At long last, HiFi Sim Tech has announced a new weather engine product and this time, it’s heading to Microsoft Flight Simulator. Known as Active Sky FS, the product will bring a number of features to the platform that many people have been asking for.
On the announcement page, HiFi Sim Tech said that Active Sky FS is “focused on comprehensive weather realism simulation” It will enable “high-fidelity weather data, planning, briefing, mapping, live weather, optional historical weather with playback, custom weather, scenarios, API, multiple depiction options, air effects, and much, much more.”
The new Active Sky FS will directly integrate with Microsoft Flight Simulator (FS2024 support is planned) by collecting data, modelling and then injecting the weather into the simulator. The weather depiction will include a variety of functions, including enhanced cloudscapes, thunderstorms and offer more realistic looking visuals. The team also say that there will be smooth transition and configurable smoothing in the preset mode.
What’s more, Historical Weather will come with Active Sky FS. In addition to live and custom weather, you will be able to inject weather based on comprehensive global weather data in hourly archives. Dynamic historical playback provides realistic changing weather as per the archived historical timeline.
Other effects include active air effects such as clear air turbulence, thermals, and wake turbulence. Furthermore, there is also ground snow simulation.
Active Sky FS will also integrate directly with SimBrief for flight plan integration and also PMDG’s aircraft for wind uplink data. The universal data export also allows other third party add-ons to interact with Active Sky FS.
The product is in the final stages of testing and there is no pricing details as of yet. The FAQ says it could be out in days/weeks. But stay tuned and we’ll be sure to share the news as we get it. For more, check out the product page.
ASFS Preset Weather Depiction Mode
- Available with LIVE weather, HISTORICAL weather, and custom weather
- Wind, gusts and variability control (surface and aloft, up to 60,000ft)
- Cloud layer control
- Precipitation control
- Ground snow cover control
- Temperature and humidity control
- Barometric pressure control
- Visibility simulation through advanced humidity control and fog layer generation and intelligent visibility graduation and smoothing
- Smooth cloud and conditions transitions with configurable smoothing rate
- Cloud scene scattering and variation control for variety within the preset depiction area
- Weather-cell-based presentation with surface data prioritization based on flight plan
- Transitions handling (updates conditions smartly depending on flight plan and flight stage)
Active Air Effects
- Clear air turbulence
- Broken and overcast cloud layer turbulence
- Internal MSFS turbulence compatibility (for combined ASFS-applied and internal MSFS-applied turbulence effects)
- Updrafts
- Downdrafts
- Microbursts
- Thunderstorm-based turbulence and draft effects
- Gusts, wind variation and gust-related turbulence
