SP3 = Totally confused!?!

[HiFly 16]

Hi Jim! I did review your recommended settings. I find, however, that flying with DWC is unrealistic, IMO. Got to be a better way. I have been plagued with issues that FSX was not displaying what ASE was sending it. I did finally re-install SDK 2 with Simconnect 2 and that seemed to help some of the inconsistencies. I do have registered FSUIPC v4.6 and have experimented with wx setting on and off but I found that when I open WX menu on FSX it most often shows weather correctly in sync with ASE but not being active in FSX flight UNTIL I click the OK button. The weather seems to change along the route but unless I again enter the menu and click the OK again it is never in sync with ASE. I attributed this to a problem with FSX not automatically accessing the information that ASE was sending it in a timely manner. By entering the menu I was manually forcing it. Jim, I DO NOT fly online and therefore do not require constant weather updates. I choose a time that has good IFR areas and download that time in ASE and use that offline for my flights. When I choose an airport destination that ASE shows to have the heavy IMC conditions I want, I expect those condtions to be present in FSX when I arrive. FSX seems to have a habit of changing everything to "clear skies" just when I arrive on final. I have tried suppressing this by selecting dynamic change to "0" but then it seems that FSX will not update to any changes from ASE as I descend to approach. In frustration, I have many times had to just manually enter the ASE displayed weather into FSX and shut down ASE entirely in order to guarantee the conditions I want on approach. Kind of takes the reality out of it!! To the point: I recently installed SP3 which from the vague revision notes seemed perhaps to address the issues I have been having. The new settings in the options window relating to suppression and windlock are totally a mystery to me. I can find no docs describing what they are supposed to do. What is being suppressed? weather updates? FSX changes? Your settings shed no light in that the two features that I was most excited about: windlock and ground suppression, you are not using! Please explain the function of these features or direct my to more comprehensive documentation. Bigger issue, however, is that with SP3, whether on the ground or enroute, I periodically get a scrolled msg: "ASE is updating in standard FSX depiction mode" and for the next 4-5 seconds my simulation drops to 1-2 fps!!!!! This is very anoying and unnecessary. I don't need updates, I am using the same weather originally input by ASE when I began the flight! Obviously something to do with the way I have these new settings. I have tried different combinations at random trying to "suppress" these unwanted updates but seems like I can't get rid of them. I just don't understand how these are supposed to work. As far as the other options you recommend, I have no issues with the settings I have selected for weather depiction only the communication breakdown between ASE and FSX. If ASE does have a working solution, I hope it is not at the expense of frame rates which are being taxed enough as it is with complex commercial addons. I have always been enjoying frame rates in the mid 40's in all but the most intense scenery areas and would not want to have to settle for windows 3.0 type performance in order to get correct weather depiction. Please, Jim, help me out here. I would appreciate it. Thank you Craig

[JSkorna 137]

Hi Craig, We'll start with the simple issues first. If you find DWC Mode unrealistic, then please try Smooth Cloud Mode. Standard Mode is going to cause some stuttering on updates because of SimConnect, not because of ASE. Updates are going to continue no matter what your settings or flying conditions. ASE has world wide weather, but there is no way we can inject all the data into FSX all at once. Stations will still need to be updated as you fly. Try disabling the In sim text messages through ASE. The wind lock option prevents the destination winds from changing, mostly useful for our Radar Contact users. Ground suppression means that weather will not change if your plane is sitting on the ground. For most users that have FSUIPC4 installed for other programs need to use default settings and weather settings Off. I would first start there. It does seem like you are getting some inconsistent communications between ASE and FSX through SimConnect. That can be a tough nut to crack because SimConnect is installed into Windows and is very difficult to repair/re-install without a total OS re-install. I've given you a few things to look at to see if those will help you. so please return here with an update when you get a chance.

[HiFly 16]

Thanks for your timely and informative reply. One question still is a mystery, however. ASE was always updating weather on previous versions and I never saw a hit in frame rates. Why with this version? I believe I was still using build 542(?) before this upgrade. I skipped the one in between. ASE was constantly flashing messages that airports were being updated but again no noticeable frame rate impact. What is it doing differently now that is overtaxing my system? If I were to uninstall SP3 and re-install the older build should I anticipate any activation issues?

[JSkorna 137]

Hi, B542 is very old and didn't have Standard Mode as a weather depiction mode. No, there wouldn't be any activation issues.

[HiFly 16]

My prior build was actually 572 not 542. I tried SP3 again with your settings and it was really bogging me down so I restored my system back before I had updated and it brought me back my 572 with no need to uninstall/reinstall. No impact on frame rates now and since I use FSX ATC (as bad as it is) I never have issue with conflict with AI and assigned runway. I also use offline weather settings. But I still am curious as to why this new build was having such a frame rate hit. Others must be experiencing the same, aren't they? Now I was testing this with my new 737 NGX which is a real resource hog as you know. But, again, thank you for your timely responses.

[JSkorna 137]

Hi, Would like to know what Weather Depiction Mode you were using? That would be the only feature that would effect performance.

[HiFly 16]

I don't understand the question. Where do I select a weather depiction mode? Of course, I now have the panel for B572 up but I don't remember any mode selection option. From memory I put in your suggested settings except that I did not use DWC. I did put in enhanced route and additional stations option as you had suggested but I do not recall any particular mode selection. You also alluded to a Standard Mode in reply #4 above. Where are such modes selected?

[JSkorna 137]

Hi, ASE, Options Screen, General Tab, FSX Specific area, Depiction Mode, 3 choices: Standard, Smooth Cloud Transitions, Direct Weather Control

[HiFly 16]

Thanks. This is not available on 572, as you know, and that is what I have been using prior to upgrade. I am now back in 572 and not using DWC so it must be "standard", but I remember ONLY USING STANDARD mode on the SP3 upgrade. The first 2 flights, I was not bogged down during normal station updates only when it said "standard FSX depiction mode". Most annoying when it kept happening every several minutes even when I was on the ground and several times during miss approach procedure within a few miles of destination. Why the need for update when my plane was still in same area and I was in off-line mode? On my 3rd and final flight with SP3 I used your settings including enhanced coverage and additional stations and this kept me so bogged down it was useless to even attempt takeoff. On another issue, I noticed in the fsx.cfg file for ASE that the upgrade range is set to 500 nm (this was also your recommended setting). Why the need to update such a wide area each time? Wouldn't narrowing the range help performance? We don't need weather updated for Arkansas when we are flying in Wisconsin do we?

[JSkorna 137]

Hi Craig, At this point am I troubleshooting something with B 572 or B 647? Updates are always needed and the range has very little inpact on performance. If you want to reduce it for yourself you are free to do so. But be aware that you may experience strange weather transitions if you lower it too much.

[HiFly 16]

At this point am I troubleshooting something with B 572 or B 647?.

DIscussion is still on point: about frame rate hit I was experiencing in SP3. You had originally asked what mode I was using and followed up by explained what you meant. My answer was that I recall it to have been STANDARD. Again, more specifically, what is going on with the "standard FSX depiction mode" updates that is not going on with the normal weather station updates? I have no frame rate problems during the normal station updates that message across my screen but my FSX slows to a stop when ASE SP3 does its "FSX depiction mode" update. What is so intense about that type of update? Is there a way to deselect it or does that defeat the main benefit of SP3?

[JSkorna 137]

Hi, The Standard Weather Depiction Mode in B 647 address SimConnect in a "Standard" method. This address method causes the FPS frame rate hit that can be present when using this Standard method. It is not caused by ASE, but by SimConnect itself. There are no more updates from Microsoft for SimConnect so there are going to be no more updates from us in regards to this Depiction Mode performance. If a user is experiencing a FPS hit using B 647 and Standard Depiction Mode then we ask that they use either Smooth Cloud Mode or Direct Weather Mode.