I hear developers for years say they do not do this effect because animations cause fps hits and bad performance. But I look at all the aircraft out today, and see such useless animations like moving windows, sun shades, seats, etc. So is that really a valid excuse? One of the most important aspects of flying is looking out the window and in bad weather the lack of ability to do this, in heavy rain and snow, having to use the wipers. This was a feature of FS9 but I have read not implemented well in FSX. But that excuse about not enough space for the animation does not sound truthful to me when all the other pointless but fun animations are littered through various addon cockpits. I would rather have rain and snow effects on a virtual cockpit windshield than to move a jump seat, open a side window, and so on.

For i

 

I hear developers for years say they do not do this effect because animations cause fps hits and bad performance. But I look at all the aircraft out today, and see such useless animations like moving windows, sun shades, seats, etc. So is that really a valid excuse? One of the most important aspects of flying is looking out the window and in bad weather the lack of ability to do this, in heavy rain and snow, having to use the wipers. This was a feature of FS9 but I have read not implemented well in FSX. But that excuse about not enough space for the animation does not sound truthful to me when all the other pointless but fun animations are littered through various addon cockpits. I would rather have rain and snow effects on a virtual cockpit windshield than to move a jump seat, open a side window, and so on.

From what I understand...for it to look any good each rain drop is animated and counted as one item. 

Moving windows and seats do not affect frames while you are in the air because you won't use the animation then. However, you have a point about shades. While I enjoy them in P3D, I was able to live without it in FSX

 

The Realair Duke has raindrop animations without a big hit on frame rates, so it certainly can be done. I would expect that at least in GA planes this would be a good feature.

 

Peter

For i

 

From what I understand...for it to look any good each rain drop is animated and counted as one item. 

The effect is on some aircraft as Peter above mentions, RealAir have this effect.

The effect is on some aircraft as Peter above mentions, RealAir have this effect.

 

So your comparing real air to more complex addons  and I guess  real air  had  more  room to play with  to add  these effects  than pmdg  does is  probably  why  they could  do it

Animated rain is hard to implement and pull off convincingly, but even static bitmaps (accounting for windscreen wiper state) are better than nothing.

I think they all should have,   PMDG/Aerosoft etc, most large aircraft climbs very quickly above the clouds, I don't think FPS is the reason.

here a video a made a while back:

Good post. I agree with the original post. Really miss rain effects on wind screen.

Wow, 500 hits on my video, only one like, and that was me.

Wow, 500 hits on my video, only one like, and that was me.

Glad I'm not a passenger in that aircraft!  You might want to stay on the runway until you take off! :Shame On You:

This was a feature of FS9 but I have read not implemented well in FSX.

It is more accurate to state that "VC Rain" isn't implemented at all in FSX!

 

While backward compatibility for FS9 compiled aircraft's "VC Rain" is supported, the necessary scheme for "VC Rain" in native FSX compiled aircraft is quite simply not available.

 

Hence, in order to implement something similar requires a lot of extra and custom coding by the developer for a "feature" that quite honestly isn't really all that important in the long run.

Although I agree that VC windshield rain is in the same importance category as beautiful AI aircraft models and gorgeous cloud formations, flying the RealAir Turbine Duke IFR on a drizzly, foggy day is a step above anything else.

Glad I'm not a passenger in that aircraft!  You might want to stay on the runway until you take off! :Shame On You:

In my defence, I had a Iphone 6S plus on my face.  , There were no survivors.

Good post. I agree with the original post. Really miss rain effects on wind screen.

Time to migrate to X Plane 10.50 then. They are amazing and the wipers actually WORK!

Although I agree that VC windshield rain is in the same importance category as beautiful AI aircraft models and gorgeous cloud formations, flying the RealAir Turbine Duke IFR on a drizzly, foggy day is a step above anything else.

 

Yup, I was flying mine recently, through on and off cloud and rain, I just loved the rain effect.  I love the Duke. I would vote highly for this effect to be available with addons if it can be programmed and still allow my sim to run effectively. Mind you I now have a high end system.  Wonder if this is a VAS hit!

 

I don't know much about the big airliners, calling them complex so it can't be done, not sure what that means..perhaps they already take a huge VAS hit so adding more animation will bring them to their knees. I'll have to try a tube liner one of these days.