Graduated visibility, understanding question

[in_04]

Hi Pete,

I have a question about how graduatet visibility work and how I use it best.

Here is my question:

If I set the start altitude of graduated visibility in FSUIPC to 0 feet and the visibility layer in FS9 is 5 miles from ground level (0 feet) to 2500 feet, does the graduated visibility start the transition at 0 feet with 5 miles and the visibility range got better every feet I glimb, until I hit the upper graduate altitude? Or did the 5 miles visibility layer limit my visibility to 5 miles until I hit 2500 feet and then I get the graduated visibility?

And did the graduatet visibility start with the visibility setting from the visibility layer or what is the lower visibility value it start with?

I hope I find the right words for my question.

Bye

Markus

[Pete Dowson]

The graduation starts from the lower altitude you set for it, but 1000 feet above the WX station's ground level at minimum. i.e. it always tries to ensure there is a measurable layer with the current set visibility.

Then it increases with altitude to the upper altitude you specify, whereby it should reach the upper visibility you specify.

Below the lower altitude the visibility is constrained by the maximum value applicable to the cloud cover -- if you have that option enabled -- or, when below the top of FS's visibility layer, by FS's set visibility if that is lower.

On top of all this, if you have smoothing enabled in FSUIPC, the final value is constrained to change only at the rate you impose.

Hope that's clear.

Pete

[in_04]

Thanks Pete for the quick repley.

I understand it right that the graduate visibility start with the visibility set per visibility layer (or FSUIPC) and then go up to the value set in FSUIPC, right?

Do you think it is possible to implement a setting where the start level of the graduate visibility is automatic bound to the upper altitude of the visibility layer?

Currently I must set the max upper limit for visibility layers to a equal fixed value in FSUIPC to archive this.

I mean if I set the max upper limit of the visibility layer in FSUIPC to 1000 feet and the lower limit of graduatet visibility also to 1000 feet, I should get a smooth transition of the visibility for every climb above the 1000 feet altitude, right?

Sorry if I ask you the details again, but I think the graduatet visibility feature of FSUIPC is a must have for FS9 and I try to get the best out of it.

Bye

Markus

[Pete Dowson]

I understand it right that the graduate visibility start with the visibility set per visibility layer (or FSUIPC) and then go up to the value set in FSUIPC, right?

Right.

Do you think it is possible to implement a setting where the start level of the graduate visibility is automatic bound to the upper altitude of the visibility layer?

Well, I see no real advantage in that. It just limits things more, doesn't it? If your vis layer finishes at X feet and the graduated starts at Y feet, then you have one of

X >= Y, in which case graduated vis starts before or at the top of the visibility layer, or

X < Y, in which case you have a vis layer value from 0 to X, then the maximum allowed by the FSUIPC maxima settings from X to Y, then graduation from Y upwards.

I can see your point if you are not using the FSUIPC maximum settings, and maybe not using smoothing.

I should get a smooth transition of the visibility for every climb above the 1000 feet altitude, right?

Well, yes, but you should get it smoothed in any case, unless you don't use the FSUIPC smoothing. Admittedly, that isn't done by altitude.

I'll have a look, anyway, and see what I can do. It it is easy I will slip it into FSUIPC version 3.06 which I hope to release later today or maybe tomorrow.

Regards,

Pete

[Pete Dowson]

Do you think it is possible to implement a setting where the start level of the graduate visibility is automatic bound to the upper altitude of the visibility layer?

Okay, Check version 3.06 when it's up on the Schiratti site (some time Saturday I guess). You can do this now, just set the lower graduation altitude to zero and it uses the top of the visibility layer instead.

Regards,

Pete

[in_04]

Thanks alot Pete!

Bye

Markus