It is a mass hype. I don't know since when you are in the FS business, but this is hardly something new. If they manage to keep it up (the looks), with all other real weather features, well then, my hat down and will get it again.

 

Well I personally don't think it's a mass hype (first I thought it was lol)

 

Decided to see what the fuss was about and to see it in action here local, and it's one of the best WX engine I have tried

regarding WX depiction in FSX and the immersion factor, so after the trial I added it to my WX collection to choose from.

 

Different metars tested and those are spot on so have to try more of course.

 

Actually it's refreshing to see real overcast and weather fronts closing in plus IMC when on approach which I never experienced with the other stuff.

With the correct cloud textures it's real new experience :-)

 

As with new software it takes time but will see when they add the real winds aloft and some other real world stuff in the boundaries of FSX.

 

Wind shifts is a bug in FSX and up until now every weather engine has the problem more or less. (but there is a work around as always in FSX)

 

Hope they will leave the program very clean and not making it a weather studio with all those

settings and useless memory used in the background (both ASE and REXE+ have unfortunately the issue of a larger memory footprint)

 

As for comparison to real world stuff in FSX, the only thing that comes close is

instruments and procedures the rest isn't even close how it's in real life, to see it in perspective ;-)

So if you want to test you're IMC skills just fly with black windows and only via instruments :-)

 

Memory footprint from OpusFSX is great :-)

 

So I will see which one will stay in the longer run, have now three WX engines...

 

Only the WX part is used here local the rest not needed at this point.

Stay away for now, as there are not proper aloft winds and still bad problems with wind shifts. It's perfect for low and slow flying.

 

Thanks, guess thats what I will do for the next while...

Done several flights with OpusFSX now and haven't noticed any major problems. I did have a bit of wind shift during one climb, but with FSUIPC smoothing on it wasn't too bad and during cruise haven't seen any problems with wind at all.

 

I like OPUS very much.

Just for grins I decided try a comparison... I generally fly low-n-slow, on this flight I was a bit faster than normal (using the freeware Piaggio aircraft.) Here's what I did...

 

Started up REXEss Plus + OD, using it's weather engine. Launched FSX from REX and loaded in the Piaggio (empty of passengers/cargo and 70% fuel) at OG39 "Longview Ranch" airport on the Central Rocky Mountains scenery. Took off to the north and swung around back to the south. I switched to an external view and snapped a screenshot (using Fraps), then paused the sim.

 

I used the "Alt + Enter" key combination to reduce FSX to a window. I maximized the REX weather interface and turned it off, then shut down the main REX interface. The FSX window still showed the same imagery, no change. I started OpusFSX and within two or three seconds the FSX window imagery had changed to what is shown in the second image below.

 

I did not compare to a real weather station for that area (I'll have to try that, it's a neat idea.)

 

The difference between what the REX weather engine displayed and what the Opus weather engine displayed was quite remarkable.

 

(click each image for the full-sized originals (still with text added) :

 

REX weather:

-

 

Opus weather:

 

I know it's not a perfect comparison, but perhaps it will lead some other folks to try this method and see for themselves...

Thanks for them grabs Monte, I now use OPUS and you have shown it off very well, I have and can use AS2012 or REXE+OD, I use REXE+OD for textures and use OPUS weather.

 

To call it Hype is...well....lets just say "silly" as I have no reason what so ever to use it over the others. I did use AS2012 over REXE but OPUS is a Clear or should I say hazy winner for me. If I thought different then I would have got a refund from Flight 1...simple.

 

I use Word Not Allowed's tweaks and I would not call them Hype.

 

Looking forward to the winds aloft from OPUS.

Just for grins I decided try a comparison... I generally fly low-n-slow, on this flight I was a bit faster than normal (using the freeware Piaggio aircraft.) Here's what I did...

 

Started up REXEss Plus + OD, using it's weather engine. Launched FSX from REX and loaded in the Piaggio (empty of passengers/cargo and 70% fuel) at OG39 "Longview Ranch" airport on the Central Rocky Mountains scenery. Took off to the north and swung around back to the south. I switched to an external view and snapped a screenshot (using Fraps), then paused the sim.

 

I used the "Alt + Enter" key combination to reduce FSX to a window. I maximized the REX weather interface and turned it off, then shut down the main REX interface. The FSX window still showed the same imagery, no change. I started OpusFSX and within two or three seconds the FSX window imagery had changed to what is shown in the second image below.

 

I did not compare to a real weather station for that area (I'll have to try that, it's a neat idea.)

 

The difference between what the REX weather engine displayed and what the Opus weather engine displayed was quite remarkable.

 

(click each image for the full-sized originals (still with text added) :

 

REX weather:

-

 

Opus weather:

 

I know it's not a perfect comparison, but perhaps it will lead some other folks to try this method and see for themselves...

Opus sure looks nice on those pics. However, I don't suffer drom that unlimited visibility with REXE+ OD. Even with clear weather I have pretty nice "fade" to haze.

 

Does Opus demo have all the goodies in Wx so it gives full picture of all the features. Can I also use just Opus Wx as I'm not that interested in other features and I've also heard of some trouble wiht ezdok and TIR.

Many thanks for those comp shots - VERY informative!

 

A question for all....? Does the camara option in Opus do the same or similar to Ezdok?

Thanks for the pictures and comparisons so far.

 

Regarding the REX shots, I'd have to add the same as TheGrunt. There's a visibility fading and smoothing in REX. It didn't need any setup here. So that clear and unlimited view shouldn't happen. Did REX actually inject any weather?

 

As for the random clouds, you can enable those and even pick the type of your choice. Or leave them off, as you like (and currently have). That 'hard' haze layer gets explained in the manual. It's a legacy feature and some folks wished for it. I have it off.

 

I guess the Opus fans have a huge point on that 'install and forget' philosophy. However, the flexibility the REX interface gives may be used in both ways, good and bad. When leaving some options off or enabling those legacy ones, you will receive what you've asked for. So to speak.

 

The same is true for any other detailed weather addon. For comparisons, it may therefore make sense to post the rough settings.

The Opus demo includes the weather engine, but it's quite limited I believe. Only updates on the ground? Something like that.

 

To be fair, I'm quite sure I haven't got REXE+OD weather engine set up 100% correctly... On the other hand, OpusFSx required no setup of many individual switches, just turn it on and voila.

 

Yes, you can disable the various head-shake and camera options that Opus has. In-game, "add-ons" menu, select the couple Opus "disable" commands...

 

 

And an aside... taking the image above, I fired up FSX long enough to start up at my current favorite airport (OG39 Longview Ranch) only to find it socked in and snow covered. No flying today!

 

(click image for original size .png screenshot)

On the other hand, OpusFSx required no setup of many individual switches, just turn it on and voila.

Which is a big pro if everything works out as expected. No doubt about that. The last engine working in that way is the now payware Open Clouds.

 

But I think that one can achieve a nice setup with the detailed stuff too and may even be able to work around this or that downside of the sim itself. Either way, please keep on reporting. I think the Opus soft is very interesting.

The difference between what the REX weather engine displayed and what the Opus weather engine displayed was quite remarkable.

 

And with all due respect, not generally matching what I've seen so far which has been very similar depictions with minor interesting twists for differences. In regards to these, be sure that you've set "Enable Real Visibility" or have set your own vis manually if you prefer. And that haze line? For goodness sake, untick "Enable realistic haze layer". This was put in at user request but even the manual recommends off. It should really be labeled "enable phoney, immersion killing haze layer". That's what's giving you the hard layer.

 

Honestly, while I know everyone's anxious for screenies - be very very careful in reading too much into ANYONE's screen shots. As I'm realizing in trying to do a good evaluation (mostly for myself, as I really haven't decided what I'll be using going forward) there are just a TON of variables that can dramatically influence results, and a ton of mistakes that can be made unintentionally misrepresenting the best presentation of either engine.

 

One other thing I would offer is that subjectively REX makes better (as in more pleasing) use of the REX textures I have loaded than Opus does. Most stratus in particular seems to end up harder and more bland looking. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe Opus' developers use FEX in development and testing. Leaving aside the issue of accuracy, REX textures seem less subtle when rendered by Opus (same texture set) than they do when rendered by the REX engine. That probably shouldn't surprise anyone. Many Opus users recommend FEX or freeware cloud and sky textures and that would make sense if those are what is used to tune.

 

Scott

I've tried both REX textures and AS 2012 textures and no matter how good REX textures look in many screenshots I find them to often look very "cartoonish" when I use them myself so currently I'm using AS2012 textures with Opus and the result is stunning if you ask me. I also tried the freeware textures recommended by Opus with great results for anyone who doesn't own AS2012.

One other quick note on how frustrating this can be. Just tried to get some stuff at KJAC. When I did the grab for REX, the METAR reported few at 5000, brkn at 9000. Those conditions were well depicted. Unloaded REX and loaded Opus and got a completely different looking image with far less cloud coverage. Checked the METAR and sure enough, a new METAR had just come in, changing to few at 5000, few at 9000 which was - wait for it - well depicted in Opus. :-)

 

Scott

REX2 can depict most stuff pretty well when setup correctly...

OK, a couple of quick grabs. First Opus looking NW and NE, then REX with similar views. Note the changing conditions, as skies are starting to clear a bit in KJAC. REX seemed to represent this better, as skies to the east were still broken to overcast, while to the west clearing. Opus presented a more uniform scattered view everywhere.

 

Note too, that the REX shot looking east is actually from the initial grab. I didn't retake it, as the view to the east did not change much in REX, while overhead and to the west did, but I don't want to mislead in any way.

 

 

Opus - looking NW

 

 

Opus - looking NE

 

 

REX - looking NW

 

 

REX - looking NE

 

As noted previously in words, I see more similarities than differences in most situations I've tried so far. The bigger differences have been things that are harder to capture in pictures.

 

Scott

 

Edit: I realize I probably should have selected "Disable Cirrus Clouds" in Opus to better match configs. My bad.