The Next Revolution in Weather Realism
Active Sky Next brings an entirely new level of realism to your simulation experience! Advanced technologies enable incredible levels of accuracy and smoothness. Realistic radar simulation, cloud position awareness and synchronized ambient effects, brand new air effects, brand new thunderstorm depictions, microbursts, thick overcast, smooth cloud transitions, variable cloud areas, voice weather briefings and forecast data integration are just some of the features that await you!
Active Sky Next has just been upgraded officially to SP1 and brings dozens of new features, improvements and adjustments to raise the bar even further in high fidelity weather simulation for Prepar3D v2.4:
- Higher Performance
New cloud depiction techniques, new storm depiction variations, and improved smooth theme reloading brings new levels of performance with reduced cloud-drawing overhead - Increase Data Resolution and Coverage
Enhanced global gridded weather data synthesis provides new kinds of data and over 10 times the previous resolution, offering much improved realism and coverage for all kinds of conditions in all areas, regardless of availability of METAR reports - Improved Oceanic and Sparse-Coverage Weather Accuracy and Variation
Utilizing the new data resolution and coverage, oceanic and sparse-coverage flights now include realistic weather conditions and cloud coverage that does not rely solely on interpolation - Improved cloud-based effects
A new local cloud detection process greatly improves the synchronization of cloud-based effects including visibility reduction and turbulence - New in-sim Weather Request Menu
Receive weather updates for local area, flight-plan stations, and winds aloft via an integrated SimConnect text menu that can be used directly within the simulator - New Prepar3D-based Enhancements
ASN for P3D is now compatible with P3D v2.4 and includes additional performance tuning specific to P3D - New Dynamic Positional Variation for Sigmets and Airmets
Airmets and Sigmets are now fully dynamic and provide variable conditions simulation for turbulence and icing in addition to convective activity
- Improved Stability
New installation and configuration routines provide a smoother user experience
Active Sky Next (ASN) is the next weather simulation engine from HiFi Technologies, Inc. In development for 3 years, this new version of Active Sky has a completely new depiction system to enable enhanced visuals, accuracy and smoothness never before possible.
Using new low-level weather control techniques, the new depiction system eliminates many problems faced in the past, including inaccurate cloud locations, inaccurate coverage, thin overcast and excessive coverage gaps, non-smooth cloud transitions, inaccurate winds, and required compromises in depiction settings.
With ASN, your skies will be accurate, smooth, visually stunning and uncompromised. No longer must you configure complicated settings to achieve accuracy in certain areas while compromising others. You can have it all, all the time.
ASN also introduces, for the first time ever in a weather engine: Complete cloud position awareness, synchronized cloud-based ambient weather effects and an integrated accurate radar simulation. Precipitation is accurately depicted in the proper locations within and below appropriate cloud structures. Entering or exiting a cloud brings an appropriate change in precipitation, visibility and turbulence. The exact position of clouds and precipitation cells are always synchronized between the simulator depiction and the radar display.
Thunderstorms have been given great attention, utilizing the new depiction system, ambient effects, radar and cloud position synchronization. Completely new microburst, updraft and downdraft, enhanced turbulence and wind-shear effects combine to make thunderstorms beautiful yet dangerous. Using the new radar system will be key to safe piloting in the vicinity of these storms.
Full International Airmet/Sigmet simulation is now provided in real time weather mode, with airmet/sigmet areas shown visually on the map and/or gauge. These areas are now also synthesized, influencing weather depiction appropriately. If a Sigmet warns against severe turbulence, convective activity, or icing, you can expect to encounter this appropriately during your flight.
New voice weather briefings, a new intuitive user interface with resizable/undockable and multi-window support, redesigned high-resolution wake turbulence simulation and enhanced air effects are just a few of the other new features in ASN.
Hybrid Weather Depiction System
- Utilizing a combination of Theme Control, SimConnect Interfacing, and new Low-Level interfacing via our brand new AS Connect module, comprehensive control of the weather environment is finally achieved
- Ambient conditions including Visibility, Wind Direction and Speed, Pressure, Temperature and Precipitation type/density are completely controlled, smoothed and synchronized for accurate and realistic conditions at all times
- Higher performance depiction and updates utilizing new features such as dynamic Cloud Draw Distance Control
Smooth Cloud Theme Transitions
- Clouds depicted using the Theme Control method are smoothed during transitions to new conditions using our unique Smooth Theme Reload method
Newly Designed High-Fidelity Air Effects
- Air effects are brand new, bypass all internal simulator air effects and include:
- Wind Shear with Predictive Detection and Alert System (via audio warnings and visual mapping overlay)
- Microbursts synchronized with thunderstorm activity
- Updrafts and Downdrafts with high-resolution terrain awareness
- Thermals with realistic simulation based on temperature and surface type
- Wake Turbulence with realistic moving wake trails effected by wind
- Cloud Turbulence synchronized with cloud sprite positions
- Enhanced Wind Turbulence with direct aircraft attitude control vs. simple camera head movement
Cloud Sprite Awareness For Accurate In-Sim Depiction Synchronization
- In-cloud visibility reduction
- Cloud-related turbulence
- Accurate ambient precipitation localization and control
- Accurate radar precipitation graphics
- Accurate cloud position graphics
New Precipitation Radar Graphics
- New levels of realism are provided with totally accurate precipitation radar that is aware of actual cloud sprite positions in the simulator
- See and avoid dangerous conditions on the radar that accurately match the in-sim depiction
Graphics Compatibility
- ASN works with any graphics add-on, or default graphics textures
Included Radar and Weather Mapping Gauge
- Easily installs into any aircraft using the Installation Wizard
- Realistic satellite-wx-based mapping display with NEXRAD precipitation simulation
- Predictive Wind Shear system provides aural wind shear alerts
New Thunderstorm/CB Simulation
- Thunderstorms are bigger, higher, and more consistently depicted
- Integrated Turbulence, Wind Shear, Microburst, and Vertical Air effects
- Strong thunderstorm cells can be difficult if not impossible to fly through
- Different effects depending on position relative to the thunderstorm clouds
Uncoupled Audio/Voice System
- Allows playback of audio on either client or server in networked configuration
- Allows selecting the desired audio device
- New voice sets and new voice weather briefings
- New voice SIGMET and AIRMET warnings
Comprehensive Weather mapping With New Overlays:
- Precipitation Base Reflectivity and Echo Tops
- Detailed Cloud Positions
- Predictive Wind Shear
- Other Aircraft (includes wake trail representation)
- Winds, Visibility, Sigmets, Airmets, Pireps, Stations, Airports, NDBs and VORs
- Flightplan Route and Waypoints with integrated flight plan editing capability
- New high performance display with click and drag panning and track-up display mode
Integrated Real-Time Sigmets, Airmets and Pireps (Both USA and International)
- Sigmets and Airmets provided by actual data for all global regions
- Sigmets and Airmets provide influence in weather synthesis (i.e. appropriately injecting forecasted turbulence)
- Pireps provided by actual AS user reports
Aloft Inter-layer Interpolation
- Provides smooth and realistic vertical transitions of wind direction, wind speed and temperature as you climb and descent
Weather Cell Awareness and Depiction Control
- Complete awareness and synchronization of weather cell-based cloud model drawing for the ultimate in cloud depiction accuracy
- Prioritization of inter-cell weather station data depending on departure and/or flight plan relevant stations
Forecast Weather Integration Including New Forecast Aloft Data
- With the click and drag of a mouse, see forecast conditions, graphically and textually, hour by hour, up to 24 hours in advance
- Improved winds aloft planning accuracy
- Dynamic weather changes based on forecast conditions when METAR information becomes stale
Brand New User Interface
- Multi-monitor support
- Resizable and undockable windows
- Multiple weather condition window support
Access to the Improved HiFi Weather Data Network
- Multiple high-performance servers in different regions for excellent redundancy and availability
- Always-improving coverage and resolution
- High-resolution surface and wind aloft data collected from multiple sources
- Newly incorporated multiple forecast-window wind aloft data (real-time and historical)
- Historical data access for the past 2 years
Accurate Winds Aloft
- Using World Area Forecast System data (a.k.a. GRIB data), developed and improved since 2002
- Enhanced high-altitude wind and temperature simulation above 50,000ft
- Completely smooth transitions at all times with no wind shifts
Hurricane Simulation
- Realistic hurricane simulation based on actual hurricane data
- Overrides surface weather station data (which is usually erroneous during hurricanes)
Full Flight and Weather Planning
- Manually enter, import, or build a flight plan using auto-routing
- Easily change waypoints/route during planning or while in-flight
- Receive updated navigation log, weather briefing text, or voice weather briefings
- Receive favorable wind/altitude information, dynamic ETAs per waypoint and live conditions updates
Integrated Voice Features
- Receive realistic voice weather updates via ATIS, FlightWatch and FSS simulation by tuning your radio to 122.0, 122.02 or 122.05
Enhanced Weather Search
- Easily find weather conditions with improved station/range filtering
Smart Data Interpolation
- More robust data interpolation for more realistic weather conditions and depiction in areas with fewer reporting stations
Station Database Management
- Easily add, edit or disable different types of stations (Weather, Airport, NDB, VOR)
Additional New Features
- New Hail simulation and included hail audio effects
- Automatic Simulator Flight Plan Import (optional)
- Customizable User Option Presets and EASY/REALISM mode option sets
- Favorite Weather Stations (add, remove, and recall any station’s conditions from the favorites menu)
- Quick Start-up (ASN loads in less than 10 seconds in most cases)
- Persistent Windows (all screens position, size, and docked/undocked status restored at startup)