OpusFSX

[Fatback 84]

This is a game changer. It does 3 or 4 things that I have always wished I could do and in one package. I'm a happy camper!

[Opus Software 84]

Many thanks for your kind comments, there is much more to come in OpusFSX.

 

Have you checked out the new AHM (Automatic Head Movement) feature in version 2.04. We appreciate all feedback and suggestions, please also check out our Flight1 forum pages.

 

At this moment we are investigating introducing a DAM (Dynamic Aircraft Movement) feature so people using 2D cockpit or scenic 'out of the window' views can benefit from the accelerometer data used for the DHM effects; we are collecting more accelerometer data on all phases of the flight with plans to introduce very realistic airborne and turbulence effects (this will also be tied in with the Live Weather Engine which will determine the current probability and severity of the turbulence based on the aircrafts position with respect to the weather, cloud bases, inversion layers etc.); we are developing cloud smoothing algorithms, and also considering the use of a client-side Live Weather Engine.

 

Once again we are very glad you are a happy camper, we hope to make you even happier in the future.

 

Regards

Stephen

[paulnd 0]

I agree with Fatback, OpusFSX is turning out to be an excellent addon.

 

The developer's support is impeccable, Stephen even offered to assist me by phone to sort out a problem. Updates are released almost daily with new features and improvements.

 

Another happy camper!

 

Paul

[Jonahbird 8]

My initial reading of the official data suggests to me that only screening in Windows mode can be used. Should I read on, or read more carefully?

[boris4356 4]

My initial reading of the official data suggests to me that only screening in Windows mode can be used. Should I read on, or read more carefully?

 

This is absolutely amazing software! It is continually evolving with new features being added on a regular basis. It can be used in all modes. You can set it up to use 2d panoramic windows and virtual cockpits in windowed mode or full screen. It is extremely easy to use. It has real world weather, networking functions, camera shake effects, and you can set up various camera views.

 

The developer support is like no other I have seen. It feels like they are custom building the software specifically for you. Any problems, issues, wish lists, that I have mentioned to Stephen are often fixed or implemented by the next day with a new beta release.

 

I highly recommend this software. It will greatly enhance your simming experience!

 

Bill

[SledheadAK 21]

How would you guys say the weather engine compares to Active Sky's or REX's?

[Jonahbird 8]

I highly recommend this software. It will greatly enhance your simming experience!

 

Thanks for clarifying that, Bill. I will carry on with my reading. I have hardware changes in mind and this tool could be just what I need.

 

Frank

[RWFeldman 159]

Is it my understanding FSX or P3D has to be installed on the client computers in order to take advantage of the view features?

[Jean-Paul 167]

That is what I understood as well so my question is : can you use P3D on one and FSX on the other ?

[Manny 1,293]

This is the first time I am hearing about this OPUS Fsx. I just went to the site was reading this. My interest is primarily on the neworked views. So I can add external views using another PC.

 

Has anyone tried it this way... how hard is it to setup and how do they sync up with the main PC (Server)?

 

Manny

[N1G 88]

I noticed that they show on their site, some other views in a window all it's own on the same pc. Everyone knows that doing this inside fsx drops fps tremendously. My question is, are these views/windows they are showing created by OPUS and do not affect the fps, at least compared to opening these windows via FSX? If this is true and the windows have very little hit, can the OPUS drawn windows be dragged to another monitor on the same computer?

 

Bob

[boris4356 4]

Thanks for clarifying that, Bill. I will carry on with my reading. I have hardware changes in mind and this tool could be just what I need.

 

Frank

 

Your welcome Frank!

 

Bill

[RWFeldman 159]

After experimenting somewhat with this, I really didnt find anything of value for myself. I don't really want to install FSX or P3D on a client computer for the views features, its hard enough getting it licensed on one computer. I tried the weather engine for P3D and wasn't that impressed with rendering and , at this time, can't be run on the client computer. REX weather engine for P3D, as much as a pain as it is, was quite a better rendering clouds and effects running on a client computer.

 

P3D has a multimonitor function using simconnect running on seperate computers that will do the same thing and more included in its SDK.

[boris4356 4]

Hi Guys,

 

I'm not a rep for OpusFSX, but I have been using the software for about a month, so I will try to give you some insight and answers to your questions from a customers point of view.

 

I have a B-17 based enclosed home cockpit with two networked PC's for a five monitor 180 degree surround view. I have three 24" monitors for the Front, Front Left, and Front Right views, and a 40" HDTV for the gauges on an I7 2600K PC (the Server), and two 24" monitors for the Left and Right views on a Q9550 PC(the Client).

 

The three Front view monitors and the HDTV are connected to an AMD HD6970 and an HD3870. The two side monitors to an NVidia GTX 680 4 GB. These views are not in Eyefinity or NVidia surround, but as separate monitors. The NVidia GTX 680 was originally going to be installed in the server PC with the three monitors and the HDTV, but the 680 can't do four monitors in gaming mode, and doesn't like to have a secondary card for additional monitors installed. The frame rates plunged, with bad stuttering. The AMD 6970 actually handles the load relatively well.

 

The five views are set up as 2d windows with no gauges or cockpit bmp in the OpusFSX GUI, and are then undocked to each monitor. You can also set them up as VC views if you wish. You can also set up views in Eyefinity and NVidia surround if you don't want to go the individual monitor route.

 

I switch to full screen once the sim is loaded.The views set up in OpusFSX have the same framerate loss as you would get from setting up additional windows in FSX. It makes camera GUID's that get placed in your aircraft cfg. What makes OpusFSX special is that you can align the views with precision in the Opus interface, and add camera shakes like EZDOK.

 

I average approx 20-30 FPS in unlimited on the front three monitors. It can dip to 10 FPS in heavy scenery on the ground or extreme heavy weather, and go as high as 30-50 Fps in the air. Even when it dips to 10FPS, the surround view more than makes up for it.

 

I did the one large 42" screen view before, and I will never go back, no matter how low the FPS can get at times. The thing with one large view is you only see in front of you. There is nothing like a panoramic 180 degree view. It overwhelms the senses, and most of the time you don't even notice the slow down.

 

You do have to have FSX and any other scenery installed on all PC's. This is the same requirement that WideView has. The networking is very simple. All you do is set up your PC's for sharing as per the Getting Started Guide, and install OpusFSX on all the PC's. You place the network ID's, and the path to FSX in the cfg windows, and you are ready to go.

 

You open up FSX on all the PC's, then click the FSX Server shortcut, and the FSX client shortcuts. It takes about 10 seconds for the server and clients to link. Then you click fly now on all the FSX's, and they all sync up, the real world live weather loads automatically and takes about 20 seconds to initilize. All that's left to do is fly. You can set up the start up to be automatic in an XML file if you so desire, but I prefer to do it manually.

 

The real world weather happens behind the scenes, and there is no setup required. It is currently a work in progress, and new functions are added on a regular basis. There are no textures, just a weather generator. I don't know very much about the technical aspects of weather generating, but I have seen some excellent weather with fog, haze and very nice cloud formations.

 

Hope this helps to understand this software better.

 

Bill

[Jonahbird 8]

Hi Bill

 

"Not a rep" - you should be B) . That's a very comprehensive appraisal. You're a major fan - to say the least.

 

You have a very elaborate and high performance set-up, and this tool is clearly a massive asset for you. I wonder if those with lesser installations would see so many benefits.

 

For example, I've been down all the set-up tracks and have recently concluded that a 30" monitor 2560 x 1600 (16:10 single screen), with TIR is the best I've experienced to date. In my set-up I have 5 active screens - one being a touchscreen for the CDU. My previous set-up was 3 x 20" (36:9) - very immersive but I could never get used to the bezels and the left and right distortions.

 

But - my mind is open and I will probably try Opus FSX in my next rig.

 

Regards

Frank