Active Sky Next, le moteur météo FSX qui va tous nous tuer

[Fuchs]

Cà y est, Hifi communique sur son nouvel opus: Active Sky Next

Active Sky Next brings an entirely new level of realism to your simulation experience! Advanced technologies enable incredible levels of accuracy and smoothness. Realistic radar simulation, cloud position awareness and synchronized ambient effects, brand new air effects, brand new thunderstorm depictions, microbursts, thick overcast, smooth cloud transitions, variable cloud areas, voice weather briefings and forecast data integration are just some of the features that await you!


Note: Active Sky Next is in final beta testing, and is not yet released. Features and details are subject to change.
Details:

Active Sky Next (ASN) is the next weather simulation engine from HiFi Technologies, Inc. In development for 3 years, this new version of Active Sky has a completely new depiction system to enable enhanced visuals, accuracy and smoothness never before possible.

Using new low-level weather control techniques, the new depiction system eliminates many problems faced in the past, including inaccurate cloud locations, inaccurate coverage, thin overcast, non-smooth cloud transitions, inaccurate winds, and required compromises in depiction settings.

With ASN, your skies will be accurate, smooth, visually stunning and uncompromised. No longer must you configure complicated settings to achieve accuracy in certain areas while compromising others. You can have it all, all the time.

ASN also introduces, for the first time ever in a weather engine: Complete cloud position awareness, synchronized cloud-based ambient weather effects and an integrated accurate radar simulation. Precipitation is accurately depicted in the proper locations within and below appropriate cloud structures. Entering or exiting a cloud brings an appropriate change in precipitation, visibility and turbulence. The exact position of clouds and precipitation cells are always synchronized between the simulator depiction and the radar display.

Thunderstorms have been given great attention, utilizing the new depiction system, ambient effects, radar and cloud position synchronization. Completely new microburst, updraft and downdraft, turbulence and wind-shear effects combine to make thunderstorms beautiful yet dangerous. Using the new radar system will be key to safe piloting in the vicinity of these storms.

Full International Airmet/Sigmet simulation is now provided in real time weather mode, with airmet/sigmet areas shown visually on the map and/or gauge. These areas are now also synthesized, influencing weather depiction appropriately. If a Sigmet warns against severe turbulence, convective activity, or icing, you can expect to encounter this appropriately during your flight.

New voice weather briefings, a new intuitive user interface with resizable/undockable and multi-window support, redesigned high-resolution wake turbulence simulation and enhanced air effects are just a few of the other new features in ASN.

ASN is in final beta testing and expected to launch by the end of the year. A free 7-day trial is planned to allow everyone to try ASN first-hand without limitations. An upgrade will be available to current and past-version Active Sky users.

ASN will be available for FSX initially, with a P3D version planned shortly after. An ASN license entitles users to use both FSX and/or P3D versions.


Mountains


Features:

Hybrid Weather Depiction System
Utilizing a combination of Theme Control, SimConnect Interfacing, and new Low-Level interfacing via our brand new AS Connect module, comprehensive control of the weather environment is finally achieved
Ambient conditions including Visibility, Wind Direction and Speed, Pressure, Temperature and Precipitation type/density are completely controlled, smoothed and synchronized for accurate and realistic conditions at all times
Higher performance depiction and updates utilizing new features such as dynamic Cloud Draw Distance Control

Smooth Cloud Theme Transitions
Clouds depicted using the Theme Control method are smoothed during transitions to new conditions using our unique Smooth Theme Reload method

Newly Designed High-Fidelity Air Effects
Air effects are brand new, bypass all internal simulator air effects and include:
Wind Shear with Predictive Detection and Alert System (via audio warnings and visual mapping overlay)
Microbursts synchronized with thunderstorm activity
Updrafts and Downdrafts with high-resolution terrain awareness
Thermals with realistic simulation based on temperature and surface type
Wake Turbulence with realistic moving wake trails effected by wind
Cloud Turbulence synchronized with cloud sprite positions
Wind Turbulence with direct aircraft attitude control vs. simple camera head movement

Cloud Sprite Awareness For Accurate In-Sim Depiction Synchronization
In-cloud visibility reduction
Cloud-related turbulence
Accurate ambient precipitation localization and control
Accurate radar precipitation graphics
Accurate cloud position graphics

New Precipitation Radar Graphics
New levels of realism are provided with totally accurate precipitation radar that is aware of actual cloud sprite positions in the simulator
See and avoid dangerous conditions on the radar that accurately match the in-sim depiction

Included Radar and Weather Mapping Gauge
Easily installs into any aircraft using the Installation Wizard
Realistic satellite-wx-based mapping display with NEXRAD precipitation simulation
Predictive Wind Shear system provides aural wind shear alerts

New Thunderstorm/CB Simulation
Thunderstorms are bigger, higher, and more consistently depicted
Integrated Turbulence, Wind Shear, Microburst, and Vertical Air effects
Strong thunderstorm cells can be difficult if not impossible to fly through
Different effects depending on position relative to the thunderstorm clouds

Uncoupled Audio/Voice System
Allows playback of audio on either client or server in networked configuration
Allows selecting the desired audio device
New voice sets and new voice weather briefings
New voice SIGMET and AIRMET warnings

Comprehensive Weather mapping With New Overlays:
Precipitation Base Reflectivity and Echo Tops
Detailed Cloud Positions
Predictive Wind Shear
Other Aircraft (includes wake trail representation)
Winds, Visibility, Sigmets, Airmets, Pireps, Stations, Airports, NDBs and VORs
Flightplan Route and Waypoints with integrated flight plan editing capability
New high performance display with click and drag panning and track-up display mode

Integrated Real-Time Sigmets, Airmets and Pireps (Both USA and International)
Sigmets and Airmets provided by actual data for all global regions
Sigmets and Airmets provide influence in weather synthesis (i.e. appropriately injecting forecasted turbulence)
Pireps provided by actual AS user reports

Aloft Inter-layer Interpolation
Provides smooth and realistic vertical transitions of wind direction, wind speed and temperature as you climb and descent

Weather Cell Awareness and Depiction Control
Complete awareness and synchronization of weather cell-based cloud model drawing for the ultimate in cloud depiction accuracy
Prioritization of inter-cell weather station data depending on departure and/or flight plan relevant stations

Forecast Weather Integration Including New Forecast Aloft Data
With the click and drag of a mouse, see forecast conditions, graphically and textually, hour by hour, up to 24 hours in advance
Improved winds aloft planning accuracy
Dynamic weather changes based on forecast conditions when METAR information becomes stale

Brand New User Interface
Multi-monitor support
Resizable and undockable windows
Multiple weather condition window support

Access to the Improved HiFi Weather Data Network
Multiple high-performance servers in different regions for excellent redundancy and availability
Always-improving coverage and resolution
High-resolution surface and wind aloft data collected from multiple sources
Newly incorporated multiple forecast-window wind aloft data (real-time and historical)
Historical data access for the past 2 years

Accurate Winds Aloft
Using World Area Forecast System data (a.k.a. GRIB data), developed and improved since 2002
Enhanced high-altitude wind and temperature simulation above 50,000ft
Completely smooth transitions at all times with no wind shifts

Hurricane Simulation
Realistic hurricane simulation based on actual hurricane data
Overrides surface weather station data (which is usually erroneous during hurricanes)

Full Flight and Weather Planning
Manually enter, import, or build a flight plan using auto-routing
Easily change waypoints/route during planning or while in-flight
Receive updated navigation log, weather briefing text, or voice weather briefings
Receive favorable wind/altitude information, dynamic ETAs per waypoint and live conditions updates

Integrated Voice Features
Receive realistic voice weather updates via ATIS, FlightWatch and FSS simulation by tuning your radio to 122.0, 122.02 or 122.05

Enhanced Weather Search
Easily find weather conditions with improved station/range filtering

Smart Data Interpolation
More robust data interpolation for more realistic weather conditions and depiction in areas with fewer reporting stations

Station Database Management
Easily add, edit or disable different types of stations (Weather, Airport, NDB, VOR)

Additional New Features
New Hail simulation and included hail audio effects
Automatic Simulator Flight Plan Import (optional)
Customizable User Option Presets and EASY/REALISM mode option sets
Favorite Weather Stations (add, remove, and recall any station’s conditions from the favorites menu)
Quick Start-up (ASN loads in less than 10 seconds in most cases)
Persistent Windows (all screens position, size, and docked/undocked status restored at startup)

First-class Customer Support
Ticket-based technical and order support system
Official staff-moderated forums
Unofficial AVSIM HiFi forum


Requirements:

Windows XP or later (Windows Vista, 7 and 8 compatible)
For Active Sky Next for FSX: Microsoft Flight Simulator X with SP2 or Acceleration
For Active Sky Next for P3D: Lockheed Martin Prepar3D
Pentium 1GHZ processor or better
1GB RAM or better
300MB free hard drive space
Minimum monitor resolution to access all user interface features: 1024x768
Online internet connection (for weather data access)
Sound device (for sound and voice features)
Requires an online internet connection with automatic online activation in order to use online features. License is valid for one computer/installation only. Moving software to another computer will deactivate the previous computer. 10 automatic reactivations are permitted. Multiple-computer installations will require an individual ASN license for each computer that it is installed on.

Recommended:

2.0GHZ Processor or better
2GB RAM or better
500MB hard drive space
Broadband high-speed internet connection
1280x800 or better resolution
nVidia high-performance Graphics Card for improved cloud drawing performance