Thanks everyone for your replies. I now have FE and yes, all I can say is WOW! With FS9's real weather the clouds are simply spectacular. Now just one more question. What is the advantage to using AS in manual made and FE's clouds? Does AS manage metar better than FS9? I don't create weather scenerios, but rather take whatever's going on outside and fly with it. I do however look for nasty weather around the globe though :)Thanks againBill

Bill:Yes, ASV manages WX far better than the default FS9 weather engine. You will get more layers, more diverse layers, a better simulation of turbulence associated with certain clouds, a much better dipiction of storms and fronts etc all in real time. Like you, I have no interest in WX scenarios either, but want real time WX.For instance, if you are "threading the needle" through towering thunder storms, you will see the tops towering in many cases above you even at cruise AND you will get the associated turbulence around them. Landing in stormy weather can also be darned scary as I have experienced on many occasions.The marriage of FSV and FE SP2 is simply spectacular. In the history of MSFS the WX in the sim has never looked this good or been more enjoyable.Regards,Mike T.

So going thru thick cloud layers does not create a "slide show" effect? Right now when I go thru heavy cloud formations things get quite choppy. If FE can stop that, then I think I might spring for it. Have a fairly high powered system: FX55 cpu G-Force 6800 ultra vid card 2Meg corsair ram. Would be nice to get away from all that stuttering in the clouds.Thanks,Joe

>So going thru thick cloud layers does not create a "slide>show" effect? Right now when I go thru heavy cloud formations>things get quite choppy. If FE can stop that, then I think I>might spring for it. Have a fairly high powered system: FX55>cpu G-Force 6800 ultra vid card 2Meg corsair ram. Would be>nice to get away from all that stuttering in the clouds.>>>Thanks,>JoeWith that setup you should not have any choppiness even with the default clouds. To me and this is just my personal opinion things seem even smoother in heavy weather/clouds with FE then without it.my rig(laughing out loud to myself, my dad was a truck driver and did not want any of his boys becoming one, so I'm a system engineer and still driving a rig hehehe)P4 3.2 1Meg cache1Gig pc3200ATI X800XL 256and a whole lot of tweaking

Hi Mike,Thanks for your insight. You're explaination was perfect and will be the deciding factor in my buying ASV. Sounds like ASV and FE are perfect together. I'm looking forward to the towering cumulus and white knuckle appraoches. :)Thanks again.Bill

Hi Jim,The installations will not conflict and you will just set up ASV to run in Manual mode. Easier to see this then explain it! No textures will be overwritten.Hope this helps,JimActiveSky Sales and Supporthttp://www.hifisim.com/images/asv_dev_team.jpg http://www.hifisim.com/images/asv_proud_supporter.jpg

>I think he needs one of our "satisfied customer" banners>PeteOK. . . Wellll - I just bought Flight Environment last week - and I think it's the cat's meaow too! I've spent more time flying in the last week than ever! It is one of my best investments in this hobby. Yes every FltSim since FS for Dos, and each one since - and now - because of the RealAir Spit and the MAAM-Sim B25 and your FltEnv - I have a hybrid cockpit in our family room. My wife thinks I've gone totaly nuts. Oh yeah i'm getting on toward 61 yrs old, too. . . Soooo - seeing the above. . . I wonder . . .:-)pj

Bill,Hopefully the fit will be even better.There is an SDK in the works for ASV. Hopefully, PDQ :DThat should allow even better integration of ASV and FE.Time will tell.Wilson

pj,Let's check it out. Any way you can post a picture of your hybrid? And all told, you wife should be VERY happy. . .you have a hobby that keeps you at home!Gary Hawk

Peter,OK, I'm ready to buy FE right now. The screenshots look AWESOME and the feedback from your customers is FANTASTIC! Just a quick question. . .should I wait for "Update 3," to be released or is this going to be like a patch type thing for all users?Also, if you're looking for any new cloud pics. . .I have TONS of air-air digital cloud shots. . .just say the word and I'll launch them your way.Gary Hawk

Hi Wilson,Will either FE or ASV cloud files overwrite the other during installation?>There is an SDK in the works for ASV. Hopefully, PDQ :DOoo, Nice :)Bill

No need to wait for update 3 Gary.Still a LOT of fun with the current version and I'm making a point of keeping customers happy with expansion packs for free. I love making clouds and while customers are there and while they appriciate it I'll make em all week long......There will probably be more updates and they will always be easy to install and uprade for existing customers so no reason why you should wait for update 3. Have some fun now and you won't have any dissadvantage by getting the product now.Thanks again eveyone, always wonderful to hear such postitive feedback. Much apppriciated and welcomed.Regards,

>>You're explaination was perfect and>will be the deciding factor in my buying ASV. Sounds like ASV>and FE are perfect together. You may also explore ASV's own clouds and skies which are not less impressive visually. One thing where FE seems to have edge (at least for me) are DXT3 clouds that do offer performance advantage for some very small penalty in visual quality. But Chris Willis is working hard and there will be native ASV clouds available soon.Michael J.WinXP-Home SP2,AMD64 3500+,Abit AV8,Radeon X800Pro,36GB Raptor,1GB PC3200,Audigy 2http://www.precisionmanuals.com/images/forum/747400.jpghttp://www.hifisim.com/images/asv_beta_member.jpg

Last night I made a flight from EGLL to KJFK in the magnificent PMDG 747-400 (ended 4 PM and went to work four hours later...) . I flew the whole flight from VC mode (I use TrackIR) and using ASV together with Flight Environment. I believe this must be the most immersive flight I've EVER done in a flightsimulator. Just entering the US territory I got the mest beautiful sunset and clouds starting forming up as I left FL350. If you manage to get good FPS the VC of the PMDG 747-400 is simply the best there is and I spent the better part of the flight sitting in the jumpseat. The combination of PMDG, ASV and FE simply blew me away! :)

can someone tell me what's the cloud size of fE, in asv i use 64x64 mip mapped, and that's giving me with screen resolution to 800 x 600 satisfary fps.rickPent 3.2 1024 htasus p4c800hd 200gb 4 partitionsati 9800pro 256 cat 5.8 ATTools21"IIyama crt19" relisys crtwin xp sp2 CH yoke + pedals+ dell laptop for asv ivae etc