CumulusX! 1.2 released

[Peter Lürkens 30]

Hi folks,

there is a new version, CumulusX! 1.2 on my website. Changes are:

Improved shadow handling (yet not perfect)

Automatic loading of settings provided by race and mission designers

Back again: Thermals over ice and snow, but only over steep slopes.

best regards,

Peter

PS: Those who had already downloaded the new version before the time stamp of this post should re-do it, because there was another minor fix in between.

[Falk_Scherber 0]

thnx!

great work

[KSUpilot 0]

Quick question...am I supposed to have an AirObjectsVisuals.xml in the download, as I do not see one. I think I read the instructions right, and it is supposed to overwrite the original FSX one.

Thanks!

[Peter Lürkens 30]

As of Version 1.1 (and also 1.2) there is no longer an AirObjectVisuals needed. Ist this still in the current doc?

If so, please give me some directions that I can remove it.

regards,

Peter

[KSUpilot 0]

Under setting up in the manual:

The distribution archive contains a sub-tree “Modules”, containing two other sub-folders “CumulusX!” and “SlopeDataBaseTool” with the components of the program, some settings files and the manuals. The sub-tree “SimObjects” contains modifications for the shipped DG808S. The root directory of the archive contains a new version of the file “AirObjectVisuals.xml”. In addition, there is an “Addon-Scenery”-sub-tree, containing a cumulus cloud model, effective for Simulator X built-in thermals as well. In combination with the new file “AirObjectVisuals.xml” this shows a 3D-cumulus-cloud model instead of the default bird animations. In order to have this effective the Addon-Scenery folder has to be activated in the Flight Simulator X scenery manager.

[Peter Lürkens 30]

Apparently you have still the old manual. The current manual reads:

The compressed distribution archive contains a sub-tree “Modules”, containing two other

sub-folders “CumulusX!” and “SlopeDataBaseTool” with the components of the

program, some settings files and the manuals. The sub-tree “SimObjects\Misc” contains

the new visual cloud models.

The full manual is no longer contained in the archive, beacause there are already two, one English, one German. You can download the appropriate manual from my website and put in the manual folder of CumulusX!.

Cheers,

Peter

[jim k 0]

Please fix your Cumulus X! download capability. I've been trying to download the program for a few days; speed goes down to zero within a few minutes. Really looking forward to working with the lift distribution in FSX.

C. J. Klingman

Briarcliff, TX

Apparently you have still the old manual. The current manual reads:

QUOTE The compressed distribution archive contains a sub-tree "Modules", containing two other

sub-folders "CumulusX!" and "SlopeDataBaseTool" with the components of the

program, some settings files and the manuals. The sub-tree "SimObjects\Misc" contains

the new visual cloud models.

The full manual is no longer contained in the archive, beacause there are already two, one English, one German. You can download the appropriate manual from my website and put in the manual folder of CumulusX!.

Cheers,

Peter

[Peter Lürkens 30]

Please fix your Cumulus X! download capability. I've been trying to download the program for a few days; speed goes down to zero within a few minutes. Really looking forward to working with the lift distribution in FSX.

C. J. Klingman

Briarcliff, TX

No chance. My web-hoster is t-com. After all it's a free service.

best regards,

Peter

[Simon Dobby 18]

Hi

My PC's graphics card is a bit rubbish (on a Dell Ultra-Small-Form-Factor so no upgrade available allegedly) and won't work with FSX SP2 (currently running on SP1). I therefore don't think I can run the CumulusX 1.5 - is there still a link available for a version of CumulusX that runs on FSX SP1? Currently using the built-in FSX thermals (in "full visual mode") which is not really ideal.

If anyone knows of a graphics card available for a Dell GX620 USFF that will work with FSX SP2 I would be very grateful about it - I have already bought Aerosoft's DiscusX and can't run it as it requires SP2.

Thanks

Simon

[Peter Lürkens 30]

- is there still a link available for a version of CumulusX that runs on FSX SP1?

Simon,

I'm sorry, but there has never been a pre-SP2 version of CumulusX!.

regards,

Peter

[Simon Dobby 18]

I'm sorry, but there has never been a pre-SP2 version of CumulusX!.

Thanks Peter. I had to ask! FSX SP2 does install onto my laptop (another Dell, but with a slightly better graphics card) but the processor is a bit pants compared to my desktop PC. I will see whether the performance is tolerable if I turn everything down to a minimum (and play with the key-assignments to make up for no numeric pad) - if I have GPS and "a good thermal generator" then I don't need to be able to see all the roads/rivers/cows.

Cheers

Simon

[Peter Lürkens 30]

Hi Simon,

to my experience mouse-yoke is the next best to a joystick. Tried it on a DELL E6400/Quadro laptop too, but quickly gave it up. Too jerky.

Cheers,

Peter

[B21 19]

If anyone knows of a graphics card available for a Dell GX620 USFF

Eww, I did go as far as looking up the spec for that PC(one of my machines is a GX620 but *not* the little booklet 'USFF' one) . As the gadget has no expansion slots at all, and presumably a 10W power supply, I'd think the chances of finding a suitable graphics card are zero .

B21

[Simon Dobby 18]

@Peter:

I use the same joystick for both my desktop and laptop (a 4-button, 3-axis cheap thing from PC-World), and just swap it around depending on what machine I am using. All buttons are at the top (trigger for wheel-brake, left and right thumb buttons for rudder with repeating, and centre button for rudder-centre), and the slider is assigned to the airbrakes(spoilers) "reversed".

@B21:

I inherited the PC from my aunt (after she sadly died) and she bought it as a business-PC. I added a bit more memory to it and it has (somewhat surprisingly) has been able to run FS9 quite well considering its lack of "big-name" graphics card. I contacted Dell quite soon after acquiring it and they were of the opinion (like yourself) that there aren't any better cards available for it.

I installed FSX+SP1+SP2 onto my laptop, and CumulusX & WinchX, turned all the graphics down to pretty-much minimal, and my Aerosoft Discus still drags the frame rate down (and the virtual cockpit looks rubbish with FSX at minimal graphics setting), so for now I shall stick with Wolfgang Piper's Discus CS (basic vario, but I have added the default GPS as window02).

I tried a soaring flight out of EBKT this morning but found nothing underneath the two clouds I tried; I cranked the density up to 15 thermals per 100 sq-km and there were plenty of clouds around. I shall have a re-read of the manual today (at work!), play with the settings a bit then take a motor-glider up this evening to see if I can find these elusive thermals. I've turned FSX's clouds to "simple" just to be sure that any clouds I do scratch around under are CumulusX ones and not FSX ones.

Just now need to start saving up for a PC (or laptop!) that will enable me to run FSX SP2 fast enough (or at all) to enable me to use the Aerosoft glider, then I'll be sorted.