Active Sky For XP-11?

[Dougal 165]

Hi guys

After getting ENORMOUSLY frustrated with the complete lack of support for an issue with xEnviro, I'm looking for a replacement.

Can anyone tell me if Activesky will completely replace xEnviro?

Will I loose anything like cloud textures by dumping xEnviro in favour of Activesky?

Thanks

[soaring_penguin 428]

xEnviro is a total replacement of the weather system. So no, you can not transport the graphics to ActiveSky.

[Dougal 165]

What a pity their support is so dire as I like the product:-(

[Colonel X 1,428]

2 hours ago, Dougal said:

Hi guys

After getting ENORMOUSLY frustrated with the complete lack of support for an issue with xEnviro, I'm looking for a replacement.

Can anyone tell me if Activesky will completely replace xEnviro?

Will I loose anything like cloud textures by dumping xEnviro in favour of Activesky?

Thanks

Which Version are you using? 1.07s is pretty solid with the right settings. The atmosphere rendering is far superior to anything based on X-Plane's standard skyboxes.

[Dougal 165]

1 hour ago, Colonel X said:

Which Version are you using? 1.07s is pretty solid with the right settings. The atmosphere rendering is far superior to anything based on X-Plane's standard skyboxes.

it's not a settings issue. it's the common problem of the program not activating.  The slightest hardware or BIOS change and it wont activate.  I have now finally heard from developer, so HOPEFULLY he'll get around to sorting it for me.

Its always given activation issues for me.

Edited March 7, 2019 by Dougal

[Paraffin 2,197]

6 hours ago, Dougal said:

Can anyone tell me if Activesky will completely replace xEnviro?

No, because the current version of ActiveSky is basically a very good real weather injector, which is only half of what xEnviro does. The other half of xEnviro is the cloud depiction, which completely replaces the default XP clouds. ActiveSky doesn't have its own complete replacement of the cloud graphics, so you'll be seeing default XP clouds.

However, ActiveSky can also work with many free plugins that change the cloud depiction, or even with something like SkyMaxxPro for the clouds. 

However Part 2: Later this year, ActiveSky will release their own cloud depiction package as a separate cost add-on. At that point, it could replace xEnviro for you as an integrated weather package. They're probably waiting until Laminar finishes the Vulkan/Metal graphics API update.

For what it's worth -- I like ActiveSky as a weather injector, currently using it with just default XP clouds. They're still working through some issues with turbulence for airliners, but for GA planes I like the way it models turbulence. The air I fly through feels more "alive" than in any other weather add-on I've used.

ActiveSky also has a very full-featured set of options for managing how severe the injected real weather is. This lets me experience a taste of real weather, while still completing FSEconomy flights without being blown off the runway. There is even a slider for how much icing can happen, including none, which I think is the only weather injector that does this. My primary complaint about xEnviro is the lack of enough options for modifying the injected weather.

[Dougal 165]

1 hour ago, Paraffin said:

No, because the current version of ActiveSky is basically a very good real weather injector, which is only half of what xEnviro does. The other half of xEnviro is the cloud depiction, which completely replaces the default XP clouds. ActiveSky doesn't have its own complete replacement of the cloud graphics, so you'll be seeing default XP clouds.

However, ActiveSky can also work with many free plugins that change the cloud depiction, or even with something like SkyMaxxPro for the clouds. 

However Part 2: Later this year, ActiveSky will release their own cloud depiction package as a separate cost add-on. At that point, it could replace xEnviro for you as an integrated weather package. They're probably waiting until Laminar finishes the Vulkan/Metal graphics API update.

For what it's worth -- I like ActiveSky as a weather injector, currently using it with just default XP clouds. They're still working through some issues with turbulence for airliners, but for GA planes I like the way it models turbulence. The air I fly through feels more "alive" than in any other weather add-on I've used.

ActiveSky also has a very full-featured set of options for managing how severe the injected real weather is. This lets me experience a taste of real weather, while still completing FSEconomy flights without being blown off the runway. There is even a slider for how much icing can happen, including none, which I think is the only weather injector that does this. My primary complaint about xEnviro is the lack of enough options for modifying the injected weather.

Many thanks for your detailed response. Extremely informative.

[xxd09 68]

Hi Paraffin 

I interested in your use of Active Sky with Default XP clouds

After setting your Cloud selection in Active Sky-what do you do with the Weather slider in X Plane

Where do you position it?

xxd09

Edited May 24, 2019 by xxd09
Spelling

[Paraffin 2,197]

42 minutes ago, xxd09 said:

Hi Paraffin 

I interested in your use of Active Sky with Default XP clouds

After setting your Cloud selection in Active Sky-what do you do with the Weather slider in X Plane

Where do you position it?

You don't have to position that slider, because it's bypassed when you tell X-Plane to use a custom METAR.rwx in the weather settings page (which is what ActiveSky needs to work).

That weather panel will always show "Clear" when you have a custom Metar enabled and ActiveSky takes over the weather injection. So you can just ignore it.

[torfih 49]

I'm using Active Sky XP and X-Vision, clouds are default XP.  Very happy with the result, fully aware of the limitations of the weather system in XP11. Before I had Sky Max Pro 4.8 and FSGRW weather injector and it never gave me satisfying results. Weather was never close to real conditions, specially the clouds. 

Edited May 25, 2019 by torfih

[xxd09 68]

Thanks Paraffin 

Got it working

xxd09

[MSFS Ralf 149]

6 hours ago, torfih said:

I'm using Active Sky XP and X-Vision, clouds are default XP.  Very happy with the result, fully aware of the limitations of the weather system in XP11. Before I had Sky Max Pro 4.8 and FSGRW weather injector and it never gave me satisfying results. Weather was never close to real conditions, specially the clouds. 

I have the same combination running here. Although I own almost everything weather related, I like X-Vision and ASX most.

[xxd09 68]

Added Ultra Weather XP to Active Sky 

Pulled back some XPlane settings

It’s not Active Sky plus Sky Force and Environment Force in P3D but its pretty good

Enjoying XPlane outings!

xxd09

[usairways56 42]

Not sure if I'm completely missing something here but Active Sky for XP does come with replacement cloud textures .. on the main page of the program and left-hand side, "textures" with a cloud icon. Then you can install HD ones or performance ones

Or is that not what was mentioned earlier with cloud graphics? 

Anyways I've installed the performance ones and they look great and perform better than default with higher anti-aliasing 

Edited May 26, 2019 by usairways56

[Paraffin 2,197]

ActiveSkyXP does come with replacement textures, but as far as I can tell, it's mainly aimed at performance and not eye candy. I don't see a major difference when using them.

Later this summer (according to their earlier info) they may release an additional add-on that does a complete xEnviro or SkyMaxx Pro type cloud depiction replacement, that's very different from the default XP clouds.