9 minutes ago, ThomseN_inc said:

Yes i surely do understand that. But it doesn't change the fact that they look low res to me.

Saying they look low res, which is code for you don't like the soft nature of them, is not the same thing as saying they look like FSX. They look nothing like FSX.

16 minutes ago, Joyal said:

What does that mean? 

I'm very used to flying in, around and under cumulus clouds of those type in gliders, since they are the types of cloud which form over a thermal when the rising air cools and condenses, usually at 1,500 feet and upwards. They are the indicators for lift upwind of them, typically forming in streets which lead to the heat source of the thermal which was their catalyst. Thus you end up circling under them and darting from one to the next to climb and progress to your intended destination, which means you spend a lot of time looking at them from the cockpit.

In reality, they typically have the 'cauliflower' look of a cumulus when viewed from far away, caused by the light casting shadows on their form as they boil up. This resolves into a misty edge which is apparent when you get closer and fly into them, or see the movement at their edges, but at no point do they really have that look of soft mashed potato which the ones in the sim have.

I think they look really good, and way better than anything else in a flight sim, even a gliding sim such as Condor or Silent Wings, but they don't look perfect just yet. I suspect when a developer such as HiFi has a stab at tweaking them, they'll improve somewhat.

3 minutes ago, Chock said:

In reality, they typically have the 'cauliflower' look of a cumulus

I'm sorry, Chock.  Cauliflower cumulus do not exist in real life.  We've had plenty of experts tell us this right here on this very forum.

It doesn't matter that I went outside the other day, just to see what the clouds looked like, and saw one perfectly symmetrical cauliflower cumulus to the southwest and one very fuzzy, wispy bit to the northeast, obviously either a forming or dissipating cumulus from a thermal.  Sky was totally clear otherwise.

Yesterday I looked again and finally, FINALLY saw a fuzzy, low resolution cloud similar to what we see in MSFS.  I almost never see something like this.

I miss Active Sky Cloud Art.

Hook

58 minutes ago, ThomseN_inc said:

Actually the clouds look like the 512x512 res clouds back in the days of FSX.

And again too much grey!

Folks this is becoming really ridiculous. Please. I have suggested it here already. Get into a real aircraft, look at some real clouds. From far and from nearby. Then come back to your favorite sim of your choice, being it FSX, X-Plane or whatever, and judge again. And if you still don't like these clouds of MSFS (see below), then feel free to go back to your self painted cardboards from 15 years ago again and be happy. But stop the nonsense of giving others false information by stating the clouds of MSFS looking like (or even worse) than those in FSX. That is just nonsense and misleading. The clouds and cloudscapes are stunning and one of the outstanding achievements that come with this new sim. That said, there will always be room for improvements.

I don't get it... He can't wait to fly amongst the clouds but as soon as he's there he hits the fastforward key.... like yeah, been there, done that, got the T-Shirt... ?? 

Oh, well, i hope to sse for myself in a couple of days.

Absolutement the very best clouds ever in a flightsim sofar but also agreed too much grey. Missing those breathtaking sparkling hellish bright white and towering works of art we're getting for real and for free almost every day (atleast here in Holland).

  

Edited August 14, 20205 yr by Javiz

24 minutes ago, LHookins said:

I'm sorry, Chock.  Cauliflower cumulus do not exist in real life.  We've had plenty of experts tell us this right here on this very forum.

Just in case anyone thinks you are serious, technically, those 'cauliflower' clouds are Cumulus Congestus, one of many sub types of cumulus, although the one most people know is when they keep on forming and rising, being then called towering cumulus until they hit a high aloft wind or inversion, when they can spread out into a flat elongated thin line, commonly known as a cloud cap, but more correctly a pileus. If that keeps on going, it becomes a thunderhead, which is the familiar spread out anvil shape of a Cumulonimbus thunderstorm cloud. It's all of the friction of the water molecules inside the clouds during all that thermal rising which causes the electrical build up that leads to thunderstorms.

Underneath them, there is very often a lot of lift for a glider, but at their edges the opposite is often the case, with massive downdrafts which can outstrip the climb rate of your aeroplane, so whilst they are a magnet for gliders, they have to be treated with a certain amount of respect.

Now is the time of year when most of that is going on, with high temperatures heating the ground, causing the air with a lot of moisture in it to start rising, then condensing into cloud when it cools, but the action of condensing then generates more heat, so they get another boost and go up again, more water condenses, and so on. It's this repeating cycle which gives them that cauliflower shape.

If that sort of thing happens with not much moisture in the air, that's what glider pilots call a 'blue day', where there is lift, but not much cloud to show where it is. That's when you start looking for circling birds. If you are lucky and find a good amount of lift on a day like that, you can often find birds seeing you and joining you in your thermalling turn. I've had birds fly right outside my canopy less than two feet away from the perspex, staying with me for several thousand feet. With me even considering opening the DV panel to see if I could touch a wingtip. It's a remarkable experience, quite spiritual actually.

Edited August 14, 20205 yr by Chock

2 minutes ago, Chock said:

Just in case anyone thinks you are serious

I AM serious!  There are people on this forum who claim that hard edged clouds do not exist.

If anyone wants to see what real clouds look like, google "time lapse clouds" and pause the videos occasionally.  I'd post links to a video or two but I don't want people accusing me of cherry-picking to prove my point.

Hook

8 minutes ago, LHookins said:

I AM serious!  There are people on this forum who claim that hard edged clouds do not exist.

If anyone wants to see what real clouds look like, google "time lapse clouds" and pause the videos occasionally.  I'd post links to a video or two but I don't want people accusing me of cherry-picking to prove my point.

Hook

Once again proof that it is always a matter of taste and experience. I actually read a post about the lady pilot on youtube trying to figure out one of the tubliners. He said in her defense that she just did not understand what Flight Simulators were about. She was all worried about procedures and buttons and never looked out to see the beautiful scenery. 

23 minutes ago, shivers9 said:

Once again proof that it is always a matter of taste and experience. I actually read a post about the lady pilot on youtube trying to figure out one of the tubliners. He said in her defense that she just did not understand what Flight Simulators were about. She was all worried about procedures and buttons and never looked out to see the beautiful scenery. 

Actually she said that herself. She was only interested in the systems modeling and as expected was disappointed.

8 minutes ago, Slides said:

She was only interested in the systems modeling and as expected was disappointed.

I think we could have predicted that. 😄 

Hook

2 hours ago, ThomseN_inc said:

Actually the clouds look like the 512x512 res clouds back in the days of FSX.

And again too much grey!

Stick with FSX then. The amount of absolute whining and hand wringing in this forum is Chernobyl level toxic.

NO- Not Impressed.  Again, they are "out-of-focus" . No definition around them. And, I'm not asking for super defined cause in real life they are not like that. But, they are certainly not this out-of-focus. My clouds in P3D look far better. 

Fog: Yes I'm impressed !   Very nice.. very realistic.  

 

Plain ugly, like moldy cauliflower. That might be the reason I will stick with P3D for the next little while.

Never was this more relevant...😁

I think some of it might be real travel experience or lack thereof.  Travel to different regions and there are different weather systems.  Go to Florida in the summer and then go to San Francisco.  Completely different environments.  The SanFran dweller will probably see clouds they have never seen before.  

Edited August 14, 20205 yr by helloo