Rain and Wet Runways

[jfail 2]

I need to be cleared up on something.  I am using OPUSFSI.  It is raining heavily here in the Phoenix, Arizona area today.  OPUS shows the dense clouds etc. that would be associated with that kind of weather.   However, the runways at KIWA/KPHX are dry and there is no rain visibly falling.  Is this a fault of P3D?  I checked with REX 4 Texture support and they say it has nothing to do with textures so I am a little confused where the missing runways/rain effects should be generated from.

 

[Opus Software 84]

Nothing to do with textures or anything like that. It can be one of a few things ...

 

1. Do you have the ASN Bootstrap DLL active. If so this pro active DLL can stop the rain or snow falling so best remove it from the DLL.xml file.

2. Have you opened the Opus Local Weather on screen weather report. Does this indicate it should be raining. Remember, METAR reports are not uploaded to NOAA instantly, they may be uploaded on the hour, every 20 minutes, every two hours, it depends on the site. You will see the METAR day and time stamp listed in the on screen report indicating the day and time the METAR was uploaded to NOAA. The METAR is only reporting the weather as it was at that time and not necessarily now.

3. The rain can be very localised, again check the actual downloaded METAR for your location in the OpusWeather.txt file or using the on screen Opus weather report.

4. Have you specified the default NOAA source for your METARs or have you got the VATSIM server specified. The VATSIM METARs can be old and out of date especially mid week.

 

That should help you determine whether there should be rain falling in your sim.

 

The rain will be injected with the weather (that is a certainty) to reflect exactly what is in the METAR. If the METAR says rain then there will be rain. The only thing that will block this is the pro active (rather naughty) ASN Bootstrap DLL. Its renown for this.

 

Stephen :-)

 

Here's the METARs for the past few hours at KIWA,

 

KIWA 081547Z 00000KT 5SM SCT030BKN035 OVC050 23/23 A2996 RMK TSRA FG

KIWA 081447Z 35004KT 5SM SCT021 BKN035 OVC050 23/23 A2996 RMK TSRA FG

KIWA 081347Z 33005KT 3SM BKN030 OVC050 23/23 A2994 RMK TSRA FG

KIWA 081316Z 03005KT 3SM BKN030 OVC050 23/23 A2992 RMK TSRA FG

KIWA 081303Z 03005KT 1SM SCT035 OVC060 23/23 A2991 RMK TSRA HZ

KIWA 081247Z 03005KT 10SM SCT035 OVC060 23/23 A2991 RMK TSRA

KIWA 081147Z 06005KT 20SM SCT035 BKN070 OVC090 23/22 A2991 RMK TSRA

KIWA 081135Z AUTO 07005KT 7SM TSRA SCT036 BKN070 OVC090 22/21 A2991 RMK AO2 LTG DSNT W P0008

 

For the past few hours they have put the TSRA, FG, and HZ warnings in the RMK section for some reason and not indicated that it there are 'currently' thunder storms and rain with fog or haze level visibility.

 

Stephen

 

KPHX on the other hand is indicating light rain at the moment with recent moderate rain. So I would check your Opus weather report and your weather server settings just in case you are downloading old and out of date METARs. Also check for the ASN Bootstrap DLL which could well be blocking the rain fall, not sure if or how you could stop it doing things like that, it shouldn't be controlling the weather at all unless ASN is running but it seems to do just that.

 

KPHX 081551Z 11004KT 6SM -RA BR FEW010 SCT039 OVC060 24/22 A2993 RMK AO2 SLP116 P0020 T02390222

KPHX 081502Z 02004KT 5SM RA BR SCT007 BKN041 OVC060 23/22 A2992 RMK AO2 VIS LWR N-NE P0003 T02330222

KPHX 081451Z 02004KT 4SM RA BR FEW010 BKN042 OVC060 23/22 A2991 RMK AO2 SLP109 P0029 60106 T02330222 51013

KPHX 081357Z 00000KT 2 1/2SM +RA BR FEW012 SCT027 OVC042 23/22 A2990 RMK AO2 P0004 T02280222

KPHX 081351Z 00000KT 3SM RA BR FEW029 SCT045 OVC055 23/22 A2990 RMK AO2 TSE29 SLP107 P0044 T02330222

KPHX 081329Z 04006KT 4SM RA BR FEW014 SCT027 OVC046 23/22 A2989 RMK AO2 TSE29 P0038 T02280217

KPHX 081320Z COR 03008KT 3SM TSRA SCT014CB BKN027 OVC041 23/22 A2989 RMK AO2 OCNL LTGICCA N-NE TS N-NE MOV NE P0034 T02280217

KPHX 081251Z 33006KT 2SM +TSRA BKN014CB BKN036 OVC080 23/22 A2989 RMK AO2 SLP102 OCNL LTGICCA ALQDS TS ALQDS MOV N P0033 T02330222

KPHX 081233Z 03008KT 2 1/2SM +TSRA BKN016CB BKN036 OVC080 23/22 A2988 RMK AO2 OCNL LTGICCA N AND NW TS N AND NW MOV N P0016 T02330217

 

Stephen :-)

[jfail 2]

I don't have ASN so that is not a factor.

 

I am less than a mile from KIWA and I have checked their METARS (as you did also) and they report no preciptiation.  That is really strange since it was pouring heavy rain here at the same time as their last METARS.  The whole central Arizona area has been hit very hard with rain over the last 12-16 hours.

 

I will just wait for the next rain (which is not very often here in Mesa, AZ) and see what happens.

 

More than anything I was just curious to find out which source; P3D, OPUS or REX actually is responsible for generating the wet runways/rain shown in P3D.

 

Thanks for your detailed response.

[Opus Software 84]

If you want to see the rain as a check, you could use the LWA geo map, overlay Precipitation, and then move the plane to the met station there. You should see rain or at least after the weather is updated again if it a long way away. Another way would be to alter the local METAR in our OousWeather.txt file to add the RA condition, then browse and identify the OpusWeather.txt file in the Import File box, enable the Import METARs From File option and update the weather.

 

Stephen :-)

[jabloomf1230 2,445]

1. Do you have the ASN Bootstrap DLL active.

 

 

To run either OPUS or ASN add the line in red to your DLL.XML file:

 

<Launch.Addon>

<Name>as_connect</Name>

<Disabled>False</Disabled>

<ManualLoad>True</ManualLoad>

<Path>as_srv\as_btstrp.dll</Path>

</Launch.Addon>

 

With that line added, P3d will ask you if you want to load the ASN  bootstrap dll or not. If you want to run ASN, answer "yes". If you want to run OpusFSI answer "no". If you don't want to see this dialog every time you run P3d and just want to run OpusFSI, set Disabled to True.

[Opus Software 84]

Many thanks Jabloomf1230

 

Stephen :-)

[jabloomf1230 2,445]

Maybe your installer should check for the ASN entry and add the line automatically. 

[Opus Software 84]

This post is in response to a rather silly comment which I have deleted ...

 

Please also note, this is NOT a known problem with Opus.

This is a known problem with the ASN Bootstrap DLL which can and does interfere with the weather by turning the rain OFF even when the ASN weather engine is not active. Very simple solution (as above) ... simply disable the ASN DLL in the simulator's DLL.xml file (This problem and its fix have been reported times before, on each occasion the DLL was stopping the rain falling).

Beware ... the ASN Bootstrap DLL is 'pro active' (very naughty) ... This IS what has been commonly known for certain, has been since the release of ASN, so please no more silly comments (the actual silly comment has been deleted by me because it was plainly posted out of ignorance).

 

Also note, for all you non-RW flyers, rain 'outside' of cloud is very common. We experience it in the UK virtually 'every' time we fly in showery conditions and even when over two miles away from any nimbus cloud ! Last week we were over three miles away from any cloud. This effect happens and is real. What the sim does get wrong is by not factoring in the actual cloud bitmap texture heights, the sim can keep the rain falling even when you are well above the cloud tops. This is wrong and we may put a stop to it by direct precipitation control in a future OpusFSI beta.

Stephen :-)

[HUSSAR 272]

 

 

I don't have ASN so that is not a factor.

Hi jfail, have you ever owned and installed ASN on your system?

[jfail 2]

Hi jfail, have you ever owned and installed ASN on your system?

No, I have never had it.

[Opus Software 84]

Then check all the other points, but don't forget to double check the DLL.xml as this has always been the problem before, always ! The DLL will be active even if you have tried their demo.

The LWE will always reflect the METARs which you should of course check and not assume things by looking out of the window, that is the METARs that were downloaded and are in use.

You should also check to make sure your weather is even being injected. Check the Spy window, check your FSXSERVER.log or FSISERVER.log, check your FSIDECODER.log etc.

Perhaps you should also double check your set up and make sure there is no other weather source enable. But DO actually check all the things I am mentioning. If its raining in the METARs then you will get rain unless your system has any of the above problems or some other weather source is active. Please check everything mentioned.

Stephen

[Opus Software 84]

I have no rain at KPHX at the moment because there is none reported at the moment,

 

KPHX 091251Z 11003KT 10SM SCT085 SCT100 27/22 A2989 RMK AO2 SLP103 T02670222

 

There is light rain at KBCE at the moment, as indicated by the LWA Map, and that's exactly what I get,

 

KBCE 091253Z AUTO 28004KT 10SM -RA SCT041 BKN055 OVC075 11/10 A3016 RMK AO2  SLP113 P0009 T01110100

 

There are thunderstorms and heavy rain at KTIP at the moment and that's exactly what I get,

 

KTIP 091250Z AUTO 11003KT 5SM +TSRA SCT002 BKN012 OVC070 17/15 A3009 RMK AO2 LTG  DSNT ALQS P0023 T01730154

 

I take it you are actually Updating the weather after moving to any of these places, or any places in general, and also waiting for the new weather to be downloaded and injected !

 

Remember the sim has very limited capability to store accurate weather over great distances plus the injected theme does not cover the entire weather map. Hence the need to actually Update the weather and Wait for it to be reloaded and injected. You can go by the Opus Local Weather report and the LWA Maps, also you could monitor the weather update using Spy.

 

I can find absolutely no problems with ANY precipitation reported in the current METARs. The OpusFSI weather correctly interprets and injects 100% accurate weather ... it is renown for doing so. You must check your system.

 

Stephen :smile:

 

[jfail 2]

I am in no way disputing you.  I was only curious as to what program is responsible for actually displaying the wet runways (i.e., P3D, OPUS or REX).

[Opus Software 84]

Assuming you can see rain falling then, the wet runway is all down to the sim, so P3D of course. No Addon does any rendering on the screen. But it may need more than our very light rain to show a wet surface, it could also depend on the surface type and even the installed texture I believe.

 

You can always Import a test GLOB METAR of your own and set -RA, RA, then RA, all with a suitable overcast or broken sky. Then see what the surface looks like. Move to different airports with different runway surfaces, update the weather, and check them.

 

It could simply be a texture problem at that airport in which case simply select a different texture for that runway surface.

 

All Opus does is generate and inject the weather, say if its raining or not, and if so at what rate. This is always reported in the weather reports and maps.

 

The rest is down to the sim. Showing a wet runway surface where appropriate which may depend on the texture.

 

Stephen :-)