RainMaker effects above 80knots

[silentghostx 66]

Hi PMDG team,

Awesome work on the 747-8. My favourite plane to fly so far!! 

I just wanted to ask if I’m doing something wrong or if it is designed this way regarding RainMaker effects. I notice while on the ground stopped or taxiing the effects are great. However as soon as speed reaches 80knots on takeoff roll the rain on windshield effect seems to disappear all together. 

 

Many thanks,

Chen Chen

NZAA

[downscc 1,327]

As expected, the rain follows the airflow, which is not stopping at the windscreen but rather flowing around the aircraft.  Something a little heavier like a hail stone or bird will leave the airflow under it's own momentum and smack into you.  I'm just guessing here but when I fly through rain at about 180 kts I just get a smeared look.

Edited November 3, 2018 by downscc

[berts 97]

1 hour ago, silentghostx said:

However as soon as speed reaches 80knots on takeoff roll the rain on windshield effect seems to disappear all together

The effect of rain on the windscreens is influenced by the aircraft's speed as well as the size and intensity of the water droplets.  As Dan has already said, up to a point the faster you go the more the rain droplets will eventually run off (or 'smear' if you prefer) in line with the slipstream.  If you think the Rainmaker's rain effects look great on the ground have a look at what happens to this effect during a winter blizzard, because I think the snow effects look even better on the ground and in the air.

[rsrandazzo 6,353]

Gents,

We continue to tune this effect as time passes.

In the real world, once you get above 90knots or so- the effect of precipitation on the windshield is more of a blurring effect, and you rarely see any discernible droplets/artifacts rolling across the windscreen.  Obviously in extreme rain this will change, but even then it is more an obscuration of vision than a presentation of individual rain droplets running up the windscreen.

I'm not completely satisfied with where we are- so we continue to tweak and tune- but it is definitely moving in the right direction.

 

 

[silentghostx 66]

Thanks for your reply Robert and others!

 

I think they look great with what you got, and if this still being further tuned it’s even better. I was looking for more of the obscuration of vision once it gets faster but glad it’s not that I was doing something wrong.

 

Many thanks again,

Chen Chen

NZAA

[rsrandazzo 6,353]

Chen,

It is **really** hard to do convincingly.  We are working on it, however.

 

[Peter Webber 339]

And the "Bug Splats" above 80 kts? Will they also be fine tuned? Jokes aside, thanks for the great effects! Adds a huge amount to the immersion of the product.

[silentghostx 66]

1 hour ago, rsrandazzo said:

Chen,

It is **really** hard to do convincingly.  We are working on it, however.

 

No doubt! Glad the team is working on it!

In saying that, I’m quite happy with how it is already. Like Peter above I think it adds so much immersion - that feeling sitting at the gate and having the splatters of raindrops on the windows, I could just sit there for ages admiring how far flight sim have come (Have been in this hobby since FS9 for commercial airliners and prior to that I was on Jane’s F-15 then F/A-18E super hornet)

Thanks again Robert and the whole PMDG team for making this possible.

 

Chen Chen

NZAA

[downscc 1,327]

15 hours ago, Peter Webber said:

And the "Bug Splats" above 80 kts? Will they also be fine tuned? Jokes aside, thanks for the great effects! Adds a huge amount to the immersion of the product.

Bug splats are more random.  I got a bug splat on fine spring day at 16500 chugging along at 180 KTAS.

[vc10man 732]

One would not think so how sensible this thread is compared to the flak Kyle, RR, and PMDG in general are getting in two other threads running/closed elsewhere all because of..............well, less said the better!

 

[Ephedrin 418]

31 minutes ago, downscc said:

16500

It seems the bugs‘ civilization has entered the era of spaceflight...

[jgoggi 65]

56 minutes ago, vc10man said:

One would not think so how sensible this thread is compared to the flak Kyle, RR, and PMDG in general are getting in two other threads running/closed elsewhere all because of..............well, less said the better!

 

??

[captainsazzman 83]

18 hours ago, rsrandazzo said:

Gents,

We continue to tune this effect as time passes.

In the real world, once you get above 90knots or so- the effect of precipitation on the windshield is more of a blurring effect, and you rarely see any discernible droplets/artifacts rolling across the windscreen.  Obviously in extreme rain this will change, but even then it is more an obscuration of vision than a presentation of individual rain droplets running up the windscreen.

I'm not completely satisfied with where we are- so we continue to tweak and tune- but it is definitely moving in the right direction.

 

 

after take off, is there a speed limit for the operation of wipers? I try to switch em off above 200kts

[Peter Webber 339]

4 hours ago, downscc said:

Bug splats are more random.  I got a bug splat on fine spring day at 16500 chugging along at 180 KTAS.

Interesting. After some research, I found info that scientists have collected locusts flying at an altitude of approx. 15000ft, flies and butterflies at 20000ft! I hope PMDG factor this in the their "Bug Splat" algorithm!

[downscc 1,327]

11 minutes ago, Peter Webber said:

Interesting. After some research, I found info that scientists have collected locusts flying at an altitude of approx. 15000ft, flies and butterflies at 20000ft! I hope PMDG factor this in the their "Bug Splat" algorithm!

When it happened I sat looking at the dead bug for at least 5 sec before my brain went, "hey what the heck?" I mentioned it was a spring day because we were having air mass convective activity that day.  First that bug got sucked up to where he'd rather not be and then in all of the airspace in all of Texas he and I came together at that instant.  Lot's to ponder there. Reminds me of the improbability engine.