I have struggled with Active Sky through all their hundreds of patches and updates, REX, everything, and now I hoped for a miracle:

(from your web page):

 

 

No more unrealistic clearing of the weather prior to updating.
No more annoying screen flicker as METARs are slowly loaded into the sim.

 

But then, taken from the forum:

 

don't be too alarmed if after an update your cloud coverage thickens, diminishes, vanishes, or new cloud suddenly appears.

 

 

- Which one of these extremes are closer to the actual thing?

 

 

Best regards,

Tore Stabell,

Oslo, Norway

Well I obviously think unrealistic clearing of the weather prior to updating and annoying screen flicker as METARs are slowly loaded into the sim totally spoils the immersion. I don't think global weather these other packages provide is very realistic either, no distant weather fronts.

 

Occasional, if any, small changes in cloud coverage hardly causes much of an interference and you can also enable cloud smoothing to minimise the chances of this happening. Also if you don't want to risk these cloud changes then just decrease your weather update times. Simple.

 

FSX has its limitations but for 20 GBP you can't complain too much. Unless you want to spend a few million on a better simulator ...

 

Cheryl

Thank you for replying!

One more question: If I want to fly from A to B, let's say 300nm, and I let the weather from Opus set and then disable updates. Will I then have weather for enroute and destination correct, only one hour old? It is true that with disabled updates it is still changing the weather as I fly?

 

Thank's,

 

Tore Stabell

No. FSX has very limited capability to store accurate weather beyond its immediate weather horizon. You need to have OpusFSX LWE looking after your weather, updating and refreshing it, then you will get accurate weather throughout your flight and at your destination. Make sure you set all Opus defaults, specify your Destination and Max Cruise Altitude before updating the weather and flying. Then everything will be OK.

 

Stephen

OK, I will try that. First flight had many ugly cloud shifts, just like ASA/ASE. But I will do some flights and see.

 

R,

Tore Stabell

Cloud shifting is an FSX design anomaly nothing to do with weather engines at all. Users should realise that no weather engine can position individual clouds within FSX and FSX will always reposition all clouds every time weather in injected. When it does, even though the exact same cloud coverage is specified, the clouds will shift.

 

Not only that FSX will always extend cloud patterns including patches clear sky as it sees fit. You can see this quite easily with our weather maps which show the exact cloud patterns injected into FSX. Even though the cloud has not changed and the exact same cloud patterns injected, it is always possible for FSX to remove a previously extended cloud layer, or enlarge a previous clear patch of sky, resulting in the clouds shifting or popping. That is just how FSX works. If the clouds suddenly disappear then take a look behind you, odds on that FSX has shifted the previously extended patch of cloud back and rendered a clear patch of sky instead or some other cloud pattern that was previously ahead of you. The opposite can be true as well, including extending and retreating cloud patterns that are to one side of you.

 

All these complaints about cloud popping are quite hilarious since users clearly do not understand how FSX renders cloud or decides where cloud patterns should be, whether they should be extended or retreated across weather cell boundaries. Its really about time FSX users started to realise how the sim really works and that these cloud shifts cannot always be avoided.

 

Stephen

My advice would be to try a different simulator for the utopia you are looking for does not exist. Just look at our Lower Level Cloud map within the LWE, assuming the METARs have not changed too drastically you will see the map shift but basically remain the same, showing the same low level cloud coverage. We have measured things far more accurately than that, even if you inject the EXACT same cloud coverage and patterns into FSX through updates that are separated in time, in other words not just by one or two minutes, the clouds can pop in and out of view for no apparent reason. However, there is a reason. FSX will extend areas of cloud coverage, normally in front or behind of you, these patches of either cloud or even clear skies can be extended into adjacent weather cells, extending that cloud coverage or clear patch to surround the aircraft. This is done by FSX, the clouds being repositioned and the cloud coverage being extended or retracted each time the weather is updated and the parameters are recalculated. This is done deliberately for good reasons, to make the overal weather appearance more realistic by not sticking rigidly to any cellular pattern.

 

The end result, when new weather is injected, even with the exact same cloud coverage, the clouds can pop in and out of view. As I said above, if the clouds disappear then either look behind you or in front of you since most likely the cloud edge has just been repositioned. The opposite can be true, clouds which were in front of you in the distance suddenly are move forward to your aircraft. Once again, the specified cloud patterns have not changed, only FSXs decision where to extend or retract the cloud boundaries. This is how the 35 Euro flight sim package that is FSX works and does things. So unless you can redesign FSX and rewrite the code please stop asking or expecting something that cannot be achieved. Of course you could always update the weather once a minute then my guess is the FSX decision making would be more consistent and the cloud popping would not be so noticeable, the individual clouds would still be repositioned, but most major changes to cloud boundaries would be avoided.

 

Stephen

Try it Tore, you'll not only like it (OPUS), but love it.  FSX would be plain and boring without it.  Plus OPUS has the best and most incredible customer service around if you have any issues. 

Many thanks Chris, kind words indeed.

 

Stephen :-)

Gotta say I just bought it to use along with my PMDG NGX and what a difference in the weather immersion factor  I am still utilizing FSX WX textures. Can't wait to see what it looks like with new textures!

 

Great product!

 

 

Steve Aull

Thanks Steve, we recommend HDE (freeware) and FEX textures since they look natural, depends what effect you prefer.

 

Cheryl

I have REX and love what it does as far as textures go, but it can be a misbehaving weather engine when it wants to at times, but this OpusFSX gave me better depiction of weather and no crazy wind shifts in the PMDG 737NG. The cloud shifts seem more behaved than with REX. I think REX is a great weather program and I am completely happy with both. FSX weather engine is old and cantankerous, and I appreciate what all developers are able to do with it. Bought Opus FSX last night and could'nt be more happier. Thanks.

 

Bryan

I agree, OpusFSX has revolutionized FSX weather, It's extremely accurate, and the constant updates are amazing.

 

Thank you stephen!

Thanks for the kind comments, much appreciated.