VC rain effect aircraft in FSX

Something so vitally important to real world flying and Microsoft forgot?

 

So FSX didn't come with VC rain. I think we all know that, but several model makers have incorporated it into their aircraft. Let's get a list of aircraft that have VC rain able flight decks, and see how many there are.

 

Working windshield wipers does not count, many have this it's the rain drops and wash effect where looking for.

 

Here are the ones i have in my hanger.

 

1. ANT's Airplanes all makes and models

2. Just Flight's P-38 Lighting

3. Alejandro Rojas Lucena new 737/747 VC cockpit and aircraft

 

Take into account that many Boeing freeware add-ons are using Alejandro's VC.

 

Are there any others? They do not have to be freeware, list the pay ware ones also, I and others would like to know.

 

A link would also be helpful...

 

How many are out there?

 

Respectfully:

 

David :pilot: ...

Me too i would like to know

 

Sent from my D6633 using Tapatalk

I think someone a year or two ago over at AVSIM delved into the VC rain effect and the final determination was the glass texture was special plus the Rain effects line added to the aircraft.cfg. Without the wipers, the rain on the VC windscreen obscures all visibility.

I have the RealAir Duke Turbine V-2 and it has wonderful windshield rain effects. So many guys say it will eat at your fps,,again not true, I am not losing one frame rate when the rain hits the windscreen.

 

Utter nonsense, I have the Duke Turbine V-2 and it has wonderful windshield rain effects. So many guys say it will eat at your fps,,again nonsense, I am not losing one frame rate when the rain hits the windscreen.

They are using a custom "VC Rain" system they've coded themselves.

I am pretty sure all FSX windscreen rain effects will be custom coded from the dev. I wish there was a magic way to make software that would put these effects on any plane but not sure that is possible.

 

Anyway add the RealAir Duke to this list and I hope to see more. I am anxious to try the planes mentioned in the OP's first post and now downloading them.

Any FS9 plane, or planes made using FS9 methods usually show rain effects in FSX

as long as you have all the FS9 rain bmp's. The Spartan Executive I run, which is

an old FS9 or older plane, and overhauled for FSX has glass rain effects.

If you run one of those planes in FSX and do not have the FS9 bmp's, when you

run into rain, you will loose all vis out the windows, and see nothing but a greenish

blue color. When you get out of the rain, the view goes back to normal.

If you do have the bmp's, you see the rain on the glass, exactly the same as it looked

in FS9.

I am pretty sure all FSX windscreen rain effects will be custom coded from the dev. I wish there was a magic way to make software that would put these effects on any plane but not sure that is possible.

You can be certain that is true after reading this explanation... ;)

 

VC Rain effects in any aircraft model require "projection polygons" on which to display the graphic "artwork." These "projection polys" also require specific material property settings to be encoded into the model during export and compilation, including such things as "transparency", "reflectivity", et cetera. This is true for both FS9 and FSX models.

 

However, the techniques used to generate the "VC Rain" effects are vastly different. In FS9 the system requires a total of 32 "projection polys" per window (or set of windows)***; 16 of which are used for "still" aircraft, and the other 16 for "moving" aircraft. FS9 itself generates what are called "chained animations" whereby the sim will rapidly switch the texture displayed through one of the two sets of 16 images, thus creating the illusion of "moving rain drops" on windows. The orientation of the UVW Maps for each of the windows will control the direction of the movement; up the windscreen and backwards for the side windows.

 

FSX eliminated the "chained animation" for their new and improved "FSX modeling system," but left it active for any FS9 aircraft that might be used to ensure backwards compatibility. However, they did not include the 32 special "VC Rain" bitmaps in the release! To enable the effects for FS9 aircraft one would need to either copy/paste the bitmaps from their own FS9 installation, or download them from Microsoft's own website.

 

Because of this, any aircraft being modeled using the new FSX SDK tools will require a completely "home-made and custom" system, which may or may not use the FS9 bitmaps. Some have opted to create special shaders to achieve similar effects, but in either case it is a tremendous amount of extra work for what is in the end a bit of eye candy that is honestly rather insignificant.

 

*** NOTA BENE: It is this requirement for special "projection polygons" embedded in the model itself that prevents any magic program being created... :cool:

"Rather insignificant" is a blanket statement meaning you assume everyone thinks like you do . I find it rather significant enough to base my buying decisions on if it does or does not. There are many post on many forums asking for this feature so "Rather insignificant" really only applies to you and others that could care less about more real world immersion.

"Rather insignificant" is a blanket statement meaning you assume everyone thinks like you do .

 

I don't think like you do. As a disabled former pilot I'm hugely interested in an aircraft correctly simulating flight controls and how the plane flies. That's where I get my real world immersion. And that is exactly what matters most in my purchase decisions. If the plane doesn't fly correctly, not all of the paint jobs, hokey gadgets, or even rain spots on the windshield will ever make that be a plane I care to "fly."

 

Stating that others' opinion about spots on a windshield means they could care less about more real world immersion is the height of presumption on your part! And it is truly an incorrect blanket statement as well!

Not mentioned is that the rain effects on the RealAir Duke are not only on the windshield but the side windows also.

I am surprised that A2A has not added rain effects to their planes.

Some have opted to create special shaders to achieve similar effects, but in either case it is a tremendous amount of extra work for what is in the end a bit of eye candy that is honestly rather insignificant.

 

+1 to each their own but I agree with you and Rupert, Bill. Please put your efforts in systems modeling.

Not mentioned is that the rain effects on the RealAir Duke are not only on the windshield but the side windows also.

 

Same for all the planes using the FS9 method.

"Rather insignificant" is a blanket statement meaning you assume everyone thinks like you do.

That is only an assumption on your part. In effect a 'blanket statement' in itself.

 

VC Rain is an effect that is very nice to have, but when set up against the flight model, the depth and quality of the panel/gauge system, the detailed 3d modeling, custom sounds and superior artwork, it pales in significance.

VC Rain is an effect that is very nice to have

 

It would be a great addition if we had VC rain that obscured the view and was actually affected by the windscreen wipers. The Aerosoft Twin Otter, for example has a detailed windscreen-wiper model with functions that work (ON/OFF, FAST/SLOW and PARK), but are useless. This would be a great addition in my view.

The reason why no external program can add this function is what I described in my post above. There absolutely must be a planar surface included in the compiled model on which to 'project' the effect files, whether it be via chain-animated bitmaps or via DX shaders.

 

SCS's marvelous Euro Truck Simulator uses their custom Prisim display engine, along with some advanced shader files to provide animated rain effects, including working wipers. However, their truck models also must have a planar surface on which the effects are drawn.

For me the immersion in a flight sim is visual and aural and not as much electronic or mechanical. When I fly in FSX and the REX soft clouds are all around me I feel like I could really be there. It is the same with sounds, such as when I open the A2A B-17 side window the outside sound gets louder and softer depending on how far the window is open and when it is only open a slight bit the is a whistle to the wind. Sights and sounds, if realistic, lead me into that wonderful immersive place while virtual flying, that place where you actually think you could be there.

 

That is why pushing buttons and twisting knobs and tweaking this and that are not that important as they don't lead me to any real immersion. And that is why rain on the windscreen is important to me,,just as important to me as a some system details are to others.

So you are more interested in a flightsim as a passenger not as a pilot. Fine, why not.

 

Seems to me though, that a lot of (most?) people are interested in simming a pilots job. That guy usually doesnt have the time to savour the sights and sounds. And if what he needs to do and what he needs to do it with is modeled badly or not at all, this is an immersion breaker too.

 

In the end, what counts for the dev is what the majority wants. If we are all prepared to fund the extra work and sacrifice a few FPS for having raindrops, they will accomodate that wish. And if they do, I hope it looks realistic. You only have droplets when moving slow, then they become torrents...

 

Planar surfaces, hm. Would be interesting to know how much work it would be to model a bubble canopy with moving rain.

Wow you really said that, must be true what I heard about these forums but so far I have been treated pretty good here.

 

Back to reality and hopefully at a higher than 5th grade level I will say no, I am not wanting to be a passenger and, in fact, do like to fly but mostly vintage until lately when an urge for something modern and fast came upon me. I have flown real planes and I want my sim experience to mimic what I felt at that time. The bumps and forces of air currents, the sound and the visuals of those experiences are what I am looking for.

Sorry, didnt want to offend. That was what I understood from your post, that sights and sounds do matter more to you than flight. So I gathered you probably didnt sim in the old days, where a bit of system was all you got, and the rest was left to your imagination. Is there something wrong with passenger simming? Today I was just sitting still in FSX next to the runway at LIRF, planespotting. What does that make me then? And every one of the planes with a modeled cabin has a camera in my setup. In case I want to see what the pax thought of my landing...

 

People claim that the -feeling- of flight is implemented better in XPlane - did you try that one? If so, what is your verdict? There are models with rain and working windscreen wipers. Btw, may sound silly - but one of those ButtKicker contraptions helps with immersion. Got me one of those, and especially for small planes it is quite the -kicker...

Btw, may sound silly - but one of those ButtKicker contraptions helps with immersion. Got me one of those, and especially for small planes it is quite the -kicker...

 

LOL!! If you want to see how well your ButtKicker works, take off or land at ID84. Please let us know how that works for you.

LOL!! If you want to see how well your ButtKicker works, take off or land at ID84. Please let us know how that works for you.

 

Even some more realism....keep a spray-bottle of water nearby and spray your glasses or goggles occasionally for some real raindrop effects! :p I just had to throw that into the mix.

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LOL!! If you want to see how well your ButtKicker works, take off or land at ID84. Please let us know how that works for you.

 

Oh, it works quite well, thank you, at least with Accufeel it does. A bit fiddly to set up, I needed 2 soundcards (to keep the voices off the BK channel)

 

As for runways...I have Aerosoft Cuzco on the map - that one has a real runway, as in "following the underlying terrain". And it is pretty cracked too. But grass strips in the A2A Cub certainly are fun. When not only Heidi complains, but you really get kicked when slamming down the poor plane - that adds something. And feeling the vibation of your engines instead of only watching the picture on your screen twitch...

 

I admit, I m all for external hardware. If I had more time and space I would probably be working on a home simpit.

So you are more interested in a flightsim as a passenger not as a pilot. Fine, why not.

 

Seems to me though, that a lot of (most?) people are interested in simming a pilots job. That guy usually doesnt have the time to savour the sights and sounds. And if what he needs to do and what he needs to do it with is modeled badly or not at all, this is an immersion breaker too.

 

In the end, what counts for the dev is what the majority wants. If we are all prepared to fund the extra work and sacrifice a few FPS for having raindrops, they will accomodate that wish. And if they do, I hope it looks realistic. You only have droplets when moving slow, then they become torrents...

 

Planar surfaces, hm. Would be interesting to know how much work it would be to model a bubble canopy with moving rain.

 

Like some who prefer a fully modeled cabin, complete with reclining seats and video screens? As if a pilot will sit with the pax and enjoy a movie with them? Lol

Like some who prefer a fully modeled cabin, complete with reclining seats and video screens? As if a pilot will sit with the pax and enjoy a movie with them? Lol

 

Most sincere thanks, KingNorris, for elucidating with laser like focus, the last critical criteria in my post purchase evaluation of any simulated aircraft. Despite how successful and popular a developer might be, no matter how accurate their flight model matches the real world counterpart, and no matter how many switches in the simulated cockpit are impotent, I will buy their product and then declare, both loudly and sanctimoniously, that it is a wasted effort, an insignificant failure if it does not have: 1) wing flex 2) weather radar 3) VC rain effects AND, 4) a fully modeled passenger cabin with reclining seats and movie screens.