REX Environment Force

[timest 472]

Hi folks, 

Here is our product page for Environment Force: http://www.rexsimulations.com/envforce.html

[G-RFRY 1,708]

Yes coming soon is hopefully this year, as I hope AI lights pro will also.

[Nemo 1,305]

I'm wondering if "dynamic shader processing" will interfere with PBR technology. I read somewhere that shader mods can cause problems with PMDG a/c.

[bosflo 53]

Does this program do the same thing as REX Texture Direct?

[anden145 2,284]

You gotta give the REX team... they certainly know, how to market a product. 

To be honest, I felt a little burned by SkyForce 3D and was generally disappointed with it... 😞 Especially when comparing the results to the claims in their advertising material...

I dunno - maybe I was naive... 

But I'll wait this one out and see, if they can deliver on their 'hype' and marketing claims.

[ErichB 3,638]

2 hours ago, Anders Bermann said:

You gotta give the REX team... they certainly know, how to market a product. 

To be honest, I felt a little burned by SkyForce 3D and was generally disappointed with it... 😞 Especially when comparing the results to the claims in their advertising material...

I dunno - maybe I was naive... 

But I'll wait this one out and see, if they can deliver on their 'hype' and marketing claims.

The only thing I would take issue with was that 2D cloud textures were still noticeable.  The marketing specifically said real 3D volumetric cloud (or something to that effect). 

However, SF for me was a significant improvement - especially cloud tops at 65,000ft-75,000ft.  I could never sim without it now.  The videos Tim showed at FSExpo last year looked very interesting - especially in relation to building cloud.    

[Nyxx 6,993]

5 minutes ago, ErichB said:

The only thing I would take issue with was that 2D cloud textures were still noticeable.  The marketing specifically said real 3D volumetric cloud (or something to that effect). 

However, SF for me was a significant improvement - especially cloud tops at 65,000ft-75,000ft.  I could never sim without it now.  The videos Tim showed at FSExpo last year looked very interesting - especially in relation to building cloud.    

+1

[anden145 2,284]

3 hours ago, ErichB said:

The only thing I would take issue with was that 2D cloud textures were still noticeable.  The marketing specifically said real 3D volumetric cloud (or something to that effect). 

 

Well, that is a pretty bold claim, to say the least. And I guess, that was also what I was so disappointed with... among other things. They made a lot of quite impressive promises and foretold of evolutionary strides with weather depiction and cloud formations... I was just as naive as the rest and fell 'head-over-heals' for their marketing and promises.

Suffice to say, all I got was high expectations - with low deliverance to beat.

Anyway, I'll see if they can deliver on their promises this time. To be (brutally) honest - I'm not holding my breath...

Sorry for being so dystopic, but I can't shake the previous experience - or lack of... 

[fakeflyer737 991]

The clouds DO NOT form and dissipate; they appear and disappear (ie they are transparent and then they're not transparent). These guys make these massive claims (3D clouds..umm nope) every time they're about to release a product and it never comes to fruition.

[jabloomf1230 2,445]

REX's claims are no different than those made either by HiFi or any of the P3d4/XP11 weather add-ons. No add-on presently has effect-based 3D clouds. The clouds in Active Sky and Skyforce do appear volumetric because they both stack 2D sprites both horizontally and vertically.

[JasonPC 173]

I think expectations based on the marketing are misunderstood. IE 3D isn't really "3D clouds" but rather "Cloud model structures" or 2D sprites assembled in 3D to give the appearance of different types of cloud formations.

I have absolutely seen many of the type of scenes that Skyforce have had in their marketing materials. You won't see them every flight. It's highly dependent on the METARs. I was flying to MSP once and there were tornado warnings in the area. And I actually saw a Skyforce depicted tornado as well as some very nasty weather (cumulonimbus, plenty of rain shafts). Also as marketed, you will see a slightly greater variation in cloud textures than default sim. There are rainshafts, cumulonimbus clouds, and other cloud formations in the sim just as marketed.

In the long run it's only slightly better than ASCA's cloud formations, but ultimately it is better, IMO. You see much more repeating cloud textures in ASCA's cloud formations while Skyforce blends them better (top of clouds have a much more defined, crisp texture and the bottom is much softer). It makes the cloud formations look much more realistic.

I know from day one I've been confused about what this program actually is. From what I gather, it is their version of a shader tweak and also includes cloud formation transitions to make the appearance of forming and dissipating within the limitations of the sim.

[Bt103504 30]

1 hour ago, fakeflyer737 said:

The clouds DO NOT form and dissipate; they appear and disappear (ie they are transparent and then they're not transparent). These guys make these massive claims (3D clouds..umm nope) every time they're about to release a product and it never comes to fruition.

I 100% agree with this. Despite @rstough even recognizing that their marketing tends to not align with consumer experiences, they seem to be utilizing the same methods this time around yet again. The sad thing is there is really no accountability for these sorts of things.

My best piece of advice is to read all the reviews and experiences from other people before investing in something that makes such revolutionary claims. After I bought into the Skyforce marketing I too found that the reality of the product was far different that what I actually experienced. I get the sense that this is likely going to be the same with EnvironmentForce. 

After watching the initial product reveal really closely it seemed that the cloud textures were just fading in and out, not really "forming and dissipating". I'm willing to accept that the product was early Alpha when it was initially shown. But I'm also a little apprehensive since nothing has been shown since then in terms of video.

 

[rstough 528]

12 hours ago, bosflo said:

Does this program do the same thing as REX Texture Direct?

No this is not a texture program, but you can use Environment Force to dynamically inject cloud and sky textures from REX Texture Direct or Sky Force.

[rstough 528]

4 hours ago, Anders Bermann said:

Well, that is a pretty bold claim, to say the least. And I guess, that was also what I was so disappointed with... among other things. They made a lot of quite impressive promises and foretold of evolutionary strides with weather depiction and cloud formations... I was just as naive as the rest and fell 'head-over-heals' for their marketing and promises.

Suffice to say, all I got was high expectations - with low deliverance to beat.

Anyway, I'll see if they can deliver on their promises this time. To be (brutally) honest - I'm not holding my breath...

Sorry for being so dystopic, but I can't shake the previous experience - or lack of... 

I am not sure if the hype wasn't more generated by false claims from those outside of REX who didn't represent REX.

We gave a live demo of Sky Force at FlightSimCon 2016.  People we able to fly within our clouds structures.  The clouds within Sky Force ARE 3D models and they are more volumetric that what was original.  

There are 3 ways to create clouds within an simulator:

- By Particle system

- By Billboard (which is what FSX, P3D - uses)

- By Shader (Example: Truesky)

The billboard system takes textures and places them on model vertices to create a pseudo cloud.  What you are looking for cannot be presently done in the sim without replacing the WHOLE weather system.  I would say we did about 1/2 the job by expanding the models and the number of textures it looks at.  All of this we clearly stated within our marketing material.  

Is it perfect no, but Sky Force is way better than default.  With more variation and types.  Without the issues such as rotating clouds and upside down clouds.  We are working even more improved cloud models for Creative Update 1.

 

[rstough 528]

4 hours ago, fakeflyer737 said:

The clouds DO NOT form and dissipate; they appear and disappear (ie they are transparent and then they're not transparent). These guys make these massive claims (3D clouds..umm nope) every time they're about to release a product and it never comes to fruition.

With REX Environment Force we can control both the growth and appearance of the cloud that gives the feel of forming and dissipating clouds.  With our smoothing and these other features with our automation it gives the feeling of forming and dissipating clouds.  These effects are attached to weather elements.  

 

 

Edited March 23, 2019 by rstough