Dynamic Weather

[=gRiJ=Roman-]

Just an idea ... Would be possible to have changeable weather condition in the same mission? For example, at the beginning of the mission it could be snowing and 15 minutes later stop snowing or for example start with a sunny day and then it starts to get clody and raining.

Edited August 24, 2021 by =gRiJ=Roman-

[Finkeren]

Dynamic weather patterns have been the holy grail of flight sims for 15 years at least.

 

Of course it is possible, but if it was easy, we'd have had it by now.

[6./ZG26_Gielow]

Is it possible right now to have rain on some map grids while we have sunny skies elsewhere??

 

Can we have different cloud ceiling too or every weather option is standard for the entire map ??

Edited March 13, 2017 by 6./ZG26_Gielow

[Dutchvdm]

Is it possible right now to have rain on some map grids while we have sunny skies elsewhere??

 

Can we have different cloud ceiling too or every weather option is standard for the entire map ??

Changing weather might be a bit much, but different rain or snow pockets would actually be quiet nice. Same for the clouds.

 

Grt M

[Scojo]

I can't really comment much on this since the software I work with isn't much like gaming. However I will say that in games that do have weather changes, even games like minecraft, usually seem to stutter or slow down at the time of the weather change. This is more noticeable on lower end PC's.

 

Perhaps there's a reason behind sticking with constant weather.

 

For me personally, I'm not too concerned if we don't get changing weather. Varied weather is enough for me. In FNBF this last mission we had some interesting fog/light snow and I'm sure there are a few other options mixed with cloud height that can enhance the experience.

 

Not enough missions seem to use the variety of weather already, so I feel the work that might be required behind changing weather or even dynamic weather would be wasted to some degree.

 

Maybe if you can get enough support behind it the devs will consider putting it in there plans at some point to investigate or even implement in some manner, though.

 

But like I said, my personal opinion is indifference. I'd first like to see more detail for clouds, which might also be too system resource intense. In a flight sim with the complexity, managing those resources is always one of the biggest limiters to what they can do, I imagine.

[Gambit21]

Changing weather might be a bit too much.

However I've asked for static but variable weather/clouds within a specific weather preset, as I believe this will be relatively easy to accomplish and extremely useful (arguably necessary) for Midway. We need say the American fleet in clear or sparsely clouded weather, while the Japanese fleet is hiding under a bank of clouds. With various presets where the heavy clouds are in specific places only on the map, we can create various scenarios.

 

This might not mean that rain is possible with these presets, but that's fine.

As it stands when you choose a weather/cloud preset in the editor, say "medium 04" the clouds are of a certain type and density, but placed over the entire map.

 

At is stage this option is not only easier than variable weather (it wasn't raining, now it is) but much more useful since we're heading to Midway. Obviously these types of presets will come in handy on the other maps.

[Pail]

With the way smoke phases in and out a bit (from fires on the ground), it would be good if there was more of a cloud of smoke above places like Stalingrad. Maybe a smoke layer as well as a cloud layer ?

 

Our war here seems a bit overly clean and non-polluting....and too damned pretty.

[=TBAS=Sshadow14]

yes i have been trying to build complex weather patterns for the new IL2 Australia server and its rather sad how little of a weather engine there is to work with.

We can only set a single cloud preset with a single layer
We cannot have multiple layers
We cannot have clouds that move properly with wind
Clouds do not move when a plane flies though them (like IRL)

Edited March 14, 2017 by =R4T=Sshadow14

[Pail]

I'm not unhappy about the weather effects, although I understand being annoyed with their limits. I thought a second cloud layer had been talked about...somewhere (was why I suggested it in that way...obviously the wind

 

is going to blow a smoke layer away some of the time...).

 

My point was that I would like to see 'atmospheric smoke' improvements before other weather effects. Although there is possibly some overlap which is why I brought it up.

[US103_Baer]

How's the status of dynamic weather or multiple weather systems per map for IL-2 now?

Our rigs are much stronger these days,  plus, that other CFS has dynamic weather options already. 

 

Feel the 'all or nothing' rain+overcast over a whole map doesn't do justice to the rest of the Sim at this point.

Edited August 24, 2021 by US28_Baer

[PatrickAWlson]

@US28_Baer Don't think it's possible.   The weather data is in the map header and presumably applies to the whole map.  Don't think you can change it on the fly or designate different weather in different areas.

[AEthelraedUnraed]

8 minutes ago, PatrickAWlson said:

@US28_Baer Don't think it's possible.   The weather data is in the map header and presumably applies to the whole map.  Don't think you can change it on the fly or designate different weather in different areas.

I think @rowdyb00t mentioned in the enhanced clouds thread that he already accomplished some kind of a weather front, where some heavy clouds moved over an otherwise clear map. Given that the Devs are working on improving the clouds with an unknown member of the community that I assume to be him, I think changing cloud coverage is within the realm of possibilities.

 

That said, dynamic rain that only falls underneath clouds would require some additional coding from the Devs.

[US103_Baer]

14 hours ago, AEthelraedUnraed said:

I think @rowdyb00t mentioned in the enhanced clouds thread that he already accomplished some kind of a weather front, where some heavy clouds moved over an otherwise clear map. Given that the Devs are working on improving the clouds with an unknown member of the community that I assume to be him, I think changing cloud coverage is within the realm of possibilities.

 

That said, dynamic rain that only falls underneath clouds would require some additional coding from the Devs.

Interesting thanks. Assumed not possible currently, but dynamic weather would be a huge thing right across the Great Battles series

[76IAP-Black]

If you take a look at the very old Operation flashpoint, you will see there was changable weather since the beginning.

 

Same goes for Arma 1-3. I dont see a problem here

[rowdyb00t]

Moving weather fronts is possible and I’ve made them. The wind moves the clouds in the sim. Here are some examples. 
 

 

 

Here’s an example on the Stalingrad map from a few years back. 

 

   I’ll explain how this is achieved, 

In the sky file there is a folder called cloud maps, it’s in the summer file. In here is the different designs of types of weather. These are told where to go by the sky.ini files. In my mod, I’ve redrawn existing and made complete new ones. They are map tiles with the clouds drawn on them. They are colored with shades of blue, purple, pink, and sometimes a bit of green. The colors make the cloud thicknesses, depending on how hot or cool the color. The standard size in the sky.ini files are 32000 meters, however you can enlarge the to lets say 100km. That is now the size of the tile on the map. So for the weather fronts, I’ve hand drawn these and enlarged them to better fit the maps. Setting the wind and it’s direction in the game will move these fronts. The cloud maps look a bit like what you would see on Doppler radar. Hope this helps. 

Edited August 29, 2021 by rowdyb00t
More info

[Noisemaker]

11 hours ago, rowdyb00t said:

Moving weather fronts is possible and I’ve made them. The wind moves the clouds in the sim. Here are some examples.

Sorry Rowdy, I've been staring at your pictures for half an hour now, and the clouds have not moved at all. 

[=gRiJ=Roman-]

So Rowdy, can you have different weather in different parts of the map? Can you have local showers and then sunshine?

What can we actually achieve with your idea? I am very excited ....

Edited August 29, 2021 by =gRiJ=Roman-

[rowdyb00t]

24 minutes ago, =gRiJ=Roman- said:

So Rowdy, can you have different weather in different parts of the map? Can you have local showers and then sunshine?

What can we actually achieve with your idea? I am very excited ....

  Yes you can take off from your airfield in clear weather, and head in to a front, heavy,  medium or light clouds. Unfortunately, the rain is tied to an overcast setting that is in the ini files. It can either rain everywhere within a 14Km radius around the player or not at all. Here’s another example from a few years back. 
 

 

Edited August 29, 2021 by rowdyb00t