The author of CumulusX!, the closest to real soaring weather injector for FSX (preferably with sp2 or acceleration) has released a new update of the program, with bug fixes and a few more interesting features.

 

CumulusX! can be used in demo mode over a restricted area (in Switzerland), or registered to enable the many interesting features it provides for FSX users willing to try realistic soaring flights.

 

Coupled with a good weather injector program, like AS2012, CumulusX! brings, even for real world glider pilots, the chance of flying over their rl areas of flight using RW weather.

 

You can check CumulusX! here! and read moreabout it at an Aersoft forum here.

 

Together with a good glider model for FSX,

, in the "pure" Glider, SelfLaunching and SelSustained versions...

Cool, thanks!

 

For those who don't fly gliders, but don't like their aircraft "riding on rails" in smooth air, CumulusX provides air "texture" (with small up and down movements over wide areas) as well as updrafts and downdrafts and the attendant turbulence with thermals, and ridge lift and sink. Note that these are available in the unregistered version. The demo area is for additional features included in CumulusX. You might also enjoy the cloud shadows that CumulusX casts on the ground.

 

Hook

Great news, thanks for the heads up on this. Sounds like it's back into Wales for some more mountain flying, nice.

You might also enjoy the cloud shadows that CumulusX casts on the ground

 

Exactly Hook, and those have received a nice "retouch" now making the shadows look a lot more realistic.

When coupled with AS2012 the updraft/downdraft/thermal/orographic settings of Active Sky should be turned OFF in order not to conflict with CumulusX!

 

Also, never forget to rename the "thermaldesciptions.xml" (?, or other name not far from this one...) on the root folder of your FSX install because it creates à-lá FSX thermals, which are very poor and unrealistic and conflict with those generated by other weather injectors ;-)

those have received a nice "retouch" now making the shadows look a lot more realistic.

 

The cloud shadows in unregistered CumulusX are only harsh and hard edged if visibility is set too high. Lower the visibility a bit and the shadows are very nice indeed.

 

Thermals should be turned off in Active Sky anyway because the generation of them tends to cause a performance hit, sometimes a nasty one. I had AS options set to high priority process to get the map to update quickly and was getting 8 second freezes in FSX when thermals were generated. I've always recommended CumulusX for those who want thermals. I never cared much for Active Sky's ridge lift, couldn't even see an effect most of the time, but it's great for ridge soaring in CumulusX, and quite predictable.

 

Hook

Any info about how this one goes with Opus or Accufeel?

 

Pierre

Thank you for the 'heads-up'!

Any info about how this one goes with Opus or Accufeel?

 

No problems whatsoever with Accufeel. As far as I know, CumulusX determines the height of the convection layer by interrogating weather in FSX, so Opus should work as well. Since CumulusX a free download, and you don't need to register it, you can give it a try. Definitely register it if you're using sailplanes for some useful benefits.

 

Hook

Ok thanks Hook, I will give it a try.

 

Pierre