chris
12-24-2005, 10:18 PM
http://www.totalnfs.net/cpd/fs2004/as6-1.gif
I've got ActiveSky 6 and ActiveSky Graphics in a bid to find more realistic weather generation for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004. After having expended US$37.99 and then completing the 42mb download I installed it. First thing to notice is that this software is complicated, with many options to configure. Some of the options can have quite a big effect on how the weather happens in your flights. As they say, read the manuals first. See the screenshot below for an example of the level of options available:
http://www.totalnfs.net/cpd/fs2004/as6-2.gif
For me, I'm not so worried about pretty looking clouds, even though they are a bonus, but I'm more worried about realistic pressure, temperature and wind transitions since my Concorde I always use is highly sensitive to those changes. You notice the changes when they happen because the plane will either climb, descend, overspeed or underspeed, or various combinations of those symptoms.
Initially I was quite disappointed with AS6, having found the weather little improved from the old ActiveSky 2004.5 B193. However, this seemed to be a matter of not having the options configured correctly. After some useful advice on the SSTSim forums from other AS6 users, I completed a flight from New York to London in the Pre-Production Concorde 101 G-AXDN. First thing to note is how the temperatures seem colder at lower altitudes than before. Nearing FL400, the temperature in this flight was approaching -65 degrees celsius and at higher altitudes, the temperature was approaching -75 degrees celsius with ISA (international standard atmosphere) of -15.
Nearing what I call 60 west (a particular location over the atlantic notorious for unstable weather changes in FS with some previous weather addons), the weather this time wasn't unstable. My plane didn't descend suddenly because of a wierd and unexpected ISA 0 condition. By the end of the flight, I'd achieved nearly FL590 in a rather smooth fashion. There were a few wind changes, but nothing drastic like before.
The AS6 program itself seems to run more quickly than ActiveSky 2004.5 in my opinion, without the pauses I sometimes suffered with the old program. One other handy feature is the archived weather. You can dial in a particular date and get weather from that date. And from this downloaded weather, it appears you can search it to find a particular type of weather you'd like to fly in. Once weather is downloaded and processed, you are presented with this display:
http://www.totalnfs.net/cpd/fs2004/as6-4.gif
While it is possible to use one of a number of pre-defined weather conditions, the majority of those representing extremes of weather conditions such as nasty blizzards with high winds and heavy snow-falls, or horrific hurricanes and tropical storms, like what is shown below:
http://www.totalnfs.net/cpd/fs2004/as6-3.gif
On the visuals front, what I particularly like are the new sunlight glows effects, or what I think are new. Those look much better than the standard ones. Flying in snow and wintery conditions will test your IFR flight skills, as I found on a few quick circuits of Thule air-base in Greenland. The heavy cloud presented a major visibility problem.
ActiveSky Graphics presents a rather massive amount of clouds and visual options for your simulation experience as you can see below:
http://www.totalnfs.net/cpd/fs2004/as6-5.jpg
http://www.totalnfs.net/cpd/fs2004/as6-6.jpg
http://www.totalnfs.net/cpd/fs2004/as6-7.jpg
http://www.totalnfs.net/cpd/fs2004/as6-8.jpg
Here are some screenshots of it's hurricane weather scenario, which I've directed to happen right over lovely Barbados. ;) 78 knot winds at 120 degrees, heavy rain. Extremely interesting flying conditions as you can see:
http://www.totalnfs.net/cpd/fs2004/as6-9.jpg
http://www.totalnfs.net/cpd/fs2004/as6-10.jpg
http://www.totalnfs.net/cpd/fs2004/as6-11.jpg
Last screenshot has me trying to land the A330-300 in 78kt winds! ;) The landing approach was er, quite interesting. :D
Overall conclusions:
Pros:
+ Decent weather simulation once configured correctly
+ Handy weather archives
+ Search within downloaded weather for particular conditions
+ Excellent AS Graphics utility
Cons:
- Complex to configure at first
Rating: 4 stars
Website: http://www.hifisim.com/
Cost: US$37.99
I've got ActiveSky 6 and ActiveSky Graphics in a bid to find more realistic weather generation for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004. After having expended US$37.99 and then completing the 42mb download I installed it. First thing to notice is that this software is complicated, with many options to configure. Some of the options can have quite a big effect on how the weather happens in your flights. As they say, read the manuals first. See the screenshot below for an example of the level of options available:
http://www.totalnfs.net/cpd/fs2004/as6-2.gif
For me, I'm not so worried about pretty looking clouds, even though they are a bonus, but I'm more worried about realistic pressure, temperature and wind transitions since my Concorde I always use is highly sensitive to those changes. You notice the changes when they happen because the plane will either climb, descend, overspeed or underspeed, or various combinations of those symptoms.
Initially I was quite disappointed with AS6, having found the weather little improved from the old ActiveSky 2004.5 B193. However, this seemed to be a matter of not having the options configured correctly. After some useful advice on the SSTSim forums from other AS6 users, I completed a flight from New York to London in the Pre-Production Concorde 101 G-AXDN. First thing to note is how the temperatures seem colder at lower altitudes than before. Nearing FL400, the temperature in this flight was approaching -65 degrees celsius and at higher altitudes, the temperature was approaching -75 degrees celsius with ISA (international standard atmosphere) of -15.
Nearing what I call 60 west (a particular location over the atlantic notorious for unstable weather changes in FS with some previous weather addons), the weather this time wasn't unstable. My plane didn't descend suddenly because of a wierd and unexpected ISA 0 condition. By the end of the flight, I'd achieved nearly FL590 in a rather smooth fashion. There were a few wind changes, but nothing drastic like before.
The AS6 program itself seems to run more quickly than ActiveSky 2004.5 in my opinion, without the pauses I sometimes suffered with the old program. One other handy feature is the archived weather. You can dial in a particular date and get weather from that date. And from this downloaded weather, it appears you can search it to find a particular type of weather you'd like to fly in. Once weather is downloaded and processed, you are presented with this display:
http://www.totalnfs.net/cpd/fs2004/as6-4.gif
While it is possible to use one of a number of pre-defined weather conditions, the majority of those representing extremes of weather conditions such as nasty blizzards with high winds and heavy snow-falls, or horrific hurricanes and tropical storms, like what is shown below:
http://www.totalnfs.net/cpd/fs2004/as6-3.gif
On the visuals front, what I particularly like are the new sunlight glows effects, or what I think are new. Those look much better than the standard ones. Flying in snow and wintery conditions will test your IFR flight skills, as I found on a few quick circuits of Thule air-base in Greenland. The heavy cloud presented a major visibility problem.
ActiveSky Graphics presents a rather massive amount of clouds and visual options for your simulation experience as you can see below:
http://www.totalnfs.net/cpd/fs2004/as6-5.jpg
http://www.totalnfs.net/cpd/fs2004/as6-6.jpg
http://www.totalnfs.net/cpd/fs2004/as6-7.jpg
http://www.totalnfs.net/cpd/fs2004/as6-8.jpg
Here are some screenshots of it's hurricane weather scenario, which I've directed to happen right over lovely Barbados. ;) 78 knot winds at 120 degrees, heavy rain. Extremely interesting flying conditions as you can see:
http://www.totalnfs.net/cpd/fs2004/as6-9.jpg
http://www.totalnfs.net/cpd/fs2004/as6-10.jpg
http://www.totalnfs.net/cpd/fs2004/as6-11.jpg
Last screenshot has me trying to land the A330-300 in 78kt winds! ;) The landing approach was er, quite interesting. :D
Overall conclusions:
Pros:
+ Decent weather simulation once configured correctly
+ Handy weather archives
+ Search within downloaded weather for particular conditions
+ Excellent AS Graphics utility
Cons:
- Complex to configure at first
Rating: 4 stars
Website: http://www.hifisim.com/
Cost: US$37.99