spoilers as well. Is it my understanding that FSUIPC (registered version) can give me this capability? That alone could be worth it...I appreciate your input - thanks!Lee

[wiltzei 15]

Pete, what weather related settings you personally use in FSUIPC?

[Pete Dowson 558]

It sounds like I may be able to achieve what I want (at least with respect to weather) with the unregistered version of FSUIPC plus ASA - and not have to worry about REX2 or other graphics add-ons to ASA

Correct. Though FEX and REX do provide very nice cloud graphics, they can ge a bit hard on frame rates.

Using the registered version of FSUIPC can, however, improve performance with its "filters" - possibly improving my frame rates with ASA

No, not on FSX, because ASA uses SimConnect directly, not sending weather through FSUIPC as on FS9. However, there are enough options in ASA do do the same job. Just tweak.

What I wanted to discuss just a bit more was the issue with spoilers. I fly the Level-D 767, and FSX maps spoilers only as a toggle (just like the gear!). That means I press the same button to both deploy and retract, rather than separate discrete commands for retract and deploy.

But with an axis assignment you can just move the speed brake lever where you want!

It sounds like FSUIPC can map the spoilers to an axis such as the mixture lever

But so can FSX. Just go to Options-Controls-Assignments-Axes and scroll down. It's there!The extra FSUIPC can give you is a calibrated area for the "ARM" position.RegardsPete

Pete, what weather related settings you personally use in FSUIPC?

For FSX? Only the smoothing options. Nothing else is relevant if you use ASX or ASA.I've not flown FS9 for years.RegardsPete

[leeflet 0]

Thank you for the great replies - and you are correct in that I can assign spoilers to an axis - I never checked that tab! Interestingly, when I assigned the spoilers to the mixture axis, they would extend but not retract. Very frustrating until I did a Google search and it was mentioned in the SimFlight forums not to test it on the ground but in the air. And that was you!Please let me know if you ever plan to write a book about Flight Simming tech. I'll be one of your first pre-orders customers.Lee