One of the things that has always annoyed me about FSX weather is that just as you are about to enter a cloud it disappears. I know cloud permanency is an issue HiFi has worked on and made some good progress on. But I was wondering if you could say if this is something that you think you could one day eliminate completely or is it something that is always going to remain to some degree. I was also wondering if this is something you could elaborate on as to why this happens.

Not sure I understand your comment. When I fly through the clouds, they get wispier and dissolve as I go through but they do not disappear. If you mean your clouds actually disappear (blink out) as you approach, then something else is happening.That's one of the best things about ASE - flying through cumulus clouds and getting that flash of brightness as you near the other side and then becoming transparent as you pass through.Possibly your system setup/settings/power.Vic

The effect I am referring to is visible if you go to spot view and look at the plane from a top down direction. You will see that as the plane is about to enter a cloud the cloud evaporates, or at least part of it does, just as the plane touches it. From a forward view the effect is less apparent except for the fact that you might notice you only have limited visibility for a very short period of time; much less than the size of the cloud would seem to warrant. This effect is also doubly apparent when you are flying through an overcast layer. Inevitably you are always able to see the ground right under you as you are never exactly in a cloud.

The effect I am referring to is visible if you go to spot view and look at the plane from a top down direction. You will see that as the plane is about to enter a cloud the cloud evaporates, or at least part of it does, just as the plane touches it. From a forward view the effect is less apparent except for the fact that you might notice you only have limited visibility for a very short period of time; much less than the size of the cloud would seem to warrant. This effect is also doubly apparent when you are flying through an overcast layer. Inevitably you are always able to see the ground right under you as you are never exactly in a cloud.

Well, what do you expect? Clouds in FSX are 2D - so this HAS to happen.

Well, what do you expect? Clouds in FSX are 2D - so this HAS to happen.

I don't expect anything. I only hope that there is some promise that HiFi will continue to work their magic and some day find a fix for this like they have on many other weather related issues in FSX which at one point seemed unfixable.

Hi All,Inasmuch as many would like this condition solved, it is a programming issue within FS9 and FSX. No texture program or programming or weather program will work around this. It is just going to be this way due to the graphics engine and the cloud rendering methods used.

Bandsma - I think you're missing the point - a pixel is a pixel is a pixel - it can ONLY do two things - turn ON or OFF. In the top down view, when the a/c approaches the cloud, the pixel can only show the aircraft OR the cloud - not both so it as the leading edge of the aircraft 'cell' approaches it shuts one down and starts to draw the a/c.That is a GIANT oversimplification but basicallt that's it. Also there is nothing that HiFi can do about it - it's a limitation of the way the FSX engine works - I assume you noticed the rotating clouds in top down view - same thing .In normal view, all looks fine.

Hi All,Let's be clear that this is with FS9 and FSX, as there were other flight sims that could show you "cutting" through the clouds.

I ask from the point of naivety, but could you potentially solve this by breaking the cloud down into smaller pieces and cluster them to form bigger clouds? That way a small one that disappears when you enter it within a cluster does not cause the rest of the larger cloud cluster from disappearing. Or how about possibly dynamically change visability?

I ask from the point of naivety, but could you potentially solve this by breaking the cloud down into smaller pieces and cluster them to form bigger clouds? That way a small one that disappears when you enter it within a cluster does not cause the rest of the larger cloud cluster from disappearing. Or how about possibly dynamically change visability?

Could be done, I think, but only if you are happy with 0.05fps :-)

Hi All,No, we cannot re-write the graphics engine in FS! Sorry all, but this will be one aspect of FS9 and FSX that will never change!!