Anyone using Opus weather engine ?

[Paul K]

I'm thinking about giving the demo a try, and wondered if anyone here uses it. From what I've been reading, its very good.

http://www.opussoftware.co.uk/opusfsi.htm


No disrespect to the REX team, but I'm just not happy with it. Opus might be a simpler alternative.

[TSR2]

What problems are you having with the REX engine mate. Most of the addons all get their weather information from the same source so I can see how there can be much difference in them. REX obviously gives you the texture too.

[Paul K]

Ben, I think the problem I have with REX is that I'm never sure its working properly, or that I have all the settings correct for what I want from it - sorry I can't be any more precise than that. A couple of times I've seen clouds disappear instantaneously, and if thats because of the weather engine refreshing its data, I'm left with the question; were the cloudy conditions prior to the refresh correct, or has there been some problem with the refresh, and the new clear conditions are an error?

Another thing is that I am starting to suffer severe configuration fatigue, and not inclined to spend any more time trying to understand it all. Opus uses the same cloud textures as REX, so I will still have those, and from what I can gather its a lot simpler. I'm going to try it, anyway.

[DaveB]

A report please Paul when you've done the business

Sri to hear of your probs with REX mate. I get the disappearing clouds trick with ASA too.. never sure if it was an update that caused it or if they're ghost clouds One things for sure.. the default is Pony so whatever you get, you'll be seeing better

ATB
DaveB

[speedbird591]

Kosta shares some words of wisdom on his blog, second item: http://kostasfsworld.wordpress.com/

Basically he says it's good for low level but has issues at altitude. Good support, though. The consensus on the forums seems to be that the new plus plus overdrive update for REX leapfrogs Opus for now.

I've managed to download the update. It's only 30 mins now and it installed easily and the backup with P3D licence worked fine. The textures are a definite improvement but I still don't know what to do with it despite having managed 29/65 pages of the manual. I just leave the textures installed and change the weather theme in the sim

There's always one, isn't there?

But yes, another vote for you to try it out for us, Paul. Good man!

Ian

[TSR2]

Hi Paul,

With REX you get the green bar at the top when its updating textures, so if they are disappearing at other times (which they can do whether its REX ASA or MS default, its probably something like the draw distance settings. If you use REX real weather (which I do) there's no real config to do, just plonk in the ICAO code for the airport, Click on the WX textures button (Optional - this will update the currently installed REX "Theme" to more closely match the weather that's been detected) and fly.

Most of the other stuff is not really relevant for real world weather. So I've gone to the textures tab and picked the textures for the various bits that I like best and installed those, but when I go to the Weather tab and plonk in my ICAO, if I click on WX textures at the bottom, it will update my weather textures to more closely match the weather obtained from the METAR report. If I choose not to click the WX textures button, it will update the weather in real time, but using whatever cloud textures where loaded when I started the sim.

What spec is your system mate? RAM / CPU / Graphics etc?

[speedbird591]

I wish you'd written the manual, Ben. You make it sound simple.

Could we persuade you to do a tutorial?

A question. If I choose real weather and it modifies my textures, will it revert back to my previous textures next time I start the sim? Or will I be stuck with the new ones?

Ian

[TSR2]

Hi Ian,

I can't see how it could revert back to defaults. If you go to the textures screen and pick your textures and click save, followed by install it takes a fair few minutes to write the changes. When your in the weather section and you put in the ICAO and then click on the WX textures button, it also seems to take a about a minute or so to write the texture changes to FS. I'm basing my idea that it doesn't change them back to defaults on that. I'll knock up a PDF showing what I do if its of use to anyone. Don't know if its gospel, but it works for me.

[Paul K]

Ben, thanks for the info. I may yet come back to REX, but I'd like to try Opus anyway. I've been following this thread, and there seems to be a lot of interest...

http://www.orbxsystems.com/forum/topic/ ... x-weather/

Here are my specs:

Win 7 64-bit Professional with SP1
Intel i7 960 3.2 GHz
Asus P6T Deluxe V2
6GB Corsair Dominator GT TRI-DDR3 2000MHz
Nvidia GTX-285
OS Drive: 640GB SATA 3-Gb/s 16MB Cache ( 7200 rpm )
FSX Drive: 300GB WD VelociRaptor® SATA 16MB CACHE (10,000rpm)
800W Quiet Quad Rail PSU
Coolit Domino A.L.C. CPU Liquid Cooler.

The graphics card needs updating.

[TSR2]

Hi mate. That might well be the problem. I know my 560Ti runs it fine, but its not exactly top of the range these days. Lots of folk have problems with the likes of the QW146 and REX because some of the textures are huge, much bigger than the FSX defaults and the graphic cards simply can't cope.