Visibility question

[cygnusx1]

Hi!

 

LOVE the product, and just had a visibility inquiry.  Today I ran a flight into KDCA, broken clouds 1,500 to 5,000 and 2 mile visibility.  The weather depicted with real-weather on, and SkyMaxx pro v1.3 running, was different that the real weather reports.  I've attached a few photos...one a few miles out, and one on the runway at KDCA.

 

Is this a random glitch, or a limitation of SkyMaxx pro...or perhaps the downloaded weather?  KRIC was accurately depicted, but KDCA not.  I love IFR flying and low vis approaches.

 

MANY THANKS again for a wonderful product!

 

Bob

 

 

[arb65912]

Hi Bob,

 

It is a limitation of X-Plane.

 

SkyMaxx Pro is NOT a weather injector, meaning it does not create weather, it just makes look awesome whatever X-Plane weather is.

 

I think I did not put it grammatically correct with my Polish English but I hope you understand what I was trying to say.

 

Cheers, AJ

[skyshroud]

SkyMaxx Pro is NOT a weather injector, meaning it does not create weather, it just makes look awesome whatever X-Plane weather is.

 

Hi! You are correct! However, to clarify the visibility issue mentioned by the OP is in fact a limitation of SkyMaxx Pro. I believe this comes from the fact that correct visibility in X-Plane is done with the dreaded white wall of fog. This is the same wall that SkyMaxx Pro disables to prevent the abrupt white out in clouds. This is a huge improvement when transitioning through clouds however you loose the ability to actually simulate very low visibility approaches.

[arb65912]

Yes, I did not fully understand the question. Sorry for a partial confusuion. Cheers, AJ

[viktorswe]

Hi! You are correct! However, to clarify the visibility issue mentioned by the OP is in fact a limitation of SkyMaxx Pro. I believe this comes from the fact that correct visibility in X-Plane is done with the dreaded white wall of fog. This is the same wall that SkyMaxx Pro disables to prevent the abrupt white out in clouds. This is a huge improvement when transitioning through clouds however you loose the ability to actually simulate very low visibility approaches.

 

Hello,

 

I would like to enable this "grey wall of death". Is this possible or do I have to remove SkyMaxx Pro?

 

Viktor Fransson

[Cameron]

You'll need to remove SkyMaxx Pro.

[sundog]

It seems there has been something of an uprising lately about IFR / low-visibility approaches in SkyMaxx Pro!

 

While I can't bring back the "gray wall of death," I can introduce an alternate approach for simulating ground fog. Here's a sneak peek:

 

 

This is from the forthcoming SkyMaxx Pro 2.1.1 release, which we're hoping to release post-holidays. To get this effect, you'll need to set the "overcast quality" setting in SkyMaxx Pro to medium or high, then place a stratus cloud at ground level.

 

SkyMaxx Pro 2.1.1 will treat stratus clouds special - it will permit them to be at ground level, and use a technique called "soft particles" to blend them smoothly into the terrain.

 

Version 2.1.1 will also resolve some issues about lights, propellers, rain, etc. showing through the clouds at times. Stay tuned.

Edited December 19, 2014 by sundog

[Viper04]

if you want ifr approch i found a solution. ( i hope temporany solution XD )

 

you have to disable sky max pro, set the cloud from 00000 feet (stratus or overcast), put visibility to HIGH, at least 50 60 miles ( i know it's strange, but high visibility will let you see a lot of clouds, so you will have a nice fog effect) .

[Viper04]

It seems there has been something of an uprising lately about IFR / low-visibility approaches in SkyMaxx Pro!

 

While I can't bring back the "gray wall of death," I can introduce an alternate approach for simulating ground fog. Here's a sneak peek:

 

 

This is from the forthcoming SkyMaxx Pro 2.1.1 release, which we're hoping to release post-holidays. To get this effect, you'll need to set the "overcast quality" setting in SkyMaxx Pro to medium or high, then place a stratus cloud at ground level.

 

SkyMaxx Pro 2.1.1 will treat stratus clouds special - it will permit them to be at ground level, and use a technique called "soft particles" to blend them smoothly into the terrain.

 

Version 2.1.1 will also resolve some issues about lights, propellers, rain, etc. showing through the clouds at times. Stay tuned.

 

i think that with low altitude cloud like this there would be a big improvement, nice work.

 

in default engine they introduce a nice vanish mode of the clouds, it's possible to put it in in sky maxx?

Edited December 20, 2014 by Viper04

[JohnMAXX]

What do you mean by vanish mode?

[Viper04]

eh it's hard to explain in english... mmm it's like the clouds just don't disappear, it's fade gradually side by side....

ill write in italian, maybe someone can translate for me

 

le nuvole scompaiono gradualmente, non tutte insieme, ma come se sparissero di lato, pezzo per pezzo

 

maybe it's faster to do a video lool ahahah

Edited December 20, 2014 by Viper04

[Viper04]

 

 

you have to put hd to see something, after 13 second you see the clouds like they interact with the plane

 

i think grey wall of death is disappeared also from default, i don't notice it also without sky maxx

Edited December 20, 2014 by Viper04

[JohnMAXX]

Viper I think I understand what you are saying......

Noted as are all suggestions

[Jakob Ludwig]

So may I ask how skymaxx will interpret and visualize low visibility reported in Metar reports? Will it use this new low status effect for it?

[JohnMAXX]

If stratus is present yes.......... Which covers a lot of low visibility low ceiling real world conditions......

[Jakob Ludwig]

If stratus is present yes.......... Which covers a lot of low visibility low ceiling real world conditions......

 

Yeah ok. But how will it work if you set something like this in the METAR?

 

VIS 2500m BKN 800 feet. 

 

May you just snap a screenshot with the new effect?! Would be cool to see if that works out. 

[Cameron]

Yeah ok. But how will it work if you set something like this in the METAR?

VIS 2500m BKN 800 feet.

May you just snap a screenshot with the new effect?! Would be cool to see if that works out.

Frank specifically said how to get this effect. Please read it. ;-)

[sundog]

SkyMaxx Pro does not parse METAR data; that is done before weather condition information gets to us. So I think the result might vary depending on whether you are using real-world weather in X-Plane, XSB, EFASS, or something else.

 

If you want to help beta test the stratus improvements in SMP 2.1.1, Jaggo82, PM me.

[Jakob Ludwig]

Thanks both for your answers. Was just thinking about, first because you talking about Stratus clouds and secondly how this will help to improve visual depiction of low visibility conditions. Let's see how it works out on the new version, because up to the current version, skymaxx wasn't able to visualize such conditions properly in my view. However its getting better and better with every version. <br /><br />

[Oliver]

It seems there has been something of an uprising lately about IFR / low-visibility approaches in SkyMaxx Pro!

 

While I can't bring back the "gray wall of death," I can introduce an alternate approach for simulating ground fog. Here's a sneak peek:

 

 

This is from the forthcoming SkyMaxx Pro 2.1.1 release, which we're hoping to release post-holidays. To get this effect, you'll need to set the "overcast quality" setting in SkyMaxx Pro to medium or high, then place a stratus cloud at ground level.

 

SkyMaxx Pro 2.1.1 will treat stratus clouds special - it will permit them to be at ground level, and use a technique called "soft particles" to blend them smoothly into the terrain.

 

Version 2.1.1 will also resolve some issues about lights, propellers, rain, etc. showing through the clouds at times. Stay tuned.

Keep up the great work. You guys have come an extremely long way since V1 and it's truly amazing to see your continued support and dedication to this product. 

[mtaxp]

 

 

you have to put hd to see something, after 13 second you see the clouds like they interact with the plane

 

i think grey wall of death is disappeared also from default, i don't notice it also without sky maxx

Yes! Finally somebody could explain better than me

I hope you'll implement it guys!

[Cameron]

I have to be honest...looking at that video I still don't see it. Care to elaborate? Anyone?

[mtaxp]

I have to be honest...looking at that video I still don't see it. Care to elaborate? Anyone?

Entering and flying inside a cloud with SMP feels really great , however when escaping it looks sort of 3 walls that you break... can't really elaborate more it's a feeling thing.

With the effect above the clouds make a nice effect when escaping , like they are move to the sides and makes the effect more smooth.

I believe JohnMaxx got it as he said

This would be great when flying the new IFR conditions .

[JohnMAXX]

I do understand........"noted" as I usually say when I have nothing else to add at the moment.......

[thiago_lmv]

Hi guys, any news about the work on 2.1.1 update?