12 hours ago, SierraDelta said:

From when to when (GMT) ?, I’d like to check against this:

https://metar-taf.com/history/RJAA?station_id=0

Wow, been looking for something like that, great!

Edited April 30, 20242 yr by Cpt_Piett

1 hour ago, Cpt_Piett said:

and I can't say which one is more realistic as I don't have access to the weather data that ASFS and MSFS uses.

Check a satellite image. It will reveal quite clearly which image is more accurate. Satellite from Windy is favoring passive mode by a huge margin. There are absolutely no CU clouds nearby. 

This is again the reason why AS active mode is not ideal for flights between rural areas where metar info is scarce

Edit: noted the snapshot time of 0030z,  I thought weather was more current than so. Take my comment with grain of salt then 😄

Edited April 30, 20242 yr by SAS443

11 minutes ago, SAS443 said:

Edit: noted the snapshot time of 0030z,  I thought weather was more current than so. Take my comment with grain of salt then 😄

No, I think you’ve got a point. I was way too late to check windy (don’t think it has any historical data). 

2 hours ago, Cpt_Piett said:

Preset mode (ASFS in control of the clouds):

 

Your screenshots really make me feel like doing some GA-flying again. I have been flying airliners only since a few month because GA-flying in MSFS had somehow lost its appeal to me. But with these cloudscapes by ASFS I really need to spend some more time below the clouds again.

 

I flew over a random area in Kenya last night in daylight (not historical weather just time change) and it was pretty cool, no airports anywhere nearby for METAR so AS Preset mode doing it's thing in the latest 8883 beta

Aside the overall visuals of the clouds improving the experience (large rain clouds, low lying almost misty areas, storm cloud with lightning at one point) there were a few niggles. Tiny clouds producing rain, which I've seen in default weather, is still there with this beta so maybe that's a deeper issue within the code that AS perhaps can't deal with. Transitions were a bit harsh so I need to play with the settings, currently on default whereas I had different values for the public/first version.

Overall it was another enjoyable flight where it just felt more real, not much turbulence in my GA but then in real time it was night, I'll fly historical properly next time.

4 hours ago, Cpt_Piett said:

Location: Motiti Island, 11nm off the coast from NZTG Tauranga, 86nm from NZAA and 234nm from NZWN.

Never mind the clouds - just look at that scenery!!!

I hate to say it, but I think - in this case - I prefer the clouds in "Passive" mode. The problem with these "volcanic ash" clouds is that they're somehow tied into the overall brightness of the sim - and that 4pm on a *partly* cloudy day ends up looking more like 8pm ... and all the scenery is ludicrously dark. IMHO, that's a bigger immersion killer than [even] those horrid clouds.

14 hours ago, Mace said:

He wasn't talking about geopolitics.  Where did you get that from?

@Peter Webber earlier in this thread I flew in the Chinese province of Inner Mongolia, which is a fairly remote area in the Gobi Desert, and gave a mini-review.

Ok, I must have interpreted it incorrectly. I thought he was talking about the simworld focusing on "white" developed countries and not giving a d... about Africa for example.

 

 

6 hours ago, Cpt_Piett said:

Passive mode (MSFS in control of the clouds):

Preset mode (ASFS in control of the clouds):

The difference is quite significant - and I can't say which one is more realistic as I don't have access to the weather data that ASFS and MSFS uses. 

Location: Motiti Island, 11nm off the coast from NZTG Tauranga, 86nm from NZAA and 234nm from NZWN. Not sure if ASFS is able to access the NZTG METAR data (as most NZ METARs are not globally accessible). It might use either nearby METARs (NZAA and NZWN), GFS Forecasts, or a combination of both. So it's a bit of an interesting case, I think. 

ASFS conditions: 

 

And this screenshot is from Tauranga directly watching in the direction of Motiti Island at the time:

My conclusion in this case is, that the ASFS weather looks nicer but is less realistic.

8 hours ago, Cognita said:

There may be weather parameters on the client system, but I am confident Microsoft is never going to give write access to those fields,

I personally don't believe that the parameters to provide global weather model do not exist on the client systems, only apis for setting local preset conditions. I am in agreement that this limitation not only exists presently, but will continue in the same vein in msfs2024, especially as they are looking to offer more server side world generation in other aspects of the Sim, including terraforming.

In a nutshell,  what we receive now from third party is never going to be able to wrest the level of control needed to fully replace the weather system, and what is available now, will be the best that can be offered. 

3 hours ago, fsiscool said:

My conclusion in this case is, that the ASFS weather looks nicer but is less realistic.

Your conclusion is 25 minutes out from the METAR for NZTG and not "at the time."

Here's what I found, though it too is not at the reported METAR time.

My conclusion is: people will continue to find evidence that supports their preconceived notions.

I've also picked up ASFS and haven't had a chance to fiddle with it much so don't quite have any sort of informed opinion yet.

Combing through all the pages of this thread to see what others think, personally for my own uses and opinions, I find the pictures that compare in-game conditions to real world pictures most valuable.

If you're not already familiar with it, some of you might find this website valuable.

https://weathercams.faa.gov/

On a separate note, aside from cloud representation.  What are your opinions on other elements of the weather, like winds and such?  I like to use MSFS to practice crosswind landings at my local airport in a C172.  I loaded up MSFS with MSFS weather the other day and it had a stiff gusting crosswind.  My pattern required considerable crab to keep my track straight and a nice pattern.  Crosswind landing used considerable rudder & aileron.  Then I did the same in ASFS and the winds seemed much much tamer...especially on short final.  I could still see the wings of the Cessna fluttering on the taxiway with the wind and hear the wind...but it required less crab in the pattern, less wind correction to keep a straight track, and much less rudder and aileron to land.  I can't say which one was more "accurate" at this point.  It could be that MSFS was too stiff and exaggerated with the winds and ASFS was more accurate.  Or it could be that ASFS was too tame with the winds and MSFS had it right.  Or it could have been the same and just my imagination, user error, etc.

Just curious what others constructive findings and opinions are with regards to surface winds and winds aloft.

 

"My conclusion is: people will continue to find evidence that supports their preconceived notions."

@737max

 

I totally agree with this statement. 👌

3 hours ago, F737MAX said:

Your conclusion is 25 minutes out from the METAR for NZTG and not "at the time."

The next webcam shot one hour later looks the same. As the shot from before and after the METAR time look the same, should we not talk about facts rather than preconceived notions?

Of course this is just one case. In other places or cases, the conclusion would surely be the other way round. It is just an indication, that ASFS for remote places might only look nicer but not be more realistic.

On 4/29/2024 at 5:41 PM, Cognita said:

Interesting... Those clouds appeared to move in precise straight lines, almost like they have been vectored to their destination. 

I'm watching the clouds outside, but none appear to be doing figure eights 

1 minute ago, MrBitstFlyer said:

I'm watching the clouds outside, but none appear to be doing figure eights 

But, do they move is straight lines at a constant speed?