REX Sky Force - Cloud Model Sync Explanation

[rstough 528]

I would imagine this post may be immediately closed, but it appears there is A LOT of misinformation being spread about what Sky Force does.

I have seen this here, in social media, and here.

So I want to take a moment to clarify the process.

BEFORE SKY FORCE...

You had two types of processes.  Product A would inject weather and textures at the same type based upon weather conditions while in-sim.  Again let me stress the word "textures".   Product B would inject textures prior to having the sim open, but this process was one time only.  This process was limited due to the focus on textures only.

AFTER SKY FORCE...

Sky Force is not dependent upon which weather engine is in use.  You can use Product A weather engine and disable the Sky Force weather engine to still get the benefit of its Cloud Models.

Sky Force is not centralized on textures only.  The current sim basically covers 4 cloud types:  cumulus, cumulonimbus, stratus, and cirrus.   Sky Force smashes that by bringing in all cloud classifications beyond these 4 types.  All the models cover this. Because of this, the process of having to inject textures during flight is not needed.  The reason is that we have double the size of the cloud texture sheets.  Thus, the models will pull from the sheets the proper clouds so that all cloud classifications will be represented.   

This is where the 3D Cloud Sync mode comes in.  Separate from any weather engine it reads the weather ahead of the aircraft and then syncs the models.  The models read the sheets to show the appropriate cloud types - hard or soft based on the correct weather.

[anden145 2,285]

Thanks for the explanation, Reed. 
Makes sense.

[Bill Griffith 160]

Thank you for clearing that up Reed and thank you for your help with my Sky Force installation. 

 

Bill

[vgbaron 3,506]

I see no reason to close it unless folks start arguing.

Thanx for the explanation Reed - hopefully it will clear up some of the rampant speculation.

 

Vic

[David Roch 1,980]

Sorry Vic but I have never seen a forum without people arguing and I know what I am talking about, I have been an Avsim admin here for over 10 years. I can tell you very frankly that I feel uncomfortable coming here today because of your constant and sometimes arbitrary censorship.
Pity you don't moderate threads instead of closing them.
Last one you locked about SF (Jeroen's one) was not going south at all and was very instructive.
Please understand that this is very frustrating for us.

Thank you for your attention.

 

 

 

[ZKOKQ 984]

46 minutes ago, David Roch said:

Last one you locked about SF (Jeroen's one) was not going south at all and was very instructive.

Yes, I wondered why a padlock was put in place. It was one thread that was humming along nicely.

[Nyxx 6,993]

Thank you Reed,

Have to agree J post was not only informative but fun and enjoyable to read. 

[Guest]

Thanks for the explanation, Reed. So no textures are being synced because there are enough textures available right from the start thanks to the fact that each texture has been doubled in size and contain a lot more different cloud ‘looks’ than up to now. 

I suppose this does mean it DOES matter what cloud texture set you install then. Cloud textures are NOT synced or injected on the fly so the models have to work what the set is giving them. So no automation in that part: we still need to pick a set. Just as for the skies, sun effect, etc. It is only the MODEL that is being synced in real time.

In addition, read this, David, here is some information about the 8 pictures you see on the cloud set selection screen. Reed posted this in answer to my question on the REX forum:

”With REX Sky Force we have massively expanded this to include all the major cloud classifications.  In addition, with each cloud texture set, we have doubled that. What you see in the interface is just a highlight but not ALL.

So in sync mode we read the weather in advance of the aircraft and the swap models in and out based upon the weather.  The models read the texture sets so that it builds the clouds based upon all the cloud classifications not the 4.”

Small overlap with what he posted in the OP but at least that is clear now. Models are being synced, textures are NOT being synced so you have to pick and install sets manually.

So here are the new things that SF offer:

- a LOT more cloud MODELS which are synced/insected on the fly

- cloud textures at double the size containing a lot more variation/looks

- in comparison with REX Direct SF also has a weather engine but that’s more of a bonus

That’s about it. Don’t know in how far all the other effects and stuff are new or not.

[frankyfirstt 4]

Thx for clearing that up for us. I have 2 questions.

1. Is it nessesary to start SF before P3D? So will it inject cloud types even after a restart while inflight? It crashes a lot here that’s why I’m asking. 

2. There are several cloud types (i believe 22 pages) i can install. I thought SF injects the needed cloud types itself? For what are these themes?

I got more issues like the SF weather is not injecting any weather even if it says wxsync completed. I would have asked in your forum but I never get the activation mail. The shop mails work just fine. 

 

Greetz and thanks in advance

[steve howlett 137]

Thanks Reed.

all clever stuff ,which is running really well for me and looks great.

 

steve

[Guest]

17 minutes ago, frankyfirstt said:

2. There are several cloud types (i believe 22 pages) i can install. I thought SF injects the needed cloud types itself? For what are these themes?

No, SF does not inject them. You have to pick them manually as with the previous REX addons. The themes are there to make combinations of textures you like (like cloud 21, dawn 2, day 12, dusk 4, etc.). 

[Guest]

Just had a look at SF again and I am sorry to say that it seems we have been misinformed. The interface clearly states this:

'Texture sync' and "sync 3D cloud models (structures) and textures'. Well, seems this is NOT the case since Reed said "Because of this, the process of having to inject textures during flight is not needed."It's no wonder we were all so confused!

This puts the opening of Reed's post in a different light: "there is A LOT of misinformation being spread about what Sky Force does. I have seen this here, in social media, and here." Well, it can also be seen in Sky Force itself.

It may be an honest mistake of REX but you can't blame this forum or social media for this: the source of the misinformation was Sky Force itself.

In all honesty I do feel a bit ****** about this. Seems I didn't get what I was thinking to get. And I am sure that goes for a lot of us. It's back to picking texture sets again, folks...

BTW Don't get me wrong, Sky Force may indeed be a great addon with a novel system that brings us greater skies than ever before but imho REX really made a big mistake here and blaming us for the misinformation isn't er... quite nice.

P.S. This post was edited a few times to make it er... more gentle. Don't want to get burned again as happened yesterday LOL

[ZKOKQ 984]

23 minutes ago, J van E said:

Texture sync' and "sync 3D cloud models (structures) and textures'. Well, seems this is NOT the case since Reed said "Because of this, the process of having to inject textures during flight is not needed."It's no wonder we were all so confused!

So, if I understand corrctly, you need to use the SF weather engine for the sync to work, I am still confused ? lol

[carlito777 712]

Thanks for the explanation, but I still don‘t get it. How can a weather engine, which was programmed when only 4 cloud types/structures (the standard ones) were available, be able to take advantage of all those new cloud structures and models?

[speedyTC 194]

All that I can say is that by bypassing the bundled WX engine and using a well-known other one, I have never been so immersed in the sim. Keeping on eye on the WXR in the FSL A320 and seeing the weather building outside and then gradually getting more threatening as the clouds change from white to light grey and then a dark, angry grey...wow. Not to mention the CBs that grow and tower above the aircraft. It makes one feel the real power that is hidden in those formations, something that I never really experienced before. And this is with the old timer, FSX.

I'm curious to see what the REX team can do with Weather Force and I wonder if that will be an eye opener as well.

For now, thanks REX. I'm having a ball.