Found out that just changing a single art control dataref (it's called something like "fog_start_lo_alt") from default 0.1 to negative values (e.g. -5.0 or -10.0), the fog depiction improves a lot.

 

The problem is that in this case the environment remains foggy even when there's high visibility. However a simple LUA plugin dinamically altering the dataref as a function of visibility, would probably work very well.

 

However it's a pity that so many improvements to the visual engine (fog, clouds, etc.) could be easily made by the developers at Laminar but are not. They would solve a lot of current shortcomings in the visual rendition in the sim.

 

Screenshots before:

 

 

 

After:

 

 

 

 

Couldn't this be integrated with the RTH settings and menu? I mean, you are right, the 'artwork value' improves a lot with small changes.

WOW!

Looking ery realistic!

[...]

 

However it's a pity that so many improvements to the visual engine (fog, clouds, etc.) could be easily made by the developers at Laminar but are not. They would solve a lot of current shortcomings in the visual rendition in the sim.

 

+1

Great findings Murmur!

 

Please give us the proper command to give to LUA, so we can add it to the clouds tweaking script.

 

Can't find that dataref :-(

Great findings Murmur!

 

Please give us the proper command to give to LUA, so we can add it to the clouds tweaking script.

 

Can't find that dataref :-(

 

It's "skyc/fog_start_lo_alt", and I think "skyc/fog_start_lo_alt_old" if you're not using volumetric fog.

 

I also discovered that there are datarefs for the moon position... It's a pity you can't override them though, a single overriding dataref would have made getting correct ephemeris easier by letting moon position datarefs writable.

It's "skyc/fog_start_lo_alt", and I think "skyc/fog_start_lo_alt_old" if you're not using volumetric fog.

 

I also discovered that there are datarefs for the moon position... It's a pity you can't override them though, a single overriding dataref would have made getting correct ephemeris easier by letting moon position datarefs writable.

 

We can always ask Austin for that...

 

"Austin, please fix the torque bug OR give us datarefs to properly set the Moon coordinates ! "

 

Thx for the dataref Murmur!

As long as you pretend it's the year 2014, the moon coordinates are correct. You'll notice no year is specified in the time & date settings... it seems to be fixed to 2014 or another year in the cycle where the moon behaves the same way, not the current year.

I wrote this lua script ;

dataref("vis", "sim/graphics/view/visibility_terrain_m","readonly")

function set_fog()

	  if vis < 16098 and vis > 12093.5 then
	    set( "sim/private/controls/skyc/fog_start_lo_alt",-0.2)
	    set( "sim/private/controls/lights/mix_weather_fog",0.25)
	  end

	  if vis < 12093.5 and vis > 9543 then
	    set( "sim/private/controls/skyc/fog_start_lo_alt",-1.2)
	    set( "sim/private/controls/lights/mix_weather_fog",0.5)
	  end
	  
	  if vis < 9543 and vis > 6288 then
	    set( "sim/private/controls/skyc/fog_start_lo_alt",-2.2)
	    set( "sim/private/controls/lights/mix_weather_fog",0.75)
	  end

	  if vis < 6288 and vis > 3183.5 then
	    set( "sim/private/controls/skyc/fog_start_lo_alt",-5)
	    set( "sim/private/controls/lights/mix_weather_fog",1)
	  end

	  if vis < 3183.5 and vis > 0 then
	    set( "sim/private/controls/skyc/fog_start_lo_alt",-20)
		set( "sim/private/controls/lights/mix_weather_fog",1)
	  end

	  if vis > 16098 then
	    set( "sim/private/controls/skyc/fog_start_lo_alt",0.1)
	    set( "sim/private/controls/lights/mix_weather_fog",0)
	  end
end

do_sometimes("set_fog()")

As you can see I played with the data ref Murmur posted here , but also changing the way lights look like in fog (lights are bigger and scattered usually.

The "phases" I made are done carefully , so for example when you are approaching to runway , with default and modified fog you'll still see the runway at the same point (important for minimums att final approaches) , but the modified will look better at the close horizon.

Thanks for the script mtaxp. What does the "mix_weather_fog" dataref do?

Thanks for the script mtaxp. What does the "mix_weather_fog" dataref do?

 

This lightning effect:

 

This lightning effect:.

 

 

 

 

 

Outstanding! Big improvement and should be standard in XP. Nice work.

Outstanding! Big improvement and should be standard in XP. Nice work.

 

LOL it's a real shot I found on google

 

(Taking that you quoted this specific comment)

 

Nevertheless , some shots in Xplane:

 

 

 

Still very nice!! Give that man a cookie!

Nevertheless , some shots in Xplane:

 

The second shot is incredible!

 

However in my case the fog depiction seems sorta disappear at night.

Can you provide that same shot at full night?

The second shot is incredible!

 

However in my case the fog depiction seems sorta disappear at night.

Can you provide that same shot at full night?

 

You are right , the same here.

 

That's because the lights aren't really casting light on the fog ; it's a bigger topic I think , that street lights can light the atmosphere in real life.

When watching a city from far away , you can see an orange "glow" above it.

 

that doesn't happen in Xplane , or any other simulator.