REX i guess is swearing loudly for their lack of commercial foresight. They had the knowhow, resources and already developed products. Of course there's always time to milk the increasing wider Xplane audience with a good and conprehensive weather product but often ... first come best served.

 

As a side note I even think LR has skilled developers but second-rate commercial manager (if any): why do not develop an in house weather package and sell it as DLC. The more I read the more people shifting to XEnviro, which is fast becoming a mandatory companion to XP. At 70$ the return on investment would have been enough good and XEnviro proves that XPlaners are ready to pay hard cash even for incomplete product.

Rex Essential+ goes for about $40 and is what I used in P3D.  If that had that available for anything under $70 for XP, they may be selling quite a few copies.

 

 

Rex Essential+ goes for about $40 and is what I used in P3D.

 

But REX Essential+ is a long outdated product and doesn't come anywhere close to what xEnviro in XPX or AS16+ASCA in P3D can do. I also understand that $70 seems to be a lot, but it is well in line with other products of that type:

 

1. SMP + RWC + FSGRW = $100

2. AS16 + ASCA (P3D) = $90

3. xEnviro = $70

 

Nevertheless, I share the opinion that if they would sell for $49,90 that they would make much higher revenues.

REX, as stated above, is just textures.

xEnviro is a package, containing cloud and sky textures, weather engine, creates atmospheric and haze effects, adds more realistic rain and snow, etc.

Therefore, it changes the whole look of the sim and is, in my opinion, the most realistic weather representation in X-Plane I've ever seen, so far.

Setting it up and using it is extremely easy, and performance gets boosted. (compared to default or SMP).

 

 

REX, as stated above, is just textures.

 

The old REX Essential+ actually includes a weather engine as well. But as I said, the REX Essential+ weather engine is really outdated and can't be compared to xEnviro or ASN/AS16.

X-Enviro in creating weather over a synoptic scale area is the first product of it's kind for X-Plane. And, in order to do so it uses not only observations and SIGMET as well as winds and temps aloft, but also other sources...

The old REX Essential+ actually includes a weather engine as well. But as I said, the REX Essential+ weather engine is really outdated and can't be compared to xEnviro or ASN/AS16.

That's right, missed that part. Sorry!

But the results weren't too convincing, in my personal opinion.

That's pretty much a killer for me then. Whilst sometimes I'd like to use real or historical weather, I'd much rather setup my own weather scenarios, and for a $70 product which costs more than the sim, I'd expect much more than just nice visuals. I'm not ruling out ever getting it, but this is essential for me (and I would have thought anyone who wants to practice IFR scenarios)

 

Same here. If I can't manually adjust the injected weather, I can't fly the light GA and helicopters I use in the sim. Adding a historical weather feature isn't enough. 

 

I know this product is getting a lot of support from tubeliner sim pilots, who can basically ignore anything but the most severe weather (which X-Plane doesn't model anyway, lacking a vertical component). But it's a deal-breaker for light planes and helos, if you can't adjust the injected weather so you're getting the visual effects without the winds. And also adjust the cloud base, which can mean the difference between being able to complete an assignment in FSEconomy or bail out and waste your flying time;

 

 

And also adjust the cloud base

 

I haven't tried it, but you can specify a minimum ceiling in the xEnviro config.

I haven't tried it, but you can specify a minimum ceiling in the xEnviro config.

Can you also set a max wind speed like in ASN? That would solve at least one problem some have with no historic or manual weather.

sky textures, weather engine, creates atmospheric and haze effects

 

I think that's what a lot of people overlook; it's not just the clouds, it's a whole lot more. The sky colours alone are so realistic, especially dawn and dusk, and the way the atmosphere changes according to conditions is exactly what I've been waiting for. Sure, we can adjust the atmospherics ourselves with RTH, but the values you input for one time of day will look pretty horrible as the sun goes down / visibility changes etc.

Well said Scotch!

What about the wind issues? People were reporting that winds were always calm, even at flight levels when they should have been strong.

 

Has that been fixed? Can you get wind gusts as well?

X-Enviro in creating weather over a synoptic scale area is the first product of it's kind for X-Plane. And, in order to do so it uses not only observations and SIGMET as well as winds and temps aloft, but also other sources...

I thought FSGRW did the same already?

I think that's what a lot of people overlook; it's not just the clouds, it's a whole lot more. The sky colours alone are so realistic, especially dawn and dusk, and the way the atmosphere changes according to conditions is exactly what I've been waiting for. Sure, we can adjust the atmospherics ourselves with RTH, but the values you input for one time of day will look pretty horrible as the sun goes down / visibility changes etc.

Couldn't agree more!

What about the wind issues? People were reporting that winds were always calm, even at flight levels when they should have been strong.

Has that been fixed? Can you get wind gusts as well?

 

I thought FSGRW did the same already?

Re winds - definitely getting it - speed and direction varies depending on altitude, changes throughout flight as does turbulence. Don't know how accurate it is. Seems to have smoothed the turbulence somewhat. Leave the environment data output up and you can see it change regularly.

 

This just based on GA flying - do not do the tubeliners.

 

Cheers

Peter

Winds are spot-on in my flying so far. Turbulence and winds where I would expect it.