P3D_V5 Rain and Other Random Screenshots

[Bomber_12th]

Here are some examples of the rain shaft effects with TrueSky/Enhanced Atmospherics in P3Dv5. The rainfall only begins as you enter these cells, in relation to specific clouds, and the rainfall begins gently and then increases as you fly further into the cell. All of these screenshots below were setup with no fog/viz restriction - the only appearance of fog is due to the rain cell effects.

These first two shots are just a simple scenario with heavy rainfall and scattered clouds.

Here is another shot just moments later, after entering the outermost perimeter of the cell and the rain just starting to pick up.

In the next three screenshots, you can see various rain shafts surrounding the aircraft, each one of which is producing rain if you were to fly into them, as shown in the final screenshot.

 

[Bomber_12th]

Finding a particularly dark rain cell and diving down into it.

 

[Bomber_12th]

Conditions/atmosphere I'd much rather be flying in.

 

[Bomber_12th]

 

[Bomber_12th]

 

[Bomber_12th]

Some hazy evening shots of "Dottie Mae" on a flight from Chino out to Lake Mathews and back.

 

[Bomber_12th]

A trip from Chicago Executive to Chicago Midway Intl., using the Drzewiecki Designs Chicago Airports addon that was recently free for a day. The rest of the scenery is default with ORBX Trees, Global Base and OpenLC textures.

 

[Bomber_12th]

 

[Bomber_12th]

As it was recently asked with regard to cloud shadows - in all of my shots cloud shadows are on (I've never had them off). With TrueSky/Enhanced Atmospherics, the presence of cloud shadows, how dark or subtle they are, has a lot to do with the altitude of the clouds - the closer they are to the ground the darker the shadows get. That is the case with my Pitts Special screenshots posted in this thread, where it's quite easy to see the cloud shadows in those because the cloud base was down close to 2,000ft agl. In other screenshots I've posted the clouds are at quite high altitude and the shadows can then be very subtle to non existent. I really like it this way!

Here is another example of the clouds purposely set at low altitude in order to project darker cloud shadows with TrueSky.

 

[Snurdley]

Thanks for posting those John. Beautiful screen shots as always. I think you've sold me on v5. The rain squalls look very good and glad to see the cloud shadows. I suppose the shadow distance setting would play a part too. And glad you like Dottie Mae. I guess I could have spent more time on her but I did what I could.

 

[Bomber_12th]

Todd, I'd hate to be the one to sell you on this sim, just in-case you end up really hating it. As impressed as I am with this sim, I still feel like for me that it may only end up being a holdover until FS2020 is released, but we'll see. In the meantime, though, I've been really enjoying it, and all of the ORBX sceneries look better than ever.

The one thing that I hope gets fixed soon enough with this sim is the interplay with the TrueSky clouds/rain effects around trees at a distance, especially noticeable on mountain ridges, which becomes very blocky/artifact-like. It is something that I try to avoid having showing in my screenshots, but because of that my screenshots don't always show the "full picture" (the TrueSky/Enhance Atmospherics implementation is all still considered beta). Some of that issue can be seen in my second screenshot below, along the tree line of the hill ridge at the bottom left.

This first shot also shows rain falling from the clouds in the distance.

 

[Snurdley]

Don't worry, if I end up hating it I'll ask for a refund Like you, this will tide me over until FS2020, but this looks to be a version of P3D to keep, which I will, if nothing else but to fly aircraft that may not work in FS.

 

[mike_cyul]

Nice screenshots! For the first time ever, I haven't been back to FSX since v5 came out. Really looking forward to FS2020, but if for some reason that turns problematic it'll be nice to know that v5 and its Enhanced Atmospherics is available.