Been using Active Sky for years. AS 16 is the best I have ever experienced in a flight sim. 

I love it. I have been using Active Sky since 2004. It keeps getting better. I tried one flight on the trial license and purchased it.

 

Greg

I've been using AS since fs9. AS16 is a step above ASN is every way shape & form. :wub:

I find AS16 a vast improvement. Better coverage (overcast is now overcast - never seen that before) and a great improvement in FPS and performance, given the coverage density it displays.

Using the trial, the app tells me that I have to set cloud density to max to have full overcast. Does that mean to set cloud layers to max? Doing this costs about 5-10 fps. Am I missing something here? Also noticed that the menu options are 90% the same as in ASN. I see an improvement in cloud depiction but wonder if it's worth the hefty price tag for the update. Apart from that, does anyone know why the Prepar3D version costs more than the FSX one? I believe that a new product should not make a distinction years after the release of Prepar3D.

AS16 is a definite improvement over ASN. I highly recommend it.

 

Greg

Using the trial, the app tells me that I have to set cloud density to max to have full overcast. Does that mean to set cloud layers to max? 

 

That's referring to the "cloud coverage density" setting inside P3D.

I like it.  My first impression is that everything is a lot faster, whether it's loading or displaying.

It seems to demand a lot less resources, so I can fill the sky with heavy clouds.  At least that is what it seems like.  I've only done some pattern work with the A2A Comanche using the GNS750 since I installed it.

... Also noticed that the menu options are 90% the same as in ASN. ...

 

First of all - 90% (if not 99%) of the improvements done in AS16, are made 'under-the-hood' and can't be determined by the options in the application! 

 

... Apart from that, does anyone know why the Prepar3D version costs more than the FSX one? I believe that a new product should not make a distinction years after the release of Prepar3D.

 

The Prepar3D version is different than the FSX version! There's new technologies in Prepard3D like visibility improvements which are taken advantage of. It's only natural, that more and more developers make 2 seperate releases, as the difference between the two sims grows. 

 

I can certainly understand it. It's two different SDK's and has become two very different simulations. I do admit, though, that it's a bit steep - but on the other hand, I use ActiveSky on EVERY flight. And each new version of ActiveSky always improves and enhances things quite dramatically - this versions, no expection IMO.

That's referring to the "cloud coverage density" setting inside P3D.

Thanks, missed that one.

First of all - 90% (if not 99%) of the improvements done in AS16, are made 'under-the-hood' and can't be determined by the options in the application! 

 

 

The Prepar3D version is different than the FSX version! There's new technologies in Prepard3D like visibility improvements which are taken advantage of. It's only natural, that more and more developers make 2 seperate releases, as the difference between the two sims grows. 

 

I can certainly understand it. It's two different SDK's and has become two very different simulations. I do admit, though, that it's a bit steep - but on the other hand, I use ActiveSky on EVERY flight. And each new version of ActiveSky always improves and enhances things quite dramatically - this versions, no expection IMO.

Agree that ASN was/is a great product. Hopefully the trial will convince me to buy the latest version.

It will convince you. Better wind, visibility and turbolences. No squeezed clouds in the northern countries anymore and finally a great coverage. 

 

Here some pictures with AS16 + ASCA.

 

 

.".. Apart from that, does anyone know why the Prepar3D version costs more than the FSX one? I believe that a new product should not make a distinction years after the release of Prepar3D."

 

 

As stated above P3D now has extra facilities.

 

More important P3D is still under development. In three years time FSX will still be FSX. Not one line of computer code will be different.

 

P3D may well be 4.4!

 

ASN was adapted throughout its life to cover major changes in P3D. It saw me through P3D 2.1 through 2.5. Then 3.1 through to 3.3.

No additional charges and (from memory) Hifi were always one of the first developers to update their software to cope with whatever LM threw at us.

I like that you can now have absolutely clear skies with AS16 if the weather situation calls for that.

With ASN this was almost never the case.

 

What i did not like is that there seems to be more cloud popping,  like when i tried to climb through a cloud it suddenly vanished.

 

 

Marcel