Does using the various smoothing functions of a registered FSUIPC make it any better?

 

Hook

 

Hook

 

Opus recommends that all weather settings in FSUIPC be cleared and off. So, I don't believe it makes any difference.

 

Michael Cubine

Opus recommends that all weather settings in FSUIPC be cleared and off. So, I don't believe it makes any difference.

 

Thanks for the reply.

 

From the OpusFSX Getting Started Single PC manual:

 

FSUIPC4 Settings

In our latest version 2.22 release we no longer believe you need the FSUIPC4 wind smoothing enabled at all. It seems our own unique methods of wind smoothing have now eradicated the erratic winds aloft altogether without any additional safety nets.

 

If you wish to try FSUIPC wind smoothing [ emphasis mine] then the latest version of FSUIPC4 should be installed and the following FSUIPC Winds settings configured (re: the FSUIPC Options and Settings - Winds tab),

 

Enable Smooth wind changes near aircraft. Limit the knots or degrees per second to 1.

Set the number of seconds per knot or degree change to 0. Enable Smooth only when airborne. Enable the Suppress these wind effects, turbulence and variance options. Set Max wind speed up to 1000ft to 0 (default). Set Weather read interval factor to 2 (default).

All other options disabled or set to default values.

 

I don't know the current state of the winds aloft in Opus, as some of the posts are a little confusing and I'm not keeping up with the Opus Flight 1 forums. If you're using the latest Opus version, I think you should be getting some kind of wind aloft smoothing, but the settings have to be right and there may be tradeoffs.

 

In one post (in the "I paid $40 for this" thread at the bottom), Cheryl recommends turning on turbulence effects in FSUIPC if you don't have any cameras set up in Opus, as it's only with the cameras that you get turbulence and it doesn't affect the aircraft, only the camera shake. This may affect gusting winds as well.

 

So bottom line, the use of FSUIPC for weather effects is not set in stone, hence my question.

 

OpusFSX is still a work in progress, and I have no doubt that eventually they'll get wind smoothing working great. People love the cloud depictions in Opus. Some people prefer the camera functions over EZDok. For those people, it would be nice to see if the smoothing functions from FSUIPC deal well with the problems you mention in your prior post.

 

I'm using AS2012 myself, and it already provides everything I want. With the right settings, you can get essentially the same cloud depictions you get in OpusFSX without many of the problems. But AS2012 has some of its own problems; if it didn't I wouldn't be investigating Opus. I don't want to get into an Opus vs AS2012 debate here, just exploring options to make Opus winds and such work the way people want.

 

Hook

Hook

 

See the 3:37am post on November 6 by Opus Software (Stephen) at this link http://www.simforums.com/forums/coming-soon_topic43213_page2.html. I believe version 2.40 when it is released will solve quite a few problems. I don't know what area you fly in but I keep the NGX in the U.S. The winds aloft are generallly from the west or northwest. Right now Opus has them coming from the east. I think version 2.40 will try to correct this.

 

Michael Cubine

I don't know what area you fly in but I keep the NGX in the U.S.

 

I fly low and slow and unpressurized, generally in the US but occasionally fly other places. The only time I get above 9000 feet is when I have to fly over a mountain or to take advantage of winds aloft on a long flight. Upper level winds from the east would be a problem in any case. I have flown higher in some aircraft, so I understand the winds aloft problem.

 

I was responding to the problem in Opus, not specific to the NGX. If nothing else, my Opus research has shown me a lot of videos of the NGX and it looks like a great plane, probably something I'll eventually buy.

 

Thanks for the link. I believe that same info was posted on Avsim.

 

Hook

Wind is somewhat from the east over Baaaaaaaaahstin at FL240 at the moment, but you're definitely right. Most often, in the FLs, you're going to get west to east wind.

Most often, in the FLs, you're going to get west to east wind.

 

In that case, disregard my comment about FSUIPC smoothing. Ain't no way FSUIPC can handle incorrect winds.

 

Sounds like someone used the wrong sensing when interpreting winds aloft, a too-easy mistake to make. For example, when you read "winds 045" do you follow the convention of "winds from the northeast" or the convention of "winds to the northeast"? I understand wind direction conventions are reversed between US and Europe.

 

Hook

I understand wind direction conventions are reversed between US and Europe.

No, they are the same. The only convention is "winds from...".

The only convention is "winds from...".

 

Thanks Michael. I'd talked to a few people from various parts of Europe and they said a "north east wind" was blowing TO the north east, for example. In any case, every time I get a program that features winds, I check to make sure a NE wind is blowing FROM the NE.

 

Still an easy mistake to make, and hopefully just as easy to correct.

 

Hook

 

PS. I like your dog. Had one like that a few years ago.

I fly low and slow and unpressurized, generally in the US but occasionally fly other places

 

Hook

 

I think in your situation Opus with the correct options selected should work okay. When you fly high and fast just learn to live with it or use AS2012. That is what I am doing. I probably split the time 50-50 between using Opus or AS2012 with the NGX. For 10-13 hour flights in the MD-11 I use AS2012.

 

I found the forums confusing until I installed Opus and worked with it. Now there a little less confusing. Just buy it and install it and try to set the options up to your satisfaction by reading the forums and asking questions. Opus and AS2012 can be on the same computer just don't run them at the same time.

 

Michael Cubine

Thanks for the input everyone. Seems Opus, with a few qualifications, is the way to go. Good news especially now that Rwy34.com ATIS is O/S and Airservices Australia no longer supports free ATIS via Twitter anymore. Why would anyone not do that?

 

Gerry

Does Airservices Australia not have a flight-planning portal or something for weather information? Something along the lines of flightplanning.navcanada.ca?

Better still, just go to vatpac.org ad select "pilot assist", you get access to real world routes, charts and metars for Australia.

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