Harvgordon

Okay, after reading few posts I think we might have a misunderstanding here. I see people blame REX for not drawing the cloud types other than cumulus and cirrus. This is NOT correct. SF3D did have some new cloud types that other texture add-ons are incapable to model in the sim. Because it requires specific weather conditions to see. Under severe thunderstorm conditions where the supercell is formed. The altitude at its top is about 70,000 ft. This screenshot is taken at 70,000 ft. As you can see from the picture, the supercell tower is certainly drawn in the sim. https://imgur.com/OQzvJRv https://imgur.com/B5pbbUU I don't know how to re-create a scenario that other cloud types can be seen. This is why I'm asking REX to make a demonstration. When flying through the clouds, it doesn't really have the "3D" feels, in my scenario, it seems that I am flying through layers of clouds, and it really kills the immersion. Here are the screenshots I have taken during the test. https://i.imgur.com/3ihyVAQ.jpg https://i.imgur.com/AKz47Kz.jpg The key is, SF3D lacks proper weather simulation, which their IWX engine should have the capability as advertised. Yes, it can generate nice-looking supercell tower, but it doesn't have the capability to do the proper weather simulation of it. You don't really feel the danger of flying through these weather conditions. It's just the eye candy. At the same time, when I choose to use ASP4 with SF3D, there are new issues. ASP4 as a weather engine is utilizing the clouds from SF3D, with SF3D enabled (IWX weather engine disabled) in the background. It doesn't seem to work well with the SF3D's real-time sync mode because ASP4 is generating clouds at the same time, it really sacrifices the performance and the weather simulation of ASP4 feels odd as well, not to mention the strange combined looking. You see here SF3D is definitely compatible with ASP4, they can be run at the same time and work together, but it doesn't work well. I know I can not criticise REX developers for this reason because they don't really have a chance to make SF3D integrate with ASP4 perfectly. The development of two products is totally independent. Therefore I can only hope for the best that SF3D's IWX weather engine delivers. The major critics that SF3D has received (in my opinion) is related to its weather engine. If I use nice words to describe it, it still has a large potential for further development. Not to put too fine a point on it, it doesn't have fundamental features to be called as a "weather engine". They use fancy words in the advertisement, such as "we are able to interpret the energy of the atmosphere by using key model components to determine its volatility down to a single latitude and longitude." which indicates they are using a totally different approach to bring the flight sim weather simulation to a higher level. I have never seen any existing weather product is capable of interpreting the energy of the atmosphere, and this is just exciting. However, the questions to be asked after the purchase is: "What is the theory or the background of its weather simulation", "What is the limitation of the software?", "What about sudden weather change and re-draw of clouds?" REX doesn't give us sufficient information in the reality. To be honest, the main reason that I purchased SF3D at an instant was I really believe this brings revolutionary changes and overcomes the sim barrier. Unfortunately, it all comes to a frustration at the end. It doesn't live up to all anticipation and advertisement it has.

Just installed and all setup. https://imgur.com/7mZe8JF https://imgur.com/i2cxwKI https://imgur.com/Y7gs0tU https://imgur.com/iEvyQDq https://imgur.com/UMOdJlE https://imgur.com/eXU14RQ https://imgur.com/xzPBtIT https://imgur.com/zIJssfg Well, prior to the release I said in REX forum that this will be a revolutionary product. I really expect it delivers much more. But the truth is, the product is not even an eligible add-on in aspects of weather simulation. First of all, the weather engine doesn't have some fundamental features, such as weather updating period, all I know is the weather updates every 10 min approximately, and it injects the textures into the sim. There are neither smooth wind transitions nor smooth weather transition as everything just suddenly changed and I have to say, the redrawing of the cloud is awful and ruined my first impression of SF3D. I have set the turbulence rendering to maximum but I did not feel it. Texture-wise, I have not seen any 3D cloud model, there are still flat stratus clouds to be seen in the distance. Perhaps REX could make a video for us to demonstrate the type of clouds that is 3D-simulated? Performance-wise, everything was good at the beginning. But it gets horrible at the time when the weather is updating. I also get severe stutters constantly when flying through the clouds. The frame drops from 50 to 20, I never have this experience with ASCA+ASP4. I have not seen the "AI-Controlling" feature in the program, it was introduced on the website. But there is no setting nor description in the manual. I guess you might need specific weather condition to make it show up? My experience at the end is, this product is a failure compared to its elaborate advertising. I'm sorry Reed, but SF3D doesn't come to be an adequate "total atmosphere immersion" product as said on its website and sadly it does not come to a satisfactory end for me. I wish you have success in the following "Force" product line. But that won't be a first-time purchase of my choice anymore.

I will do a test now, downloading.

Before this thread gets closed. I would share something about my understanding. After reading the manual, if I understand this right. For users want to use SF3D with ASP4 (without using the weather engine of SF3D). It works similar to the previous product line method, "the theme picking" method. You install the textures models, themes into the sim, then close the SF3D and open the ASP4 to use its weather engine. At this time ASP4 will utilize the textures REX has installed into the sim, and ASP4 will only interact with the sim, there is neither communication nor interaction occurred between SF3D and ASP4. This is pretty much how we are using REX OD(REX4 TD) + ASP4 now. So it is absolutely compatible with other weather addons. Because they don't conflict with each other, SF3D is only served as a textures replacement addon. REX SF3D >>>(INSTALL TEXTURES/MODELS TO)>>>Prepar3D<<<(USE TEXTURES/MODELS OF SF3D)<<<HiFi's Active Sky. (Please correct me if I am wrong Reed.) I think the weather simulation is the selling point of SF3D. Because it's an integrated system that designed to work with 3D models of SF3D. Therefore if you want to use SF3D with the best experience from the perceptive of its design. You have to use the integrated weather engines come with SF3D. Furthermore, I think it's unfair that people are asking SF3D to work with ASP4 without compromising any of its features. Please remember REX and HiFi are different companies, the developers of REX can only recommend the users to use REX products as a whole because they know the best of their products, these guys do not develop Active Sky. The manual clearly states which feature requires the weather engine of SF3D enabled and it was written into a table format. It's the user's responsibilities to check it out. To clear the confusion, I would like to say that the above content of my post is just a speculation, it does not have any correlation with the instruction to use REX SF3D.

If you own any REX product then wait for Sky Force 3D like I do. REX Sky Force 3D works with other REX add-ons for the best result. the existing REX customers are also eligible to a discount offer of Sky Force 3D. However, if you don't own any REX product and you want a texture replacement tool to work with a weather engine then stick with things you have, Active Sky + Cloud Art + Envtex integrates with each other, and it's recommend by its developer. The differences are: REX4 Texture Direct is a texture replacement add-on, it has similar functionalities with Envtex and allows you to install new cloud, water, sky, grass, airport ground textures REX Sky Force 3D is an environmental immersion add-on and a weather engine, it has similar functionalities with HiFi's Active Sky + Cloud Art. However, Sky Force 3D has more features to offer. I recommend you to read the introduction of each developer's products carefully to know which option is the best for you.

Hello ErichB, I think you have missed some pages of the introduction, if you take a look at the top right corner you will find any information you want. Information regarding compatibility: http://rexskyforce.com/compatibility.html Information regarding weather engine capability: http://rexskyforce.com/weather.html

I will switch to REX for sure when the Sky Force is released. Reed said they were still aiming for a Xmas release this year.

Hello everyone, I want to know the way to plan the route between the NATs Oceanic Airspace and the North American Domestic Airspace. In this case, I want to ask how to plan the route prior to entering the NAT, leaving from U.S. I know FAA publishes NAT advisory message every day via FAA ATC Centre Advisory Database. Which provides the information regarding the specified transition procedure from the airports to the NAT entry points. However, this information is only for east coast airports. For some airports near mid-east to central U.S. (ie. ORD, DFW etc), there's no way to find the predetermined routes connected to the tracks. One reason is, flights that departing from the central U.S are more likely to pick a track near the north. They have to fly over the Canadian domestic airspace to enter the NAT from the NE of Canada. Does anyone know the way to find the advised routes connect to NAT entry points within Canadian Domestic Airspace? Is there a source like FAA Advisory Database or has similar functionalities? By the way, how do you plan a route from ORD to DUB with track inserted? Any suggestion is greatly appreciated. Regards, Gordon

It's 6.25P EST now. I don't think they will post the changelog today...

I really want to purchase an AI addon to be used with VATSIM on P3D V4. Any recommendation will be appreciated.

747-8 777-200ER

Yelling, complaining and crying, this is what I saw under XP related post in PMDG forum.

This is brilliant! PMDG Quality.

highly unlikely, are they going to make ERJ V2 instead?

Dxtory is making problems for me in V3. You can use MSI Afterburner + RivaTuner instead.