As long as it is capable of depicting at least two fully independent weather types on one sky using live weather.g, e.g. with a weatherfront, they will get me as a customer. So far, only the internal weather engine is capable of doing so...

Edited April 14, 20242 yr by AnkH

Very interesting, but wanna see what native 2024 can do first.

I don't expect miracles due to the MSFS/Meteoblue restrictions, but I will support AS anyway. Historical weather is a big plus for me. Finally, I can fly in AU, NZ, ... under daylight conditions with appropriate weather.

I don't need that Active Sky App, not anymore, the MSFS weather is OK for me..

cheers 😉

Will the weather radar of Fenix and Pmdg work with this version? That would be a great addition!

So there isn't full access to the weather for 3rd party developers because MSFS doesn't have a comprehensive and complete Weather API. And it was Damian from HiFly who has been complaining about this.

So this ActiveSky will only be able to do what Rex does?  I guess it will be limited in what it can do. This is a pretty interesting announcement, given the limitations of the MSFS Weather API.

Also, I see people already talking about whether PMDG and Fenix will do a weather radar off of this. I hate to be the naysayer, but if this doesn't turn out to be a popular product, I can't see PMDG or Fenix supporting this. Why support a product that isn't popular and widely sold with the community? It just means more maintenance and support work for PMDG and Fenix.

If the product is immensely popular and has sold a lot of copies like like GSX, then I can imagine PMDG and Fenix perhaps implementing a weather radar that works with Active Sky. Until then, if Active Sky doesn't sell well for MSFS, I can see PMDG and Fenix not implementing a weather radar to work with Active Sky, because it's just means more maintenance and support work for them, for a product that's not popular.  Active Sky would probably have to sell as many copies as GSX (or something comparable) for PMDG or Fenix to consider making a weather radar that works with Active Sky.

Edited April 14, 20242 yr by abrams_tank

All AS has to do is give us different types of cloud types based on real world weather. There's plenty of data out there that they can use.

If MSFS doesn't even allow you to access the weather APIs natively, I am skeptical it will be more or less similar to REX weather app. 

The historical weather feature alone makes this a likely purchase.

I suppose I'm a little concerned about how much ActiveSky FS differs in weather depiction from REX Weather Force and Xenviro.

12 days ago, I asked on another thread whether there is a way for Hi-Fi to 'hack' MSFS' METAR stations reporting to give more than just one global weather scenario at a time or to replace what MSFS imports from MeteoBlue to replicate entire weather systems using their own sourced data. The reply was:

Quote

Of course there's always a way. [...]  So maybe we can do this, if we can figure out how to feed ourselves while working on it.

The only concern is if Hi-Fi Sim has been able to create something that is significantly different from its competitors in relation to live weather. If not, it will be a hard sell to people happy enough with MSFS' own weather or either of the other two weather programs.

41 minutes ago, abrams_tank said:

So there isn't full access to the weather for 3rd party developers because MSFS doesn't have a comprehensive and complete Weather API. And it was Damian from HiFly who has been complaining about this.

So this ActiveSky will only be able to do what Rex does?  I guess it will be limited in what it can do. This is a pretty interesting announcement, given the limitations of the MSFS Weather API.

Also, I see people already talking about whether PMDG and Fenix will do a weather radar off of this. I hate to be the naysayer, but if this doesn't turn out to be a popular product, I can't see PMDG or Fenix supporting this. Why support a product that isn't popular and widely sold with the community? It just means more maintenance and support work for PMDG and Fenix.

If the product is immensely popular and has sold a lot of copies like like GSX, then I can imagine PMDG and Fenix perhaps implementing a weather radar that works with Active Sky. Until then, if Active Sky doesn't sell well for MSFS, I can see PMDG and Fenix not implementing a weather radar to work with Active Sky, because it's just means more maintenance and support work for them, for a product that's not popular.  Active Sky would probably have to sell as many copies as GSX (or something comparable) for PMDG or Fenix to consider making a weather radar that works with Active Sky.

If the weather radar did not change so much since last versions then it would not be really difficult for PMDG to implement it?

Think I’ll pass here. I really don’t want to go back to the days of a myriad of external programs running.

The UI of this active sky looks exactly the same as it did many many years ago.

By the way from their product page, looks is based on preset and looks like it will just internally update it in intervals, pretty much like REX, so yeah. 

Its a real shame that MSFS is so restrictive to 3rd party especially the lack of fundamental wx radar in aircraft. I get the licensing and data restriction, but you would think there would be a solution that is amicable for both sides.   Its a no go if your radar is not active.   I would love to support AS but presets dont particularly interest me too much and like the live weather aspect. Think its best to wait to see what MSFS2024 brings.   

This is interesting, a few points & queries;

• Will the Custom Weather come with a "Random Weather" Option? One thing I *hate* about current MSFS Presets is the fact it's the same weather everywhere, there is no way to fly in clear skies through a storm into haze etc etc.
• Historical Weather, Jorg Neumann couldn't get his head around this when asked countless times in Q&As, if this works as advertised then that's a big selling point for me.
• The UI matters not one jot to me, I fly in VR therefore I'll set it up and forget about it. If it does the job who cares what it looks like? You'll be busy flying in the Sim as will I, this incessant need to have pretty UI with the kids these days drives me nuts, I buy games/sims for the gaming/simming part not what the UI looks like!
• If anything this is needed for Jorg & Co to get a kick up the backside to make sure MSFS2024 Weather is advanced as possible. They've screwed around with the current Sims weather integration too much, SU7 was a shambles when they introduced METAR and there's still issues remaining from that now. Hopefully ActiveSky might do some things that make them think "oh yeah we can do better" - everyone's therefore a winner.
   

While I would be glad for this, as I used it in FSX and I really liked it, I am also sceptical.

As others have mentioned, how can they achieve this when there is no SDK for developers, and MS / Asobo have said there never will be?  Also, are they going to make some cirrus with Asobo's engine, as Asobo don't seem to be able to.  

They also say they intend to support MSFS2024.  I don't know how they can say this, as the weather engine has changed for this, but nobody knows how yet, so to make this claim is a bit bold, and also, MS / Asobo will more than likely carry over their current policy not to let third parties take control of their weather system.