Active Sky Cloud Art for FSX & P3D - Released!

[_Pv_ 0]

AS16 and ASCA are designed to work together.  ASCA provides the textures appropriate to the season, lighting, geography and intensity of the weather (calm, stormy, overcast, etc.)

Without AS16, only the static themes are available, the dynamic themes are not.  The static themes however can easily be underestimated.  If you have a certain look you expect of the clouds no matter where and when you fly, you can try out the various static themes, find one to your liking and use it all the time.  No different than loading a cloud texture set before you fly.

You still get lots of variety even with a static theme as you do with all FSX cloud sets because of the seasons, lighting, conditions, etc.  CBs with TS, different kinds of cirrus, mix of layers, etc.

 

One of the most outstanding features not discussed much here is something the other texture tools do not do.  Load textures on the fly- AS YOU FLY while FSX is running.

Among all the static themes from which the dynamic themes draw from is over 150 different cloud textures and cloud types usually not contained with other texture libraries.

With AS16 and ASCA working together, ASCA will dynamically choose appropriately from the different theme library sets ON THE FLY.  This adds thousands of variations to your flying experience you will never get with static libraries.

 

With that said, the simple way of thinking is you can choose a static library which has the type of cloud appearance you prefer to fly with all the time.  This does not mean the clouds will always look the same.  Or, you can (with AS16 running) let AS16 dynamically control ASCA's theme switching to provide infinite variety.  You may not like every cloudscape generated.  We don't always flip over the weather outside our home, but since the dynamic themes are also able to draw from your favorite library (among others) there is the chance you will see portions of your favorite theme once in a while.

 

A "Static Theme" is a combination of various low, mid,  and high altitude non-cirrus, a collection of cirrus, and lighting intensity and coloration.

A "Dynamic Theme" is controlled by AS16 and is a mix and match of Cloud, Cirrus, and lighting from each of the static themes, not always from the same theme.

 

Since there is no better weather engine than AS16 and there has never been a better weather engine by anyone other than HiFi's Active Sky, there is no reason and no advantage to mixing and matching another weather engine to ASCA's effects.  On the contrary, you throw away many of the advantages ASCA provides.

 

-Pv-

[JLSeagull 191]

Heads up... AS16 and ASCA hotfix just released over at HiFi.

http://www.hifisimtech.com/downloads/

[SteveAull 22]

Dancing with the Devil ! ! !

 

I had bought AS16 along with the cloud package a couple days ago. My home station is Owensboro Kenetucky (KOWB) and we were expecting some storms so I thought this would be a good test of AS16 along with my trusty PMDG 737.

 

It had been raining pretty heavy all morning and local wx stations calling for possible flash flooding. Took a quick look at local radar and it confirmed steady rain heading NE into the area generally painting yellow on the radar. To the northwest you could see an outflow boundary of wind heading into the area. Looks like a good time to test things out.

 

Setup the 737 on rwy 18 at KOWB for quick departure to have a look see. Got things fired up in the sim and ready to go. Out the window was overcast and rain. Turn on the radar and I see patches of red all along the departure heading with some gaps that I could weave thru right after departure. The plan was to climb to 15000 look around and head back for an RNAV 18 landing.

 

Looks like I'll have room to get to clean configuration before having to weave my way thru the bad stuff. Ok let get this partty started.Stand the throttles up and hit TOGA and get the climb going at V2+20. Alls looking good in the climb-out and we entered the overcast at about 1800 MSL. Suddenly the plane was hit with downdrafts then updrafts...speed was varing plus or minus 30 to 40 kts...Wait what is that....damn the stick shaker is going on and off...reduce the nose reduce the nose...full power...full power...ok..ok...looks like we are fine now. Lets start deviating to the right...ok we are breaking out of the overcast only to see numerous CB's towering all around me along with blue skies in-between and the overcast below. All the CB's matched what was showing on the radar so I decided I could visually remain clear of the building storms. Some storms I could hug right next to while other would rock the plane so bad that systems where going off-line. Lets head west as the local radar said it would be clear. Also better get on up to 25000 and once clear could do a turn around and have a look at what I had just gone thru.

 

About 15 mins to the west and at FL250 I was in the clear. Decided it was time to turn around and have a look see at the system. Put the heading bug back on KOWB and start the turn back. Wow...what a system...heading back in I could see broken layers of clouds and numerous thunderheads all around the area. Decided to climb on up to FL 350 to see how high these babies were at. Once level it looked like most where at 27000 to 30000, however some were still towering above my altitude.  Ok lets set up for the RNAV 18 and start the letdown.

 

The map was showing red to the south of the airport with some nice gaps to the north so looks like I can make the approach. Lets get down to approach altitude and see. Descending I could visually dodge the storms and back that up with what the radar was showing. Passing thru 10,000 ft and bottom portions of the storms were dark while the towering tops bright white. Passing over some smaller storms would produce some serious turbulence so I would have to watch that. Now on a long right downwind for RNAV 18 I see building storms to north and west of the FAF...do I have time to get in before they hit? Started dropping to 3000 ft and reducing speed to 210 noticed overcast deck to the north and east so I knew I had an out.  As I turned for the long base I could see the storms had drifted onto the final approach course. Ok let head back up to 10,000 so I could breakout of the overcast and visually see the storms and weave my way back out and think of plan B.

 

Looked to the west and thought of and alternate landing at KEVV 30 miles away. Put it in the fix pages and saw that it was not going to work...more damn storms building up around the area. I was hoping I could wait it out but it was not meant to be.  Diverted to Louisville (KSDF) out to the east and setup for ILS 17R. Heading that way I could see only overcast skies and the storms that I had been dancing with earlier where headed that way.  Lets get the speed up and get into Louisville before the storms beat me to it.  Finally set up on final I could visually see the storms closing into the terminal area. Broke out of the overcast for a nice landing on a wet runway to 17R. By the time I got to the gate the storms were about 5 miles to the west.

 

What an immersive experience. All told I ended up flying around for over an hour and a half without ever noticing the time. Also better give the storms a wide birth. Sometimes I could skirt real close and nothing...other times I was well clear visually as well as on radar and still got hammered.

 

Steve Aull

[_Pv_ 0]

Stormy clouds are just part of the turbulent wind and pressure system affecting a wider area, often thousands of miles of it.  Typical for where you live where the entire East Coast and Gulf States can be affected by the same system.

-Pv-

[CFIJose 5,485]

I did a flight last night from KEYW to my home airport KBKV in the amazing F1 Citation Mustang. It was lovely when I departed at dusk from KEYW, but as I arrived to the Tampa bay Area I was greeted by scattered storms. The airplane began to bounce. I had to disable the AP and hand fly to KBKV. I saw lighting in the distance and heard the crack of the thunder. It felt so realistic. I was given vectors by FSX ATC for the RNAV approach to runway 27. I successfully completed the flight. It was a fantastic experience.

 

Thanks to AS16 for FSX.

[757FO 143]

I purchased both AS16/ASCA and I am very satisfied with what I see so far. Thank you HIFI for the hard work!

Happy Landings

John.

[regis9 3,999]

How did you manage that sky color? Are you running AS16 and ASCA in Full Dynamics mode? I've only seen that dark gray sky color near dusk and then it usually has some orange and red highlights to it.

Yes that's using full dynamics. Forgot to mention that I am using some shader tweaks using PA, not sure what impacts that might have

[mikeymike 357]

All I can say is I have been looking at clouds and the sky for almost  3/4 of a century, from both on the ground and in the air, and  the clouds I see in Rex Texture HD + soft clouds, look more  like the real thing  to me. Did they look as good, using ASN, absolutely not. The difference with AS16 is amazing. I find myself flying around on VA flights now, just looking out the windscreen at the clouds. That being said, if I didn't already have Rex soft clouds, and bought ASCA, I would probably stick with it, because I imagine ASCA will be improved over time. I just feel that HiFi Tech is the master of weather engines, and Rex is the master of cloud textures.

 

I just feel that HiFi Tech is the master of weather engines, and Rex is the master of cloud textures.

 

+ 1 mate

[hesynergy 67]

The FPS increase using Rex, and AS16, was immediate. I have been reading so many posts about this upgrade, and this add on and this new version of P3D will get you xx% more FPS, and I have never seen this increase on my system, so I always take these claims with a grain of salt. With AS16, I have gone from 3 cloud layers to 5, and in addition increased cloud coverage density from high to maximum, and my FPS are higher than they were with the lower settings.

 

Bob,

 

1.what texture SIZE setting did you use in Rex?

 

2.how did you uninstall ASCA and reinstall Rex?

 

I guess we need a REX//Soft Cloud/ASCA side-by-side comparison/Shoot-out...if that's possible… how would that be done? It's not just a simple switch between the three… Rather, I imagine, a place saved in the sky with similar types of cloud texture, but there in lies the rub ... What cloud types should be included?

 

Cumulus?

--Cirrus?

---Stratus?

----CumuloNimbus?

----- Google?

 

and I don't even know the difference between them all....http://www.srh.noaa.gov/srh/jetstream/clouds/cloudwise/types.html

 

 

...One of my many sadly lacking skill sets/educations I have yet to give myself or ask for.

 

 

... reading about the turbulence that AS16 exhibits ...we all need may need to start considering three or even four airports in our flight plans instead of two.

 

Thanks, and cheers to all,

 

Chas

[Bobsk8 12,513]

I just flew from Atlanta to Tamp Florida in the 737 -7 NGX. About 50 miles south of Atlanta the lightning and turbulence started at around 16,000 feet and got worse and worse. At one point I was at my cruise altitude of FL390, and I was still in the clouds, and the VSI was going from 1000 ft down to 1,000 up , and it was difficult to change any settings on the MCP, or radio stack due to the severe turbulence. There was a point on the approach into Tampa, where I was thinking that I might have to fly to Miami or Palm beach, because the weather was too bad to land. In all my years of flying home sims, I have never had a flight like this....AS16 has made flying P3D an entirely new experience. 

[Richard Sennett 2,499]

Bob,

 

1.what texture SIZE setting did you use in Rex?

 

2.how did you uninstall ASCA and reinstall Rex?

 

 

 

Only way I found to uninstall ASCA is to uninstall ASCA then delete the backup folder it made in your main sim - then uninstall AS16 reinstall REX textures done - it will not work unless you uninstall AS16 

[4L0M 33]

My name is 4L0M, and I have a problem. Sunday, British Grand Prix, Max Verstappen did a great overtake on Nico Rosberg and I was too busy looking at the clouds over Silverstone.

 

I then turned over to the Wimbledon final and when the camera panned out to the arena shots of the majestic looking Centre Court........ I was looking at the bloody clouds! Lol.

 

I think I may need professional help.

[vgbaron 3,486]

Don't know what to say Rich except that is not correct. There are several combinations:

 

AS16 will auto start ASCA if it is installed however you could just disable all the options, switch to a theme not dynamic, restore backups and thats it.

 

Reinstall the selected REX textures - run AS16 and you are good to go.

 

Now, if you don't like the fact that ASCA auto starts - just uninstall ASCA after restoring the original backups.

 

AS16 works with ANY textures but the dynamic modelling is only with ASCA.

 

Some others have posted in other threads how to use both ASCA and REX textures together.

 

Vic

[Samaritano 303]

My name is 4L0M, and I have a problem. Sunday, British Grand Prix, Max Verstappen did a great overtake on Nico Rosberg and I was too busy looking at the clouds over Silverstone.

 

I then turned over to the Wimbledon final and when the camera panned out to the arena shots of the majestic looking Centre Court........ I was looking at the bloody clouds! Lol.

 

I think I may need professional help.

 

Don't get to distracted with the clouds or Lewis Hamilton may get his 4th championship.

[cmpbellsjc 2,960]

My name is 4L0M

 

Whats your last name?

 

Btw, if you go to the PMDG forum you better not tell them your name is 4L0M.