FORUM ALERT X-Plane 10: Clouds & Datarefs - Questions

[theskyisthelimit 48]

Thank you PecosPete!

 

 

The lua script only modifies clouds. Using better cloud textures than default, could yield even better results.

 

To improve sunrise/sunset instead, you should replace the skycolors png's with mine, and add those two lines in my clouds_XP11.lua script.

Thanks and thanks for all your efforts.

 

The previously linked resources.zip seems to have about 5-6 cloud pngs and two for the sunrise/sunset.. i take it just overwrite the existing ones and that should improve things even more.. in addition to your main lua script and the other sunrise/set one..

 

What about RTH.. do i need that as well (for best xp11 effect).. and if so, the latest version plus your rth script?

 

edit: and i guess there is also clouds gold 1.4 vs clouds hd v2.0 or clouds 1.2  (seems this thread seems to lean towards 1.4).

 

(i currently use xenviro 1.04 for VR, but its often not so grand, so for now i've disabled it and i'm on stock clouds.. these solutions are a better fit till theres an update to fix some things)

[Murmur 3,941]

You should use the latest skycolors png's and lua script.

 

You can use those modified cloud pngs, but good quality cloud textures would be needed to further improve clouds. Unfortunately I'm not a texture artist... :-)

 

I think that RTH uses some of the datarefs that my script uses as well, so if you use RTH together with my script, I don't know what results you will get.

[theskyisthelimit 48]

I decided to also try the NOAA plugin.. (xp 11 beta 8).. it shows up in the menu just fine.. how do i know if i'm pulling actually "real" / "live" metar data from NOAA?  Do i have to edit the flight and do the "real weather" option still?

 

Also.. anyone else have trouble being able to type the metar icao to look it up using the noaa plugin.. window comes up, cant type in the box.

 

Below is a shot utilizing the v11 lua script + hd clouds v2 + Noaa plugin (i think noaa is being utilized)..

 

I'm thinking the clouds though not as "dark" as with default xp11, still look too grey?

 

[Humpty 751]

I decided to also try the NOAA plugin.. (xp 11 beta 8).. it shows up in the menu just fine.. how do i know if i'm pulling actually "real" / "live" metar data from NOAA?  Do i have to edit the flight and do the "real weather" option still?

 

Also.. anyone else have trouble being able to type the metar icao to look it up using the noaa plugin.. window comes up, cant type in the box.

 

If it shows them then it will download the wx data, i am currently not using it as i am using Python 3.0 and it requires 2.7 , but there is a menu where it displays the wx info.

[theskyisthelimit 48]

If it shows them then it will download the wx data, i am currently not using it as i am using Python 3.0 and it requires 2.7 , but there is a menu where it displays the wx info.

Thanks.. By shows them.. do you mean as long as it appears in the plugin menu, then its active?

 

Also.. i added a photo to my last post.. i'm thinking the clouds look too grey, better than too dark though.. unsure.  (and should be 100% coverage i would think)

 

actual metar: 27007KT 240V310 9SM BKN030 OVC037 M01/M07 A2976 RMK AO2 SNE05B24E51 SLP097 P0000 60000 T10111067 53003  (Broken clouds at a height of 3000 ft 

Overcast at a height of 3700 ft)

 

edit: here is an actual picture of the clouds from the lower altitude: 

 

 

EDIT: i had a shaders file still there from the gold 1.4.. put it back to default i end up with this (HD clouds v2)

 

 

If you use strictly Gold 1.4 + NOAA i get this  (i think this one looks the closest, though maybe too grey in spots, needs more variation)

 

Here is also gold + NOAA but WITHOUT the shader file:

 

default clouds just the lua script:

 

lastly here is Murmur's png clouds :

 

 

To me the hd v2's seem more varied (though incorrect at low altitude).. and the gold 1.4 more flat..

 

hd v2 higher:

 

 

gold 1.4 (higher)

 

Here are default clouds with just the lua script going on:  (edit after all this, i think i like the default depiction better, though maybe it depends on the type of clouds? although, if you use gold 1.4 WITHOUT the shaders file, things seem more varied, but i think "default" may be closer to the real world actual view?)

 

[Humpty 751]

Thanks.. By shows them.. do you mean as long as it appears in the plugin menu, then its active?

 

Also.. i added a photo to my last post.. i'm thinking the clouds look too grey, better than too dark though.. unsure.

 

Yes it is active if it shows up.

 

Don't know anything about the clouds thing.

[efis007 884]

"re-color clouds and rayleigh" in sunset phase.

To obtain a uniform variation, the script (experimental) changes the clouds color values every 0.1° step solar pitch.

 

 

 

 

I may need help to improve some details.

Murmur get ready.  :smile:

[theskyisthelimit 48]

So i posted the screenshots above.. pretty happy with gold 1.4 (just the pngs, not the shader script)  + the lua script.. however.. i'm noticing something.. at higher altitudes.. looking down at the ground.. everything has a yellow haze to it..

 

I'm using the clouds_xp11.lua script with no changes.. is there something in this file i can tweak to get rid of the ugly yellow color to everything (ground yellow tint)?

 

EDIT:  i think changing set( "sim/private/controls/skyc/raleigh_scattering_mount",0.100) helped... not sure what this line does

 

Also i changed this line to this set( "sim/private/controls/skyc/gnd_imm_max",2.0)

 

 

Updated to pb9 and noaa plugin no longer seems to pull the weather, even real weather pull down is having issues

[soaring_penguin 428]

What I am missing is the light gradient in clouds: they should be light (white) on top, and (dark) gray from below.

I played a bit myself with datarefs, and came up with this: 

 

above

descending

breaking through the cloud deck

from below

 

 

For those who want to try it out for themselves: copy/paste to a lua script, example own_clouds.lua 

set("sim/private/controls/cloud/sample_opacity", .03)          --.05--

set("sim/private/controls/clouds/light_curve_ratio", .6)          --  0.98 -- 

set("sim/private/controls/clouds/light_curve_power", 4.5)  

set("sim/private/controls/clouds/diffuse_gain", 3)               --  1.00 --

set("sim/private/controls/clouds/ambient_gain", 0)                  -- 1 --

set("sim/private/controls/clouds/cloud_shadow_lighten_ratio", 0.8)   -- 0.5 --

set("sim/private/controls/clouds/overdraw_control", 0.1)            -- 0.5 --

 

edit : I wanted to add that this is with default clouds in XP11

[Richard Sennett 2,499]

Here's some shots using default weather engine (tweaked). They're not perfect, but I think they all look better than your screenshots. This not to say that SMP isn't good, on the contrary, sometimes I see screenshots made with SMP that look very good. My point is that the default weather engine has good capabilities too, but a good artist would be needed to produce good results.

 

Summer cumuli:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Great shots - have to look into what your up too  :wink: does this work on XP11 - thanks

 

 

 

 

 

 

[theskyisthelimit 48]

Anyone care to try these settings and see what they think... when you get ontop of a cloud deck, things are bit washed out.. but any attempt to adjust that to be more visible (clouds) results in too dark when viewed from below.. i'd say this is close to what i was aiming for?

 

 

 set("sim/private/controls/clouds/ambient_gain", 2.75)  

set("sim/private/controls/clouds/spec_gain", 20)

 

set("sim/private/controls/atmo/atmo_scale_raleigh", 30)

set("sim/private/controls/atmo/inscatter_gain_mie", 0)

set("sim/private/controls/atmo/inscatter_gain_raleigh", 17)

set("sim/private/controls/atmo/scatter_raleigh_b", 52)

set("sim/private/controls/hdr/gain_min", 2)

set("sim/private/controls/hdr/sky_gain", 2)

set("sim/private/controls/hdr/white_point", 1.75)  

set("sim/private/controls/dome/kill_glares", 1)

 

set("sim/private/controls/clouds/diffuse_gain", 10.00)

set("sim/private/controls/clouds/cloud_shadow_lighten_ratio", 0.950000)

 

**id also like to fluffin up the clouds to be more SMP style but i'm not sure which dataref to tweak 

[soaring_penguin 428]

Sorry, I didn't like it, it completely kills the haze effect and somehow the sky colours are all wrong.