Popcorn clouds continue in 2.5.12944

[nudata 10]

There seems to be little reporting of this on the Lockheed P3D forum. Everyone here should at least add to the issue there. A hundred complaints gets more attention than 2 or 3 with the rest on a this user forum.

[TrafficPilot 121]

I have REX but prefer the default P3D clouds with ASN. No popcorn or weird shapes anymore.

[virtualstuff 758]

I have REX but prefer the default P3D clouds with ASN. No popcorn or weird shapes anymore.

 

Correct and that's my point ;-)

[autogyro 18]

Hi,

have you a set of REX4 to suggest?

 

Thanks

Hmm, I'm on REX soft clouds so I can't recall which REX4 set I used to use. I think it was one of the middle ones. Unfortunately might just need to pay around with some until you find a good compromise.

[CrownCityMisfits 58]

The issue is very simple in my opinion.

 

Popcorn clouds happen because you have cumulus sprites being used to render thin bands of cloud layers. Remember that clouds are just 2d pictures that rotate to your direction (a sprite).

 

The size of the sprite is determined by the thickness of the clouds layer. The thicker it is the less noticeable popcorn.

 

You can artificially upsize the clouds sprite by using cloud.Fx (a P3D fix).

 

You can elect to use stratus clouds instead of cumulus clouds (a REX theme fix) or you can adjust settings in ASN to adopt thicker cloud layers (ASN fix).

 

End result though... Low altitude thin bands clouds should not be rendered using a cumulus cloudset, nor should cumulonimbus clouds be injected by your weather engine as anything but a massively thick cloud layer.

 

Thanks Auto - posts like these always remind me that when it comes to the technical side of simming, I'm usually talking out of my @$$. :blush:  I appreciate the feedback.

[Richard Sennett 2,499]

Thanks Auto - posts like these always remind me that when it comes to the technical side of simming, I'm usually talking out of my @$$. :blush:  I appreciate the feedback.

 

LOL Good one Aaron

[Super Six-Four 5]

This issue and the water are why I still have FSX. I jumped in with 2.4, and felt that the clouds have taken a step backwards from X.

[ReinBijlsma 0]

REX Texture Direct is to blame. I had the same popcorn-clouds in Prepar 3D2.5 as described above. Tried with ASN and Opus FSI: no difference. Tried cloud.fx tweaks: horrible.

Then I decided to disable REX Texture Direct and to install REX Essential Plus Overdrive HD again, with the P3D support. Et voliá: Problem gone. Beautiful clouds, no popcorn anymore, no broccoli-like shapes. 

If I combine it with the seperate REX Soft Clouds package ( not the one integrated within REX Texture Direct ) I still have the beautiful clouds we used to have in FSX.

 

So don't use REX Texture Direct for now until this is fixed. 

 

Another advantage of using REX Essential Overdrive is that I now have nice acceptable wave heights, beautiful sea-surfaces  and no giant Tsunamis anymore. 

[pincopanco 5]

 

If I combine it with the seperate REX Soft Clouds package ( not the one integrated within REX Texture Direct ) I still have the beautiful clouds we used to have in FSX.

 

 

This is a contradiction, since Rex Soft Clouds replaces the clouds of REX Overdrive, just as it does with the clouds of REX 4 Direct.

So, the culprit can not be REX 4.

[ReinBijlsma 0]

This is a contradiction, since Rex Soft Clouds replaces the clouds of REX Overdrive, just as it does with the clouds of REX 4 Direct.

So, the culprit can not be REX 4.

I did not state that Rex Soft Clouds is to blame. REX Texture Direct is. The way the program inject its stuff into P3D is far different from the way Overdive does. Installing textures within Overdrive takes a lot of time, so I think they are different from the ones used by TD. TD installs them within seconds. Also you have a lot more textures to choose from if you use Overdrive. 

[virtualstuff 758]

I did not state that Rex Soft Clouds is to blame. REX Texture Direct is. The way the program inject its stuff into P3D is far different from the way Overdive does. Installing textures within Overdrive takes a lot of time, so I think they are different from the ones used by TD. TD installs them within seconds. Also you have a lot more textures to choose from if you use Overdrive. 

 

Well it's actually simple with REX Overdrive the textures are compressed stored on your drive

and during install they have to be decompressed that's why there is a delay during decompressing and then copies the stuff over.

With REX texture direct the textures are stored in there native format on your drive and with install the program just copies the stuff over ;-)

This can be from 1 texture till a lot lol it depends on your selection.

 

As for the so called popcorn clouds the only valid test is with default clouds ;-)

[pincopanco 5]

I did not state that Rex Soft Clouds is to blame. REX Texture Direct is. The way the program inject its stuff into P3D is far different from the way Overdive does. Installing textures within Overdrive takes a lot of time, so I think they are different from the ones used by TD. TD installs them within seconds. Also you have a lot more textures to choose from if you use Overdrive. 

No, for low-level clouds, all addon (REX overdrive, REX4, Rex soft, AS2012, etc.) simply go to replace the file "cumulus01.bmp.

[CrownCityMisfits 58]

Then I decided to disable REX Texture Direct and to install REX Essential Plus Overdrive HD again, with the P3D support. Et voliá: Problem gone. Beautiful clouds, no popcorn anymore, no broccoli-like shapes.

 

Interesting. I own REX:OD but haven't used it since TD was released. I may give this a try, and report my findings. Thanks.

[Richard Sennett 2,499]

Interesting. I own REX:OD but haven't used it since TD was released. I may give this a try, and report my findings. Thanks.

 

Yes interesting but OD was so painful installing themes - hmm always something with simming - never a dull moment or rest for that matter

[CrownCityMisfits 58]

Yes interesting but OD was so painful installing themes - hmm always something with simming - never a dull moment or rest for that matter

 

SO painful indeed. But if I can get 1 REX+OD theme to look like it did in FSX, I would settle on that and be a very happy P3D simmer. It's worth a try.