AS16 + ASCA + REX Softclouds?

[roland_lfor 245]

The weather program gets the METAR and interprets it - metars are updated each hour - let's say you have your weather program set to d/l weather every 15 minutes - so you could easily be off 1:15 minutes from what is outside your window.

That's exactly what I wanted to write.

Compute the whole sky condition from a few metar messages is (and will stay) a real challenge for any weather engine.

 

Compare an out of the window view with the in-sim depicted weather is, to me, irrelevant.

[anden145 2,284]

Depends on what the METAR says... also keep in mind, that a shower can be very local. Right now here i Denmark (about 15 km north of EKCH) I have quite dense cloud cover - I don't think it's overcast, but dense broken cloud cover with light rain. I loaded up EKCH and was presented with nothing like outside MY window! 

I was a bit mystified - then I saw the METAR for EKCH ... and that matches quite close as to what I would see in the sim. To further investigate, I looked at the MAP in AS16 - and true enough ... there WAS a some rain-clouds north and west of EKCH... but on Copenhagen Airport - no precipitation

[vgbaron 3,496]

Agreed but if you have rain and the sim weather shows clear blue skies - you MUST look at the metar that the program is using. If it says rain - you will get rain. If you're not getting rain - then the metar is wrong, has not been updated or something else is giving the weather program wrong information.

 

There are also times when you are between two reporting stations so you use a TAF to calculate what is EXPECTED weather. Sort of like the weatherman - how often are they right? 

 

I do hear what you are saying, I just think you will never see it 100% correct in any sim with any weather engine just due to the delays, etc. involved.

 

Vic

[Novation 534]

I do hear what you are saying, I just think you will never see it 100% correct in any sim with any weather engine just due to the delays, etc. involved.

 

Hi Vic...... I absolutely do not expect 100% accuracy (I'm a weather nerd and know how often the Met Office is spot-on here in the UK) but if the weather within my location (50 - 100'ish mile radius) is cloud and rain and I get blue sky's with few clouds, and no rain in the sim, then paying for 'real weather' is pointless. I fly mostly in the UK within tight boundaries, so if I want the real thing then I might as well construct it, which is a shame as AS does some nice things with clouds layering.

 

I feel this sort of criticism, and want of accuracy, should not be brushed under the carpet.

[vgbaron 3,496]

I feel this sort of criticism, and want of accuracy, should not be brushed under the carpet.

Not my intention at all. Just trying to make the point that *IF* the metar is correct - the depiction WILL be correct.

 

IF the depiction is incorrect - the metar is incorrect.

 

There is no way to change the "accuracy" without changing the metar.

 

If the metar says no rain and you see rain outside - blame the weather service not the weather program - they rely on the metar.

 

If the weather service comes up with more detailed metars, then I would expect the weather programs to provide more accurate results.

 

I just think you are placing the responsibility on the wrong parties.

 

Vic

[Irishcurse 234]

If the METAR info is wrong its the old saying, garbage in garbage out.

[Bobsk8 12,539]

My local TV weather broadcasts are  lucky if they can report what is going on outside my home, and I live 13 miles from downtown Atlanta.  And folks expect a flight sim weather depiction to be 100%.accurate. That's amusing. 

[FLAPS15 8]

Hi Vic,

 

Got to chime in here, your absolute correct in your assessment, however the key word is depiction..

 

My self today had a metar saying light rain and broken clouds at 700 feet here in the UK. There was so much broken cloud it at slightly below and above it gave an appearance of over cast...no blue sky anywhere.

 

The sim read the metar correctly the Depiction however was wrong it has rain and Hugh blue sky patches that even through shadows across the cockpit at ground level.

 

I whole heartedly agree with you your never get real weather as all weather engines use themes which are part of the FSX P3d make up...AS does an ok job but will never be accurate in that sense.

 

I see where Novation is coming from but alas this is at the end of the day a simulation computer program..and nothing more.

 

Still never say never!

 

Enjoy your flying..

 

All the best

 

Mark

[Bobsk8 12,539]

Flying into Laguardia with AS16 and Rex 4 soft clouds. Looks pretty good to me and just what Weather.com was reporting. 

 

[CFIJose 5,485]

I'm still in FSX and AS16 with REX4 + Soft Clouds is a significant improvement over ASN.

 

There's no demo available for ASCA and so far the pics and videos do not look as good as REX4 + Soft Clouds. If it wasn't for the fact that AS16 has a demo, I would not have even tried it. They have one more sale thanks to their demo of AS16.

 

I'm waiting for Sky Force 3D. That will be epic!

[Mike_CFII_MEL 788]

Hi,

 

I purchased both, then I realized I'd have to purchase six more copies of ASCA in order to use it in one sim setup... Just not worth it. As far as ASCA, there is good and bad. I like the clouds as they whisk past the front windscreen, but I do not like the ASCA clouds themselves, they look like oil based paintings in much of the lighting. I've also noted some repeating clouds right next to one another as though they were stacked, doesn't look right.

 

AS for AS2016, IMHO, it's better than ASN...Network installation was a snap and I welcome the new look.

[CFIJose 5,485]

I like the clouds as they whisk past the front windscreen...

Hi Mike,

 

I saw a similar effect with FSX and REX4 + Soft Clouds. I've never seen that cool effect before AS16.

[mikeymike 357]

I also trailing as16 with Rex soft clouds

 

And hands down. Hifi has down an outstanding job with as16 will be purchasing 100%

 

The fact I can fly in dense weather now with 4xsgssa and no random flashing of lightning with out clouds is a winner

 

As for asca sofar with pics o have seen it does not draw me in to purchasing

 

I am really keen on Rex sky force 3D with as16

 

Cheers

Mike

[Novation 534]

 

I just think you are placing the responsibility on the wrong parties.

 

No, I did say "(or the data it (AS2016) uses to build its weather did not)" so I'm not actually blaming Hi-Fi (or be that REX or OPUS or other weather vendors) I'm just calling into question what 'Real Weather' actually means, and apparently its "amusing" to expect real weather to reflect condition in the air at that time???!!!.... well if I'd just paid £60 for 'real time' weather then I would not be amused frankly... this isn't prediction, it is supposed to be based on 'current' data.

 

I don't expect 100% but I think I got 10% this afternoon, many hours after conditions had changed. To me it renders the feature pointless...... Its 'historical weather' at best, if it works at all

[vgbaron 3,496]

Then I guess you'll continue to fly as you do. Even if the depiction were perfect, with today's weather services you could always be at least an hour behind.

 

And, for the record - it IS based on current data as reported by the weather service. You want a change, get the weather services to provide instant ongoing metars much like the stock exchange ticker.  Not going to happen in my lifetime.

 

Vic