FAQ

Check this page you have a question or concerns about how the Epic Clouds work, any conflicts you are concerned about or future development.

FAQ

Can the Epic Clouds Drive the Live Weather?

No, the Epic Clouds are presets and do not interact with the live weather engine.

Will the Epic Clouds Conflict with Live Weather?

No, the two are separate so you won’t create any problems in the live weather by loading the Epic Clouds.

Are the Epic Clouds Dynamic?

I would like to provide dynamic and live clouds, but Microsoft hasn’t provided an official means to control the clouds by 3rd parties. I will look into it, but I don’t want to make something that could potentially fall apart after each Microsoft update.

If I remove the Epic Clouds, will I get my old graphics back?

Yes, there is no problem. Simply remove the Epic Clouds folder from your community folder and then restart the sim. The weather pre-sets will be out of your system, leaving no effect on any of your installation or settings.

Do the Epic Clouds Conflict with Rex Weather Force?

I am told that they can’t be used at the same time. This is a limitation of the Rex Weather software so you would need to speak to them if you want a fix.

Do the Epic Clouds Replace the Standard Clouds?

No, the Epic Clouds can be added to and removed from the dropdown list of cloud presets that are already in the sim. They do not replace any other clouds that are available so there no reason not to try them out.

The Epic Clouds Didn’t Show Up, What’s Happening?

Please refer to trouble-shooting.

Do I Have to Set the Cloud Quality to Ultra?

I recommend a setting of at least ‘High’ if possible. Although the clouds are more detailed with Ultra, the High setting captures a lot and is a good compromise.

How Do I know What Type of cloud I am Loading?

Make sure you have the ‘Preset’ option enabled when configuring your flight. Each cloud type comes with its own preview image that appears in the sim’s drop-down list of clouds, along with a descriptive name. ‘Custom’ mode provides the text description only.

What about FPS?

MSFS 2024 has moved many more features to their own threads and reviewers indicate that cloud rendering is significantly better than in MSFS 2020. I recommend starting with the ‘high’ setting in the MSFS graphics panel. The least FPS expense is provided by dense clouds. The worst case scenario would be to fly through multiple layers of thin translucent cloud.

Does a Long Cloud List Affect Performance?

No, the cloud data and image take up some memory in the User Interface but otherwise do not make a difference to the performance of the sim.

Do the Cloud Types Affect Performance?

Yes, each cloud type requires a different amount of computation depending what is being rendered. If you feel that you would like to convert subtlety to performance, then simply move the cloud quality setting to a lower value.

Do the Epic Clouds Include Turbulence?

There are currently two presets called ‘Gusting Winds’. Turbulence has been simulated to some degree by using cross wind, though that isn’t the same thing. They were provided as a user request to make helicopter landings more challenging at sea. The same presets also affect take-off and landing conditions for general aviation aircraft. Microsoft have recently increased the turbulence in general, and especially when close to buildings, trees, hills and mountains. You can tone down the effect of turbulence with a slider in the settings.

Is It Possible to Show Airline Wings Fading into Cloud Cover?

Note: also known as ‘wing fade’ effect. Default MSFS doesn’t show this effect even on maximum cloud densities. There is a forum topic about this you can contribute to. It may appear in MSFS 2024.

Which Clouds were in the Original Set?

Go to this link: Which Clouds were in the Original Set?