Making waves....

[Ron Attwood]

Well surf animations really. Now I don't know if my memory has finally given up the ghost but I seem to remember being very impressed with the waves breaking on the shore. But since REX Overdrive, (I'm not blaming it, it's just a reference point. It may be that I'm looking at the sea more closely) the surf animation is rubbish! They appear suddenly, make a run for the beach but don't make it. They just 'switch off' before getting there.

Is that the same for everyone or have I broken something?    \

[Ron Attwood]

Had another look at 'stralia, Aeropelican. I was wrong. They look good. But not so in PNW.

[Holger Sandmann]

Hi Ron,

The Australia packages use the default surf effects while PNW has custom versions, which explains the difference. Interesting to hear that you prefer the former because I always found them highly unrealistic (too fast and too far onshore, for example).

Also, there are two different types in PNW: near-shore effects that are much more subdued than the default and are placed along rocky coasts, and off-shore effects along the long beaches in Washington and Oregon that represent the way the big waves break along off-shore reefs and sandbars.

Cheers, Holger

[Ron Attwood]

Thanks for clearing that up Holger.

I've not been to either an Australian nor Washingtonian seaside so I can't speak with any authority.

It just seemed to me that because the Australian waves broke right on the beach, that they appeared to dissipate more naturally. Whereas the PNW ones break further out they're simply switched off.

I'll stay inland in future, or at least stop being fixated by waves.   

[lthendrix]

There is also a free file I picked up from ...I think teecee at these forums ..called morewaves 3 do a google search.It makes more waves and I think looks a little more real.......and its FREE. 

[Ron Attwood]

Good call mate. They are better but they still switch off. It must be a limitation of FSX. Which is a shame when you're surround by so much Orbx realism.

I shall draw a line under it and move on. 

[Holger Sandmann]

Hi guys,

replacing the default textures wouldn't make a difference in PNW, though it would for Australia.

However, both default and the PNW custom effects do gradually fade out so the "switching off" you're seeing is probably the general issue with FSX effects that they are very low on the totem pole of draw priority so that every time there is a "disturbance" (FSX needs to load something big, or some other hiccup) all visual effects in the area will drop out and then reset. I agree that this can be quite annoying but I'm not aware of a fix or work-around for that.

Cheers, Holger

[FLighT]

Ahh!! The "search" function works, LOL. I was wondering why I was suddenly noticing loooonnng stretches of waves breaking on shorelines PNW and PFJ) all going off at once instead of randomly, like someone hit a light switch and that's the reset aspect I guess. I't be nice to have a switch that would completely turn off all waves, the lack of random breaking distracts to say the least.

Like all things it takes a while to get use and to notice these effects, never really caught my eye in PNW but with the addition of PFJ I'm flying more shorelines and in checking back in PNW it's more noticable to me now.

[fltsimguy]

Hi guys,

replacing the default textures wouldn't make a difference in PNW, though it would for Australia.

However, both default and the PNW custom effects do gradually fade out so the "switching off" you're seeing is probably the general issue with FSX effects that they are very low on the totem pole of draw priority so that every time there is a "disturbance" (FSX needs to load something big, or some other hiccup) all visual effects in the area will drop out and then reset. I agree that this can be quite annoying but I'm not aware of a fix or work-around for that.

Finally an explanation.  I noticed this switching off effect and it was driving me nuts trying to think about what might be causing it.  I did notice as my scenery was loading and "popping" into sharper focus in proximity to my plane that was the identical time that the waves just stopped.

Personally I love the PNW waves, now that is real.  Still get the switching off effect though.

I wonder if this is less of a problem with an very high end video card?  I am using a GTX 260 1gig so its no slouch but perhaps a higher end card can process the scenery faster and avoid the "disturbance effect"?

Cheers, Holger