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wanabflyer

Opus and PMDG weather radar?

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Hi Wanthuyr

 

Some of the dialog help text files are slightly out of date so I will update them, thanks for the heads up. The PDFs installed with your software should be relevant to that version but I admit that the documentation for the betas may not always describe the latest feature since Stephen is too eager to post a new version without waiting for me to catch up on the documentation. The online versions of the help relate to the very latest version available.

 

The release notes in your Opus folder will always be up to date and also our announcements of new versions on SimForums http://www.simforums.com/forums/announcements_topic42608_post316136.html#316136

 

Cheryl

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Hi Stephen,

 

As a huge fan of OPUS FSI I am little confused now about weather radar in the newly released PMDG B737NGX for P3d. I found this in the Introduction Manual (paraphrased) ...

 

It is in the Troubleshooting section ... about weather radar not working.
 

They tells us that a Collins WXR-2100 simulation in installed in the PMDG 737NGX (SP1d and later). I says it requires the Active Sky Next or later weather engine software from HiFi Technologies Inc. They state that the reason reason for this is that they are the only weather addon on the market at the time of writing that outputs a '3D precipitation dataset' that PMDG devs can use to realistically simulate 'radar physics'.

 

They point out that this is not possible at the moment with the P3D default weather or any other weather addon, but that they will be working with other weather addon developers to integrate similar technology if they provide it within their program.

 

Are we all at cross -purposes Stephen or are there any grounds for us to look forward to wx radar in the P3d NXG courtesy of our OPUSFSI some time in the future?

 

Regards,

 

Gareth?

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Hi Gareth,

 

Firstly, the Wx Radar data is TOTALLY independent of the actual source of weather, so ANY Wx Radar feature or Addon will work with any weather engine or source of weather data, including our OpusFSI Live Weather, OpusFSI World Weather Themes, or even the sim's own weather or static themes.

 

OpusFSI does not provide a Wx radar addon feature. The data for which must extracted directly from within the sims own memory map as the RequestCloudState SimConnect function has never worked. Wx radar data is totally independent of the source of the weather or the weather engine that injects the weather. Weather engines cannot create Wx radar data as the exact cloud density or cloud state data is needed and it's the sim that positions clouds using the limited number of installed cloud bitmaps.

We will consider implementing such a feature for P3D only when LM repair the RequestCloudState function (as the announced they would some time ago) or provide an alternate means to read the cloud state data via its new PDK interface. However, we would much prefer it if other Addons providing Wx Radar data would cater for any source of weather, as will the REX Wx Radar addon. If not we may be forced to do our own feature or develop our own DLL.

 

If you want Wx Radar in your PMDG aircraft you should purchase the ASN product and use their Wx Radar feature. The latest release of ASN does attempt to force users to enable the ASN weather.

 

However, it is a very simple process to circumvent this by,

 

1. Running ASN and allowing it to validate its licence and enable its Wx Radar data, then

2. KILL the ASN process using Task Manager to prevent it from disabling the Wx Radar feature you have purchased.

 

This will prevent ASN ruining your sim experience by disabling the Wx Radar data, or preventing you from enjoying whatever source of weather you desire, including your saved OpusFSI World Weather Themes. Again, the actual source of weather or weather engine is totally irrelevant with this data.

 

Sorry for the delay in answering you but we've just returned from our holidays. Thanks for your kind comments, very much appreciated.

Stephen :-)

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Stephen, I'm not a lover of hacks or paying full whack for a product I am unlikely to use fully or very often (ASN for me would be wxr in NGX only), so I would vote for opus producing a dll of your own to enable wxr capabilitles please.

 

Happy to pay a bit extra for that (yes even to hifi if they sold wxr dll separately, but we know thars not going to happen!)

 

Cheers K


Kevin Firth - i9 10850K @5.2; Asus Maximus XII Hero; 32Gb Cas14 3200 DDR4; RTX3090

Beta tester for: UK2000; JustFlight; VoxATC; FSReborn; //42

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Just not worth the cost and lengthy time for developing a DLL which is going to hack into the memory map of the sim when first, there are already addons (developers who have developed this already, another one added to the list would mean no developer makes a profit), and second any such development will always be totally incompatible with active products such as FSX-SE and P3D).

 

Kevin you should bare in mind REX have already spent considerable time (as did ASN) to develop there 'invasive' and unsupported Addon. With Opus doing it, by the time we completed the costly development most users would already have purchased a Wx Radar addon already (it would never be cost effective). Also LM have already announced they are going to fix the RequestCloudState function which would make all these invasive unofficial Wx Radar addons completely obsolete. We will also be asking Steam to look at repairing this function as well.

 

My work around above is no hack though. It allows the addon to validate its licence and enable a feature the user has paid for already. It just allows the user to decide what source of weather data they want to use, even the sims own weather, or our OpusFSI World Weather Themes (doesn't have to be live weather or weather from an addon , just weather).

 

Stephen :-)

 

If you still want the detailed and real world OpusFSI Live Weather, or want to enjoy your OpusFSI World Weather Themes, or want to enjoy any other source of weather, you can use the following simple procedure,

 

1. Start ASN, allow it to validate its licence and enable its WX Radar feature.

2. Open the Windows Task Manager.

3. Highlight the ASN process and click on the End Process option.

4. Start FSISERVER and update its weather in the usual manner.

 

Hopefully AS will soon provide an option to disable their weather injection (as we do). This will then allow people to purchase ASN and make use of their textures and Wx radar features whilst still having the free choice of what source of weather they want to fly in.

 

As a further precaution, I would advise, if you wish to use OpusFSI Live Weather (or any other source of weather injection for that matter including static themes) I would advise you to take a copy of this latest ASN version. That way you can always restore it should an update try and spoil things for you.

 

As you know we have always encouraged people to purchase a copy of ASN if they wish to enjoy their Wx Radar feature. Nothing has changed with this latest update although it would have been better if the above procedure was unnecessary each time users want to enjoy a different source of weather.

 

Stephen :-)

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Hi Stephen,

 

Thank you for your comprehensive reply!  Excellent. This depth of explanation is precisely why I am with Opus. As for me I will wait. Besides in another thread I picked this up ... if I may quote you here ...

 

Personally I don't bother with Wx radar (for airliner flying) and find its better to plan my route using the OpusFSI LWA Map with weather data overlays, by considering the precipitation data overlay, cruise level winds or wind arrows, and cruise or upper level turbulence overlays. The above is always much better when flying IFR with the Lancair Legacy or similar aircraft anyway.

 

I thought this comment added some useful perspective to all of this. But of course weather radar is still fun and I have enjoyed it in the Aerosoft Airbus. 

 

I'm please LM are playing ball over the RequestCloudState function. They really do want to please. 

 

Thanks for everything you do for us.

 

Gareth 

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Hiya Tim,

 

Thanks for the tip!

 

I did the ASN 7-day trial some months ago and chose to stick with Stephen and FSI. Anyway, I decided to request a new Trial today but got turned down by their auto registering system!

 

Ha! How precious! As a marketing specialist for many years I find that un-enlightened! Especially when someone goes through the rigmarole of having to download the programme, then register on their system and almost beg for it!  If I was selling a product (and I've had some) and someone wanted to try it out - good grief I'd at least let them have a decent crack at it. Either a longer trial or multiple opportunities... there are lots of ways. Things change, people change. Let's not forget either its a premium-priced product in the flightsim order of things. 

 

So that's a shame! But being a man of integrity I won't go seeking a workaround I don't know of :) 

   

Cheers,

 

Gareth

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The data for which must extracted directly from within the sims own memory map as the RequestCloudState SimConnect function has never worked.

 

This does cause issues and is risky (technically it's reverse engineering to work around missing SDK/PDK functionality) ... I'm hoping LM will provide the necessary support that would provide a level playing field such that all developers (not just REX, ASN, Opus, FSGRW) can leverage the SDK/PDK features.

 

Realistically, everyone and anyone can be a 3rd party content provider ... that's how this all got started and should continue to be encouraged.

 

I have REX, Opus, ASN, FSGRW and frequently switch between them and find it interesting how each product interprets the weather (never exactly the same) which adds a level a variance that I frankly like.

 

LM do listen to reasonable requests and making SDK/PDK features work seems like a reasonable request.

 

Cheers, Rob.

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Basically, if you want to make use of the ASN Wx Radar feature then you should purchase a copy of their product.

 

Your should find the WX Radar feature is enabled after running ASN and allowing it to validate its licence. unfortunqtely, at the moment when you shut down ASN it disables the WX Radar feature and at the moment has NO option to allow users to disable its own weather injection. Hence, at the moment it prevents people choosing their own preferred source of weather, the weather they want to fly in. Hence my recommended solution that allows the Wx Radar feature to remain enabled. I'm sure this will be resolved soon and users will be able to enjoy both the ASN Wx Radar feature (licensed of course) and select their own preferred weather source, whatever that might be.

 

Stephen :-)

 

Additional info...

 

We have asked LM to fix the RequestCloudState SimConnect function and even consider providing a more efficient means of extracting cloud state data, perhaps via their new PDK Interface, an interface we are current using. We have had confirmation some time ago that this fix is down on the 'to do' list so hopefully it will be just a matter of time.

 

We have also asked Steam Edition to consider including the same fix.

 

Considering the current Wx Radar addon options work fine with the Legacy FSX I think the above is by far the best way forward for all parties.

 

Users of Legacy FSX will be able to use the ASN or REX Wx Radar addons or the feature included within the aircrafts own sim code. FSX Steam Edition and Prepar3D users will benefit from the fixed RequestCloudState function allowing all developers to provide or generate weather radar data using a supported method of access.

 

Stephen :-)

 

Hi Rob,

 

Yes they (LM) have listened and have confirmed that it will be fixed so all is looking good. I am sure Steam Edition will do the same as they seem very keen to make great improvements to our beloved fight sim code.

 

Stephen :-)

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I am sure Steam Edition will do the same as they seem very keen to make great improvements to our beloved fight sim code

 

Interesting ... so DG is releasing the SDK?

 

Cheers, Rob. 

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They only need to repair the code at the other end of the standard SimConnect link, the bit of code that generates the requested cloud state data and responds to the SimConnect request. So hopefully they needn't touch the actual SimConnect SDK and should be able to provide the fix within the sims code. It would be great if they could provide something similar to the LM PDK then not only could the data be accessed more efficiently, there would be future support for things like Oculus Rift.

 

Things aren't looking too bad though considering we now have both FSX Steam Edition and Prepar3D flight sim options, both being worked on and improved.

 

Stephen :-)

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Stephen/Rob, good to hear LM and DG are making positive noises :) If its a relatively easy fix in the sims code I hope it could be implemented fairly quickly? Cheers K


Kevin Firth - i9 10850K @5.2; Asus Maximus XII Hero; 32Gb Cas14 3200 DDR4; RTX3090

Beta tester for: UK2000; JustFlight; VoxATC; FSReborn; //42

xaP1VAU.png

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Guest

 

 


If its a relatively easy fix in the sims code I hope it could be implemented fairly quickly?

 

The necessary features are already there in code ... hence how some folks like ASN were able to extract it (intrusively) and make it work for them.

 

 


So hopefully they needn't touch the actual SimConnect SDK and should be able to provide the fix within the sims code.

 

Don't know, but my gut says LM will need to address both code and managed SimConnect SDK.  That's why I was curious about how DG would accomplish this change if indeed it's both sides of the equation that needs changing.

 

Cheers, Rob.

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