Updates/New Info?

[steele737]

Afternoon,

Just wondering if there are any new updates planed for the near future? Just wondering as I have not seen any updates since early part of the year. Hope everybody is safe and well. 

Steele 

[mjrhealth]

Would have to ask the question, Why?, is it broken?, Im sure they would be working on the new ver for the newest xplane when its released.

[sundog]

It's a pretty mature product and we're not aware of any bugs that need fixing... we continue to monitor this forum for feedback though. Generally we only issue updates in response to bug fixes or features our customers are demanding. Right now people seem pretty happy, at least within the bounds of what we can do within X-Plane's plugin API. So our philosophy at the moment if "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."

But we are still here.

[TallTanBarbie]

On 8/27/2021 at 6:02 AM, sundog said:

It's a pretty mature product and we're not aware of any bugs that need fixing... we continue to monitor this forum for feedback though. Generally we only issue updates in response to bug fixes or features our customers are demanding. Right now people seem pretty happy, at least within the bounds of what we can do within X-Plane's plugin API. So our philosophy at the moment if "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."

But we are still here.

Well, not quite.

I'm having several problems with SkyMaxxPro V5.1 / RWC running on X-Plane 11.5+ Vulkan with a NVidia EVGA 3090 and three 4K displays.

I'm using either Active Sky XP or FSGRW for weather injection and no other weather, cloud or reshade programs (installed but not active — XEnviro also doesn't work with a multi-view setup — horrible flashing textures — and neither does UWXP).

The problem is that none of the X-Plane cloud/weather/ programs work on a multi-view / multi-screen setup *except* for SkyMaxxPro, but it still has problems.

1.    Cloud shadows don't work.  You get weird moving shadows that slide across the horizon or other cloud layers.  You can still see the effects a bit even if you turn cloud shadows totally off.  I'm having the same  "fog line on the mountains problem" that several other people on here have reported in the past.

2.   All clouds are transparent — not just the nearby ones.  Reminds me of 1950s era movie special effects.  Also, no cloud structures — no thunderheads, fog, just cumulus and cirrus.

3-.    Strange rippling "ghost" images in the sky like mirages of nearby buildings or objects

P3D doesn't have these problems (ASP3D + ASCA + ENVDIR / ENVTEX / ENVSHADE) but then you lose the better flight dynamics in X-Plane.

[Cameron]

@TallTanBarbie

You should probably post images with these descriptions.

I don't think there will be any workaround for the cloud shadow issues. It's a multi display problem.

P3D is entirely irrelevant.

[TallTanBarbie]

On 9/19/2021 at 11:59 AM, Cameron said:

@TallTanBarbie

You should probably post images with these descriptions.

I don't think there will be any workaround for the cloud shadow issues. It's a multi display problem.

P3D is entirely irrelevant.

Please don't get the wrong idea.

P3D has its own set of problems.  Nothing is perfect.  I only mentioned it for comparison purposes.

Here are some pictures of what I'm seeing.

https://mega.nz/file/EUpxTIza#v1dyXs4nQcFO7WdHyxO0xwpfCjlIRxN1VH-Bh0s1NGw

https://mega.nz/file/xdx3wIzY#TEl5F7bKWPPqs9OsR75JEE0O6N5OiO4UlphUlEpayGo

https://mega.nz/file/8YhzlaQS#L-Q5OMUIhhXCfmRH8eOMVzTrZ1OsVOm4PAVQ3gq2CEw

https://mega.nz/file/tdx3ACLJ#8npTsPwVPWU5ixzcNZUuNXc8sWr-9umy6--ipjaQfIw

https://mega.nz/file/BJ5jHIiZ#ff3ZxiN3P-vlaDnbsG3gqmg-SkzM46W4d3YZnI1HU4k

 

The clouds should have a transparency setting inversely proportional to the distance from the observer, i.e. the opacity should increase with distance.  Lighting also seems to be a factor. Clouds reflecting light appear normal, while clouds in front of the sun are more transparent — even at a distance. IRL, clouds polarize sunlight.  A black or dark grey horizontal plane or square appears below the aircraft if cloud shadows are on and both this plane and the cloud shadows move with the aircraft in attitude.  Whitish looking triangular shafts or anomalies also show up and appear to either stretch towards or away from sun.  If these things are something that I can fix or correct, please let me know.

[Cameron]

@TallTanBarbie

You appear to be using the SkyMaxx Pro v4 style of clouds in v5, which has its limitations. One of those limitations is the fact they are texture based clouds. The opacity in them will not change. For most of what you seek, you'd need to use volumetric option, but given your rather large use of 4K displays I don't think it's an option.

Shadows are a lost cause to talk about here as already indicated. Nothing can be done.

[TallTanBarbie]

5 hours ago, Cameron said:

@TallTanBarbie

You appear to be using the SkyMaxx Pro v4 style of clouds in v5, which has its limitations. One of those limitations is the fact they are texture based clouds. The opacity in them will not change. For most of what you seek, you'd need to use volumetric option, but given your rather large use of 4K displays I don't think it's an option.

Shadows are a lost cause to talk about here as already indicated. Nothing can be done.

OK, thanks for the information.

[TallTanBarbie]

On 9/21/2021 at 7:28 AM, Cameron said:

@TallTanBarbie

You appear to be using the SkyMaxx Pro v4 style of clouds in v5, which has its limitations. One of those limitations is the fact they are texture based clouds. The opacity in them will not change. For most of what you seek, you'd need to use volumetric option, but given your rather large use of 4K displays I don't think it's an option.

Shadows are a lost cause to talk about here as already indicated. Nothing can be done.

The only thing that fixed this is to do a complete uninstall of SkyMaxxPro (5.1 in this case) and then re-install.\

The second trick is to select the volumetric clouds(beta) setting initally *before* injecting weather with ASXP or FSGWR for first use after activation.

There's still a problem with the Gizmo license activation window -- it's not visible in muti-view (mulitple views on seperate displays) mode.

You have to de-activate the other displays via the X-Plane graphics menu and put the remaining main display in windowed mode to see the license window.

 

Aside from that, it looks great.  Takes too much fps to run in 4K in 180 degree FOV multi-view mode as you said -- I had to downshift to 1080p to run it.