REX WEATHER FORCE For MSFS

[Sticky 267]

2 minutes ago, FAZZ3 said:

They're not using a METAR system, but rather a global grid system.

So then, how is REX taking advantage of a “stopgap” it MSFS uses global grids? I think if MSFS and MetroBlue wanted to use METARs they won’t have used them.

no one is exploiting anything.

[Sticky 267]

9 minutes ago, Weatherman said:

Actually it's quite the opposite. Leaving beside the frequent data errors (in some countries more frequent than in others) METARS just give you the information for a certain point. That might not be a big deal if you have many many stations reporting, but for most (>90%) parts of the world the stations are way too sparse to get a good 3d weather simulation from it. The next issue is: METARs give you no information about winds in atmosphere, only at the ground. That alone is a deal breaker. Cloud top level is often missing as well, and even in a lot circumstances complete cloud layers cannot be reported by METAR if a dense cloud layer is below. Cirrus is not reported at all in most cases. Conclusion: METAR is great for giving a very accurate information about current weather situation at a specific airport. You use that for planning takeoff and landing for reasons. But for drawing a complete 3d picture of the weather and atmosphere, METARs are by far not enough. Frequently updated model output is far better for that nowadays.

For an earth simulation I’m on board with you...but for a flight simulator I think actual METARs in addition to models are necessary.  The weather over vast emptiness is less important then where you plan to fly a plane to a runway. The only real question is why didn’t MSFS include this from the beginning?

Edited September 16, 2020 by Sticky

[FAZZ3 815]

1 minute ago, Sticky said:

So then, how is REX taking advantage of a “stopgap” it MSFS uses global grids? I think if MSFS and MetroBlue wanted to use METARs they won’t have used them.

no one is exploiting anything.

You don't know the meaning of stopgap do you?

REX is aware that MSFS weather system has bugs, they're using a different system (METAR) to fix it. Sounds good so far.

The issue is that they're using the exact weather system of MSFS. Everything looks and feels the same, just making it run using a different system, which by itself doesn't warrant an addon worth paying for, in my honest opinion.

Also, the whole point of releasing the addon is to provide a temporary solution until Asobo fixes the weather system internally (which is only a matter of when, not if), which is why I feel like REX is taking the opportunity to sell a solution to a problem which might not even exist in the future.

[Weatherman 193]

Just now, Sticky said:

For an earth simulation I’m on board with you...but for a flight simulator I think actual METARs in addition to models are necessary.  The weather over vast emptiness is less important then where you plan to fly a plane to a runway. The only real question is why didn’t MSFS include this from the beginning?

MSFS actually is an earth simulation, and not a simulation at certain locations. And you would probably agree with me that having accurate winds aloft is quite important for flying. Having accurate cloud tops. What if you have some sparse thunderstorms around but no storm actually hitting a METAR station? All that can be very accurately modeled by today's weather models. All you need is a frequent update cycle. Worldwide weather observations are fed into those models.

[Sticky 267]

2 minutes ago, FAZZ3 said:

You don't know the meaning of stopgap do you?

REX is aware that MSFS weather system has bugs, they're using a different system (METAR) to fix it. Sounds good so far.

The issue is that they're using the exact weather system of MSFS. Everything looks and feels the same, just making it run using a different system, which by itself doesn't warrant an addon worth paying for, in my honest opinion.

Also, the whole point of releasing the addon is to provide a temporary solution until Asobo fixes the weather system internally (which is only a matter of when, not if), which is why I feel like REX is taking the opportunity to sell a solution to a problem which might not even exist in the future.

<sigh>...message board arguments. Here we go back and forth with little jabs about each other’s intelligence....ok I’m bored, guess I’ll play along...

the lack of METARs is not a bug, you agreed with that. Since it is not a bug, and since MSFS clearly chose not to implement METARs long ago....REX is not a STOPGAP between anything.

good grief....

[charlie130 196]

Once MS "fixes" the live weather engine, REX might be worth a look!

The bottom line in the REX blurb was;

"Even though the REX weather engine is pushing the proper temperatures and winds aloft data through to the simulator, due to core issues of Microsoft Flight Simulator, temperatures and winds aloft are not properly rendered yet. Microsoft & Asobo are aware of this issue. (September 13, 2020)'

[ckyliu 1,749]

How can REX develop a weather addon for a sim that doesn't even have a complete and stable SDK? I won't even consider buying any addons that improve core sim functionality until next year, especially given Asobo continues to improve the core.

Also see a lot of conjecture from REX about "the in-built weather engine only uses modelling, not METARs like ours will, so we will be more accurate" but I would expect that model to be informed by metars.

Edited September 16, 2020 by ckyliu

[FAZZ3 815]

4 minutes ago, Sticky said:

<sigh>...message board arguments. Here we go back and forth with little jabs about each other’s intelligence....ok I’m bored, guess I’ll play along...

the lack of METARs is not a bug, you agreed with that. Since it is not a bug, and since MSFS clearly chose not to implement METARs long ago....REX is not a STOPGAP between anything.

good grief....

Maybe i'm not wording my phrases correctly. What I'm trying to say is that since REX is not bringing any new weather system to the sim, but just a different backend system to correctly implement the already present weather system, this by itself doesn't warrant an addon as expensive as theirs, which of course is subjective. 

Their main unique selling point at the moment is only accurately implemented weather, not new clouds, not new weather effects, nothing. This USP may not be unique in the long term if Asobo fixes the real time weather problem. So I fail to see what else they bring to the table that Asobo possiibly can't.

[Baber20 1,438]

3 hours ago, rstough said:

No subscription.  The initial release includes Live weather and Dynamic Weather Scenarios.  The next update will include archive/historic weather.  The third major update will include community weather presets.  Where you can control the weather elements individually like in Environment Force.

I have been a long time customer of rex products and would like to take this opportunity to thank you for the revolutionary work you guys have done for the flight simming community.

But I am afraid this one will be a solid pass for me unless you guys can come up with better cloud modeling and realistic depiction if clouds. The weather engine in msfs sufficient good apart from the wind issue which is getting fixed in the upcoming patch.

Now about the clouds. Well here is the thing. The current clouds in msfs leaves much to be desired. Various cloud types are missing and the color (volcanic ash looking clouds) and the shape itself (wispiness) of the clouds are not realistic. They look blur and pixelated at times. So If you can improve upon such things, it will be a definite buy for me and many others. 

Edited September 16, 2020 by Baber20

[travelabroad 177]

22 minutes ago, ckyliu said:

How can REX develop a weather addon for a sim that doesn't even have a complete and stable SDK? I won't even consider buying any addons that improve core sim functionality until next year, especially given Asobo continues to improve the core.

Also see a lot of conjecture from REX about "the in-built weather engine only uses modelling, not METARs like ours will, so we will be more accurate" but I would expect that model to be informed by metars.

+++1

[Ricardo41 5,949]

Are you guys planning to release a MSFS version of Texture Direct/Soft Clouds?

[omarsmak30 4,068]

42 minutes ago, charlie130 said:

Once MS "fixes" the live weather engine, REX might be worth a look!

The bottom line in the REX blurb was;

"Even though the REX weather engine is pushing the proper temperatures and winds aloft data through to the simulator, due to core issues of Microsoft Flight Simulator, temperatures and winds aloft are not properly rendered yet. Microsoft & Asobo are aware of this issue. (September 13, 2020)'

LOL, so the whole thing is just marketing it seems ? 😄

[spacedyemeerkat 421]

41 minutes ago, ckyliu said:

How can REX develop a weather addon for a sim that doesn't even have a complete and stable SDK? I won't even consider buying any addons that improve core sim functionality until next year, especially given Asobo continues to improve the core.

Also see a lot of conjecture from REX about "the in-built weather engine only uses modelling, not METARs like ours will, so we will be more accurate" but I would expect that model to be informed by metars.

I think some people are just desperate to spend money on something - anything! - for the new sim.

[JoeFackel 760]

2 hours ago, TuomasV said:

I don't doubt that METAR is the most accurate weather source for aerodome conditions - better than any model. However, most of my flying doesn't take place on top of an airport and the distance between two high-frequency stations can be considerable. Aren't models the only way to go between these stations?

 

Models PREDICT weather, the farther they go into the future the less accuate are they. And these models do this based on hard data like METARS, weather stations, data from planes etc.

There is no LIVE or HISTORIC weather simulation based on models.

[MarcG 2,975]

2 hours ago, UAL4life said:

I have yet to see a thunderstorm in sim with lightning without generating it myself, not to mention you can’t even generate fog your self if inclined so there’s a lot missing from MSFS. I’m looking forward to REX bringing features that should have been in the default sim. 

They might well come to the Sim from Asobo, it's a continuously developed title so they may have their own plan for the Weather side of things after they've got these initial bugs squished. I too want the real time lightning in game and would expect it to come one day, I don't really want to use/pay for a 3rd party app that's generally nothing new but a few extra bits thrown in.