Our latest official update for ASFS has been posted!
This new update brings new turbulence features including full cloud turbulence for all coverage and cloud types, in any depiction mode, as well as many other additions, adjustments and fixes.
Thanks to those who participated in the beta process, and thanks for all the great feedback to help us prioritize our efforts.
You can download the update from the downloads page.
Changelog
Update 061024 – B8927 (1.0.8927.989)
- Reverted “Fixed issue where some stations were delayed in updating during 30 minute update cycles” due to new NOAA cycle download reliability issues for some users in some regions – We will be reworking and redesigning this fix for a more stable result for all users in all regions, in a subsequent update – Thanks for your patience!
Update 060924 – B8926 (1.0.8926.31073)
- Continued redesign/changes in attempts to resolve excessively long METAR cycle downloads for some users
- Continued additional/adjusted logging to troubleshoot some remaining cycle downloads for some users
- Attempted fix for surface gusts/variability not depicting properly when using surface wind attenuation cancelation
- Adjusted gust interval to be approximately 20% lower for more realistic variation
Update 060824 B8925 (1.0.8925.27775)
– Attempted changes/fixes to resolve excessively long cycle downloads for some users
– Additional/adjusted logging to troubleshoot some remaining cycle downloads for some users
Update 060724 B8924 (1.0.8924.37989)
– Improved speed of METAR downloads with new cycle files/processes to reduce extended download/processing times
– Removed state change debugging log info for previously resolved issue(s)
– Fixed issue with ASFS updates overwriting custom/newer Navigraph data
Update 060324 B8920 (1.0.8920.30819)
– Added Sim tip/message options to control in-sim tip/messages accordingly (must have Software Tips enabled in MSFS Assistance/Notification options) – Docs updated
– Added instant refresh when temperature units change to prevent slow temp and precip type (snow vs. rain) adjustment
– Added additional auto flight plan load/clear logging
– Various tuning/fixes for in-cloud turbulence
– Additional in cloud detection improvements/fixes for better accuracy
– Increased effective rain/precip rate and fixed an issue where very low precip rate could be experienced (Note: you must be under a cloud to experience precipitation – not seeing precip, or seeing much reduced precip rates when there is less cloudy sky above is normal)
– Increased general precipitation smoothing rate for more visible dynamics on precip condition changes
– Reduced general cumulus density 20% to further reduce potential grainy/shimmering cloud edges
– Reduced general cirrus generation approximately 20%
– Reduced CAVOK/NCD/NSC cloud generation general occurrence approximately 20% per feedback
– Reduced CAVOK/NCD/NSC general cloud coverage approximately 20% per feedback
– Adjusted cirrus altitude and coverage logic to trend to more variable values in general without trending too high in some cases
– Improved turbulence dynamics in vicinity of thunderstorm clouds
– Further slowed general cloud altitude smoothing rate per feedback, by approximately 50% in most cases
– Offset historical downloads to use data set based on -30 minutes for more expected historical playback results without getting METARs past the historical active time
– Prevented download timer from resetting when Refresh weather button pressed in debug screen – now the download timer will fire separate of any refresh results without getting METARs past the historical active time
– Prevented location change/instant weather reset on “reconnect” of MSFS connection, when last disconnect was within 30 seconds
– Fixed issue where some stations were delayed in updating during 30 minute update cycles
– Fixed issue with Chinese language altitude units conversion in Metric units mode (resulted in incorrect cloud/wind altitudes)
– Fixed issue with precip and snow cover units/conditions in some units modes/language settings
– Fixed issue with unexpectedly low precip/rain in -TS/-TSRA thunderstorm conditions
– Fixed issue with Norwegian language units issues incl. temperature
– Fixed missing cloud turb/cloud detection when in Passive mode and no cloud data exists for ASFS but exists in MSFS live weather
– Attempted Fix for issue with gusts/variability for surface layer(s) where it was not properly depicting in some cases
Update 052204 – B8908 (1.0.8908.28199)
– Added new option: Turbulence rotational effect preference to adjust rotational vs. translational effects depending on preference. Slide right for more rotation, left for more translation. Default: 50/balanced. Updated docs.
– Added handling for /// or //////CB (or TCU) layer interpretation in METARs – will use SCT coverage at random heights between 1000 and 3000AGL to place clouds (resolves some “no rain” or “no clouds shown” reports for stations that issue METARs in the fashion)
– Increased translational effects approximately 30% by default per feedback
– Reduced rotational roll effect in general approximately 15% per feedback
– Reduced altitude change rate during cloud transition smoothing by 60% per feedback
– Reduced density of cumulus and cumulonimbus cloud layers approximately 15% to reduce hardness/darkness and potential grainy-edge appearances in some cases
Update 052024 – B8906 (1.0.8906.36270)
– New turbulence injection method for better normalization between different setups, aircraft and frame rates
– New turbulence unpredictability with calm and variable intensity states, for more realistic and organic experience
– New cloud turbulence with MSFS ambient in-cloud detection and cloud turbulence for all cloud types and coverages in both Preset and Passive modes
– Added new Bypass Proxy option (general) to attempt to allow users using VPN/proxy to bypass proxy server/network (default off) – updated documentation
– Reduced random light chop approximately 50% in general occurrence rate per feedback
– Reduced roll rotational effect in turbulence approximately 15% as per feedback
– Reduced yaw effect in turbulence approximately 20% as per feedback
– Adjusted turbulence effect for additional translational (“bump”) effect strength and reduced rotational effect strength as per feedback
– Adjusted wake turbulence to normalize effect based on latest turbulence/air effects changes
– Adjusted surface turbulence to result in higher occurrence of turbulence overall when winds are > calm
– Adjusted visibility graduation to occur at higher altitudes (4000-9000ft agl vs. 0-3000ft agl)
– Prevented turbulence effect during paused/in-menu states (could cause strange effects and aircraft instability when unpausing)
– Removed sigmet/airmet outside-boundary “vicinity influence” to contain influence to within the specific boundaries defined only
– Reduced potential inter-sigmet/airmet turbulence occurrence (so less total area of defined sigmet area contains actual turbulence as described)
– Changed realism mode turbulence scale factor to 50 (vs 60), easy mode changed to 30 (vs 20) – updated documentation
– Fixed issue with Force Low Humidity in High Vis option where it would not properly disable/persist
– Fixed issue with improper Chinese language units conversions resulting in improper temps and wind speeds
Update 050224 – B8888 (1.0.8888.33873)
- Re-designed turbulence and air effects injection method for more compatibility, solving low or no turbulence for some users
- Added increased maximum turbulence effect capability using Turbulence effect scale slider (settings over 50 now exponentially increase effect strength)
- Added new option: Add additional clouds for CAVOK/NSC/NCD/Unspecified – Adds clouds over 5000ft, when appropriate, regardless of METAR cloud layers specified – useful in regions where clouds are only specified up to 5000ft – Default ON
- Added new option: Clone dep/dest weather – Clones dep/dest/alt weather to the vicinity of those areas, preventing unexpected weather updates during departure and approach phases – default ON
- Added optional checkboxes (checked by default) during ASFS install regarding adding desktop ASFS and Web Companion icons
- Added new automatic hiding of the ASFS toolbar item in the toolbar settings UI menu, to prevent disabling accidentally (which would prevent weather depiction by ASFS) – If this toolbar item for ASFS is already disabled, however, it will need to be re-enabled by the user to see ASFS weather depiction
- Added new option/feature: Force low humidity in high visibility conditions – Enable this to have humidity set low in MSFS when visibility conditions are 10+ to prevent any atmospheric obscuration regardless of calculated humidity levels in weather conditions
- Added missing documentation regarding SimBrief user id and Automatically load SimBrief plans options, and added note regarding need for numeric ID when using SimBrief plans in the Flight Plan section
- Prevented ActiveSkyUtils.exe from starting more than once
- Adjusted wake turbulence effective strength for new air effects and preventing too high effects causing excessive rotational effects and control issues in some cases
- Adjusted PWS Wind Shear alert audio to only trigger when aircraft is in motion (> 30 knots ground speed) to avoid unwanted alerts when aircraft is parked/taxiing
- Adjusted fog layer generation for better results from 5SM and under visibility (with more obscuration when appropriate)
- Adjusted visibility/humidity calculations for better balanced results per feedback
- Adjusted visibility graduation (clearing as you climb) for better balanced results per feedback
- Adjusted scattering for lower-coverage non-CB cloud layers when precipitation exists for more regional coverage and more expected precip conditions in the entire region as specified
- Reduced cumulus and cumulonimbus max thickness approximately 10% for better performance in most cases
- Changed Prevent thunderstorms with CB option to default to OFF instead of ON (this provides more thunderstorm conditions depictions by default)
- Changed default Periodic theme reload interval to 7 minutes (was 15) per user feedback – Higher interval settings can cause delays in updates that can lead to unexpected transitions in some cases
- Removed active runway mentions in conditions/popup screens (currently disabled, runway information is planned for future)
- Fixed issue with fog layer generation where existing METAR layers specified 1000ft AGL and under could conflict with the fog layer generation/scene – Now such layers are omitted and replaced with fog layer generated layer entirely for more expected results
- Fixed issue where some Navigraph data airports were not added to the ASFS airport database properly (those without approaches, mainly), resulting in missing/old airports or lack of ability to use flight planner for some airport ids
- Fixed issue where maximizing on the map screen would result in stretched aspect ratio
- Fixed issue where MSFSOptions.cfg was shown in user preset list (Settings screen), and if selected, would cause crash. This item is now properly hidden from view.
- Fixed issue where additional clouds outside of METAR may show as “clear” and not “party cloudy” or “cloudy” as expected, for example, when there is broken/ovc high cirrus or other CAVOK-type clouds
- Fixed issue where entering a non-lowercase or mixed-case email address during login might result in login failure
- Attempted fix for issue where a network/internet issue during a download process might cause a program crash instead of proper error/retry/failure
- Updated default included Navigraph data to AIRAC 2303 Cycle
- Updated documentation and readme