Gray-out!

[peasmarsh]

I would like to report the following issue, if this is not the correct forum my apologies.

I have both MaxxPro 3.1.1 and Real Weather Connector installed, Pro is using default settings as also the RWC is.
I have not experienced this error before and I am hoping someone can explain the cause and how to fix it.

When I was flying last night, at FL340, without warning the cockpit window became "Gray" it was as if I had flown into IMC conditions.
The weather at the time was CAVOK, after about 10 mins it disappeared, as quickly as it appeared, and I could see the sky and stars.

Thinking it was a one off, I carried on, only for it to happen again, on a two hour flight it happened about 8 times. After about the 3rd
time I could see it happening as it approached across the sky and then covered the windscreen. See screenshot.

Can anyone tell me how to fix this issue, this is the first time I have experienced a problem with SkyMaax, or could it be RWC related?

 

[sundog]

The only instance in which SMP/RWC will mess with visibility is if you're inside of a stratus cloud. Any chance you flew into one during this time?

If not, we'd have to see your log.txt after experiencing this to get more information as to what was going on.

[Muskoka]

I've also had this happen at least once or twice in several 1-2 hour flights. Always at 33,000 ft (CYYZ-CYUL) with no clouds to be seen. Sorry, no logs to offer but can confirm what the original poster is seeing. System is not overloaded, always have at least 10gb of free system memory, and at least 1gb free vram on a 4gb card. These are my safe numbers that I set SMP to. 

I think it's related to the "force cirrus layer". If I turn that setting off the "fog bank" seems to disappear within 15-30 seconds. Odd thing is, you don't see this layer at all, in your flight line. It's perfectly clear, then all of a sudden your in thick soup. Might need looking at?

Edited April 20, 2016 by Muskoka

[sundog]

Once you're above a cirrus layer, it will obscure your visibility below you. They are very thin so they might appear as little more than a line before you hit them, but they do have some thickness to them.

As you said, turning off "force cirrus layer" is one way to avoid these clouds if you wish. Different cirrus textures might provide more empty space than others, as well.

[Muskoka]

1 hour ago, sundog said:

Once you're above a cirrus layer, it will obscure your visibility below you. They are very thin so they might appear as little more than a line before you hit them, but they do have some thickness to them.

As you said, turning off "force cirrus layer" is one way to avoid these clouds if you wish. Different cirrus textures might provide more empty space than others, as well.

I did try the other option's for cirrus, didn't seem to help, so I just turn them off, no biggie.

[sundog]

13 hours ago, Muskoka said:

I did try the other option's for cirrus, didn't seem to help, so I just turn them off, no biggie.

Well, a few people have been confused by this behavior. I looked at the code, and RWC sets up cirrus cloud layers that have a "thickness" to them. Inside, visibility gets reduced. This is different than how SMP worked without RWC, where cirrus layers were just flat planes you could fly right through.

In hindsight I think that was a mistake. I've made a change for a future update that will make these clouds thin and flat again.

 

[Muskoka]

1 hour ago, sundog said:

Well, a few people have been confused by this behavior. I looked at the code, and RWC sets up cirrus cloud layers that have a "thickness" to them. Inside, visibility gets reduced. This is different than how SMP worked without RWC, where cirrus layers were just flat planes you could fly right through.

In hindsight I think that was a mistake. I've made a change for a future update that will make these clouds thin and flat again.

 

Thank you Frank. Did a flight last night, CYYZ-CYUL, 33,000 ft, 18:30-19:30, lightly sct clouds at times, I again tried with cirrus enabled, different settings combinations. It really wasn't too bad, and at times you could faintly see the terrain below, so you really got a sense of "speed". That also indicates it wasn't a "white out", as I could see through it. I imagine at night over a populated area with many lights it would look pretty cool. In a rural area, or over water you wouldn't see anything of course, and it would appear as a total "white out". 

The only issue, was the "suddenness" of the effect, the soup. And it seemed to go on and on. There was nothing at all visible ahead, although, you could see the cirrus far off in the distant, to the right and left. I did end up turning it back off, just to clear the skies up, and contrary to what I said before, the layer was removed almost immediately, not 15-30 seconds.

Edited April 21, 2016 by Muskoka

[peasmarsh]

Sorry for the delay in replying.

I think there maybe some confusion here, when I studied for my Comm licence many years ago, I remember studying cloud formations.

I understood that stratus cloud layers were created at low levels and not too be expected at FL340.
You do have formations of Cirrostratus at high altitudes, these are formed of crystals and are not solid or opaque as shown in the screenshot.

I did the flight same route and time settings, without any repetition of this, so I think it maybe was a bug, in the software. 

This is not meant as criticism of the software, just another view point and my own experience/thoughts on this. 

 

[sundog]

Hi peasmarsh - if you look at the posts on this thread that happened while you were away, you'll see that this issue is well understood now. This behavior will be changed in our next update.

 

[peasmarsh]

Sundog,

 

Again apologies for the delay, that is very good news I will wait for my notification email from X-Aviation that the upgrade is available for download.
Since my first post on this thread, I have made only two of the six produced similar sky conditions, lastly, what a great piece of software this is.

Thank you.

 

[peasmarsh]

Sundog.

I had the notification email and downloaded the upgrade I am sure the issue has now been resolved.

Thank you for the feedback.

This thread is now closed!!