Just wondering, as someone recently recommended rex atmos to me, does that have the same problem of weather pop-in/slideshow effect every second or so?
I’m not even all that bothered about live weather to be honest, as I’ve just passed the Navigraph VPPL, and I’m enjoying just planning out random trips and flying VFR. So I’m happy enough with basic presets, but if something like Atmos can make them look even better I might give it a try.
Before some overly-pedantic forum police flag our posts as being off-topic, I’ll answer as to my experience.
No, it does not. It only affects presentation of the visual rendering layer of weather presentation - shape/fullness of clouds, thickness of haze, lighting, etc. - and these remain stable with the settings in the app. But just so you know, dialing in the settings in Atmos can be a pain if you want to do it custom. I have it set to what I like, but it took some time. There are some good presets that can be used. The app’s interface is a bit clunky.
Well, this program doesn’t work for me!
I can’t detect any real difference compared to MSFS live weather, and the hybrid mode simply does absolutely nothing!
Go to their Discord and ask for help there. They will help you getting it working.
After purchasing this weather engine, I found many unacceptable issues:
I bought StrataWX a week ago and have been using it since then. These are my observations:
The Good:
Cloud display is very good. Much better than ActiveSky and Live Weather in some scenarios. I’ve always criticized the fact that ActiveSky’s injected weather has difficulty injecting multiple cloud layers most of the time. Usually it only injects one layer of flat stratus clouds. StrataWX injects multiple cloud layers without difficulty. I’ve seen 5 layers in one flight. Furthermore, StrataWX clouds have variety and amplitude with several meters of height, being quite different from the flat cloud pattern of ActiveSky.
UI/UX - Modern, intuitive and easy to understand, even for those who don’t know the technical details of weather. All relevant information about the weather and injection appears prominently. It’s not even worth comparing with the ActiveSky UI, which has been essentially the same for over a decade.
The Bad:
Transitions: StrataWX’s weather transitions are bizarrely bad. Cloud morphing happens in these transitions as if it were a 1 fps animation. You can literally see frame by frame the clouds changing shape, disappearing or appearing, creating a bizarre effect to watch.
Haze/Fog: StrataWX has a complete inability to show low visibility conditions on live mode. I tested several low visibility scenarios and they all appeared the same. Instead of fog, StrataWX injects a thin layer of clouds 200-300 meters above the airport altitude. At ground level, instead of low visibility, you get unlimited visibility with the cloud layer right above you, which for me, is an immersion breaker.
Turbulence Effects: It was a surprise to discover after the purchase that custom turbulence effects are a recent addition to StrataWX and the app’s turbulence settings, even though they existed from the beginning, were a placebo that did nothing. I already suspected this when the StrataWX developer recommended setting the simulator’s turbulence setting to ‘realistic,’ when it’s known this setting provides an unrealistic amount of turbulence even in clear weather. Even so, StrataWX’s custom turbulence effects are very lacking. Much of the turbulence I experienced was from the simulator itself, which I could confirm by turning off StrataWX’s turbulence effects and still getting decent turbulence. In-cloud turbulence is virtually nonexistent, which I would consider another immersion breaker.
Is StrataWX worth $30? Short answer: No. There’s only one scenario where I would consider recommending StrataWX: For someone who prioritizes visuals and nothing else, without worrying about the dynamics of the weather itself. Someone who wants something to make the clouds look amazing in a screenshot or video.
For me, the gold standard for weather in MSFS remains Live Weather + ActiveSky passive mode for weather effects (or another weather effects add-on of your choice like RealTurb). For those who already have ActiveSky, you have zero reason to switch to StrataWX.
Best cloud-system I have seen in any of my many simulators…
LOL Not sure which sims you’ve had.
Ok, that’s a pretty comprehensive list of deal breakers for me
To give you an idea of how poorly StrataWX handles fog in the simulator:
OJAI 022250Z 0300/0406 VRB02KT 5000 HZ SCT035 PROB40 0300/0306 4000 BR
Live Weather
Active Sky Preset Mode
StrataWX
This problem alone made me stop using StrataWX and I don’t intend to use it again until it’s fixed. Not being able to handle low visibility is a major immersion breaker for me.
Honestly, that entire thread consists of “clouds don’t look like I think they should look”, consistent with the distaste for every single aspect of the sim that seems to prevail here in the forum, on FB, on Reddit, etc
