Opus cameras or DHM without the weather?

[klamal 282]

Hello.  I hope this is ok to ask and I also hope it hasn't been answered somewhere before(I did a quick google search and didn't find the exact answer)...

 

Anyway, I can't remember with Opus, can you use just the DHM effects without the weather engine?  I want to say I think they are tied together.  Is that correct?  With the upcoming release of Active Sky Next and it's potential to be the end all be all for weather engines, I'm definitely going to be getting it.  However, I would hate to lose the DHM effects provided by Opus.

[Tony P 160]

I would guess to say it probably will work.  Why not go ahead and just try it now before ASN comes out?  Then you can all tell us.  Personally - I use Ezdoc for cameras and Opus just for weather.  

[Opus Software 84]

I certainly do NOT agree with your views of AS, the OpusFSX LWE already does 95% plus of everything that AS has described as doing. They are really just playing catch up and correcting many if the failings in their current weather engine. Opus has been doing all this stuff for nearly two years.

 

We pioneered the use of Dynamic Weather Themes, a phrase coined by Opus, and have included all the benefits that go with using this novel method of weather injection.

 

All DHM is supervised by the LWE, no LWE then no DHM.

 

Stephen

 

Don't believe all the hype, they are just coming around to the weather injection method pioneered by Opus and listing many of the benefits which we have already included as something new. Their hype is purely aimed at convincing you that its all new when in fact its just copying Opus.

 

Stephen

[penta_a 428]

Please forget my comment.

Opus already answered while I was typing my reply.

 

Sorry

[klamal 282]

Yeah, I guess it will remain to be seen then how it performs in comparison.  I will try the demo first but it will be harder to let go of Opus then without the DHM that I've gotten so used to having.  And, I don't really want to get EZDoc if I can help it.

 

But, I guess it must be me and/or my machine then with Opus but I still see wind shifts and cloud "popping" on a regular basis.  A couple days ago I was doing a flight up to ENGM and while at cruise over Denmark, I had a headwind of something like 320/110. Then, all of a sudden, it was coming from 180/110(must have crossed to the other side of the jet stream or something) and the stick shaker sound went off, my A/P disengaged and I nearly fell out of the sky.  When climbing or descending through the magic 19000 feet too you always see the clouds "jump" a little.  Grant it, the weather is still very accurate.  But, these "jumps" completely detract from the immersion.  Even if for that split second.  You can be in clouds one second and then poof, they're gone or have moved.

 

Don't get me wrong, overall it still is the best weather engine out(at least until Dec 9 anyway).  I'd be totally fine not spending the money on ASN if all they do is the same thing and it performs the same way.  But, I think for a 7 day free trial, I have nothing to lose but compare.  Maybe ASN's methods of doing the same thing will perform better on my machine.  Who knows?

[Opus Software 84]

Sorry but it will NOT derive its data from any other weather engine.

 

The DHM software derives its parameter PURELY from the Live Weather Engine LWE. It is the LWE that consults its nearly one million meteorological para erasers and determines in real time both the strength and frequency of the DHM, the synchronised Bump Aircraft turbulence, and now the ButtKicker turbulent vibrations.

 

Without the LWE the DHM controls and supervision is just fixed at a low level and is NOT dynamic in its strength or other parameters.

 

The planned OpusFSI Flight Simulator Interface upgrade in 2014 will work the same way, the LWE will supervise all turbulence effects, DHM, Aircraft Bumps, and ButtKicker vibrations. OpusFSI also goes far beyond what AS is planning with its copycat catchup strategy. Opus pioneered the use of Dynamic Weather Themes and transformed weather depiction in the sim. Others are catching on and trying to catch up, persuading you that they might have something new. But we have already implemented most of what is claimed new.

 

Bottom line though ... DHM, Bump Aircraft, and ButtKicker turbulent vibrations needs and relies on the intelligent control of the OpusFSX Live Weather Engine. It always will.

 

Stephen

 

The latest release version 3.37.5 includes additional anti wind shift measures and many users are reporting perfect winds and zero shifts with it.

 

Of course, nobody except Lockheed Martin and P3D can correct the erroneous ambient wind calculations in the FSX code. That is not going to change. The only solution is to globalise the weather so that the calculations are not needed. We are still intent on providing detailed and varied weather Horizon to Horizon. In all our tests with 3.37.5 we did not see a single wind shift so the new measures which were earmarked for OpusFSI have been working a treat. Some of our users report no wind shifts for a long time, but there are still some wind gradients that FSX will not like. Similarly there are some places on the globe that FSX does not like, nothing to do with shifts. We will also be adding some new methods in OpusFSI which includes completely new procedures for monitoring and intelligently setting wind targets to coax FSX in the right direction without causing any wind shifts of note.

 

If you want to understand cloud popping and why it occurs when you use varied weather patterns then read our Using The LWE which explains what FSX does with cloud.

 

Stephen

 

Please remember, it is Opus Software that has invented and pioneered the use of Dynamic Weather Themes. We are still determined to bring you REAL and VARIED and CHANGEABLE weather. In the RW you can see the changing weather patterns, you can see those towering cumulus up ahead of you. In order to achieve that you MUST inject weather that is both detailed and varied, by its very nature that can cause the buggy FSX code some problems. But our continued development and the new OpusFSI code is aimed at minimising these undesirable results. We also have ideas on preventing most of the cloud popping, even though this is also caused by FSX dragging the cloud boundaries along with it.

 

Stephen

[Opus Software 84]

 

Cloud Popping ...

 

I will see about implementing the new cloud smoothing we had planned for the OpusFSI 2014 upgrade, this promises to eliminate cloud popping during weather updates.

 

This coupled with the recently implemented anti wind shift measures in release version 3.37.5, which have been shown to almost eliminate wind shifts (we haven't had any) then you should be able to enjoy our detailed and varied weather without any of the drawbacks.

 

Stephen

[klamal 282]

 

 

Bottom line though ... DHM, Bump Aircraft, and ButtKicker turbulent vibrations needs and relies on the intelligent control of the OpusFSX Live Weather Engine. It always will.

 

I'm not sure if this was in response to my post but I should have worded mine better.  Yeah, I understand that cameras are tied to the weather engine and I thought that was the case.  So, my last post when it talks about trying ASN and comparing was just solely referring to the weather side of things.  If ASN did it better, then I'd have to seriously consider if I wanted to lose the DHM stuff.

 

Again, I am not meaning any offense by this posting...As I said, your product is the best out there right now.  Maybe ASN is just copying the methods that you have already pioneered.  That's fine with me.  I don't care.  That's business.  Everyone copies a good idea and at the very least (hopefully) does it just the same or possibly even improves on that idea.  Maybe they found a way to do it slightly different/better and it works on my PC as they advertise.  In the end, all I want is no more cloud popping, wind shifts etc with as realistic as possible weather.  I don't care who provides me with that, just as long as it happens.

Cloud Popping ...

I will see about implementing the new cloud smoothing we had planned for the OpusFSI 2014 upgrade, this promises to eliminate cloud popping during weather updates.

This coupled with the recently implemented anti wind shift measures in release version 3.37.5, which have been shown to almost eliminate wind shifts (we haven't had any) then you should be able to enjoy our detailed and varied weather without any of the drawbacks.

Stephen

 

I'm going to have to check my version when I can too.  It's possible that I'm a couple revisions behind(not too far I don't think as I know I upgraded not that long ago).  Anyway, I'll give 3.37.5 a shot and see how that works for me over the weekend.  Then, I guess either wait for you to take care of cloud popping for good or be tempted by ASN(if they already have that taken care of.

[pinlifter 502]

It sounds like this new Flight Simulator Interface in 2014 has some promising additional capabilities Stephen.  I don't know the workings and or dynamics behind cloud popping, except that its an FSX thing and no fault of OPUS, but it would seem as though a 3 to 5 second "dissolve" could be implemented so instead of the weather changing at the snap of a finger, it would slowly fade into view.  Yes, the weather would literally change in front of your eyes, but dissolving between the changes instead of cutting/popping in would make it much less noticeable.

 

Looking forward too all future updates :smile:

[pinlifter 502]

I was just throwing out a random time length for a dissolve Kevin, but yes I agree, even one in upwards of 10 seconds (or more) would be very nice.  Maybe Stephen and Cheryl have some good stuff cooking behind the scenes on this very topic that they will soon share more about. 

[Opus Software 84]

This is the OpusFSX forum chaps.

 

The smoothing is done over a period of 5 minutes something similar to what our smoothing will do but ours is controlled by distance. I am not implementing the full OpusFSI in the current OpusFSX though as the weather inject procedures (and YES we DID invent and pioneer this method !!!) are very different.

 

No more talk on those just trying to play catchup and copy our ideas please.

 

Stephen

[pinlifter 502]

Sounds good to me Stephen!

[Opus Software 84]

P.S.

 

Any cloud cover that is injected at distance will condense into view as you fly towards it and dissolve out of view as you fly away from it. That's what the cloud draw distance does. Hence, full cloud smoothing allows cloud to slowly condense into view as you fly toward it !

 

Stephen

[klamal 282]

Sorry.  I wasn't trying to promote anything here.  I was just originally concerned with the technical possibility of what I originally asked.  That's it.  My apologies if this took off too far down a path I did not intend.

[Opus Software 84]

That's OK Kevin. We have been testing some new Cloud Smoothing software and have had great success in watching the clouds condense and dissipate as you fly toward or away from them. We were going to include this in our new OpusFSI product but we are now considering including this in the current OpusFSX.

 

Cheryl