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SkyMaxx Pro v4.9.0 Update Released!


Cameron
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Hello All,

This will serve as a formal forum announcement that we have released the version 4.9.0 update for SkyMaxx Pro. All customers who have purchased SkyMaxx Pro v4 up till now have been sent an e-mail by X-Aviation with complete instructions on how to obtain your update. We have made this a very simple process! For those that purchase SkyMaxx Pro v4 from today forward, your purchased download will already be updated to version 4.9.0 for you.

What if I didn't get the update e-mail?

If you did not receive your update e-mail don't fret! X-Aviation has updated our system to allow all customers to update with ease, regardless of whether you received an e-mail for the update! Here's what to do:

1. Login to your X-Aviation account here: https://www.x-aviation.com/catalog/account_history.php

2. Find your original SkyMaxx Pro v4 download and re-download the file. It will download as the latest version!

This release brings experimental support for Vulkan if you are a Windows user.

For Mac users, please be aware Metal is not supported. You can still enjoy this v4.9.0 update when running X-Plane in OpenGL mode.

The following is a list of additions/fixes included:
 
What's New / Changed:

  • Lower default scattered coverage from 40% to 30% when weather data does not specify a coverage value
  • Increase max number of precipitation particles
  • Fix fog and cloud/terrain blending in VR
  • Added new "force weather reload" menu option
  • More accurate cloud altitudes when used with Real Weather Connector
  • METAR cloud heights converted from AGL to MSL using the elevation of the reporting weather station, not the elevation of the viewpoint
  • Experimental Vulkan support for X-Plane 11.50

As always, thanks for purchasing from X-Aviation!

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5 minutes ago, Wendy said:

Cannot install on Mac Catalina, produces an error warning about CPU not supported.

I'm assuming this is happening after you get through some of the installer screens?

Sounds like you have updated to Catalina after already having SkyMaxx Pro installed, which means your uninstaller is from old architecture. In this situation you will need to take the following steps:

1. Go to X-Plane/X-Aviation folder and delete the following file: Uninstall SkyMaxx Pro

2. Go to X-Plane/resources/plugins and delete the following folder: Silverlining

3. Re-run the v4.9.0 installer

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2 minutes ago, Cameron said:

I'm assuming this is happening after you get through some of the installer screens?

Sounds like you have updated to Catalina after already having SkyMaxx Pro installed, which means your uninstaller is from old architecture. In this situation you will need to take the following steps:

1. Go to X-Plane/X-Aviation folder and delete the following file: Uninstall SkyMaxx Pro

2. Go to X-Plane/resources/plugins and delete the following folder: Silverlining

3. Re-run the v4.9.0 installer

This worked - thanks.

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21 minutes ago, Cameron said:

METAR cloud heights converted from AGL to MSL using the elevation of the reporting weather station, not the elevation of the viewpoint

 I am confused with this statement. If a weather station is reporting an overcast layer at 1000 feet. That means at 1000 AGL there will be an overcast layer. So like Denver Int. for exp is 5000 something MSL. So an overcast layer would actually be at 6000 MSL. So how will this new code work with METAR reports? If I was landing into KDEN, I would look to break out at around 1000 feet above the runway. Has this changed? Thanks for the Update, and I'm ecstatic that this is working with 11.5.  However, I do not run Betas, but it's good to know once it goes to release, my weather will still work. : ) 

Dave.  

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2 minutes ago, Chase911 said:

 I am confused with this statement. If a weather station is reporting an overcast layer at 1000 feet. That means at 1000 AGL there will be an overcast layer. So like Denver Int. for exp is 5000 something MSL. So an overcast layer would actually be at 6000 MSL. So how will this new code work with METAR reports? If I was landing into KDEN, I would look to break out at around 1000 feet above the runway. Has this changed? Thanks for the Update, and I'm ecstatic that this is working with 11.5.  However, I do not run Betas, but it's good to know once it goes to release, my weather will still work. : ) 

Dave.  

It will work exactly as you describe. What changed is that in previous versions of SMP/RWC, if a METAR report was affecting our representation of weather some distance away from the reporting airport, we would use the elevation of the local terrain to determine MSL instead of the elevation of the airport that reported the conditions. It could lead to discrepancies around airports in mountainous terrain, which we fixed.

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2 minutes ago, sundog said:

It will work exactly as you describe. What changed is that in previous versions of SMP/RWC, if a METAR report was affecting our representation of weather some distance away from the reporting airport, we would use the elevation of the local terrain to determine MSL instead of the elevation of the airport that reported the conditions. It could lead to discrepancies around airports in mountainous terrain, which we fixed.

Ah I see. Outstanding. Thanks for the quick reply! 

Dave

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20 minutes ago, donoscar said:

the installer ends with installation successful, but there was still a little error at the end of the process 

however, it seems to be working fine now

again great support, thanks

RWC_install_error.jpg.42a28fa848c625c44b5d8c7f134115e9.jpg

 

Just means you already had that distribution installed.

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Good Evening Cameron,

Thanks for the diligent work to make this update.  I had no problem uninstalling the previous version and installing the new version.  However I do have a problem.  I have tried every combination of settings and cannot see any rain drops even when flying through or sitting on the ground in manually generated heavy precipitation.  I can hear the rain and see lightening in the distance but there are no rain drops or streaks either through the front window or out the side window.

All the best,

Doug VW

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7 hours ago, Cameron said:

I'm assuming this is happening after you get through some of the installer screens?

Sounds like you have updated to Catalina after already having SkyMaxx Pro installed, which means your uninstaller is from old architecture. In this situation you will need to take the following steps:

1. Go to X-Plane/X-Aviation folder and delete the following file: Uninstall SkyMaxx Pro

2. Go to X-Plane/resources/plugins and delete the following folder: Silverlining

3. Re-run the v4.9.0 installer

I followed this but there are several errors that occur, such as not being able to download component because the file versions do not match. Thus, nothing gets installed in the plugin folder. Note the simultaneous downloads of the same size. Is this suppose to happen?

Screen Shot 2020-04-02 at 10.57.23 PM.png

Edited by Wendy
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28 minutes ago, Wendy said:

I followed this but there are several errors that occur, such as not being able to download component because the file versions do not match. Thus, nothing gets installed in the plugin folder. Note the simultaneous downloads of the same size. Is this suppose to happen?

Screen Shot 2020-04-02 at 10.57.23 PM.png

You need to re download the installer.

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6 hours ago, dvanwig said:

Good Evening Cameron,

Thanks for the diligent work to make this update.  I had no problem uninstalling the previous version and installing the new version.  However I do have a problem.  I have tried every combination of settings and cannot see any rain drops even when flying through or sitting on the ground in manually generated heavy precipitation.  I can hear the rain and see lightening in the distance but there are no rain drops or streaks either through the front window or out the side window.

All the best,

Doug VW

Thanks for reporting that; I'll look into it today.

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The new version is working very good so far with 11.50 Vulkan.

The performance is quite good and I can even have the range slider to the max without frame loss (was not possible in the past with OpenGL).

Some things I noticed:

- the procedural Cloud Types for Overcast are not displayed right if viewed from above the clouds.

- if I set the weather to "stormy" the frame rate drops to low single digit numbers (while having 60-80fps on all other weather variants) and the clouds are not rendered right. If viewed from above it is just a flat white area.

Also It seems the rain particles are broken.

All tests have been done with RWC set to "never" to use only the parameters from the sim.

 

For the first XP11 Beta with Vulkan all in all the result is very promising :-)

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1 hour ago, seth said:

On this preview the change is more visible . While moving  on higher altitude clouds start to have weird strictly outlines and loosing their forms. While you are on the ground everything looks perfect.

 

 

11.jpg

I think that's an artifact resulting from a bug in X-Plane itself; I've noticed similar things with the trees even with SMP disabled when using Vulkan. But I'll look at it more closely to be sure.

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