Coming soon: Ventura Sky for X-Plane 10.50

[RobdeVries 28]

Looking good!  Thanks for showing off your work. When you are able upload some video's to see it in action. I just bought RWC especially for Ventura.

[Colonel X 1,430]

PM me if you'd like to test out Ventura Sky before release.

[CarlosF 1,239]

Looking good indeed!

[Denco 48]

PM me if you'd like to test out Ventura Sky before release.

Done

[Jimmy RFR 406]

So, correct me if I'm wrong, but this script is primarily about manipulating the visibility limit based on user altitude, correct?  Why? Is an increase in performance the primary goal?

[Colonel X 1,430]

So, correct me if I'm wrong, but this script is primarily about manipulating the visibility limit based on user altitude, correct?  Why? Is an increase in performance the primary goal?

 

Well I'd say the primary feature is the visibility interpolation between METAR stations. When you fly an approach that goes through say 3 different METAR station perimeters, visibility change will be smooth instead of abrupt. You will notice changing conditions, subtly, it's not a slap in the face as it is when using vanilla X-Plane and NOAA plug-in.

 

The limit itself, while it does help performance, is supposed to fix X-Plane's own handling of visibility. This is automatically set to unlimited once you're above the first cloud layer. Which is not really realistic, nor aesthetically pleasing. Ventura Sky will give you a consistent atmosphere below 10000 feet (you may lower this threshold). Above 10000, the script increases visibility - because that's - IMO - more immersive than just switching to unlimited.

 

X-Plane does feature long range visibilities, but I believe it's simply not very good at it. Performance, aliasing, cut-off DSF's, weird colors - things go wrong easily once X-Plane switches to unlimited visibility. Ventura Sky cures this by settling with rather modest values and the result is therefore more inline with what you see in other modern "open world games". 

 

Limiting visibility has been a "thing" since X-Plane was released. There are various scripts, but none of them work consistently with real weather. Ventura Sky does.

 

On top of that, if you consider the aligned sky colors that come with the script, plus the Maxx FX settings, Ventura Sky quickly polishes your X-Plane's look compared to the rather raw state it comes in - in terms of colors (it's a myth why X-Plane's standard day sky looks so bad).  

[jcomm 5,919]

Well I'd say the primary feature is the visibility interpolation between METAR stations. When you fly an approach that goes through say 3 different METAR station perimeters, visibility change will be smooth instead of abrupt. You will notice changing conditions, subtly, it's not a slap in the face as it is when using vanilla X-Plane and NOAA plug-in.

 

The limit itself, while it does help performance, is supposed to fix X-Plane's own handling of visibility. This is automatically set to unlimited once you're above the first cloud layer. Which is not really realistic, nor aesthetically pleasing. Ventura Sky will give you a consistent atmosphere below 10000 feet (you may lower this threshold). Above 10000, the script increases visibility - because that's - IMO - more immersive than just switching to unlimited.

 

X-Plane does feature long range visibilities, but I believe it's simply not very good at it. Performance, aliasing, cut-off DSF's, weird colors - things go wrong easily once X-Plane switches to unlimited visibility. Ventura Sky cures this by settling with rather modest values and the result is therefore more inline with what you see in other modern "open world games". 

 

Limiting visibility has been a "thing" since X-Plane was released. There are various scripts, but none of them work consistently with real weather. Ventura Sky does.

 

On top of that, if you consider the aligned sky colors that come with the script, plus the Maxx FX settings, Ventura Sky quickly polishes your X-Plane's look compared to the rather raw state it comes in - in terms of colors (it's a myth why X-Plane's standard day sky looks so bad).  

 

All of these items can really make a true game changer for xp10.50, and actually make part of a list of items I have long been waiting for to be implemented in X-Plane 10...

 

Looking fwd for it, although I uninstalled xp10 again :-/  ( because I was using it just for PSX, and... well you can guess :-) )  but Zulfi will probably report to me his findings :-)

[Colonel X 1,430]

 

 

Looking fwd for it, although I uninstalled xp10 again

 

Haha, you're keepin' it real UNINSTALLER.

[Humpty 751]

  but Zulfi will probably report to me his findings :-)

 

I doubt it because his script is meant to be used with SMP and HDR and I don't have SMP and HDR not usable in most locations on my laptop.

 

But I have some amazing lua scripts which I got from some site don't remember which , but I am looking forward to  Ventura sky.

[jcomm 5,919]

I doubt it because his script is meant to be used with SMP and HDR and I don't have SMP and HDR not usable in most locations on my laptop.

 

But I have some amazing lua scripts which I got from some site don't remember which , but I am looking forward to  Ventura sky.

 

You need a new rig!

[Colonel X 1,430]

All of these items can really make a true game changer for xp10.50, and actually make part of a list of items I have long been waiting for to be implemented in X-Plane 10...

 

Thank you for recognizing. I have this list too and out of frustration I decided to do something about it.

 

I posted some screens on the first page in case anybody missed them. More to follow.

[leghorn 76]

Sounds really interesting. I'd gladly help/ beta test. I also paint sky colors, so if needed, PM me. I have one question though. Although it's not what your script is all about, are you able to "fix" the way variable wind is represented in XP? You said that the script is reading the winds, so i thought there may be something you could put there as "a filter". Having a 8kt variable wind on approach even in the heaviest of the heavies makes it barely controllable.. I 

[Humpty 751]

But yes I can test with HDR on the other laptop but not SMP.

[Colonel X 1,430]

Although it's not what your script is all about, are you able to "fix" the way variable wind is represented in XP? You said that the script is reading the winds, so i thought there may be something you could put there as "a filter". Having a 8kt variable wind on approach even in the heaviest of the heavies makes it barely controllable..

 

The wind data comes unaltered from the NOAA plug-in - Ventura Sky doesn't mess with it at all, and I don't think there's a problem with it?

Here's a bunch of screens showing a climb out of LAX at 5pm. This gives a good impression of the increasing visibility (which happens completely smooth and thus almost unnoticed - this is factor 4, you may lower that number in the script to get a more progressive increase of visibility), the optimized atmospheric scattering and the rendering / coloring of the atmosphere layer.

 

I have been asked many times why SMP + RWC is required - basically it isn't, as long as you're satisfied with clear skies (as in these pictures). SMP + RWC are the only way to inject clouds in this setup, with RWC placing them utilizing their own METAR download (which should match the NOAA plug-in data in most cases).

 

 

 

 

 

 

[jcomm 5,919]

Looking Great!