So AS16 had been a guaranteed buy for me, was just using the trial, waiting for PCAviator to list it since I had a coupon to use.  I figured, since I was there, I might as well buy ASCA.

 

Saying I was underwhelmed by the screenshots would have been an understatement.  However, after putting everything on automatic and going for a flight in the rainy bad weather I see out the window right now...  I'm speechless.  It's amazing.  I've flown quite a bit, including PPL lessons, and the weather experience was spot on.

 

Now, it all depends on the type of simmer you are.  I fly from the cockpit and strive for realism, not pretty pictures.  I thoroughly enjoy the talent of those who take screenshots, and have plenty as desktop backgrounds.  However, when I fire up the sim, I have a PFPX flight plan on my tablet, I fly real world routes if it's an airline flight, I use ATC and FS2Crew...  And in that case, ASCA's clouds are very good.

 

Is ASCA perfect?  Not at all.  Some clouds really need some work, and there's just a bit of popping here and there.  Is AS16 worth it?  I'd have paid full price for it anytime.  Is ASCA worth it too?  Well, it depends.  If you aim for realism, absolutely - if your goal is screenshots, I'd say wait.  Judging by the improvements HiFi has baked into ASN during its life cycle, I'm extremely confident that ASCA will be updated and made better very soon.

 

As for REX4 Texture Direct and Soft Clouds, I think I got it for like $15 in a big sale, and I have to say it's a tremendous value.  I'll keep using their ground and water textures for sure.

 

But in the end, I feel like AS16+ASCA deliver an incredibly realistic WX experience, and I'd say miles ahead of my previous ASN+REX4 combo.  It's that good.

 

Tl;dr : Based on screenshots, thought I'd be disappointed by ASCA, turns out I love it, try before you bash!

+1

 

Really like full dynamics option in ASCA: happened to me being surprised by some combinations of sky and hi/low level clouds.

 

Cheers,

So AS16 had been a guaranteed buy for me, was just using the trial, waiting for PCAviator to list it since I had a coupon to use.  I figured, since I was there, I might as well buy ASCA.

 

Saying I was underwhelmed by the screenshots would have been an understatement.  However, after putting everything on automatic and going for a flight in the rainy bad weather I see out the window right now...  I'm speechless.  It's amazing.  I've flown quite a bit, including PPL lessons, and the weather experience was spot on.

 

Now, it all depends on the type of simmer you are.  I fly from the cockpit and strive for realism, not pretty pictures.  I thoroughly enjoy the talent of those who take screenshots, and have plenty as desktop backgrounds.  However, when I fire up the sim, I have a PFPX flight plan on my tablet, I fly real world routes if it's an airline flight, I use ATC and FS2Crew...  And in that case, ASCA's clouds are very good.

 

Is ASCA perfect?  Not at all.  Some clouds really need some work, and there's just a bit of popping here and there.  Is AS16 worth it?  I'd have paid full price for it anytime.  Is ASCA worth it too?  Well, it depends.  If you aim for realism, absolutely - if your goal is screenshots, I'd say wait.  Judging by the improvements HiFi has baked into ASN during its life cycle, I'm extremely confident that ASCA will be updated and made better very soon.

 

As for REX4 Texture Direct and Soft Clouds, I think I got it for like $15 in a big sale, and I have to say it's a tremendous value.  I'll keep using their ground and water textures for sure.

 

But in the end, I feel like AS16+ASCA deliver an incredibly realistic WX experience, and I'd say miles ahead of my previous ASN+REX4 combo.  It's that good.

 

Tl;dr : Based on screenshots, thought I'd be disappointed by ASCA, turns out I love it, try before you bash!

 

Thanks for your opinion. This is very valuable input as I'm also that kind of simmer. Airline flying without overcast and just those nice looking puffy clouds everywhere has become quite boring to me recently. I'm really looking forward to do some real IFR flying once I have purchased AS16+ASCA.

Agree. I've got several trips in the logbook since AS16+ASCA was installed, yesterday a marathon KDFW-VHHH trip. It looks good.  Sure hope for improvement in rendering of CB clouds, but even that has come a long ways in past couple years. What I noticed immediately was the frame rate drop I used to always get with overcast/undercast sky has been minimized. This is a much appreciated improvement.

+1 to dynamic weather

 

Michael Moe

Here Full Dynamics ...

Here Full Dynamics ...

Just did a VFR from KEGE to KDEN using Full Dynamics. Amazing speed of sourround clouds. Placebo?

 

Thanks Michael Moe

Here Full Dynamics ...

 

Same here only skies left off ;-)

Agreed. Asca does need work, but I trust hifi will make it better. They back their products with great support and updates. I don't regret purchasing both as it adds a lot of immersion and realism with as2016.

I'm going with the new REX product.  I just hope that they have a stand-alone Wx engine which is the reason I originally went with ASN.  I do like REX clouds also.

 

Cheers

jja

Given that this is HifiSim's first venture along complete integration, I think they have done well and will improve with age. Dont forget that the provision is still there to use REX soft clouds and textures. I for one am very happy with the accurate weather depictions. This has the makings of the weather benchmark for other developrs to aspire to.

 

 

and there's just a bit of popping here and there

 

Hi Max, great feedback.  By popping, do you mean some of the textures in the foreground, or do you mean the instant reload from a theme to one of the dynamic sets?  There is a known issue with in FSX and Prepar3D where the "Z-Order" causes slight texturing to appear on the surface of some of the clouds.

 

Robert

The first to flights I found the Blue of the skies to blue.

But then we got fair weather and that Blue had the same color and tone.

My favorite REX Sky was not Blue enough.

 

Keep in mind that bloom settings ( I use them ) and monitor settings also have their inuence.....

Given that this is HifiSim's first venture along complete integration

 

Well, not really. AS6 (released in 2006) combined a weather engine with textures in one package and in 2007 XGraphics was release as a seperate addon, just like ASCA, to go with ASX. HiFi ditched the graphics part with the next version, ASA. After that came ASE and ASN and now HiFi is back with another texture addon. So no, it certainly is not their first venture. I am sure there was a reason why they ditched the graphics part in the past: hopefully for all you buyers HiFi will make serious business of this graphics part now and in the future.

 

EDIT

O, wait, I checked online to see what I just said was correct and I totally forgot about AS2012 which was yet another version that came with graphics included, like AS6, so not in a seperate program. That one is even more recent than XG. I do wonder why HiFi keeps on adding and removing and adding and removing and adding and removing that graphics part. It doesn't help to build confidence for future support. But well, as long as they keep on making the best weather engine out there, I don't really care.  :wink:

Well, not really. AS6 (released in 2006) combined a weather engine with textures in one package and in 2007 XGraphics was release as a seperate addon, just like ASCA, to go with ASX. HiFi ditched the graphics part with the next version, ASA. After that came ASE and ASN and now HiFi is back with another texture addon. So no, it certainly is not their first venture. I am sure there was a reason why they ditched the graphics part in the past: hopefully for all you buyers HiFi will make serious business of this graphics part now and in the future.

 

EDIT

O, wait, I checked online to see what I just said was correct and I totally forgot about AS2012 which was yet another version that came with graphics included, like AS6, so not in a seperate program. That one is even more recent than XG. I do wonder why HiFi keeps on adding and removing and adding and removing and adding and removing that graphics part. It doesn't help to build confidence for future support. But well, as long as they keep on making the best weather engine out there, I don't really care.  :wink:

 

Thank you for pointing out my inaccuracy, I hope other readers have taken it onboard so that I have not confused them.