Well if Meteoblue with their super computers can’t blend METAR clouds in a seamless and realistic way then I don’t see this version of live weather ever looking and behaving as good as before.
I think too much focus was put on real world accuracy at the expense of simulating a realistic weather system. Meteoblue can do that and did so well before su7.
Because of how their map is configured and the priority of their data for which they populate their maps. The weather they show on the maps is their model/data. The METARS are just parroting whatever their source data says which could ultimately come from NOAA or FAA sources, they don’t affect their weather maps. They just sit pretty and provide an option to view data for fliers if they want. We’ve done the opposite. We’ve used METAR to populate our maps (sim) and the MB model/data is just sitting looking pretty but doesn’t go anything.
With the computing necessary to read and display one METAR string and their resources/servers, maybe less than a second per string? I think you’re thinking it’s harder than it is. If your home computer can load an entire “earth” model in under 2 minutes. What do you think a major data based weather prediction company can do with METAR strings. Even if you look at their METAR map, not every single reporting station is listed, it’s generally listed in wide spread areas. So maybe less than 100 to read the globe?
I agree with your last sentence there. Rather than having the dynamic weather and having it be a 50/50 shot matching the real world. We wanted HARDSET data that came from a “real” source. Again…that’s because since FS2004 and the companies who started to create weather for FS only used METAR and have for the last 18 years. That’s all we know. Sadly, everyone is so against changes that they don’t understand and even with all of the information, videos, screenshots, we still cried “muh METARS, I need them!!!”.
Well, we know that we had raw Meteoblue simulated weather at release. Now we need them to re-implement that raw-model we had 2 years ago as an optional feature. Because we will never experience that again if we not get that back again. I really hope that is possible
The community asked for too much and got less in return.
Actually i hoped to get it back in 40th anniversary update. Would have been amazing. But we need to wait for at least su 12, if they listening to us that want the weather to behave realistic.
It seems to me that the weather has been particularly ugly lately. These clouds that lack density are everywhere. Plus those terrible fog bells. Has it gotten worse?
It’s been really catastrophic over Europe in the last few days. Such a horrible and ugly mess.
Let’s have a look at today’s situation around 09:00Z and put Live Weather to a test on a flight from EDDH to EGLC in FL130. Here’s the satellite imagery from Meteoblue.
The game in EDDH: “okayish” I would say, or to put it this way: I think I could have seen the same in P3D with any of the METAR synthezising addons, minus volumetry. You can see at first glance: aha, MSFS!
Reaching EHAM (2), the weather changes from fair to rainy - that’s o.k, although directly overhead EHAM I encountered a sudden change in cloud depiction, probably to the next METAR report being blended in:
But further into the route, over the North Sea and probably without METAR influence, this looked strange: virgae or rain from a thin middle high cloud coverage, while the clouds below didn’t look like they were able to produce any rain:
The data for Live weather seem to be accurate enough, the deficit lies in the translation of these data into a convincing weather depiction as we have seen before SU7.
In those days I often had too look twice to differentiate between photo and sim.
Now MSFS is recognizable at first glance - and that is not a compliment!
And the translation problem seems to exist outside of METAR areas as well, as the rain-producing AS-clouds west of EHAM demonstrate.
I still have hopes that they mange to create convincing cloudscapes as we have seen from release until SU7. The accuracy of cloud depiction is not even mediocre.
The weather depiction may be accurate to the numbers, but is recognizable as a gaming environment at first glance, and that is a shame considering the capabilities of the sim demonstrated until SU7.
Exactly my feel after su7 also. Pre su7 i had much varied weather that actually made the weather feel like weather. Now it feels forced in place. Feels more like a painted sky than a fluid.
Thanks for taking the added time to document and show comparisons. More of that needs to be done to help further solidify the issue. Just yapping about it isn’t enough. Developers and programmers need evidence.
Why can’t they make this bad METAR integration optional? I want the weather to behave realistic. I want the simulated weather model i bought 2 years ago back.
I wonder what system would be the most popular if they re-implemented the pre su7 weather model again? I’m sure many of those that even asked to have METAR-weather would use it again.
I remember when rex released METAR weather addon near release 2020 and i bought that and instantly switched back to Meteoblue weather because it were really bad see a local weather be set globally like a preset. Same thing is happening in the sim now but we can’t switch back anymore. We are forced to use METAR either we like it or not.
There will always be those out there who despite advances or new methods will feel that what has worked for them for so many years is the only solution and that anything else just doesn’t provide the best result. While during the period where METARS provided the weather, they worked well for their intended purpose, but their range for what they were able to provide was very limited and in simple terms, basic. It was a simple solution to bring the outside weather into the sim. Now that we have the option to bring outside weather into the sim using more data than ever before possible and forecasted hours into the future, still blows my mind that so many out there thought doing so would somehow “ruin” their experience with flight planning or flying. It’s what the majority wanted and nobody at the time decided to think outside of the box and see it as being more of an advantage than a setback.
Simplistic METAR strings were more important than the WOW factor of the varied yet ACCURATE weather that we saw in the sim before. I can tell you, again, my local METAR station is severely behind what’s going on outside up until the point it updates and even then, 5-10 minutes later can be completely useless.
And some says it’s needed to be able to plan a flight. Are they only making a route for 2 minutes flight?
Even when taxing the weather can change much IRL. I’ve seen videos and real fog that changes in seconds. And METAR only updates every 30-60 minutes. And then is exactly the same for 30-60 minutes.
Even if they claim it’s absolutely needed to do their flight, it’s nothing that can’t be found in a 5 second internet search. Why would something so easily available need to be a core function? People are in the best way, downright lazy. Most would rather just view it in sim than just tab over and look it up. Not to mention, I have planned my descent with the METAR and by the time I got to the airport, it had changed. I’m not going to go check it every 5 minutes to see if it changes. It’s meant to paint an overall picture. Nothing says nor does it say, this is required. Pilots could load up and takeoff without ever referencing the METAR and what would it matter?
Right now I am about to descend into Houston and will check the METAR JUST to grab the altimeter setting and then that will be the end. I’m of course, going to use an easily accessible website since I’m out of range for in sim reference. The more you outline the “uselessness” of it in sim, hopefully the more people will realize it as well.
And then when you see how the weather condition is there with your own eyes you adapt to the weather conditions at that place. We don’t need the weather to be adapted to the METAR. It’s not how weather works/behaves IRL.
I think i may be too repitive though But i just want my old weather model back that i loved.
It’s hard to show an issue with something that is intended. The issue is that i know METAR disturb the simulation of the weather. It’s not a simulated weather anymore. It’s fixed inplace.
Well yes, you use METARs to PLAN a flight. That doesn’t imply that METARS must be used as a SOURCE for the actual weather. That’s putting the cart very much in front of the donkey.
No wonder it causes all sorts of detrimental issues. The whole idea is backwards.
But i just want my old weather model back that i loved.