[railguy]

Over on another forum, I've been reading about the optional "weather engine" and weather graphics package, "REX Essential PLUS with Overdrive" (link here: http://www.realenvir....com/essod.html ) that flight simmers with Microsoft FSX can use to generate custom or realtime weather for flight-simming. The visual effects are simply stunning. So, I wonder if that "weather engine" could be adapted to work as an optional payware weather module for OR? Rather than trying to reinvent the wheel, maybe that could be an option for a dynamic weather module for OR. For the record, I have no personal interest, financial or otherwise, in promoting REX--I just think that the dynamic weather the program produces would be ideal with OR.

Just a thought.

[PA1930]

That would be really amazing! I like your idea. :victory:

[Genma Saotome]

It doesn't have any particular appeal for me... if I want to run a snowstorm on Donner Pass when the calendar says July 15th I will. Ditto for Jan 15th w/o regard to what's happening 200 miles to the east of me.

What is it about the idea that appeals to you guys ('cuz I don't get it)?

[eric from trainsim]

I can see where it might add to the randomness and variety of running a route...

You could have the same effect simply by applying a randomizer function with a "Surprise Me" button on the menu...

[Csantucci]

It's also about having more types of weather than the ones there are now in OR.

[gpz]

As my contribution, I am going to commit code today that implements at least the sounds for rain and show. :)

[roeter]

I suppose you mean snow - but what sound does snow make when it falls? Do you have a recording of a falling snowflake :) ?

The proper effect during snowfall would be to dim all sounds at a distance - for that is the effect when there is proper snowfall - all sounds get dimmed, there is an almost eery silence.

As for the weather package : I think it would be great. I would love to have the option of showers, for instance, as well as the effect of wind on rain or snow. There is a great difference in rain just falling, or rain passing by horizontally driven by a storm force wind.
And on to the fantasy realm : wouldn't it be great if we could let the trees sway in the wind?

Regards,
Rob Roeterdink

[copperpen]

Flightsim has a weather engine built in. This can use predefined global weather conditions which do not change once chosen, or it can use external data gathered from weather stations to generated a dynamic weather system. This data can then be used as a static picture, or updated every 15 minutes. This feature relies on the user having a web connection. The free and payware weather addons work in the same way. There are different free texture sets available that can be used to replace defaults, and the payware versions also have different texture sets.

The first thing that would need to be done is to create an OR specific weather engine and a full set of default textures. In order to use FS specific weather engines these textures would need to use the FS specific filenames. Now the OR weather engine would have to be a global one to cover all route locations with the exception of the polar regions and would also need to take into account regional season variations on a global basis. It would also need to be set up in a manner that the FS weather engines could recognise and use.

[James Ross]

 copperpen, on 06 November 2013 - 03:08 AM, said:

It would also need to be set up in a manner that the FS weather engines could recognise and use.

I don't think it is worthwhile to try and fit ourselves to another existing system like this; we have enough trouble with MSTS content, let's not realistically consider utilising FS weather plug-ins.

We do need a more subtle and sophisticated weather engine and we should consider what should be modelled and/or produced by it. (For example, do we model temperature to generate rain or snow?) Dynamic weather is certainly important, but should we model weather patterns moving across a route? Do we take the terrain in to account? Personally, I think we should build up to this slowly; start with a single dynamic weather and then expand to moving weather.

[gpz]

 roeter, on 06 November 2013 - 02:45 AM, said:

I suppose you mean snow - but what sound does snow make when it falls? Do you have a recording of a falling snowflake :) ?

Yes, I meant snow. :) You have the recording too! Just go to sound folder and check snow_in.sms and snow_ex.sms. :lol:

Anyway, there are wind sounds there as well, just I don't know how to use them. First we might set up some varying wind strength calculation math, and alter sound volume based on that. And possibly also move the snowflakes based on some wind direction. Some visual effect for the rain falling onto the front window would be nice to implement too...