Captain Kitten

We have it on our list. Tried to get it working this time but it failed and we need to look in to why.

Are you using real turb global cat areas or other addons that can conflict with weather? Please contact support at xenviro.net/support if the problem persists. Weather changes dynamically. The rate of it changing which can seem like stutter is simething we can't really change without replacing the clouds with our own. That's locked in msfs

Is your historical weather turned off? I assume this is only for this location? If your problem persists contact support at xenviro.net/support

For support make a ticket at www.xenviro.net

DarkSpace and Threshold are proud to present the most accurate weather engine for Microsoft Flight Simulator. With over ten years of experience with reproducing real weather on X-Plane with realistic training in mind, we have ported the core of xEnviro over to Microsoft Flight Simulator to get the most precise weather in the most popular simulator. Features: Real-time meteorological data with a refresh interval from 5 up to 60 minutes. Historical weather data is available at 30 minutes intervals. Atmosphere condition based on dynamic air parcel prediction model used for real aviation research and training. Advanced atmosphere topology methods provide accurate cloud thickness and density prediction. Atmosphere quality includes humidity, pollution and fine particle amount. Actual wind direction and speed for all levels and temperature, turbulence and wind shear. Simulation of in-cloud turbulence. Surface crosswind components can be reduced during ground roll for users with no rudder pedals. Seasonal data processed by our servers all year round provides real-time snow coverage. All the weather and atmosphere-heavy calculations are executed on our servers. Therefore, expect no performance impact on your hardware. Feature to look up the current METAR, and TAF reports in the Weather Briefing window. Feature to display METAR reports for the stations around your aircraft. Options to change Flight Simulator toolbar appearance and size. Our path: We start with releasing two main components along side the rest of the feature list; the weather engine and historical weather. We have many features planned but are also very eager to hear from you about what you want to complete your environment addon in Microsoft Flight Simulator. First, we will concentrate on non-visual features. We want to bring xEnviro’s true-scale clouds to MSFS eventually, but this needs a thorough evaluation of the access and performance trade-off. So no promises on this are made at this point. Future features: Join the xEnviro discord to add your feature requests. To our customers on the X-Plane platform: We will not be abandoning you. In fact, now that we have released this version for the “other” sim, we will be focusing on xEnviro 1.18 and ironing out current issues. 1.18 will still be for X-Plane 11. We will ideally be alternating between the two platforms to have equal progress on both. (Only if a hotfix is needed will we update xE20_1.01 before xE_1.18) Pricing: Our pricing is fixed. For the whole version 1. x run you will have free updates. MSFS is somewhat new to us so we still need to see what is possible and what is not. But the price will not change with the features planned. The price of xE20 will be 42,- USD Existing customers of xEnviro for X-Plane will get a fixed discount price of 24,- USD Regardless of where you bought xEnviro, your discount will be applied in the store when you use the email that you registered xEnviro with. xEnviro 2020 will initially only be available at the Threshold store. Known issues: If your issue is not here or solution does not work please go to xEnviro.net and file a support ticket. Please also attach xEnviroLog.txt located in xEnviro 2020 folder when contacting support. Issue: No connection with Microsoft Flight simulator Solution: Please make sure you don't have any addons that alter flight simulator ToolBar appearance. Issue: xEnviro opens in tray but closes again Solution: Start xE as administrator Since the scaling in MSFS is way off it is hard to depict the weather correctly. MSFS scales their clouds at least twice the size of what is realistic. One example is with METAR: FEW032 OVC044 This is overcast with smaller wispy clouds beneath. This is impossible to set in MSFS. Trying to set a layer at 3200ft and tops at 4400ft 1200ft thick - the lower layer will basically just be transparent. We have scaled down the clouds to approx 1.5- 1.6 from 2.x and this can lead to some wonky clouds in some rare conditions. We hope to bring our own clouds in in the future.

Go to xenviro.net and file a ticket. add both xenviro log and xplane log

1.17 Release X-Plane 12 Let me bring the bad news first. We got turned down by Laminar Research for X-Plane 12. We find their reasoning somewhat puzzling but we have to accept that we are getting nowhere. Let me say straight away that I do not want any speculation on their reasoning. We know of their argumentation and respectfully disagree. Both in principle and on how complicated our request is. We had high hopes for a while that we would get the access we have dreamt of for ages, but the future seems to be still a long fight with x-plane. We know at this time that we can force ourselves into xp12. But we’re tired of fighting and hopelessly defending long development cycles. Sad, not only for us but also for other add-ons like Enhanced Skyskapes, SkyMaxx and others. We are not saying that we won’t develop for X-Plane 12! As I said we know how we can do that, but both time wise and feature wise we are in the dark. It’s an effort we will pursue when X-Plane 12 is out of beta. (As usual) 1.17 As always, the update is free for all existing customers. We decided to go for a relatively high detail on clouds this time around. Firstly to create a base to work on for future refinement and direction, but also to give a statement on what is possible. Almost every issue we have in the release version is caused by limitations in X-Plane. Either we had to do a performance expensive workaround or what we wanted to achieve is plainly impossible within a reasonable time frame. But we have a good base to work on future updates now. One thing to note is how smooth xEnviro runs even on the lower end of the accepted framerates. VR compatibility The main change in 1.17 compared to previous versions is that xEnviro now is based on our spherical buffer. This has allowed us to get a much better performance for lower end machines and higher screen resolutions. Higher end machines also benefit, but not as much. The spherical buffer also allowed us to make xEnviro VR compatible. VFR training just took a huge step forward. VR is only compatible with Vulkan for now. 1:1 scale xEnviro’s main objective is to give an as true to life representation of the environment as possible and thus we recreate our atmosphere in 1:1 scale. When doing visual training this is critical. Unlike other weather representations, like the native X-Plane 12 and MSFS clouds, you will have a true positioning awareness when relating to your surroundings in the sky. One example of this is when you fly between two layers of clouds that are close to each other. While in MSFS and X-Plane 12 you get claustrophobic in a 5000 feet gap, you will perceive this as a grand space in xEnviro. This is especially important when training VFR flights. Some issues The 1:1 scale has its demands on performance. The main compromising issue in 1.17 is obvious when you load into the sim. Movement shimmer. This is not a huge problem when you fly slow and are gone when standing still. The artefacts are especially noticeable around the edges of the clouds. We have added a quality slider to reduce that shimmer - but at the cost of performance. This will be a continuous target to refine and improve for us going forward. Future of xEnviro At the end of the development cycle we get a known issues list that will be corrected as far as we are able to within the limitations of X-Plane. The update cycle will be shorter for the coming updates. (Given that the situation for the development team doesn’t change again from aforementioned external factors) We have decided to support xEnviro for X-Plane 11 for as long as it seems reasonable. We will refine the existing base we now are confident with and add features as we go along. We will update the roadmap soon. 1.17 Changelog Added Spherical buffer Full volume rendering implemented. No more separate layer rendering New cloud light scattering math New cloud formation logic. Now we can create clouds of any shape Smooth transition between stratus and cumulus clouds Thunderstorm clouds are back Incloud lightning Clouds screen edge quality slider added Draw high-level clouds checkbox added Updrafts added below cumulus clouds with vertical development Tropopause temperature control Basic VR support Weather search accepts Enter key Added X-Plane rain sound checkbox You can type several icao codes in the weather search window using virtually any separator and then hit Enter to get the list of metar report Added hotkeys via X-Plane key assignment menu to open xEnviro Weather Briefing or Settings window or call for CAVOK conditions. Passive cloud sync. Clouds look the same for all the xEnviro 1.17 users at a given time and a given location. This feature is important for online flights and shared cockpit sessions. This includes thunderstorms Changed Atmosphere light scattering revised Visibility maths changed General scene light energy adjusted to match atmosphere conditions Clouds blur level slider changed to clouds dynamic blur Cloud base adjusted to better match reported values The turbulence model is changed to match long-term forces better Wind distribution changed to avail fake forecast reports for aircraft devs Post-processing maths and application order adjusted Increased distance for the city lights reflected by haze Server timeout reduced to 5 seconds New method to hide X-Plane DSF edge implemented Full control over aircraft icing. No more random icing in snowfall Removed Banding lines on distant clouds removed Clouds static quality slider removed. Known issues Clouds shimmer, hard edges, terrain blending issues Clouds edge distortion at high-speed movement Clouds can be loaded partially after repositioning Some unpredictable shapes of clouds can form including lines and squares No lightning bolts No sun glow in VR Cloud edges may create artefacts on distant clouds when close City lights through clouds at night in rare conditions after moving aircraft on the map Precipitation follows camera Snow coverage may appear in the regions where no snowfall has been encountered recently X-plane does not provide any option to set precipitation as snow but only as rain therefore it begins to play rain sound even when xEnviro draws a snowfall. We included a dirty fix that temporarily disables X-Plane internal environmental sounds when it snows outside and restores the initial value when a snowfall stops

And we're again struggling with our limited X-Plane access.... It's pretty frustrating at times but we're pushing through. We chose our bed and we're laying in it. But we will have to sacrifice visuald over performance... Still. Both will be seriously enhanced from 1.16 but we're hitting limitations left and right still that shapes our path to completion. We will have quality sliders still... So everyone will be able to tune xE to their system / visual preference. Alright, here are some screenshots from 1.17 b17-23

Beta admission is closed

There will be more tease shots coming. Yeah, we're in beta now Beta tester screenshots xE 1.17b01

Update on progress Recap Since the launch of 1.16 (The Vulkan hotfix for 1.15) on January 1st 2021, a lot has happened. The development cycle of 1.17 has been a nightmare timewise, and we acknowledge that the timespan has been very long. I will not elaborate on the events since all the factors involved are private. But significant external factors such as Covid and the war in Ukraine have been fundamental for the dev team members and had their toll on available development time. In January 2021, we started on the “Spherical Buffer path” since it is the last performance-increasing direction we had on our list. We chose this last since we knew it would take a while to finish and so we could release 1.15 (later 1.16). 1.17 was anticipated to take 6-8 months. In pure development time, this is approximately where we are today. X-Plane 12 X-Plane will be released as a public Beta. xEnviro will not be released in this Beta run. Laminar Research has closed off all access to the platform by not giving access to the 3D draw callback, depth buffer and so on. X-Plane 11 was already limiting us and thus demanded a lot on performance to work. Especially when Vulkan was released, and our dynamic seasons got abruptly cut off. However. We are in a dialogue with Austin on the matter, and I am optimistic that we will find a solution to our limited access so that we can release 1.18 in XP12. Regardless of when this access is given, we must finish 1.17 in XP11. Where are we now? We have tried not to get “greedy” with the possibilities the SphericalBuffer has given us. We could never foresee the impact the SphericalBuffer would have on performance. But some new features are built-in into this version: Full volume rendering Unlimited layers of clouds and layer mixing Full 3d uninterrupted and non-divided smooth volume rendering Different cloud types (Including towering CB’s) Dynamic cloud density VR groundwork for future VR compatibility We are currently finalizing the rebuild of xE and getting the beta test team back up and running. I am still afraid of publishing a time frame. The situation for the development team is still uncertain. But the progress we have had the last month has me optimistic, albeit no ETA will be given… To return to a, for some, familiar analogy: We’re at the final stretch before the chicanes that lead to the finish line. 1: Start / Finish line 2: We are here Again, no ETA will be given. We don't give any regardless but times are, as I said, uncertain. Performance so far Performance wise it is impossible to say what the result will be for you. But it does look promising at the moment. Here is one example: On a Laptop 1060 GPU @ 2k resolution (2560x1080) we see a 40-100% FPS increase. This WILL vary from system to system since it depends on many factors but we are pretty sure you will see a good boost from previous versions. Beta testers needed We are soon entering beta. And we are looking for beta testers. As mentioned xE1.17 will be for X-Plane11 but as soon as we get the access we need from Laminar we will embark on XP12 immediately. You can PM @Captain Kitten if you are interested. The following images show dynamic density in clouds. From Low to high density. Some more teasers from various stages in development. All images are from 1.17 developoment. Current version is 1.17t148 I'll update on next stage - when we have started beta runs.

Numerous reasons for not releasing a beta. Besides that it's not in a state you would enjoy. And once it is in a state you would find usable it would be shortly before release anyway. Situation has not changed a lot since last update. Here is my announcement in the xE discord from 15/6 2022: It is sad to say that even after such a long time not much has changed. There has been some progress in the past month but it is hard for our main developer do get back in the code after constantly being dragged away from it by the external situation inflicted on him. Which is still going on.... One would think that human kind would have evolved away from this shit, but here we are. Still... And before anyone asks if we could replace / aid our developer with someone else: I have yet to meet anyone on this level of expertise in the fields needed for this work. And that someone would have to get introductions from the very person that is absent. Anyway, we hope that the situation will change sooner than later. But forgive me for not being very active on updating here. If the situation changes I will let you all know. There has been some progress but it is very slow. Here are some images from that progress. Performance with these screenshots is around 30 fps on a 1060(mobile) at 2560x1080.

Hey, sorry for the late reply - but you can contact support at xenviro.net

No, we don't give ETA's. Currently development is slow because of developers personal lives as well so internal ETA's aren't really a thing at this time. Churning along - but slowly.

I am obviously not going into detail about any of the following, but I think our current radio silence needs to be explained. Team members of Threshold and Dark Space both have family and friends in both Russia and Ukraine and some of us are either directly or indirectly affected by it all. Both because of the shock of how close the war is to us all and actions that have had to be taken in some of our lives, has delayed our ability to coordinate a statement. xEnviro development is directly affected by it all and things are moving slow and halting completely at times. We had hoped to be close to the beta stage now but we're unable to commit fully these days so our internal ETA's are dissolved. We're all mortified about what has taken place and is still going on. Our thoughts are with the ones suffering from the appalling actions taking place and we want to bring your attention to the donation programs that are set up by the community as described in this article: https://www.thresholdx.net/article/ukcris Please support the ones in need! Sincerely, xEnviro team EDIT: (13.03.2022) Things do not look good All development is on hold for the foreseeable future.

Fake LevelUp merchandise is being posted in FaceBook and Discord. I never thought I'd see something like this... If we are ever to make merchandise (which we have no plans to do) - you will be the first to know. And it will be of better quality than what the scammers are trying to sell. It has been reported and I hope it will be taken down swiftly. If you see any such scammers trying to sell LevelUp merch - please report to a moderator or myself.

So, where are we now? Haze haze haze haze. It's been about haze all the way for the past weeks and it's a b***. It yet again reveals 20 year old bugs in X-plane which have been a chore to get around and in some circumstances we just have to accept that they are there. For example we were harshly reminded of the limited drawing distance of the mesh grid and the gaping holes it leaves when you let visibility go far enough. But... we're wrapping up haze this weekend regardless. Haze development results: xEnviro 1.17t97 Whats next? Cloud math needs to be aligned with haze math before we introduce the remaining features back in to the build. To the ones following my Nürburgring analogy: We're in Brünnchen now. Road seems clear. Crossing fingers for smooth sailing to finish line. Following screenshots are made on an old i5 / GTX960 machine (1080 x 2560) and has 20 fps... Lets have that as a loose bar on where we are on performance. We have probably reached the point where we know how performance will be. Performance gain varies from system to system but we see numbers ranging from 20-100% performance gain compared to high settings in xE quality settings. and from 10-40% from medium settings. Of course the extreme numbers won't stay and what you get depends on many factors but we're optimistic now. Knock on wood - crossing fingers - avoiding mirrors and removing cats from under ladders. Beta run will show much more on where we stand on performance - I will announce when we're in beta when we're in beta As mentioned, cloud math needs to be adjusted with haze math. Screenshots below are from the old computer so they are of lower resolution. First images with haze and clouds:

1.17 is the last line of performance upgrades we had planned. So yes. We don't even give estimates on timeframe so I can't answer when we have planned the release even as vaguely as that. Thunderstorms will most probably be the next update.

The effects of 1.16 will remain. We are not adding more effects. That was my answer

Icing is simulated

If you're talking about visual icing on aircraft, then we have no plans for that. No plans on beacon lights in cloud either. These effects are way harder than you'd think.

Haven't had time lately to give an update. We're adjusting and finishing up haze math for the 1.17 run (XE-588). After this most items should go smoother and ticking off items faster. Again, no ETA's given. We're happy with cloud shapes for now. That will be revisited later and can be adjusted as we go. Same with lighting. We hope to get VR working in this run but can't promise anything yet. And no, seasons will never work in Vulkan. That remains locked by Laminar and is only available in OpenGl until Laminar implements their version in XP-12. It was never one of our features in the first place and would have needed more access than we have to be developed further anyway. If Laminar opens up for that in XP12 remains to be seen. But my hopes are slim. To do list: Some screenshots from 1.17t93