JohnMAXX Posted August 14, 2013 Author Report Posted August 14, 2013 (edited) Draw distance may be adjustable as part of the UI in the future Ill look into this..... No cloud shadows implemented yet. I don't know if we will it depends on how expensive these are on framerates.... Colin I am hoping for better performance plus the availability of a UI so the end user can adjust multiple setting, similar to the rendering options in X-Plane.... Edited August 14, 2013 by JohnMAXX 1
Colin S Posted August 14, 2013 Report Posted August 14, 2013 Well as long as it has those nice whispy clouds like in the video, I'm buying it. I've missed those since the days of version 9.
Ben Russell Posted August 15, 2013 Report Posted August 15, 2013 because: reasons already given in thread, please read it.
Airbus Posted August 15, 2013 Report Posted August 15, 2013 So in that last screenshot with the F-22. Are those light rays actually hitting the surface? How far are you planning to go with this? Do you have the ability to rewrite X-Plane lighting engine? I've been griping about X-Plane's global lighting for years!It looks very promising so far! Great work!
JohnMAXX Posted August 16, 2013 Author Report Posted August 16, 2013 So in that last screenshot with the F-22. Are those light rays actually hitting the surface? How far are you planning to go with this? Do you have the ability to rewrite X-Plane lighting engine? I've been griping about X-Plane's global lighting for years!It looks very promising so far! Great work! It works over top the default lighting system, I guess you can say it enhances it......Here is one showing how the rays will go around an aircraft.... 13
Tom Knudsen Posted August 17, 2013 Report Posted August 17, 2013 Here is one showing how the rays will go around an aircraft... Cool 1
JohnMAXX Posted August 17, 2013 Author Report Posted August 17, 2013 OK Im going to be fairly busy this weekend but here is one last shot.....I will start doing a video series as we get closer to a release, but if you look at this image the clouds are traveling from left to right across the screen due to the wind. The clouds will elongate into rows just like the real thing. I actually saw this recently since I stare at the sky more then I should nowadays... 17
scubajuan_new Posted August 17, 2013 Report Posted August 17, 2013 Are those contrails? High cirrus moving at their own speed and direction?Wow! Very promising. I will definitely buy.
Hueyman Posted August 25, 2013 Report Posted August 25, 2013 Last pict is to die for man ... Finally... FINALLY ! For teh first time in X-Plane history, clouds starts to seriously looks like clouds ! This shoots looks like a fully " addonized " FSX picture ( that is a huge compliment from a graphical point of view ) 1
JohnMAXX Posted August 25, 2013 Author Report Posted August 25, 2013 Last pict is to die for man ... Finally... FINALLY ! For teh first time in X-Plane history, clouds starts to seriously looks like clouds ! This shoots looks like a fully " addonized " FSX picture ( that is a huge compliment from a graphical point of view )Thanks Hueyman, The comparison is a good one, I think they look similar myself. But this is much more then the clouds in FSX I think users will appreciate how dynamic they really are.....3d like default but also pleasing to the eye.....more to come and much work to be done 1
JohnMAXX Posted August 26, 2013 Author Report Posted August 26, 2013 I do have a more extensive gallery here: http://skymaxx-extreme.com/?page_id=2
Hueyman Posted August 26, 2013 Report Posted August 26, 2013 But man but .. !! Can't say anything to such screen shot .. That is unbelievable how clouds can change the environment in a flight sim ... because after all, X-Plane ground life is not bad at all when maxed out, even if too " North American " way of life, it's still realistic. As a real small GA pilot, the thing I like the most when flying " On top " VFR conditions, is the moment where I pass through the layer... the sensation of speed is definitely there at that precise moment, and it's IMHO a must to reproduce in-sim. I know you got the question from all sides, but what I only miss from those shots is the sharpness of clouds's edges, like this : http://www.freeimageslive.co.uk/files/images006/clouds_1.jpg Some cumuli shape clouds can get blurred with sky, but other are really really sharp and the contour is so well defined with a beautiful blue sky behind....
JohnMAXX Posted August 26, 2013 Author Report Posted August 26, 2013 (edited) But man but .. !! Can't say anything to such screen shot .. T28C_11.png That is unbelievable how clouds can change the environment in a flight sim ... because after all, X-Plane ground life is not bad at all when maxed out, even if too " North American " way of life, it's still realistic. As a real small GA pilot, the thing I like the most when flying " On top " VFR conditions, is the moment where I pass through the layer... the sensation of speed is definitely there at that precise moment, and it's IMHO a must to reproduce in-sim. I know you got the question from all sides, but what I only miss from those shots is the sharpness of clouds's edges, like this : http://www.freeimageslive.co.uk/files/images006/clouds_1.jpg Some cumuli shape clouds can get blurred with sky, but other are really really sharp and the contour is so well defined with a beautiful blue sky behind....I will say that this system will not be able to reproduce those sharp edges, problem is using 3D procedurally drawn clouds instead of billboards. But I think we have a more realistic approach over default and 3D is a better option for realism while flying. Now that's not to say the future updates wont bring more detail but the product, right now, will hold up better then other simulators in my opinion. The benefit of using procedurally drawn 3D clouds is it allows for a "snowflake effect" no two clouds systems look exactly alike additionally it gives the user the ability to fly realistically through clouds as if in a real environment. Billboards tend to repeat and look unrealistic. I think the future is in this approach and similar to how Outerra does ground terrain..... Oh another good point using this approach, cloud systems will morph depending on wind speed and direction. Again you will have to see this in action to understand how dynamic and alive this looks while flying Edited August 26, 2013 by JohnMAXX 1
Hueyman Posted August 26, 2013 Report Posted August 26, 2013 Copy that John ! I trust you on your word and I'm convinced it will be a must have... ;-) 1
JohnMAXX Posted August 26, 2013 Author Report Posted August 26, 2013 Copy that John ! I trust you on your word and I'm convinced it will be a must have... ;-)I really don't want to misrepresent the product and I honestly stand 100% behind it and its beauty.......Dave captured it nicely in the video starting at 00:48: The scene with the windsock is the most accurate depiction of how these clouds operate..... 4
Tom Knudsen Posted August 27, 2013 Report Posted August 27, 2013 Never seen a rotating sky in my life 2
JohnMAXX Posted August 27, 2013 Author Report Posted August 27, 2013 Never seen a rotating sky in my lifeYou are one of the most negative people I have ever encountered........LOL well anyway the UI will have the option of turning off the cloud rotation.... 2
Cameron Posted August 27, 2013 Report Posted August 27, 2013 You are one of the most negative people I have ever encountered At least he's consistent. 3
JohnMAXX Posted August 27, 2013 Author Report Posted August 27, 2013 Good point! Id hate to see him happy that tells me something is very wrong in the world...... 1
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