Over Chicago with the METAR reporting overcast at 5,000ft.    Both MSFS and REX nail the overcast in very different ways.  MSFS overcast is way better than before SU7 hotfix was released.

MSFS has gone for a cumulus overcast where Rex has gone for a stratus overcast.  Very interesting and got me wondering where does the cloud choice come from?  MSFS basis everything on different thicknesses of cumulus. However, Rex has nailed a stratus looking overcast.

Does the METAR data report cloud type in some way?  Is MSFS getting additional cloud type data from another source?  Is REX getting cloud type from another source?

MS Overcast

REX overcast

The sim probably doesn't know that winter in Chicago would definite be a stratus layer.  But also it seems most of the cloud puffs done by the default weather are cumulus puffs.

I would think it *should* be getting this data from the Meteoblue model; type of cloud should be determined by heights, lapse rate / inversion layers etc... basically all the data you'd find on a Skew-T.  (Chicago could and does definitely have cumulus skies in winter, if the lake effect machine is active.)  

MSFS definitely seems to default to cumulus right now though; that's something they can improve.  Those are nice moody winter-looking cu skies, though. 

Where does Rex get its global (non-metar) weather from?

Edited January 14, 20224 yr by scotchegg
Autocorrect embarrassing me with an errant contractive apostrophe in a possessive ‘its’. The shame…

1 hour ago, scotchegg said:

Where does Rex get its global (non-metar) weather from?

I thought, that REX only based it's weather projections on METAR-data?

We utilize both metar and GFS model data.

2 hours ago, timest said:

We utilize both metar and GFS model data.

How does Rex decide cloud type?  In the screenshots above REX correctly displayed a stratus layer for the overcast in Chicago.  MS displayed a convincing overcast with cumulus.

Really interested how the cloud type is chosen.

9 minutes ago, MrBitstFlyer said:

How does Rex decide cloud type?  In the screenshots above REX correctly displayed a stratus layer for the overcast in Chicago.  MS displayed a convincing overcast with cumulus.

Really interested how the cloud type is chosen.

From what I have seen sofar is that MS likes dramatic looking clouds most ….

The sim is capable of displaying overcast correctly. REX isn't doing anything, really, that the sim can't do. Timest can correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that REX manipulates the data used for presets in the sim, based on whatever is incoming from their weather data server(s), i.e. it isn't exactly live weather, not the way the sim is doing live weather. If you select the overcast preset within MSFS, you will get the same conditions depicted in the above screenshot labelled "REX overcast". And you can manipulate the preset to your liking.

Now, I have seen that type of overcast depicted in MSFS live weather in this past week, once. It certainly looked like it to me. Unfortunately I didn't have a picture of it. But the point is, even if you don't come across overcast conditions like that in live weather right now, the sim is perfectly capable of it; REX is using Asobo's engine for their sky conditions.

As I've suggested elsewhere, this past week, it seems to me the issue is potentially with the data coming in to the sim from the servers that Asobo are connected to, which I presume is Meteoblue's for both dynamic forecast and METAR. It could even be partly bugs in the live weather code. Could be something to do with blending the forecast model with METAR to avoid obvious, hard transitions, which is negating the depiction of proper overcast identified by the METAR.

Who knows? I don't. This is speculation. But what is factual is that Asobo's engine certainly is capable of rendering overcast, because it does in preset mode, and it does when REX is utilising Asobo's engine in their add-on.

We know Asobo are still working on the weather, so I would just say sit tight and I'm sure it'll get sorted out, so that we see proper overcast again, or more frequently (as I'm sure I did see it the other day, one time only, as I said).

 

The first one looks way better, accurate or not. 

Well, a WX-depiction solely from METARs would be a very disappointing solution... 

A METAR can provide only a cloud coverage and a its height. There are no further additional information wether clouds are cumulus-based (exception: TCU/CB) or stratus-based. Not even CAVOK means that there are no clouds at all, it only means there are no clouds below 5000 FT AGL (or MSA). MSFS did a good job by outsourcing the meteo-stuff to meteoblue, of course there is a lot of work to do but as long as there is some kind of progress i am happy...

2 hours ago, autotaf said:

There are no further additional information wether clouds are cumulus-based or stratus-based

It does not say in clear text...but the precipitation category has - at times-  some dead giveaways what kind of clouds (airmass rather) you have at the airport

Drizzle/DZ (stable air mass, stratus clouds)  is one example.

 

Edited January 14, 20224 yr by SAS443

For me, after the latest update, no more clouds on the ground. What a relief. 

Oh great, another cloud thread

1 hour ago, SAS443 said:

It does not say in clear text...but the precipitation category has - at times-  some dead giveaways what kind of clouds (airmass rather) you have at the airport

RADZ (stable air mass, stratus clouds)  is one example.

 

OK...as long as there are no SH/TS involved the clouds are (mostly) stratiform. But i would not count on that solely....