First of all, I think you guys are doing an awesome job and I´m really looking forward to the NGX which I´m sure is going to be a masterpiece, just like the previous ones (I own the 747-400 and the JS41 and I they are the only aircraft I fly). And it´s because I fly the JS41 that I have to insist on asking for raindrops on the windshield in the VC. Sometime ago PMDG (I think it was Robert, but I´m not sure) stated that raindrops were not an option for the NGX because the experience is somewhat faulty in the JS41 and to do it properly would mean to animate every single drop individually.Well let me say something, the only fault I see in the JS41, which is done the FS9 way (a sequence of 15 semitransparent images containing the raindrops in motion) is a tiny little pause at the end of the sequence which is barely noticeable. However, the feeling and the way it helps realism on a rainy day is incredible. And because it´s done this way, the impact on FPS in my VERY modest computer is NONE!).Another reason I have heard from PMDG not to include them, is that raindrops in a 737 are almost invisible when flying. Well that is not completely true. It may be though at match .85, but not at approach speed, which is when pilots, by the way, activate their windshield wipers. In fact, there was someone who included a video of a 737 on finals on a terribly stormy weather some months ago and the presence of the rain on the windshield was VERY noticeable and added to the difficulty of the approach.And besides, what about the feeling on a rainy day in an Orbx´s PNW airport, carrying out your preflight checklists with the raindrops falling on your stopped aircraft´s windshield? That´s how I like to fly my JS41, and the fact that this feature will not be included in NGX just breaks my heart...Anyway, I don´t suppose you can change this now that you are so close to release but I beg you to reconsider doing what you did with the JS41 (we don´t need anything more sophistcated than that: basic and non-fps-hitter and yet SO EFFECTIVE) for a future update.Please think about it PMDG. And thank you anyway for what we all know is going to be the best aircraft simulation in a long time.Kind regards,Diego Reig.

Morning Diego,I may be wrong, but as I understand, the lack of rain effects in the VC is an FSX issue.I'm sure someone with far more knowledge will be able to ellaborate on this.Regards

Ben wrote: "I may be wrong, but as I understand, the lack of rain effects in the VC is an FSX issue. I'm sure someone with far more knowledge will be able to ellaborate on this."Hi Ben, yes it is an FSX issue, but it´s a problem that PMDG were already able to overcome in their JS41, as explained previoulsy. I bet they could easily do the same for the NGX if they so decided.Regards, Diego Reig

I agree. Some things don't have to be perfect. The J41 solution works and looks great.

Exactly! If it worked and looked nice in the J41, then why take it away in the NGX. Isn´t that some kind of a step back from what PMDG had already achieved? I mean with the J41´s raindrops you guys managed to break through FSX limitations once again and give everyone back a non-perfect and yet wonderful visual effect that should have always made it from FS9 to FSX. But now you have decided (or so it seems from the last comments I read from PMDG on this matter) to disregard this feature. And I find that a real shame especially because I hate to think that such an incredible aircraft like the one you are about to release will be missing a nice feature such as raindrops when compared to your previous plane.Could someone from PMDG tell me if this matter would at least be taken into consideration regarding future updates?Thank you guys for what is nevertheless an extraordinary aircraft which I am so looking forward to enjoying.Regards,Diego Reig

Flight1 has some kind of VC rain fix in their free download file library section of their website. Don't know if it works though - never tried it.

I may be wrong, but I believe the application of the rain drops effect is limited by the total number of animations that FSX allows for. This is the reason why the icing effects on the J41 cause issues for some users because it pushes the limits beyond what FSX can handle. For the NGX, there may not be enough "room" for the rain drop effect, but it's not released as of yet, so it might be included.

In fact, there was someone who included a video of a 737 on finals on a terribly stormy weather some months ago and the presence of the rain on the windshield was VERY noticeable and added to the difficulty of the approach.

Yeah that was me that posted the video. The only reason I did so was to show that at slower speeds during approach the rain drops are visible.I am also hoping that the rain effects are available on the NGX as either a standard feature or one that can be turned on and off. I must say that on the JS4100 I find the rain drops adds a lot to the emmersion of fly into bad weather, were as without rain drops its hard to even tell if its raining outside.On my not so new computer, I dont even really notice any adverse effects as far as a decline in FPS or induced stutters when flying in the rain in the JS4100 when its raining and the rain effects kick in. The only small thing I dont like about them is that the animations seem a touch choppy compared to the VC rain effects in FS9, however even with that I still prefer them over no rain effects. I have never used the icing effects on that plane though so I have no idea what type of difference it make on performance.I hope they are in the NGX, but at this stage in the game, if they haven't been included already then they probably wont be in the final version upon release. Obviously it wont be a deal breaker for me since this is the one and only a/c that I have every wanted for FSX, so I will buy it on the day its released, but the VC rain would be the icing on the cake as far as visuals go for me.Sean Campbell

Regarding the JS4100, one must remember they added the rain to the VC in a service pack, so even if its not in the NGX RTM, there is hope they can enable it via service pack. I don't know why Microsoft had put in hard limits on things like the amount of animations, lights effects in the cfg, it seems as if they are arbitrary limits. You would think with ever evolving and improving computer capabilities, they would have allowed a higher limit to this kind of coding to future proof the software. They sure as hell knew that when FSX was first released with the capability for the user to run all sliders to the right, albeit they would sacrifice performance with the hardware offered at that time. As a former X-plane user, I appreciated Austin removing such limitations with each iteration of his software, it's a shame ACES was closed before they had the chance to possibly offer more service packs for FSX. It stinks to see such limitations hard coded into the simulation engine, limiting the possibilities for addon developers to further innovate, even though most have found clever ways to get around other limtations (PMDG a prime example of that!)

Yeah that was me that posted the video. The only reason I did so was to show that at slower speeds during approach the rain drops are visible.I am also hoping that the rain effects are available on the NGX as either a standard feature or one that can be turned on and off. I must say that on the JS4100 I find the rain drops adds a lot to the emmersion of fly into bad weather, were as without rain drops its hard to even tell if its raining outside.On my not so new computer, I dont even really notice any adverse effects as far as a decline in FPS or induced stutters when flying in the rain in the JS4100 when its raining and the rain effects kick in. The only small thing I dont like about them is that the animations seem a touch choppy compared to the VC rain effects in FS9, however even with that I still prefer them over no rain effects. I have never used the icing effects on that plane though so I have no idea what type of difference it make on performance.I hope they are in the NGX, but at this stage in the game, if they haven't been included already then they probably wont be in the final version upon release. Obviously it wont be a deal breaker for me since this is the one and only a/c that I have every wanted for FSX, so I will buy it on the day its released, but the VC rain would be the icing on the cake as far as visuals go for me.Sean Campbell

Could I ask you to post the link to that video of your 737 in the storm please?

Could I ask you to post the link to that video of your 737 in the storm please?

Yeah, let me find it and I will post it. It's here in the forum somewhere, shouldn't take me too long to find.Sean Campbell

Matthew, Here's the whole post with the video included. Fast forward to 1:25 or later in the video to see the rain on the windscreen.

Ryan, I hope you guys do include the rain because you can see it when your landing.Take a look at this video shot from a 737 landing in Bucharest forward to the 3:00 min mark http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwFbZFMYHpg&p=4F3300AE157F04E9&playnext=1&index=40 and you can clearly see therain on the windscreen.I hope you include it or at least give us the option to turn it on or off. Personally I like it when taxing, taking off and landing. In cruise at high speed I dont care, plus at that rate of speed you probably wouldn't notice it.Sean Campell

Fsx is getting old :)I would love rain if it where like this one...

Fsx is getting old :)I would love rain if it where like this one...

I agree it looks good, but not sure in a 737, unless you like to fly with your windows open, that is :(

This is not happening guys, sorry. We're at the hard coded animations limit for the FSX engine - doing rain takes up a ton of them and we're not going to sacrifice actual functional/operational things on the aircraft model and VC for something that's really just cosmetic like that. We had tons of problems with the rain effects on the J41 anyway too - it just doesn't play well with such a complex VC model. Once you see the other features that the animations are used for, I don't think you'll miss it.