[BUG LOGGED] Color artifacts and rough gradient, clouds like oil painting

Yes, although I think it has something to do with HDR optimizations. The whole sim now looks different… things are illuminated by Sun even in overcast conditions, sky is overxposed when looking at instruments and the clouds, sky and water have coloured edges. It didn’t look like that prior to SU5.

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This video demonstrates nearly all visual “issues” this sim currently has… along with the colour banding I’ve wrote about.

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There have been some changes to the lighting in 1.18.15.0 HF2 that made the issue less noticeable, but if you take a close look in the “Random Screenshot Megathread 3” you can see it in many, if not most of the pictures.
Here’s a good example for the still cartoonish/painting-like look of the clouds:

Here’s a prime example for the color banding (in the upper half of the picture), also seen in many pictures all over the forum:

Another example for color banding would be the last two pictures in this posting, please notice especially the purple fringes in the sky.

Here’s my assessment:
I guess there have been changes to let the sim look more “dramatic”, to make it “pop”. These changes may include the colorspace or LUTs used within the sim. I assume that because users have confirmed my observation of purple/greenish/turquoise color fringes around clouds, a pink glow at the horizon that wasn’t present pre-SU5 and a difference in sunset colors, now trending in the shrill orange direction.
At least on my SDR (8-bit colordepth) monitor this has the adverse effect of purple fringes around clouds (esp. in the upper mid section of the pic):

or weird greenish/turquoise color “blobs” with a purple glow around, like here on the water behind the TBM:

As I mentioned, as usual there are many that see the issues, while others deny they exist, That’s why I chose pictures from other users to demonstrate that - once you see it - it is widespread! I have no difficulties finding many more examples posted after SU5, but I didn’t notice those in other threads with screenshots before said update.

I have reported the issue to Zendesk, #120181
Thanks for caring!

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Topic for that

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@OlieTsubasa443
Hiya, thanks for your input. Yes the issue persists for me even after the hotfix. I installed the hotfix on the 6th of August and the video I posted above and again here was taken on 12 August. For me the issue is very much about green/red tinting of clouds and in the video it is very evident, and looks especially bad from 5:40.

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Okay, since there’s no reaction yet, let’s fill the void with some pictures from the thread






Some are pre-HF2, some are post-HF2, and the issues are visible in both: Banding and color fringes, mostly of the purple variant. Color gradients look rasterized.

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I have to admit, after going over some video footage I shot shortly after release, and earlier this year, the clouds now look no where near as good as they did back then.

There are certain cloud types that look worse than others, though.

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Boining frog approach. Never heard that one before. Wonderful! THX! Made my day😂

It’s frustrating as at times it is truly stunning.

It looks its worst in very overcast weather. There are certain cloud formations that still look “smudged”, for want of a better word.

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Live weather, and an example of poorer quality clouds. It seems to be these thin clouds that look the worst.

Compare this to non-live scattered.

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Nothing wrong with this. I’m an IR pilot. This is exactly what a diffuse cirro type cloud looks like at close proximity. For example, have you flown ontop of a warm frontal system? There’s frequently a diffuse undefined layer of cirrostratus as the highest layer of cloud around 30,000 ft or higher associated with extra tropical depressions.
Not all clouds are well defined, especially glaciated high clouds.

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This too. They’ve really screwed up the graphics like anything. On another note, even on TAA the not-so-distant scenery has a moving grain on it. With SU5, they really took one step forward and two steps back.


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I’ve found only certain cloud formations have this smudged look, typically seen on live weather. They seem to appear as those thin, flat clouds. Stratus? Cumulus look fine though.

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:frowning:


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You are inside a cloud. Not sure you would see much more than this? Unless you refer to the aircraft visibility itself, which is a different issue.

I posted the pictures to show the color banding artifacts… it looks like an 8-bit compressed or rasterized JPEG. Very bad.

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Ah, yes. I have a screenshot of something similar, but from outside the clouds.

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Yeah, it’s everywhere unfortunately, even in a clear sky or water.

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Clouds still look like FS9 on ultra.

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And it only seems to be those cloud type. Cumulus types look just as good as they ever did, when I go back to compare with videos I made from last August.