REX Sky Force - Cloud Model Sync Explanation

[geolpilot 88]

Hey Gents and Ladies(?)

Right now I have a massive thunderstorm cell sliding past to the east of my house here in Pattaya. So great chance to test weather realism and depiction.

U' Tapao International, 45kms to the south of me was reporting thunderstorms till a few minutes ago in AS. Storms have moved north since then.

Cell showing up clearly in ASP4, and in P3D4 I have one massive CB structure, another one slowly growing next to it and moving slowly south to north towards the airfield (with what seem to me to be rain shafts!). Much thunder an lightening. This as seen from Pattaya East Airfield about 9km east of me (my own add-on as not in sim otherwise). From my house I can see the same system sliding past towards the north. Just showed my eldest daughter, who is into cloud names and trying to recognize them, what she can see outside now and what she can see in "Daddy's Game" - she was most impressed.

 I have pics, but what would you recommend is the best image-sharing web-site to use to share these over here?.

BTW that main cell is so big, I cannot get the structure depicted into 1 view except with a massive zoom out that distorts the cloud model. In real life it is also large so would take a mosaic of camera shots to get in. Have taken a mosaic of V pics, will have to try stich them together into one view. Must be an SF model as before never seen such a big structure in sim.

 

[Guest]

13 minutes ago, geolpilot said:

 I have pics, but what would you recommend is the best image-sharing web-site to use to share these over here?.

I always use this one, without a account:

http://www.fsfiles.org/flightsimshotsv2/

Upload (select any category you want, it doesn't really matter: I always pick Default) and than paste the Direct link into your post: the AVSIM software software will than automatically load the picture into the post. So no need for those HTML or BB codes.

 

 

[pete_auau 1,159]

Just now, J van E said:

I always use this one, without a account:

http://www.fsfiles.org/flightsimshotsv2/

Upload (select any category you want, it doesn't really matter: I always pick Default) and than paste the Direct link into your post: the AVSIM software software will than automatically load the picture into the post. So no need for those HTML or BB codes.

 

 

yep  one of the simple  ones  to use  never  fails

[Guest]

7 hours ago, B777ER said:

Maybe this might be a reason: 

https://www.realenvironmentxtreme.com/forums/index.php?/topic/46766-individual-textures-do-not-install/&do=findComment&comment=298850

Question: when you installed SF did you get a window called Prerequisites which was completely empty and which only left you the option to click on Next to proceed the installation? I had this and it seems not everyone (or nobody) had this. Makes me wonder if my PC (and maybe yours) is missins some mandatory software which SF failed to install.

[geolpilot 88]

1 minute ago, J van E said:

when you installed SF did you get a window called Prerequisites which was completely empty and which only left you the option to click on Next to proceed the installation?

Yes I did. Had me really confused as it just sat there doing nothing. So I clicked next and off it went. Its probably there for later updates when it supposedly will tick only stuff that needs to be updated (at least that's what I thought at the time until Hotfix1 that made one install the whole caboodle, plus re-register!)

[Guest]

4 minutes ago, geolpilot said:

Yes I did. Had me really confused as it just sat there doing nothing. So I clicked next and off it went. Its probably there for later updates when it supposedly will tick only stuff that needs to be updated (at least that's what I thought at the time until Hotfix1 that made one install the whole caboodle, plus re-register!)

Ok, thanks, so that can't be the cause of my problems.

[geolpilot 88]

@J van E

What is making you think you have a problem still? What are you seeing after installing some models, clouds textures, sky (if using) , sun, moon, lightning, and sounds when you click "Currently In-sim"? Still not correct compared to what you installed? I am seeing a list of 10 items, all showing exactly what I last installed.

[Guest]

33 minutes ago, geolpilot said:

@J van E

What is making you think you have a problem still? What are you seeing after installing some models, clouds textures, sky (if using) , sun, moon, lightning, and sounds when you click "Currently In-sim"? Still not correct compared to what you installed? I am seeing a list of 10 items, all showing exactly what I last installed.

I am seeing a list of ALL items and they all show Set 1 is being installed. (Even for items which I didn't install at all btw.) When I install clouds Set 8 and Cirrus set 10 I get a message everything has been installed but 1. that list still shows ALL items Set 1 and 2. the texture folder doesn't contain new items.

And BTW I am also still unsure why my older screenshots failed to show the SF models while the cloud folder contained all the cld files and the xml from REX... Afaik the models do work at this moment although I am still waiting for confirmation from REX... which of course is odd: you shouldn't need confirmation of screenshots to know if things are working alright. And besides, yesterday evening the models seemed to work but who can assure me they will stay working? Yes, I can't say I really trust the software right now.

[Oliver Ooi 85]

Select "Building Storms" from the default weather theme, if you see the towering cloud like in the YouTube video at 9:05, then you are seeing the SF model.

 

 

[JoeFackel 760]

1 hour ago, geolpilot said:

What are you seeing after installing some models, clouds textures, sky (if using) , sun, moon, lightning, and sounds when you click "Currently In-sim"?

In my case i saw all set things "Currently in-sim" but the cloud texture weren't installed. This "currently in-sim" list isn't reliable as it should be, as you now even the install logs say "successful" even if the installation wasn't.

These "checklist" has to function properly. It doesn't and this adds much confusion when looking for faults ... very sloppy programming from REX in this case.

[B777ER 2,486]

I agree, REX did some really sloppy programming. 3 separate threads about this issue on their forum and they refuse to address it. Tim and Reed from REX have been in the forum and have addressed well over a dozen posts about problems from users and they consciously skip over these threads. To me that means they likely know there is an issue going on which they don't have an answer for so they play, "pretend we didn't see it" with the people asking about it. I for one equate REX and their slick advertising prior to product launch (along with their long history of over promising and under delivering) to used car salesmen. As soon as you drive off the lot with your money in their hand they forget who you are. Many topics on their forum are closed and the user sent to "tier 2 support" via email so anyone else having an issue similar has no clue how to address it other than posting a new thread or emailing them. Very counter-intuitive. But simply ignoring this problem of textures not being installed and letting the threads sink lower in the forum while answering others after it is a joke. I wish I could get a refund. I encourage anyone who has not purchased it to stay far away from REX Simulations and any products they come out with. I will never purchase from them again. Sloppy programming and sloppy support. Keep your hard earned $45 for something else.

[Nyxx 6,993]

22 minutes ago, B777ER said:

 I encourage anyone who has not purchased it to stay far away from REX Simulations and any products they come out with. I will never purchase from them again. Sloppy programming and sloppy support. Keep your hard earned $45 for something else.

That's one hell of a statement with 3 post on your problem and just how many are happy with it and have no problems. I'am sorry to hear you have and J have your problems but lets put it into context.

I contacted support got an email back = fast and the next dat go a follow up to ask if everything was now OK!

[B777ER 2,486]

6 minutes ago, Nyxx said:

That's one hell of a statement with 3 post on your problem and just how many are happy with it and have no problems. I'am sorry to hear you have and J have your problems but lets put it into context.

I contacted support got an email back = fast and the next dat go a follow up to ask if everything was no OK!

Not 3 post, 3 separate threads from multiple users. And it's my opinion only, anyone can discard it and fork over their money.

[Guest]

Well, obviously I quite agree with Eric's post LOL but I personally would have stopped before the refund remark. I still have hope this will be solved and I still think this can become a great addon. And yes, there are a lot of people who already enjoy the addon. (Or THINK they are enjoying it... Haha LOL Sorry, I just had to say that.  )

Which doesn't mean I don't have questions about it. After reading the last days how these cloud files work I was wondering what exactly is new about SkyForce's Sync option. There has been a lot of talk and 'misinformation' about it but it is still not clear at all how these things work.

For years and years already cloud structures (.cld files) were saved into the Weather/clouds folder and a file called CloudArtFiles.xml showed the sim which structures were available for use. When the sim needed a structure it would simply load it into the sim on the fly. Just like it would load an installed ground texture or any other model.

When ASCA was released it already came with a few hunderds of new cloud structures: they were added in the clouds folder and an updated CloudArtFiles.xml was installed into that same folder so the sim again new what was available. ASCA didn't offer a sync option for these models though and that wasn't needed because the sim new where to find them.

Now SkyForce comes along and it offers a sync option but it seems to me is simply copies some 1160 files into the cloud folder, installs a new CloudArtFiles.xml into too and... that's it? The sim simply sees that file and loads the appropriate cloud structure when needed. ASCA did the same already so what's new here? Yes, SF offers a LOT more structures but I fail to see what is revolutionary. I also seriously wonder what happens if you turn that Sync option of or even close SF completely. Will you actually see a difference...? The sim will see those 1160 cloud files and the xml anyway!

I do know that the skies of ASCA actually do get injected: they are loaded on the fly and that was something really new. But I wonder if the SF files are actually somehow injected or simply loaded... just like the sim would load a ground texture from the hard disk when it is needed, it can load a cloud structure from the hard disk. In other words: isn't that sync option just a gimmick?

In the end it doesn't matter AT ALL of course: it's great to have a lot more structures and as soon as I got SF working (still can't load any textures) I do think I like the skies it offers more than other addons but still, I am curious to how this actually works. 

[Denco 48]

After many hours of testing I came to a conclusion that my GPU is not sufficient to run  SF3D at my native resolution of 3440x1440. The problem is not my, FPS since it's still above 30fps in the worst case scenario, but the lag I get when I try to move my view around.

 

So If you're planning on using SF3D with a multi monitor setup or an 4k ultrawide make sure to have at least an 1080Ti, which might not be enough, before making a purchase.

 

Now I've been told by Alex that they'll release a service pack for general cloud performance and overcast, but I'm unsure if the performance fix will be part a part of the SF3D weather engine, which I have no intention of using, or built into the program it self.