sounds very good, will be looking forward to that!

Release version 2.24 posted on our website, includes among other things the Low Overcast cloud effect.

 

Regards

Stephen

Thanks Stephen, will be checking it out shortly.

Stephen...check PACZ for example...NOAA is currently reporting 400ft ceiling and 4nm visibility...but im not getting that in the sim where opus is giving a considerably higher ceiling and about 49nm vis. Sometims it gets it right (and its really great when it does!) but im noticing alot of times its getting either the visibility numbers wrong or the ceilings. By the way...I guess you know this but just incase not...in aviation the lowest broken or overcast layer is considered ceiling.

Hi

 

Can you try it with the latest 2.24, we announced a METAR decoding error in the previous version. I will check it out now. If you are using 2.24 then the Low Overcast cloud effect is only applicable to overcast at present.

 

Stephen

 

Hi Dave

 

Just tried it and its perfect,

 

PACZ 051255Z AUTO 19037G47KT 5SM -RA OVC004 06/06 A2922

 

And that is exactly what I have got, our Local Weather Report window is giving exactly the same as the METAR. Also the Low Overcast cloud effect is perfect, disappearing into cloud 400 feet AGL becoming a whiteout!

 

Stephen

 

Just popping into cloud at 400 feet AGL ...

 

yes im using the latest 2.24...the report in opus window is saying 400 ceiling but im at 1500msl and cloud layer is still slightly above me and im also getting nearly 50nm vis. I understand the cloud "effect" or zero vis effect is only working right now for the overcast layer...im just saying that if a broken layer is ever below an overcast layer, then that broken layer should be visible...and in a couple cases so far its not.

 

as i said before though...when it gets it right its really a wonderful experience!...definitely liking it!!

If you have broken cloud then the Low Overcast Cloud Effect will not be bringing the ceiling down to 400 feet. My METAR from NOAA is indicating overcast so I am popping into and outof cloud 400 ft AGL. All other METAR data is 100% correct as well. My vis is 8046m or 5.0 miles, Overcast 400 feet, Light Rain, Wind 190 at 37, Gusting 47, QHH 989mb or 29.22 inches ... Exactly as the METAR.

 

Please give me your METAR and I will decode and check it out. If there is a decoding error then your METAR would not be accepted and hence you would not have the reported weather. But without the METAR I cannot tell or test anything. Please see out Flight1 topic 'Reporting Weather Anomalies...', if you had uncovered a problem we would have had it fixed and a new release posted in no time at all.

 

Stephen

 

P.S.

 

FSX cannot depict low level cloud of any depth so hence even though our engine specifies a broken cloud base at 400 feet, FSX will display it at about 2000 feet, that's what it does I'm afraid. We have introduced a Low Overcast Cloud Effect which works very well in overcast conditons, but any coverage other than overcast will still be displayed in accordance with the FSX/P3D limitations.

Can Opus replicate the wake turbulance, thermals, and up and downdrafts that are built into Active Sky 2012? I had just about decided it was time to move on from REXE, although I'll probably continue to use its textures. AS2012 caught my eye because I'm a low-and-slow in the mountains man and the prospect of getting caught in downdrafts seems to enhance the realism... but then I started reading about Opus and haven't seen one major criticism of it yet, and all the minor ones seem to get solved within a day or two!

 

So will we see these sort of vertical air movement effects in this or a future version of Opus?

 

Or what about AS2012's delayed weather? If I'm flying in Alaska at noon (for instance) it would be nice to fly in typical noon-AK weather rather than middle-of-the-night just because my desk is tied to UK time.

 

Norman

well...whats happening at pacz is that opus isnt showing the same metar as whats being reported at noaa (which had 4nm vis and ceiling at 400. Opus is showing 49nm vis and only broken at 400 (which means then that fsx is showing clouds at 2,000)...but it shouldnt be showing 49 on the vis...and the 400 should be showing as celing instead of broken.

 

from noaa:

PACZ 051355Z AUTO 19034G45KT 2SM -RA BR OVC004 05/06 A2925 RMK AO2 PK WND 19048/1258 SLP909 P0002 T00540055

 

..but opus was showing 49.7 vis and 400 BROKEN in its report window

Thanks, we will check the METAR in the engine. Is this the METAR the LWE downloaded, or have you got this yourself ?

 

Our downloaded METARs are all stored in c:\OpusFSX\Themes\OpusWeather.txt file.

 

Stephen

 

We've checked it and here we are on the ground at PACZ ....

 

Here's your METAR..

 

PACZ 051355Z AUTO 19034G45KT 2SM -RA BR OVC004 05/06 A2925 RMK AO2 PK WND 19048/1258 SLP909 P0002 T00540055

 

Here we are on the ground showing the OpusFSX Local Weather Report ...

 

 

In exact agreement !

 

Stephen

here is the actual metar info found in the opus text file:

PACZ 051325Z AUTO 19035G45KT 4SM -RA BKN004 05/06 A2924 RMK AO2 PK WND 19048/1258 SLP904

 

so, in game opus was showing 49.7 vis...the broken at 400 in game was showing clouds way above that as you said (about 2,000agl). The noaa however was not showing broken...it was cosistantly showing the 400 as ceiling...dunno why opus made it broken.

Hi John

 

See for yourself above ...

 

This image was taken straight after importing your METAR statement.

 

Stephen

 

What is the problem ... Here are the METARs ...

 

PACZ 051325Z AUTO 19035G45KT 4SM -RA BKN004 05/06 A2924 RMK AO2 PK WND 19048/1258 SLP904

 

PACZ 051355Z AUTO 19034G45KT 2SM -RA BR OVC004 05/06 A2925 RMK AO2 PK WND 19048/1258 SLP909 P0002 T00540055

 

The first METAR is Dated, 5th at 13:25 Zulu

 

The second METAR is dated, 5th at 13:55 Zulu

 

There is 30 miniutes difference between the METAR reports. In the first report the weather was giving broken cloud at 400 feet (we all know FSX cannot display cloud down at 400 feet, so it rendered its usual 2000 foot cloud base).

 

In the second report the weather was giving overcast at 400 feet, in this case our Low Overcast Cloud Effect brought the effect of the cloud base down to 400 feet.

 

Stephen

 

There is 30 miniutes difference between the METAR reports. In the first report the weather was giving broken cloud at 400 feet (we all know FSX cannot display cloud down at 400 feet, so it rendered its usual 2000 foot cloud base).

 

In the second report the weather was giving overcast at 400 feet, in this case our Low Overcast Cloud Effect brought the effect of the cloud base down to 400 feet.

 

yes of course, understood..thats not the issue though...

 

if you look at the earlier metar its reporting 4 vis, and the metar opus used here was also showing 4 vis in its text file...but i was not getting 4 vis in game...i was getting 49.7 vis...and i can still reproduce it here by loading the earlier metar into opus.

 

RIGHT now, when opus just downloaded the latest etar it seems to be showing the correct vis though...so its not messing it up every time.

 

I can send you the earlier text file...when i import it its showing 49.7 vis here

METARs change, please read my Flight1 topic on Using the Live Weather Engine.

 

If the NOAA METAR changed and you had not had a weather update then the LWE would have still been working with the earlier METAR showing BKN004 Broken cloud at 400 feet. If you had forced a weather update or waited until its configured settings updated the weather foir tou then the new 13:55 Zulu METAR would have been downloaded and the cloud cover would have changed to OVC004 Overcast at 400 feet - Now our Low Overcast Cloud Effect would have kicked in and lowered your ceiling to 400 feet. As indicated in the image ... it is exactly spot on. As indicated in the second image again in exact agreement with the loaded METAR. I have even loaded your 13:25 Zulu METAR and it too is in EXACT agreement. God knows where you got the vis reading from. Were you airborne or on the ground. In any case we have loaded every METAR.

 

Have you changed your 'Ignore Reduced Visibility ... ' setting !!

 

Stephen

Have you changed your 'Ignore Reduced Visibility ... ' setting !!

 

this is a possibility...what should it be set at?...currently it is checked in the box and is set at "ignore reduced vis>6,000m"

 

I take this to mean that it will ignore reduced vis above 18,000ft, no?....when i uncheck it though, the opus weather reporting window now shows 4 vis (which is correct)...so is the ignore feature bugged right now?...should i avoid using it for now?