Rain Effects and Airline Options?

[ErichB 3,638]

As said - use a tablet or AivlaSoft EFB instead.

 

By far much more realistic and flexible anyway.  I use 2 iPads for various displays.  Even if EFB's were integrated, I probably wouldn't use them.

[kevinh 409]

Very true. However, ground ops immersion on a rainy day while at the gate and taxiing would be amazing. Not if it becomes a slideshow though.

The VC rain drop animation from FS9 was never that realistic and I don't know why people want to have something like it. What it really needs is something to reduce visibility in rain with the wipers off. Visual systems in older generation training sims used to defocus the projectors to simulate rain. Some lateral thinking for a solution like that that doesn't involve animations in the VC might just solve this. Something that affects the outside view beyond the VC for example. Possibly something working in conjunction with ASN/AS16.

[ErichB 3,638]

The VC rain drop animation from FS9 was never that realistic and I don't know why people want to have something like it. What it really needs is something to reduce visibility in rain with the wipers off. Visual systems in older generation training sims used to defocus the projectors to simulate rain. Some lateral thinking for a solution like that that doesn't involve animations in the VC might just solve this. Something that affects the outside view beyond the VC for example. Possibly something working in conjunction with ASN/AS16.

 

I would have thought this is something that FSFX Packages would have a solution for in the aircraft specific effects file.

Are rain effects from within the VC a function of the VC animation model itself or an independant effect?

[Nick Dobda 24]

 

 

ground ops immersion

 

GSX fills this void. Kinda pricey for the meh animations (the ground crew are pretty robotic). But they add a few cool things in the background that go on in the 30 mins or so it takes to get the plane ready to fly. Plus the pushback onto the taxiway is very cool, just swap out the robotic voice for an aftermarket voice. 

The raindrops, if they say it can't be done I believe them. Realistic.. not realistic... well I don't have to be a pilot to know what rain on a window looks like, the old FSX default raindrops looked pretty real to me. Its been awhile but I think they streaked as you got faster and disappeared at speed. I'm assuming that feature had to go due to some performance. I would think getting those drops to interact with the wipers though would be a real challenge - maybe that was the conundrum.. you can either have wipers or the drops, but not both (this is a theory). 

[warbirds 555]

Real Air nailed it so I know it can be done and not effect fps in anyway. Most planes in Xplane also have it,,,get with it P3D devs.

[light_blue_yonder 15]

 

 

There is also the Avliasoft Electronic Flight Bag.  It's really great.

That's why I said maybe Aivlasoft can do it by cooperating with PMDG.

 

As for opening windows, I was amused to see that so many of our 747 aficionados cried foul that PMDG was not featuring opening windows in the new 747. And please, somebody fill them in as to why that is.

 

Clue: nothing to do with animation limits..

Tell them to find the handle for it first.  :smile:

 

 

An EFB is useless when integrated into VC. It's too small to be able to read it, in which case you have to zoom in just to view it ... frankly I don't see the point. As said - use a tablet or AivlaSoft EFB instead.

TrackIR people, come on. Captain Sim 777 EFB completely readable and usable with TrackIR. I do agree with a tablet though, I'm using Microsoft Surface (I think that's what it's called) with Aivlasoft's EFB. It just needs the TOPCAT function integrated into it.