Active Sky for X-Plane might be released Q4 2018

[AAN1718A 20]

I would read the fine print - Cloud replacement isn't going to be out until Q4 2019. This release will use native XP Clouds.

https://hifisimtech.com/forums/showthread.php?10166-Development-News-Update-November-2018

 

 

[monica6211 172]

On 12/3/2018 at 11:18 AM, AAN1718A said:

I would read the fine print - Cloud replacement isn't going to be out until Q4 2019. This release will use native XP Clouds.

https://hifisimtech.com/forums/showthread.php?10166-Development-News-Update-November-2018

 

 

If you follow Hifi's history, there hasn't been ANY version of activesky that came with any replacement cloud art. The only time they have released any was with ASCA, which was a separate addon from ActiveSky. So I don't see why everyone is saying they won't buy it until they have new cloud art. ActiveSky has always been about the weather depiction, how it improves the look of weather in sim, and to incorporate real live weather. THAT is what made ActiveSky a must have for flight simming.

[anden145 2,273]

37 minutes ago, monica6211 said:

If you follow Hifi's history, there hasn't been ANY version of activesky that came with any replacement cloud art. The only time they have released any was with ASCA, which was a separate addon from ActiveSky. So I don't see why everyone is saying they won't buy it until they have new cloud art. ActiveSky has always been about the weather depiction, how it improves the look of weather in sim, and to incorporate real live weather. THAT is what made ActiveSky a must have for flight simming.

Good point.

[jt8d9a 1,881]

"ASXP features high-performance cloud depiction with a focus on conditions accuracy, utilizing the X-Plane internal cloud rendering via a hybrid API approach, with two different modes available

ASXP also features an optional high-performance photo-realistic cloud texture replacement with a simple texture installation wizard"

https://hifisimtech.com/asxp/

[steve310002 1,198]

2 hours ago, jt8d9a said:

"ASXP features high-performance cloud depiction with a focus on conditions accuracy, utilizing the X-Plane internal cloud rendering via a hybrid API approach, with two different modes available

ASXP also features an optional high-performance photo-realistic cloud texture replacement with a simple texture installation wizard"

https://hifisimtech.com/asxp/

That's good at least that it includes some form of texture replacement. I only wish Xenviro (which I own) would hurry up and release version 1.10 before Active Sky is released with their promotional introductory price offer. It's going to be a tough choice to decide if its worth it over waiting for the next Xenviro release (which I am seriously losing patience over...in a geeky kind of way😎).

[ricka47 611]

4 hours ago, steve310002 said:

That's good at least that it includes some form of texture replacement. I only wish Xenviro (which I own) would hurry up and release version 1.10 before Active Sky is released with their promotional introductory price offer. It's going to be a tough choice to decide if its worth it over waiting for the next Xenviro release (which I am seriously losing patience over...in a geeky kind of way😎).

I agree - I used Active Sky for many years in FSX/P3D and now use xEnviro (1.7).  I'm also waiting for 1.10 but, if ASXP hits the market before that, I may have to give it a try!

Edited December 5, 2018 by ricka47

[Griphos 138]

Another difference is that HiFi worked without any issues in P3D with quick updates when necessary. The same cannot be said for any XP weather program. 

[Paraffin 2,197]

16 minutes ago, Griphos said:

Another difference is that HiFi worked without any issues in P3D with quick updates when necessary. The same cannot be said for any XP weather program. 

I don't recall any issues with SkyMaxx Pro and I've been using it (off and on) since the first version. It always just worked.

I know the high altitude flyers haven't been happy with the extent of cloud coverage to the horizon, but I wouldn't call that an "issue," just the way this particular plugin is designed (and there's a semi-workaround using the solid overcast option). I always liked SkyMaxx Pro for the way it generates believable low-level clouds with edge smoothing in mountain areas. But the default XP clouds have improved so much in recent updates that I tend to fall back on default weather these days.

Anyway, I'll never be 100% happy with a weather add-on until I see something that looks and acts like a big, nasty, anvil head thunderstorm. No weather plugin has ever managed that in X-Plane, and it probably won't happen until Laminar re-engineers the underlying systems. Meanwhile, getting off that personal fixation, I'll get ActiveSky to check out when it's released, as long as it can be manually adjusted enough (my big complaint with xEnviro).

[steve310002 1,198]

2 hours ago, ricka47 said:

I'm also waiting for 1.10 but, if ASXP hits the market before that, I may have to give it a try!

Fair enough. I just don't want to blow more money on an another weather add-on if Xenviro is as mind blowing as the 1.10 test videos show. After all it cost 70 USD.

[Adrian123 1,015]

I'm confused. Does Xenvir read and generate weather as does a "weather engine" ?

[Paraffin 2,197]

1 minute ago, Adrian123 said:

I'm confused. Does Xenvir read and generate weather as does a "weather engine" ?

As I understand it, xEnviro operates on a client/server model. The client plugin running in X-Plane tells a remote server where the plane is located. The remote server uses a proprietary set of weather data to build a set of wind, cloud, and visibility data that is downloaded to the client, and the client then shows that weather in X-Plane (within the limitations of X-Plane's own internal ability to render the weather as essentially horizontal layers).

This is different than the way a plugin like SkyMaxx Pro with the RWC option works, where the weather effects are generated locally by the plugin, using data from X-Plane's METAR files that can come from several different sources (either ones you specify, or their own external sources).

In that respect, the xEnviro weather plugin is a little more "brittle" than other options, because it depends entirely on a reliable, full-time connection to that remote server (which I think is located in Russia?). If the server goes down -- which I've seen happen in my early tests of the plugin -- you may not get anything but blue skies when the weather should be different. The same thing can happen if you can't maintain a full-time Internet connection. It also means you have very limited ability to adjust the weather, because everything is "assembled" remotely on the server.

It's still one of the major options available for weather, and if you can live with the limitations of real weather only, with minimal adjustment, you should try it (IMO). The only way to have an informed opinion on all these weather options is to buy them all, and see which one fits your personal flying style.

[Adrian123 1,015]

I see. Thanks. Did not know that! I'm just looking for a simple, don't like to compare, Active Sky and REX combo for Xplane.

[Murmur 3,941]

It is true that Active Sky is a weather injector and not a clouds/effects replacement, but there is a big difference between FSX/P3D and XP: FSX native weather engine is still much better than XP one, having more cloud types, better cloud structures, being dynamic in space and time and not static, and with more layers for clouds, wind and visibility. So IMHO active sky for XP would only do half the job until it will replace native clouds.

Edited December 5, 2018 by Murmur

[Adrian123 1,015]

Was reading a bit on the internal cloud generation of XP11. Sounds far more complex then just needing cloud textures to become like FS. Complicated, perhaps more because they don't seem willing to fix it.

[Longranger 148]

1 hour ago, Adrian123 said:

. Complicated, perhaps more because they don't seem willing to fix it.

It has more to do with the problem, do you start to change the weather system when you replace nearly the complete graphics engine in the near future anyway?They are currently replacing the shaders. It is all a part of their way to Vulkan.