v1.50 and Opus 3.50

[jimpadgett]

I never get winds aloft data with OPUS ...
The weather files all update, but no matter which opus file I use I no longer get winds aloft data.
OpusFlightReport.txt
OpusWeather.txt
OpusWeatherReport.txt

I assume I should be using the opusweather.txt file ??
Bunch of metars:
OpusFSX Downloaded METARs, Software Version 3.49.0

Downloaded Saturday, August 16, 2014, 6:15 AM Hrs - Live

Simulator Saturday, August 16, 2014, 10:13 AM Zulu

Local MetStn : KJAX, JACKSONVILLE, Distance 0.4 km

KJAX 160956Z 00000KT 8SM SCT007 SCT250 23/23 A3000 RMK AO2 SLP159 T02330233
KEET 160953Z AUTO 00000KT 8SM CLR 20/18 A3001 RMK AO2 SLP155 T02000183
K8A0 160955Z AUTO 00000KT 5SM BR CLR 17/17 A3002 RMK AO2
KALX 160955Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR 19/16 A3002 RMK AO2 T01860160
K79J 160956Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR 22/18 A3001 RMK AO2 SLP155 T02170183

opusweatherreport.txt

OpusFSX Weather Report at [39,39], Software Version 3.50.0

Generated Saturday, August 16, 2014, 10:01 AM Hrs - Imported

Simulator Saturday, August 16, 2014, 2:00 PM Zulu

Location : KCLT (m) Charlotte

Cruise Altitude : 21000 Feet

World Wide GRIB Data, Saturday, August 16, 2014, 0600 Zulu

Tropopause Height 40565 Feet, Temp -58, Wind 294/39

Upper Atmosphere

80 FL540 : Temp -59

79 FL435 : Temp -58, Wind 297/41 : GRIB Temp -57, Wind 291/38
78 FL430 : Temp -58, Wind 297/41 : GRIB Temp -58, Wind 291/38
77 FL425 : Temp -58, Wind 297/41 : GRIB Temp -58, Wind 292/38

Opusflightreport.txt

OpusFSX Flight Plan Weather Report, Software Version 3.50.0

Generated Saturday, August 16, 2014, 10:01 AM Hrs - Imported

Simulator Saturday, August 16, 2014, 2:00 PM Zulu

Plan:

KCLT 16DME CTF JMACK KMYR

Route:

KCLT CHARLOTTE Lat 35.214011 Lon -80.943125 Met Stn United States
16DME 16DME Lat 35.163786 Lon -80.947697 Way Pnt K7
CTF CHESTERFIELD Lat 34.650497 Lon -80.274917 Nav Aid K7 Freq 108.200
JMACK JMACK Lat 33.988503 Lon -78.966584 Way Pnt K7
KMYR MYRTLE BEACH Lat 33.679750 Lon -78.928333 Met Stn United States

Averages:

FL040 Wind 036/3 Temp 15C
FL060 Wind 060/6 Temp 12C
FL080 Wind 083/9 Temp 8C
FL100 Wind 113/11 Temp 5C
FL120 Wind 143/14 Temp 1C
FL140 Wind 173/17 Temp -1C
FL160 Wind 203/19 Temp -5C
FL180 Wind 233/22 Temp -8C
FL200 Wind 263/25 Temp -12C
FL220 Wind 271/27 Temp -17C
FL240 Wind 280/29 Temp -22C
FL260 Wind 286/32 Temp -26C
FL280 Wind 292/34 Temp -31C
FL300 Wind 296/35 Temp -35C
FL320 Wind 297/36 Temp -40C
FL340 Wind 297/39 Temp -44C
FL360 Wind 297/41 Temp -49C
FL380 Wind 297/41 Temp -53C
FL400 Wind 297/41 Temp -57C
FL420 Wind 297/41 Temp -58C
FL440 Wind 297/41 Temp -58C

Weather:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
KCLT CHARLOTTE
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
FL040 036/3 15C FL060 060/6 12C FL080 083/9 8C
FL100 113/11 5C FL120 143/14 1C FL140 173/17 -1C
FL160 203/19 -5C FL180 233/22 -8C FL200 263/25 -12C
FL220 271/27 -17C FL240 280/29 -22C FL260 286/32 -26C
FL280 292/34 -31C FL300 296/35 -35C FL320 297/36 -40C
FL340 297/39 -44C FL360 297/41 -49C FL380 297/41 -53C
FL400 297/41 -57C FL420 297/41 -58C FL440 297/41 -58C

No Weather Available

[Travis]

FSCaptain doesn't read the Opus files for Winds Aloft.... The Opus versions as of late last year (when FSC 1.5 was underway) did not offer us "machine-readable" winds for the flight plan. Over the past month or so, I've been enjoying the Opus FSI "beta" so I will look at their current export files to see if they've made changes that we could begin to chase.

[jimpadgett]

OK.. I was sure I used to get winds aloft...

The ole noggin sleeps through more and more of my life lately :-)

[Travis]

Jim,

No matter what the external weather engine might be, if you switch the "source" to the simulator, and dial up an active airport, you can get "winds aloft" from there.

I've done a bit of digging in the newer Opus files, and I've sent some "speculation" for Dutch to ponder once he's ploughed through the bug list. (So, post 1.5.1 then.)  It's possible we could have something to work with later on... but I'd consider biting off a hunk of a finger if we could get the Opus crew to manage generating a full flight plan-driven set of reports without having the simulator running....

[Travis]

I really have to watch my mouth.

The current beta of OpusFSI (4.00.24) does generate the weather files now without the simulator running.

In fact I can now run Opus and load my flight plan, then after a few minutes I have the METAR files ready for my FSCaptain Administrator.

I'm also looking into the "OpusFlightReport.rep" file to get waypoint-specific upper level winds like so:

[WAYPOINT]
CODE HOC
NAME HOCHWALD
FL040 WIND 258/10 TEMP 8C
FL060 WIND 262/11 TEMP 5C
FL080 WIND 267/12 TEMP 2C
FL100 WIND 271/13 TEMP 0C
FL120 WIND 275/14 TEMP -3C
FL140 WIND 280/15 TEMP -6C
FL160 WIND 284/16 TEMP -9C
FL180 WIND 288/17 TEMP -12C
FL200 WIND 293/19 TEMP -15C
FL220 WIND 293/23 TEMP -19C
FL240 WIND 293/31 TEMP -23C
FL260 WIND 293/36 TEMP -28C
FL280 WIND 293/41 TEMP -32C
FL300 WIND 293/43 TEMP -38C
FL320 WIND 293/45 TEMP -42C
FL340 WIND 293/46 TEMP -47C
FL360 WIND 293/47 TEMP -51C
FL380 WIND 293/47 TEMP -54C
FL400 WIND 293/47 TEMP -56C
FL420 WIND 293/47 TEMP -56C
FL440 WIND 293/47 TEMP -56C
METSTN LFSB "BALE/MULHOUSE" 17 km 323
METAR LFSB 311500Z 25008KT 190V310 9000 -RA FEW026 FEW030TCU BKN045 14/12 Q1017 NOSIG
METSTN LSZG "GRENCHEN" 37 km 210
METAR LSZG 311450Z 27016KT 9999 FEW028 BKN068 17/10 Q1016 NOSIG


For now I can key in the direction/speed/temp values into my FSCaptain Administrator using the Enroute Winds dialog. With some cajoling, I hope to convince Dutch to parse this file automatically as soon as he's pushed out 1.5.1.

[peter]

That's slightly off topic, but I'd suggest to try the Active Sky Next weather engine demo. I would be curious if Opus can compete against it ..

Peter

[Travis]

The first FS9 wx engine I purchased was ActiveSky - loved it and I miss the "FlightWatch" feature!

I'm certain that all of the payware FSX/P3D wx engines are equal one against another in various respects in their evolution.

[peter]

If you have only used AS products before ASN, I'd suggest to try the demo as well. Previous AS engines were good, but ASN is spectacular.

Cheers,
Peter

[Travis]

I did participate late in the ASN beta period, so my ASN demo time has expired....

When I joined Acme, since Dutch had laid claim to ActiveSky, I took REX - the major alternative to ActiveSky at the time. Rex was a great weather engine, and I used it faithfully for years.

A year or so ago, I thought to test Opus - I liked what I had read about their weather engine, plus their camera & dynamic head movement, and after a quick demo I bought in.

Quickly I turned into not a fan of it but after many updates, I noticed many improvements. A few setbacks and a few advances later, I began to notice that I made official "FSCaptain flights" with Opus as my weather engine and not the freeware FSrealWX.

Flash forward to a few weeks ago when they put out their OpusFSI beta program for current owners and I was very impressed. Opus has historical weather (I'm not certain of the depth of history, but I know it extends many hours) and it has "site effects" so I can configure certain local effects that are triggered with certain conditions. Cool!

Just yesterday afternoon I took a European flight in P3D2.3 and was soon cocooned in a slab of gray fog/cloud as I climbed out, and after I broke through the cloud cover I had blue above and grey below. Later in my day I took an FSX flight in Australia, and after I de-iced I climbed to my C208's cruise altitude of 5500 and looked at the patches of stratus/fog beneath me. Beautiful!

In my upcoming day (after afternoon "holiday" chores and perhaps after "supper" ) I'll find an airport with daylight CAT III conditions somewhere in the world and plan a quick non-FSCaptain IFR flight into that airport in FSX and then in P3D2.3. I'll note the differences in how Opus FSX handles the two.

(The Opus FSI beta has expired and I expect the final product will be available within 48 hours.)