Active Sky 2016 (AS16) represents the culmination of 16 years of weather simulation engine development! New In-Cloud Motion Effects, Weather Scenarios System, Airborne Weather Radar, Navigraph Data Integration, Re-designed Map-based Custom Weather Editing System, Universal Web Companion App, an Improved Mapping System and a High-Latitude Cloud Squeeze Fix are just a few of the new features to debut in this brand new version of Active Sky.
Beyond the many new features, AS16 also extends and improves all aspects of weather simulation and depiction, from data parsing, to synthesis, interpolation, depiction, performance, and everything in-between, your entire weather experience will be more realistic than ever before.
AS16 also incorporates full integration with
Active Sky Cloud Art (ASCA), HiFi Simulation Technologies' brand new graphics add-on for both FSX and P3D. ASCA includes cloud textures, sky textures, and brand new 3D cloud models to transform your skies, while also debuting a ground-breaking new feature when used in combination with AS16: Real-Time Dynamic Cloud and Sky Textures! This enables realistic weather-influenced texture variation that reloads throughout your flight without needing to shut down and restart your simulator. You can use any graphics add-on(s) with AS16, but dynamic texture reloads require the AS16+ASCA combination.
FEATURE HIGHLIGHTS
Visibility Improvements, Effects Improvements, New API Features and More!
Many users had different needs and expectations, and asked us for enhancements in several key areas including elimination of excessive haze at the horizon, elimination of occasional sudden visibility shifts around 10,000ft, and better restricted visibility depiction, both surface and aloft, without harsh lines in certain scenarios. We’ve reworked the visibility depiction again, and significantly improve these areas (and several others) with SP1. Cloud motion effect detection/synchronization and general speed sensation and particle effect placement was another area our users asked us to work on, and we have spent considerable time improving this for SP1.
Beyond the visibility and effects improvements, there are also new user options, improved turbulence effects, jet-stream and boundary-layer turbulence effects, general depiction and interpolation improvements, and hundreds of minor fixes and adjustments in effort to make AS16 even better.
Finally, many new API functions and capabilities have been added, enabling all kinds of developers to tightly integrate with Active Sky technology in all aspects including getting and setting weather, controlling weather modes and more.
In-Cloud Motion Effects - Feel the speed of motion while flying through clouds.
XGauge WX + Radar - Enhanced weather gauge with included realistic airborne radar mode.
Weather Scenarios System - Challenge yourself with several scenarios including a Microburst Encounter, Gusting Winds, Wake Turbulence, and more.
High-Latitude Cloud Squeeze Fix - Fly high-latitude areas without stretched clouds.
Map-Based Custom Weather Editing System - We’ve re-designed custom weather editing and provided a new easy map-based custom weather area manager and weather setting wizard.
ASCA Integration for Real-Time Texture Dynamics - AS16 works with any texture/graphics add-ons (including default graphics), but when combined with ASCA, real-time texture dynamics and automatic wx-influenced selections are enabled.
Web Companion App - Remotely view and control weather using any device on your local network with new webserver/browser technology.
New Map System - Vector Background Options and New Overlays.
NAVIGRAPH Data Integration - Airports, Navaids and Fixes now provided by Navigraph! A complimentary expired database is included with AS16, and regular AIRAC cycle updates are available with a Navigraph subscription.
ADDITIONAL FEATURES
Award-Winning Active Sky Weather Simulation Engine – Enhanced Further!
We’ve been enhancing and growing Active Sky since 2000, and this new version expands our weather engine even further than ever before.
Enhanced Thunderstorm Effects
Thunderstorms are now very dangerous, as they are in the real world, and require avoidance, in most cases, to ensure safe and successful completion of your flights – Flying into heavy cells can result in loss of aircraft control and even airframe stress overload.
Performance-Focused Design
We’ve taken the previous codebase for Active Sky and re-factored it, tuned it, and re-designed many core areas for increased performance and usability.
User Interface Improvements
We’ve incorporated user feedback and made dozens and dozens of improvements throughout the entire UI
Hybrid Weather Depiction Technology
AS16 uses multiple integration and depiction methods to provide realistic, smooth and correct weather and ambient conditions at all times, while also providing full cloud position awareness to enable advanced cloud-synchronized radar, precipitation and air effects.
High-Fidelity Data Resolution and Coverage
Active Sky 16 includes enhanced global gridded weather data, global sigmets and airmets, global surface data and global aloft data for much improved realism and coverage for all kinds of conditions in all areas without relying strictly on METAR reports.
High-Fidelity Air Effects
Wake Turbulence, Microbursts, Downdrafts, Updrafts, Terrain-influenced Drafts, Thermals and more!
Smooth Transitions
Cloud formations, wind, temperature, visibility and every other aspect of your weather is smoothed, transitioned and interpolated for the ultimate in realism.
Private Server Network
AS16 utilizes the high-performance and high-availability HiFi DataNet weather network with multiple servers in multiple regions around the world, providing high-resolution weather data and historical data archives for the past 2 years.
Online Historical Data with Playback
Fly in weather at any date/time up to 2 years in the past and have weather update realistically throughout your flight according to hourly-archived conditions.
Active Sky API
AS16 utilizes an extended version of the Active Sky API, allowing 3rd party developers to integrate and take advantage of advanced radar, icing, wind shear, weather data and weather controlling extensibility.
Much More!
AS16’s full feature list is too numerous to list here, but we invite you to TRY AS16 FREE for yourself and experience all it has to offer!
While ASCA and AS16 work great together, they are also fully compatible (either alone or together) with any other graphics add-on and weather add-on. You have full flexibility to mix and match any aspect and selectable feature set within these add-ons.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q. Will PMDG 737/777, iFly 737, or other aircraft add-ons using ASN Radar API continue to work with AS16?
A. Yes! The Active Sky API has been improved but remains fully backward-compatible with all current ASN integration techniques!
Q. Do I have to use ASCA with AS16?
A. No, AS16 is compatible with all graphics including default graphics. AS16 can be combined with ASCA for real-time dynamic texture reloads, but this feature is not required. Feel free to use your favorite graphics add-ons with AS16 just as you have been able to with ASN!
Q. Will I get AS16 for FSX and AS16 for P3D with a single licence as before with ASN?
A. No, AS16 for FSX and AS16 for P3D are separately licensed, separately developed and separately maintained (with separate price points).