JohnMAXX

I do have a more extensive gallery here: http://skymaxx-extreme.com/?page_id=2

Thanks for the news plug guys!

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

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...

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....

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....

Talking about the grey screen of death? Or draw distance?

You are going to need these:

Here is a quick shot of the Cumulonimbus clouds and lightning, also shows the light mapping in action...... .

Just tying into the default weather using the available datarefs , there is a bug with real world weather we need to address. When you have a fragmented cloud system the clouds will disappear suddenly. Default fades in and out nicely...... Probably going to do some sort of workaround.....But yeah the access isn't available

HDR is something we are working out now, the draw order changes when HDR is activated and we are getting some strange artifacts. That's on the back burner for now, but we will have that sorted at some point.... Additionally we are talking with Ben, he offered to add a couple of datarefs to kill the default clouds in a later run.....Im getting decent performance now but once those default clouds are out things should skyrocket..... For now Im using transparent png's Yeah the flyby of the 747 right? I am puzzled myself with that......Maybe I can get Dave here to explain that.... Oh another feature not shown in this video are Cumulonimbus Thunderheads.....They contain their own lightning and it will light up the cloud when it goes off.....A dramatic effect.....

We will get more vids out soon when we get further along....replay the image of the windsock and that's how these clouds look....I assure you I added this to the post after your comment: .....They are procedurally generated and sit in their own space when rendered.....The small rotating sections are billboards and there is a small increase of the rotation as the aircraft moves in the sim, but only noticeable if you are changing direction quickly.....

Parts of the clouds rotate intentionally, the clouds morph and change shape like the real thing and that rotation is part of that...... I think the vid might of speed up the rendering in X-plane, usually the rotations are a lot slower and more natural.... They are procedurally generated and sit in their own space when rendered.....The small rotating sections are billboards and there is a small increase of the rotation as the aircraft moves in the sim, but only noticeable if you are changing direction quickly.....

Not to go crazy but I think you guys should have a look, this is an early look: -John

Here is an early look at SkyMAXX Pro: Enjoy... John

Why windows compatibility only? From the looks of this all you are adding are different sky colors. Why not just have the user install them into the proper folder. Seems like you are complicating this add-on. Additionally are you adjusting the colors of the sky or are you working on or also the ambient lighting to include cloud color and sunlight color? These are affected by the skycolor.png The reason I ask is because all I see in your images are clear skies and to put together a nicer set of colors one should look at all the ways those PNG's are working in the sim. And the effort of adding an installer does not justify a pricetag my friend...... Now please refrain from ever mentioning me and any of my stuff in a post ever. I am not threatened by what you have going but you operate as someone who manipulates others to do all the work for you. You have no interest with being part of the community, only to profit from it and I have serious doubts you know how to properly develop at all. Aaron I have kept my distance from you, I advise you to do the same...... Folks he tried manipulating my time and effort out of my hands to include I offered a version of UrbanMAXX with his OSM add-on but was insistent on trying to take credit for it . His glacier textures included in the OSM package are mine, I told him go ahead when I cut ties with him. The OSM add-on is freely available BTW and his version does nothing to warrant a price tag. I am seeing my name thrown around by you on different social outlets and to be honest I am starting to get tweaked. I refrain from posting anything even though I know you are a fraud because it will seem self motivated. It isnt guys and I am sincerely trying to keep an eye out on the community. I see how he operates.....

Facepalm

Andras... This is what we need, Alberts textures with this mesh looks perfect

Sorry Tom, Nothing new to post at the moment. The weather broke around here and I have been busy landscaping the house and getting the site ready for a backyard patio......Gotta keep the wife happy first and develop HouseMAXX Extreme To be more upfront with the summer coming progress will be slow but I am hoping for a release around October-November. Once I get the yard situated Ill be back at it ..... -J

Yeah I saw this and got a chuckle.....

Nothing new right now, I am just in the painful slow process of configuring and optimizing so it will work globally.....I will post images when I have more to show

Darn I got excited...

Is this some sort of "bloom" enhancement......?!?!

Thanks for the heads up, ill look into using this once it is complete....

Totally Chris, I couldn't agree more, 3rd party development drives innovation within X-Plane......That is what I like about the platform. Well I got the info out there and now it is time to finish this product.... Here is another one at dusk showing how normal maps help with shadows. The new normals are more subtle but have more of an impact then you may realize.... And for Tom, I have cut down the color saturation in the glacier textures and cut down the intensity of the normal maps. The textures now follow the slope of the mountain as well.....I love it, still different from the surrounding textures but it seems more in context with the overall scene....THANKS! And under the right lighting conditions the glaciers still maintain an "icy" appearance.... WinterMAXX is really starting to become more than I imagined it could be....super duper excited about it