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afterburner

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Posts posted by afterburner

  1. Hello Pete Dowson,

    as I´ve noticed, you´ve already implemented a lowest visibility limitation for both global and local FS weather in your new FSUIPC version 3.51.

    I´ve read your last post within this thread after I installed the new version.

    This implementation is great and I want to thank you for your fantastic support.

    You wrote:

    "There is one oddity though. If the specified minimum is being imposed on FS’s own weather the current visibility will not be reported correctly in weather reports such as those read by external programs and ATIS in FS. This is because the only way of imposing the visibility minimum is by changing the effect at the end stage, the rendering at the aircraft, and not in the weather system as such."

    That doesn´t matter in my mind, the same did and does apply to maximum visibility, however. I´m happy with how it works now. 8)

    You also wrote:

    "The limit before you got the grey skies (even de-texturing the clouds above) was around 4 nm in FS2002, but it was raised to 10 nm in FS2004, so in fact FS2004 is a lot worse in this respect -- almost any misty conditions gives you a grey bland sky. You would need to set the minimum to 10.5 nm (1050 as the value in FSUIPC's dialogue) in order to prevent it altogether in FS2004, which is a shame as this also eliminates all reasonable misty conditions. I am one who'd prefer no minimum so that I get the weather pretty much as it really should be, ognoring the grey skies and hoping that I clear the murk quickly after takeoff! "

    Earlier, when I didn´t use FSUIPC or FSInterrogate, the fact that one got blue sky not until a visibility of 20 miles, set at the low-resolution visibility slider inside FS´own weather has bugged me much, because that was unrealistic.

    Later, when I found out that the real grey sky limit was at 10,1 miles, I felt better. At least I could correct the 10 miles value, set in weather menu, manually by FSInterrogate. Now that it does automatically, thanks to FSUIPC and your lowest visibility limit implementation.

    I agree that the FS2004´ grey sky limit of 10 miles is a lot worse than the 4 miles in the previous version.

    In exchange for that, if a visibility of, let´s say, 5 miles is reported together with overcast skies at the weather station, in FS2002 you saw a "blue" fog and could hardly see the grey sky color that should be caused by overcast sky condition. In FS2004, weather in such cases is displayed much better in my mind.

    And in FS2002 you couldn´t see the fog layer from upper altutides, which was also very unrealistic.

    I think both FS2002 and 2004 have their pro´s and contras, but a satisfactorily creation of misty conditions is not developed perfectly at both. (Another brutal solution might be placing a stratus cloud layer at the ground in FS2004 for creating misty conditions)...

    Again, thank you for implementing lower visit limitation applying to FS´own local weather! 8)

    Reagards Konstantin

  2. OK, since you´ve said the visibility limiter works for external weather programs, it´s all clear now.

    Earlier, I´ve thought this way:

    "Allow changes to FS own weather" button on -> make no visibility corrections on FS by FSUIPC. What has been set in FS weather menu, it does apply

    "Allow changes to FS own weather" button off -> enable the FSUIPC visibility limiter to work, FSUIPC has the priority over FS own weather...

  3. Hello Pete Dowson and other FSUIPC-users,

    the "Stop visibility going below (1/100th mile)" - button should do what it is called, not to let visibility going below the entered value.

    But at my FS, it does only work if I enable the checkbox "Allow changes to FS own weather" in the technical section. I thought this should be the other way around (when this checkbox is disabled)...

    When I disable this checkbox, I can set visibilities that are lower than I´ve entered in the FS weather menu, and FSUIPC won´t make any corrections...

    Is such a behaviour purposed, is it a failure of my system or of FSUIPC itself?

    Furthermore I would like to ask following: The lowest visibility limitation does apply only to global weather. Is it technically impossible to apply this function to local weather (it would surprise me as long as the maximum visibility limitation works for all weather), or isn´t there a need of this function for local weather?

    The sense of this would be preventing some unrealistic weather conditions with clear skies, but a low visibility below 5 miles with the grey sky I got sometimes before...

    Just a question...

    Thank you for replies!

    Afterburner

  4. Hello!

    Now I´m able to change values at offsets in FSInterrogate.

    I have experimented with changing the offset "Visibility" (not "Visibility around aircraft" at 2DF0, I get only zeros there...), and in fact, an almost stepless change in visibility is possible.

    Ahwhy do you need to know, then? I'm a bit puzzled as to why you are interested in the effects of writing to an offset when you don't intend to do so?

    My motivation of changing visibility values was checking out the visibility value below which the sky turns to grey.

    I have found out that a visibility of 10.05 miles is the lowest visibility where they still have blue sky at clear cloud conditions.

    And I´m pleased to have found this out because the grey sky at 10 miles (visibility I´ve set in weather menu) has made me angry. Now I know that FS´weather engine itself enables to get clear blue sky at a visibility of 10 miles (exact: 10,05 miles).

    Thank you for your help, Pete and scuffyduck!

    I will write more when I´m back at home (now I´m visiting my relatives).

    Regards Konstantin

  5. Hello Pete!

    Thank you for your very quick reply!

    I would like to try it by myself, but the problem is, I don´t know how to write a value in an offset.

    I´ve tried FSInterrogate, I could only read values by clicking "read buffer", but not write. Do I need FSInterrogate to write values? Maybe I haven´t fully understood this program.

    Next question - do I need a registered version of FSUIPC to be able to write values in an offset (i.e. the offset 2DF0)?

  6. Hello!

    I´ve a question to the "visibility around the aircraft" (that can be changed by setting a value in offset 2DF0):

    In weather menu, they can set visibility only stepwise: above 10 miles in 10-mi-steps (10, 20, 30, 40... mi), below 10 miles in smaller steps (5, 3, 2, 1, 0.5,... mi). Visibilities between these steps can´t be set in menu.

    Will the displayed visibility at an entry on i.e. 11 miles in the 2DF0-offset be rounded off into 10 miles (or 20 miles), or will the visibility around the aircraft be 11 miles like set in 2DF0 and displayed in that kind?

    Thanks for answer!

    Regards Konstantin

  7. Hello Pete!

    I have learned to live with the dissapearing clouds. 8)

    They dissapear i.e. if one set a cloudy weather and flies around an area of weather stations (I´ve meant that with the expression "flying some rounds").

    It´s exactly how you have described in your FSUIPC-guide:

    "I've proven that FS's weather system is always 'live and changing' by doing this:

    ......

    5. Set up some weather that you can remember-some clouds, rain maybe, winds, and so on.

    6. Now take off or slew and start moving.

    7. Check that the weather looks more or less right.

    8. Switch on the A/P or something, go away for 30-50 minutes.

    9. Come back and see what's changed.

    In my case the winds seem to stay as set, as does the visibility, temperature and pressure. But the clouds disappear or change and the rain stops."

    Well - in my case the same is happening with the clouds and rain.

    But I´ve found out that when I´ve created a flight plan and I follow the planned route (or when I fly simply forward, no matter if a plan was created or not), the clouds stay on their right place.

    But when - how you have described - one flies back to the departure weather station, there are generally no more clouds (or less), also when you have saved your flight on your route and select it after ending the flight. (In my experience winds don´t influence this).

    So - I can live with this.

    Of course it would be better if this wouldn´t be a problem - but one can´t get anything...

    Or maybe I have to experiment with the dynamic weather, i.e. trying to set different dew point and temperature values?

    Now to the visibility:

    It´s right that in earlier versions they could notice this "cutoff" (the grey mist) at a visibility of below 5 or 3 miles, in FS2002, FS2000 and FS98.

    That´s the reason why I can´t understand Microsoft why they have implemented this unrealistic all-directions-grey-visibility limit at 10miles, where there weren´t any problems in earlier versions with it?

    If a suggestion to Microsoft will help?

    They should be intelligent enough to know that it isn´t grey in a clear day at a visibility of 10 miles...

    But what would me interest:

    Is there theoretically, from a programmers point of view, any possibility to create haze/visibility limit as a special effect in FS in dependent of visibility value in weather menu? (The FS´own visibility could be always "unlimited", but only the created special effect could be visible?)

    When the answer would be yes, maybe I will think about studying programming by myself... :idea:

    Konstantin

  8. Hello Pete!

    Although it´s more than 2 months ago since you´ve replied to my post, I want to thank you for your detailed answer and observations to my question about possibilities to keep clouds on their place.

    In the meantime, my interest in FS2004 became less because I was crushed in somebody :oops: and I had other passions than for flight simulators.

    But now, I can enjoy flying again and so I have chosen to thank you for your answer. Sorry that I didn´t it earlier. I hope, you´re not very dissapointed. I´ve thought, better later than never...

    It seems that you have misunderstood the word "lovely clouds" I´ve used in my post...

    I have set it in "", because I´ve read your FSUIPC readme and you have called the clouds "lovely clouds".

    In my post, I´ve only quoted your expression...

    That doesn´t mean that I´m unlucky about the cloud graphics in FS2004.

    The opposite is the case - I really think that this cloud graphics is the best I´ve seen, compared to previous FS versions.

    However, I´m not really satisfied with the new weather engine of FS2004.

    One reason is the clouds dissapearing after flying some rounds (this was the topic of my post), the second reason is the fact that you can´t see blue sky and the sun at a visibility of 10miles, which is often a typically visibility in Europe.

    In previous versions, this was solved better, but I can´t understand why one will not see sun and sky any more at a visibility of 10 miles in FS2004.

    In reality, one can see skies at a visibility of even 5 miles!

    But the sky colour is really great, especially at dawn/dusk!

    Well - in my opinion, there are no more bugs (except of weather) that dissapoint me dramatically.

    But it´s another topic

    In any case - thank you for your answer and best wishes for your (eye-)health!

    Konstantin

  9. Hello Peter!

    In the FSUIPC user guide from December 2003 you have written this:

    "FS2004 global weather control is problematic

    Following lengthy investigations I have come to the conclusion that, with my current state of knowledge of FS2004's weather system, there is no way to make a workable weather system using GLOBAL weather only. In other words, any external weather program which uses only global weather, and does not also set local stations, is pretty well doomed from the start.

    The reason is this: I cannot find any method of setting global weather that does not eventually get 'localised' and modified in FS2004. It seems to take anything from about 20 minutes to 50+ minutes here-maybe it is also dependent on distance flown or something-but eventually the weather becomes localised and thereafter no amount of Global fiddling will change it. The only way to 'de-localise' it and get global weather back again is to clear the weather and start again.

    This is true with dynamic weather setting turned off, so it is not that. I've proven that FS's weather system is always 'live and changing' by doing this:

    1. Remove FSUIPC so there is no possibility of it interfering.

    2. Load FS2004 and go to the Weather menu (ALT W W).

    3. Set dynamics off, select user defined weather, and 'customised'.

    4. Select 'all weather stations' (to make your settings 'Global').

    5. Set up some weather that you can remember-some clouds, rain maybe, winds, and so on.

    6. Now take off or slew and start moving.

    7. Check that the weather looks more or less right.

    8. Switch on the A/P or something, go away for 30-50 minutes.

    9. Come back and see what's changed.

    In my case the winds seem to stay as set, as does the visibility, temperature and pressure. But the clouds disappear or change and the rain stops. Checking the weather at various places in the FS dialogues I find that some places still have that 'global' weather I set originally, and others don't. The chances are all the very distance ones are still the same -- FS transforms and localises the weather around you, not on the far side of the world.

    All this is despite weather dynamics being set to "Rate of Change = None", which evidently doesn't quite mean what it says, after all.

    The problem is that, once the aircraft is flying through a cluster of WX stations all equipped with their own local weather, no amount of changing of the GLOBal weather by an external program will accomplish anythingActually, that isn't quite true. It does seem to accomplish something -- it makes the local weather change too, but not in any way which seems predictable. The changing of all those distance non-localised stations seems merely to accelerate the local changes along their own indeterminate course."

    Several days before I read this document, I´ve recognized that a cloud type which was set in "global weather" menu has been changed or cleared during flights. This seems to be exactly how you have described: I went away for 30-50 minutes and came then back to see what´s changed.

    The result is that "overcast" clouds become less density and "few", "broken" and "scattered" clouds become sometimes clear.

    You´re right that it seems not to be predictable when and where weather change (cloud change) will happen. Yes, winds, temperature, pressure and visibility keep their values. Only clouds are changing during flights.

    I´ve found out that setting "Cloud draw distance" does have an influence to this unwanted clouds change rate (the dynamic weather change is set to "none"). Setting low cloud draw distance (30 miles) will clear setting clouds soon, a high distance value (80 miles) will let clouds changing later and rarer.

    Setting a high cloud draw distance will reduce the discribed problem, but not solve it.

    So my question is: Is there any way to keep the clouds set in the global weather menu at all places and all times?

    I don´t use updated real weather because I don´t have a fast internet conection (only 56K modem). Moreover, I often create weather by myself.

    I don´t think that the cloud problem can be solved without any external programs.

    I´ve some ideas how it could be theoretically solved (but I´m not sure):

    1. There might be an external program where I can set my own "global weather" and that´s connected with FS2004.

    One could set "real weather (updated)" in FS2004, and the flight simulator will get periodically weather from this external weather program where I´ve set my own weather before which is for all weather stations worldwide.

    2. There might be a tool that refreshes the global weather in FS2004 periodically.

    I experienced that checking the weather menu in areas where clouds have become changed or clear, the nearest weather station is also changed or "clear". Switching back to global weather and clicking at "OK", will not change the circuumstances. But changing any value in "advanced weather" and then clicking OK will bring clouds back. (i.e., change the pressure around +- 0.01 mm Hg). So, it´s not necessary to clear all weather and then to re-define the previous weather.

    So, the tool would do exactly the opposite the tool "weatherset2.exe" does: Not continually reading a weather from FS, but read it one time when the weather is set in the menu, and then to WRITE it periodically into the FS weather stations.

    It´s like one would go to the weather menu and define a weather for several weather stations around you.

    So, is there any solution to keep the "lovely clouds"?

    And is there a freeware or a payware tool that let them keep?

    Thank you for any suggestions!

    Konstantin

  10. Hello!

    Since the first day I own FS2004 I´ve detected a problem with rudder and aileron control in this flight simulator.

    I´ve posted following in some forums, but I could not find a way to solve it so far:

    "Since I´m flying with Microsoft Flight Simulator, I´m used to control rudders/bugrad by keyboard.

    In previous Flight Simulator versions I´ve never had problems with it. But in FS2004 I´ve recognized a mysterious rudder/bugrad-behaviour when I control it by keyboard:

    When I press "yaw right", it should be obvious that I can bring the rudder to its center position by pressing "yaw left".

    Unfortunately not in FS2004: After pressing "yaw right" one time, it´s required to press "yaw left" 4 times to center the rudder. Of course, it works the other way around: When you press "yaw left" one time, "yaw right" is needed to be pressed 4 times as well to center the rudder.

    You can also see this when you look at rudder from spot-plane-view and when you watch rudder deflection.

    I´ve detected the same phenomene in aileron control by keyboard.

    In FS2002, it´s not a problem.

    I suppose it´s a FS2004-bug."

    So my question is: Is there a way to solve this problem by using FSUIPC or an other module?

    Or does generally a program exist that can simulate joystick movements by pressing keyboard buttons?

    That could help. Unfortunately I could only find programs in the web that do it the other way round - simulating reyboard commands by moving joystick...

    Many thanks to supplies!

    Konstantin

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