Hello all! I am new to posting on this forum. I have looked for about an hour before deciding to ask.

I restored my laptop to factory settings and was reinstalling all of my items. FSX box, PMDG 747-400, 777-232LR,-300ER. ASN then updated to 4, PFPX(which uses ASN for its weather for route planning). I open ASN first, then PFPX to plan, close PFPX and open FSX. So, after choosing my 777, load my flight plan, which changes my location, I make sure my time is correct, then click on my final box (3) Weather. Under themes it had always given me the option to allow me to choose AS to create along with the other default theme settings. Did I miss something in the ASN settings perhaps? It shows the the SIM is connected when I launch FSX, it is on live mode. I feel like such a noob, because it is probably something like "ASN does it automatically now." I just enjoy flying in as real as the actual weather is. Will it load automatically once I start the flight? Continually change and inject current weather like before etc? I thank you in advance for your help!                                Josh

ASN replaces the default weather engine and basically takes over completely, so no need to open the FSX/P3D weather page.

If ASN is in live mode you are getting real world weather (or near enough) updated as you fly.

If ASN is in Historical mode you can select a date and time in the past and ASN will update that weather as you fly.

If ASN is in manual mode you can choose the weather conditions within ASN just as you would in the FSX/P3D weather dialog.

 

 Page 9 of the ASN user guide explains it thus:

 

To jump right into ASN, just run the program and take 3 simple steps:
 

1.  Configure your Weather
Press the Wx Configuration button to bring up the Wx Configuration Screen. Your
current weather mode is shown. Use the Weather Mode dropdown to select your
desired mode:
 

. a.  Live
Live mode provides automatic updates of actual real-time conditions,
keeping you in sync with real data at all times
 

. b.  Historical
In Historical mode, you select the date/time (within the past 2 years) you
would like data for, and conditions are automatically and dynamically
updated from that point forward
 

. c.  Manual
Manual mode is OFFLINE and does not automatically update. Once you
enter manual mode, the current weather conditions (as last set/downloaded)
are activated, and you can then change the conditions as you desire using a
simple weather-editing interface.

Thank you for confirming that for me! One last question, if you dont mind. Is there a reason I should load the flight plan into ASN after using PFPX, exporting to appropriate folders in FSX and PMDG, then closing it. All the while ASN has been open since it is the first program I open before a flight. I mean is there an advantage?

Coming in a little late here, loading the flightplan in ASN ensures that you have the most accurate weather along your planned route.  ASN will gather all the METAR's and interpolate the weather, averaging if you will, so you do not experience radical changes in the weather as you fly from one leg to another.