It is a great pity you prefer NOT to receive any info from the devs directly. They could inform you best, better than anyone of us.

 

Don't get me wrong, I said no dev's info because the dev already explained what he thought about their software.I just wanted an unbiased opinion from regular customers. Btw, I have opusfsx myself.

Since I own all three I'll give my opinion so far. When it comes to REX E vs AS2012, it's my opinion that there is no comparison. AS2012 handles weather better, has more tools, and the winds aloft data I have found more accurate.

 

That being said, the question for me the becomes do I use Opus or AS? Well so far I'm leaning more towards AS, BUT, with further development of Opus continuing, it has the potential to be a my main WX engine. I can't give specifics at the moment because I haven't done much testing.

Simulated winds aloft. Enough said.

I did a VATSIM flight this evening KCLT-KDFW at FL320 (2320-0145 zulu) and compared winds aloft and temps with NOAA predictions as shown by FS Kneeboard 2 and at this website: http://www.usairnet.com/cgi-bin/Winds/Aloft.cgi

 

While I liked the weather depiction visually, the winds aloft were usually 50-100 degrees off; at times, the error was greater than that. NOAA charts showed prevailing westerlies at 15-28 knots, while my ingame winds aloft as injected by OpusFSX averaged northeasterly...a big discrepancy. Details and screenshots are posted on the OpusFSX offical forum.

 

This is one test, and I am still learning to set up this program, so user error might be a factor here. But for now, winds aloft are much more stable, accurate and predictable as generated by AS2012.

I did a VATSIM flight this evening KCLT-KDFW at FL320 (2320-0145 zulu) and compared winds aloft and temps with NOAA predictions as shown by FS Kneeboard 2 and at this website: http://www.usairnet.com/cgi-bin/Winds/Aloft.cgi

 

While I liked the weather depiction visually' date=' the winds aloft were usually 50-100 degrees off; at times, the error was greater than that. NOAA charts showed prevailing westerlies at 15-28 knots, while my ingame winds aloft as injected by OpusFSX averaged northeasterly...a big discrepancy. Details and screenshots are posted on the OpusFSX offical forum.

 

This is one test, and I am still learning to set up this program, so user error might be a factor here. But for now, winds aloft are much more stable, accurate and predictable as generated by AS2012.[/quote']

 

From what I have read, the Opus devs have already confirmed that winds aloft is currently not properly implemented due to the fact that this would require a global weather system to be used much like AS DWC mode. They are trying to find a workaround that still allows the use of the more visually accurate station based system type.

 

Edit: here is the text from the Opus dev on the other thread:

 

"But if a package uses METAR updates then no matter what package it is it must be subject to all the inherent problems and failings within FSX. It is plain and simple, if you want to try and have localised weather then you MUST clear the sky, wiping the weather clean, then slowly load each METAR into FSX, each time a METAR loads, the screen flickers. I don't know about you but I've never noticed that whilst flying in the RW. Also because of an internal FSX problem, if you want to use true winds aloft then you MUST load GLOBAL weather. I don't know about you but I have never witnessed global weather in the RW. I also like receiving accurate ATIS reports, I want the weather reported as it is at the airfield not where I am."

Can't speak to your main question, but I can tell you as a user of Essentials & ASX (former product from HiFi), I much prefer the weather generation coming out of Essentials. IMO, there is much better variability, unique & realistic rendering of weather formations including clouds & visibility that I don't see in default weather or ASX. The load time in Essentials is poor by comparison, but the weather, to me, is superior. I understand the load time issue in Essentials is being addressed in a patch or service pack.

 

Thanks for the heads up about Opus--I'll take a look ;o)

 

Noel

I was aware of that, Glenn, but it does bear repeating. I had other more minor issues that I've alreay posted about on the developer's forum, but I'm encouraged by the visuals to keep testing Live Weather...but probably just for VFR flights for now.

much prefer the weather generation coming out of Essentials. IMO, there is much better variability, unique & realistic rendering of weather formations including clouds & visibility that I don't see in default weather or ASX.

 

ASX is a much older product, and most people who want to compare OpusFSX/Essentials are comparing it to AS2012 which is miles ahead of ASX.

ASX is a much older product, and most people who want to compare OpusFSX/Essentials are comparing it to AS2012 which is miles ahead of ASX.

 

Sure. Even so, I prefaced the entire statement with the an admission of the context of my comment, that it wasn't addressing the main concern, and stated up front my experience. I think it's relevant for anyone to pick up what they can from others who are familiar w/ at least one of the products they are considering. Put another way, if I had expressed a very negative opinion about Essentials that would be meaningful, especially from someone only familiar w/ an allegedly inferior version of the comparator.

Just my .02 worth of Opus Weather.

 

I own AS2012, ASE, REXessentials, and now OpusFSX for weather injection. I have been a staunch supporter of Active Sky products since the freeware days when he started years ago. I've been using AS2012 since if first came out for all my NGX flights and now my VFR flights prepping for my weekly flight lessons.

 

I bought OpusFSX this weekend and honestly IMHO it has the best weather for VFR simulation. I can fly and actually do as I do in the real airplane; pick up ATIS correctly for each airport with correct pressure and winds as its not a global sim but locally written weather. The visuals are good, looking in the distance and seeing a front approaching or clear skies. The seamless flight from clear to partly cloudy to overcast works well. Activesky tends to pop the weather in so your clear and bam your cloudy. Sort of ruins the immersion factor for me.

 

OpusFSX still has a ways to go become a good IFR weather simulator. As stated in previous posts and acknowledged by the developer the upper winds are not working correctly yet. Opus will say there are winds 280 at 14 but in AS2012 it states winds of 255 at 55 so there is still some work to do there.

 

OpusFSX does not have historical weather, or a flight plan form that shows all the waypoints in an FSX plan and gives you the wind, temp etc. Without this its hard to do proper fuel planning for an NGX flight as we all know.

 

OpusFSX is fast though at creating the weather for you. I start the program then start FSX and within 10-15 seconds after starting my flight I have my weather with clouds, winds, etc. No waiting for long downloads and parsing etc.

 

 

OpusFSX has the best support I've seen; which is a very big positive. I posted a question tonight and it was answered by the developer within an hour. A very, very, recent large release came out and I posted a question three days ago and have yet to receive a response <_<. Unlike other commercial ventures where the developer is non existent or you have to use a ticket system and hope nothing gets lost in spam; this is a breath of fresh air. The developer is cordial and will work with you personally to resolve your issues. There is no need for order numbers or full names as Flight1 uses the protected forum which I think all developers should go to even though this developer does not use the protected forum so its very open and honest of any issues for all to see.

 

 

For my VFR flights I will stick with OPUS but when it comes to my NGX or any other tubeliner or high flyer I will return to AS2012 until Opus fixes the upper winds issues.

 

This is my honest feelings after a few days with the product.

 

Sean Green

 

 

PS: Never really used REX weather, tried it once when I bought essentials but just didn't wow me like AS2012 or Opus. Sorry I cannot compare to REX. I do use REX textures though, best in the business.

Sean, that is a thoughtful, detailed, and fair review, and your experience with these programs matches mine. Well done.

Hi

 

You might also like to check out our 'Live Weather Engine Version 2' topic. Hopefully after we complete the next couple of stages in this development cycle and add the true winds aloft, whist still keeping the detailed and varied weather around you, flight simmers who like IFR long-haul flying will also see the benifits of the LWE.

 

Regards

Stephen

FSX Winds Aloft Bug Fix ....

 

First beta release including the FSX winds aloft bug fix, but still giving detailed, varied, and localised true live weather as far as the eye can see in every direction will be released very soon. Most probably by next weekend. Second beta release using simulated winds aloft based on prevailing upper winds (trade winds, jet streams, polar winds, equatorial winds etc.) will follow shortly after.

 

True Winds Aloft ...

 

Once these betas are proven, tried and tested, the next version will include true winds aloft around the globe. Again with not a hint of globalised weather. You will still be able to spot those weather fronts, lines of thunder storms, towering cumulus, etc. appearing on the horizon, out to the west, out to the east, or wherever they are located in the real world. One thing for sure though - they won't be global.

 

Regards

Stephen

Great news, Stephen, and I'm looking forward to trying those, thanks!

 

On a related note, is there any opportunity for the LWE to provide a "preview" of the winds aloft at various altitudes for flight planning puposes? Other weather products provide this, which is useful for both flight planning and FMC programming for those airliner add-ons that provide fully featured automated flight management.

 

Once again, thanks for the great support and drive to make Opus FSX ever better.

Once we have the true winds aloft upgrade complete we will be open to all suggestions from users and we will do our best to provide whatever assistance we can to the IFR flight planning. One possibility would be to prepare a text report file with all the info you need in, that way you could either display it on the screen or print it off. Once I know what info people need I will make suggestions and be open to all other ideas. I could even display a limited amount of wind aloft data in an FSX menu format similar to the sims radio communications menu. Plenty of ideas, it will be open for discussion.

 

Regards

Stephen