Always loved this application in FSX -- here's hoping the same for Prepar3D :smile:

 

http://www.simforums.com/forums/flight-environment-x-2004-beta-for-fsx-prepar3d_topic54943.html

I'm a touch confused...what exactly is it?

Preset weather themes?

 

Complete replacement of textures or something?

Both?

 

 

I'm a touch confused...what exactly is it?

 

I am a bit confused as well. I checked their FSX product page (http://www.flight1.com/products.asp?product=flt1fex) and from the description, it looks like a complete environment replacement package; like REX I suppose.

FEX was around long before REX and is a sky texture, cloud and water replacement texture program.

 

Plus it does something that REX doesn't let you do, it has the ability to create your own sky texture and cloud textures, rather than just picking from presets.

 

I've always thought that FEX was superior to REX, but somehow REX became more popular since they seem to be more active in the community. Although popularity doesn't make them better, it seems people just buy REX because that's what everyone has or they hadn't heard of FEX prior to this, which is evident from some posts in this thread.

FEX is Flight 1's version of REX textures. I used FEX with FSX before there ever was P3D. I still have my FEX copy for FSX. So now Flight 1 is going to make it compatible with P3D,

Here's the one I'm waiting for.

 

http://www.rexsimulations.com/environment.html

 

Dynamic updating of the various environment and cloud textures in real time sound like a game changer.

Here's the one I'm waiting for.

 

http://www.rexsimulations.com/environment.html

 

Dynamic updating of the various environment and cloud textures in real time sound like a game changer.

 

That does sound cool!

 

I'm going to try out this FEX beta to better understand it..

I've always thought that FEX was superior to REX, but somehow REX became more popular since they seem to be more active in the community. Although popularity doesn't make them better, it seems people just buy REX because that's what everyone has or they hadn't heard of FEX prior to this, which is evident from some posts in this thread.

 

Couldn't agree more... Unfortunately, for reasons I didn't really investigate at the time, the team quickly abandoned the project and Flight1 (as the publisher) had to step in to finish the product. As a result, there were no more updates, which is a shame, really, as the quality of what the team managed to finish was excellent.

 

As far as the new FEX P3D beta is concerned, it's the old software and content with just the UI adjusted to inject textures into the new sims, so certain aspects may be outdated (such as water textures, which may not work too well in DX10/11). That said, there are some beautiful sky presets, and the clouds are in a league of their own. I never really got into the REX 'aesthetics', and while I now use REX 4 for water animations and the 'secondary' stuff like runway textures, markings, etc., I still prefer FEX skies and clouds. If you still have it, try "Naturally Dense 2" (not included in the original content, you need to download it from the Main page, page 9 of the "Cloud Themes" section). Best FSX/P3D clouds I've seen, period.

 

Tym

Here's the one I'm waiting for.

 

http://www.rexsimulations.com/environment.html

 

Dynamic updating of the various environment and cloud textures in real time sound like a game changer.

Only if it does so automatically. As far as I can tell this upcoming addon allows you to manually change things and that would totally kill immersion for me. If they find a way to automatically change things depending on the weather it might be interesting.

FEX is Flight 1's version of REX textures. I used FEX with FSX before there ever was P3D. I still have my FEX copy for FSX. So now Flight 1 is going to make it compatible with P3D,

Well, to be more precise: REX is its developers version of FEX. I can remember how their was a rather fierce competition between the two, specially when it came to the utterly useless HD clouds (which was REX's main selling point, forcing FEX to come up with something like that too). After some time the FEX developers left the building and a few years later Flight1 adopted it. Not with much succes up to now. And since (afaik) nothing has been optimized for current sims I doubt it will become a big hit. I do know though that a lot if not most old time FEX users kept on preferring it over REX. There is something about REX I never really liked.

This Environment Force thingy will let you to change and customize the sky/clouds/water textures when in sim, in realtime! So you can darken a bit clouds, make them transparent, click apply and after a second you will see the change in sim. For me this is a game changer since I'm searching for a perfect sky/cloud textures from the beginning of my FSX adventures few years ago, and that mania for visual perfection is still keeping me occupied lol.

I own this program  

 

I always ended up going back to rex and now with rex4 and soft clouds - its a lot nicer and up to date

 

Quick Review from what I remember it was a bit to washed out for me 

 

 

Only if it does so automatically. As far as I can tell this upcoming addon allows you to manually change things and that would totally kill immersion for me. If they find a way to automatically change things depending on the weather it might be interesting.

 

It's a bit unclear, but I'm really hoping it's automatic and no reason it shouldn't be.  The description indicates to me that it might be automatic.  If not, I would think that there would be hooks available so that weather tools can adjust the textures as needed.

 

This feature is compatible with and works on all default or any 3rd-party texture and weather packages.

Installed FEX Beta into P3D 3.1 - running perfect and I am the happiest I have been with clouds / sky and water since FSX 

 

My first choice to use >>> Couds (Naturally Dense 2) Sky (Realistic Blues) Water (Dark)  Waves (Medium Agean)

 

 

Installed FEX Beta into P3D 3.1 - running perfect and I am the happiest I have been with clouds / sky and water since FSX

 

Any chance of a screen shot or two?

Especially of the water.

 

Thanks,

gb.

Great news!!!

 

I always prefered FEX clouds over REX, because i think they look more realistic.

 

Patric