FSUIPC 3.6 wind

[EWE]

Hello,

Sometimes on a flight, the win is acting very strange. When on cruize, suddenly the wind changes direction 180°. I have set smooth wind changes to 2kts per second. When I look at Weatherview, there is no change in winddirection at my altitude.

So when this is happening with a crosswind from the right with 70kts, the wind is turning first to a head or backwind befor changing further the the other side. After a minute it changes back, going again via the front or aft.

During this change the KIAS is changing dramaticly (+/- 70 kts)

I use AS2004, with any a/c.

Any idees?

Thx

ERIK WACHTERS

[Pete Dowson]

Any idees?

No -- the wind smoothing works fine. There was a bug a few versions back which did that, and there's also one in FS itself (but the wind smoothing overcomes that).

Please double check that you are actually using 3.60 -- look in the FSUIPC Log file. There's an option in ActiveSky for "direct wind control" (or similar wording) -- if it is on, turn it off. If that fixes it then it does sound very much like you actually are using an old version of FSUIPC -- perhaps installed by an add-on?

If you are absolutely sure you are using 3.60, and you can reproduce the problem easily, set Weather logging on and induce the problem. Keep the session short or the log with become very large.

Also check for updates to ActiveSky. The current version seems very good, very smooth.

Regards,

Pete

[EWE]

Thanks for the quick reply.

I double checked, and I'm using 3.6.

Last update of AS2004.5 B193

The option: "Disable Direct Wind Control" is checked ON (so Direct Wind Control is OFF)

I will try to do a weather log on my next flight.

Erik

[Pete Dowson]

I double checked, and I'm using 3.6.

Last update of AS2004.5 B193

The option: "Disable Direct Wind Control" is checked ON (so Direct Wind Control is OFF)

Strange. The only other cause I know of is wind variance. See this item in the FSUIPC History (a change in FSUIPC 3.52):

In FS2004 the FSUIPC Wind options page now sports a new option, on the right-hand side, to limit the amount of wind variance which can be applied by external weather programs. Wind variance is fluctuation in wind direction. It is suppressed completely in any case if you suppress all gusts, but otherwise it isn't subject to smoothing.

The new Wind control option allows the user to enforce a limit on the wind variance being set by external weather programs. The limit placed on variance is progressively lower as wind speed increases. Winds of 0–5 knots will be allowed to vary fully, but 100 knot winds will have the variance limited to 10 degrees either way.

This option is off by default, and is saved in the INI as LimitWindVariance.

Try limiting that. I don't remember whether it was ActiveSky or FSMeteo, but one of them was occasionally setting wild wind variances, derived I think from misinterpreting something in the METARs about variable winds. That's why I added the option.

I will try to do a weather log on my next flight.

Okay, but try the above first.

If that isn't it, try to start the logging a little before where you normally get the phenomenon. ZIP it together with your FSUIPC.INI file please, to petedowson@btconnect.com.

Also try using WeatherSet2 to see what that reports please -- I'm still especially interested in "wind variance" as this can cause sudden wind direction changes despite smoothing.

Regards,

Pete

[EWE]

Hello,

yes I'm using WeatherSet2.

I put on the wind variance option. (not helping)

I just did a little flight and yes, he did it again. I have a logfile but the strange thing is that the values that I see on weatherSet2 and the values in the logfile are not the same.

It is always in the windlayer I fly in. The layer above and beneath always give "normal" values.

On Wind Layer 8, the wind direction on WeatherSet2 first was about 271/45, then it started the dall back, counter clockwise to 250/35. The wind indicator in FS2004 started to decrese to 250, then the value in WeatherSet2 decreased rapidly to 20° couter clockwise.

If I look in the logfile there is no trace of that. Very strange.

I will e-mail you the logfile.

Erik Wachters

[Pete Dowson]

On Wind Layer 8, the wind direction on WeatherSet2 first was about 271/45, then it started the dall back, counter clockwise to 250/35. The wind indicator in FS2004 started to decrese to 250, then the value in WeatherSet2 decreased rapidly to 20° couter clockwise.

If you can see the changing, then it is NOT variance really -- that is sudden. I evidently misread you. You now seem to be saying it smoothly changes from one to another. You originally said

When on cruize, suddenly the wind changes direction 180°.

which is EXACTLY the problem with the direct wind option before it was fixed. The wind variance problem in one of the weather programs was fast, but not instance, and not always 180 degrees.

Please tell me, is your complaint that the smoothing isn't slow enough or that there shouldn't be any changes?

You said you used 2 degrees per second, so a smoothed change 9without variance) should be 90 seconds for 180 degrees. What is your estimate now?

I will e-mail you the logfile.

Yes, okay, I'll take a look, but there may be not a lot I can do. There's been no wind problems reported for a long time, and I need to get on to future things now that FS2004 is nearly three years old. If I can help I will, but no guarantees.

Pete

[EWE]

Please tell me, is your complaint that the smoothing isn't slow enough or that there shouldn't be any changes?

there shouldn't be any changes.

In WeatherSet2: The wind in the layer below and above stay constant (334/35) and the layer I fly in changes rapidly couter clockwise all the way around. Because the smoothing can't follow the change in direction, the FS2004 winddirection first decreases about 180° and then increases again. Sometimes it is going the full 360°.

Yes, okay, I'll take a look, but there may be not a lot I can do. There's been no wind problems reported for a long time, and I need to get on to future things now that FS2004 is nearly three years old. If I can help I will, but no guarantees.

No problem. Hope you find something :D

Thanks

Erik

[Pete Dowson]

99% of the log was not relevant, merely settings continuously being made by ActiveSky. I'll send back the version with all that deleted and only relevant stuff left. It is much shorter! ;-)

there shouldn't be any changes.

In WeatherSet2: The wind in the layer below and above stay constant (334/35) and the layer I fly in changes rapidly couter clockwise all the way around.

Wind smoothing ONLY operates in the wind layer you are in. WeatherSet2 shows not the "ambient wind" (the wind at the aircraft) but the wind layers set in FS for the aircraft geographical location.

According to the log this was being changed by FS, not by me. I suspect you were flying through areas of closely spaces WX stations with wildly different winds. Fs's interpolation in such places is quite weird.

The smoothing is shown in the "Ambient wind at planealt = ..." lines, and appears to be running at 1 degree per second, not 2. It is struggling to keep up with the changes FS is trying to impose (those shown by the ">Change" lines. This is made worse a bit by my smoothing algorithm which, although initially computing the shortest way (clock or anticlock wise) tries not to keep reversing it on every change it sees. On the whole the compromise I reached works well, but you may want to slow it down even more, eg. 2 secs per degree. Or fly elsewhere.

The sorts of changes you are getting look very much like those which, without smoothing, caused immediate 180 degree changes -- I found them very noticeable in the Chicago area, for instance. Judging by the WX stations being set by AS2004 you look to be in the Illinois/Indiana area. Is there a crowd of close WX stations?

BTW you are still using the original release of FS2004. I suggest you upgrade. It may help. There were a huge number of fixes in FS9.1 and it would be a shame not to take advantage of them. I'm really not sure if my eventual smoothing system helped so much in FS9.0.

Regards,

Pete

[EWE]

The smoothing is shown in the "Ambient wind at planealt = ..." lines, and appears to be running at 1 degree per second, not 2

yes, sorry, changed that for some tests. When the problem occoured the first time, it was 1.

Judging by the WX stations being set by AS2004 you look to be in the Illinois/Indiana area. Is there a crowd of close WX stations?

Yes there are.........;

I suggest you upgrade

I will.

Thanks for your time! :D

Erik

[JSkorna]

Hi All,

Sorry for jumping in late here!

1. Are you running B193 of Active Sky?

2. In AS, FSUIPC Wind Smoothing Control should be On.

3. Disable Direct Wind Control should be Off.

Erik, I would really like to see your .ini file from AS. Don't post it here, but send it as an attachment to jim@hifisim.com

Thanks!

[EWE]

1. Are you running B193 of Active Sky?

Yes I do.

2. In AS, FSUIPC Wind Smoothing Control should be On.

Is ON

3. Disable Direct Wind Control should be Off.

Done.

I e-mail my .INI to you.

Erik