DCS Dynamic Weather

How to guide

By Yakbeard
 DCS Dynamic Weather
Start the mission editor and click on the cloud
icon to open the weather window.
 DCS Dynamic Weather
Click on the Dynamic button to switch from
Standard to Dynamic weather.
 DCS Dynamic Weather
Select the season and temperature in degrees
celsius.
 DCS Dynamic Weather
Select a type of Baric system from the drop
down window.
A Cyclone is a Low pressure
system.

An Anticyclone is a High
pressure system.

None prevents systems

from being centered on the
map but random systems
are created.
 DCS Dynamic Weather
Select the Number of systems you want on the
map.
 DCS Dynamic Weather
Select the Pressure Deviation of systems you
created on the map.

Pressure Deviation
controls the strength of the
system. The higher the
number, the stronger the
system. Cyclones have a
negative number while
Anticyclones will have a
positive number.
 DCS Dynamic Weather
Pressing the Generate button will somewhat
randomly place system(s) on the map.
The types and quantities
of system(s) you have
selected will be locked in
but the pressure deviation
and system locations will
be randomized. For
custom weather we will
edit these settings later so
for now just set the
systems quantity.
 DCS Dynamic Weather
Select the Turbulence and Fog settings as you
normally would.
 DCS Dynamic Weather
To save your settings overtype the name field
with a new file name and click the disk icon.
 DCS Dynamic Weather
Now that we have a custom weather file we can open and
edit it. Because there is some trial and error involved in this
process, I recommend that you keep the mission editor
open and ALT/TAB to the desktop.

Open the weather file in Notepad ++ or your favorite text

editor. (Only use editors that maintain the file format) The
file is located in the folder,
[user]\Saved Games\DCS\MissionEditor\weather\dynamic\
that is created when you save a dynamic weather file for
the first time.
 DCS Dynamic Weather
With the file open skip down to the Cyclones
section. It should start around line number 36.
cyclones = This is the only section
{
[1] = of the file we will be
{ editing.
pressure_spread = 886989.78807156,
centerZ = 288873.80151609,
groupId = 2153,
The numbers in your
ellipticity = 0.58203634771562, file will be different but
rotation = -0.64882076496654, all the line names will
pressure_excess = -1381,
centerX = -120146.27202545,
be the same.
}, -- end of [1]
}, -- end of cyclones
 DCS Dynamic Weather
Of these lines we will only actually be editing
the 6 of them marked below.
cyclones =
{
[1] =
{
pressure_spread = 886989.78807156, System size
centerZ = 288873.80151609, Longitude
groupId = 2153,
ellipticity = 0.58203634771562, Shape
rotation = -0.64882076496654, System facing
pressure_excess = -1381, System strength
centerX = -120146.27202545, Latitude
}, -- end of [1]
}, -- end of cyclones
 DCS Dynamic Weather
Pressure Spread
Changing Pressure Spread will change the size of the
system. For example;

With a Spread of 1000000 the system will fill the map.

With a Spread of 50000 the system will fill a single 100km,

MGRS grid square.

The size also has some influence on the system strength.

Smaller storms can have stronger leading edge winds.
DCS Dynamic Weather
Pressure Spread
pressure_spread = 50000,
centerZ = 0,
groupId = 4641,
ellipticity = 1,
rotation = 1,
pressure_excess = -1250,
centerX = 0,
DCS Dynamic Weather
Pressure Spread
pressure_spread = 70000,
centerZ = 0,
groupId = 4641,
ellipticity = 1,
rotation = 1,
pressure_excess = -1250,
centerX = 0,
 DCS Dynamic Weather
CenterZ
Changing CenterZ will change the Longitudinal position of
the system. (1 = 1 meter)

With a CenterZ of 0 the system will be centered on the

WP97/XP97 MGRS line of the map.

To the place the system to the West of this line use a

negative number.
To the place the system to the East of this line use a
positive number.
DCS Dynamic Weather
CenterZ
pressure_spread = 50000,
centerZ = 0,
groupId = 4641,
ellipticity = 1,
rotation = 1,
pressure_excess = -1250,
centerX = 0,
DCS Dynamic Weather
CenterZ
pressure_spread = 50000,
centerZ = 10000,
groupId = 4641,
ellipticity = 1,
rotation = 1,
pressure_excess = -1250,
centerX = 0,
 DCS Dynamic Weather
Ellipticity
Changing Ellipticity will change the shape of the system.
For example;

With an Ellipticity of less than 1 the system will be a circle.

The higher the number the more the system is stretched.

The more the system is stretched the higher the wind shear
will be on the long axis of the ellipse.
DCS Dynamic Weather
Ellipticity
pressure_spread = 50000,
centerZ = 0,
groupId = 4641,
ellipticity = 1,
rotation = 1,
pressure_excess = -1250,
centerX = 0,
DCS Dynamic Weather
Ellipticity
pressure_spread = 50000,
centerZ = 0,
groupId = 4641,
ellipticity = 3,
rotation = 1,
pressure_excess = -1250,
centerX = 0,
 DCS Dynamic Weather
Rotation
Changing Rotation will change the direction the system is
facing.

The front face of a system has the highest winds. This can
be seen on both round and elliptical systems. On elliptical
systems the most powerful sides are on the long axis.
Setting the rotation allows you to spin the system.

1 puts the elliptical long axis @ 11 to 5 o'clock.

3 puts the elliptical long axis @ 9 to 3 o'clock.
DCS Dynamic Weather
Rotation
pressure_spread = 50000,
centerZ = 0,
groupId = 4641,
ellipticity = 3,
rotation = 1,
pressure_excess = -1250,
centerX = 0,
DCS Dynamic Weather
Rotation
pressure_spread = 50000,
centerZ = 0,
groupId = 4641,
ellipticity = 3,
rotation = 3,
pressure_excess = -1250,
centerX = 0,
 DCS Dynamic Weather
Pressure Excess
Changing Pressure Excess will change the strength of the
system. The higher the number the stronger the system will
be.

A positive number will make a HIGH pressure system

(anticyclone), while a negative number creates a LOW
pressure system (cyclone).

System size and distance to other systems will also

influence the system strength.
DCS Dynamic Weather
Pressure Excess
pressure_spread = 50000,
centerZ = 0,
groupId = 4641,
ellipticity = 1,
rotation = 1,
pressure_excess = -1250,
centerX = 0,
DCS Dynamic Weather
Pressure Excess
pressure_spread = 50000,
centerZ = 0,
groupId = 4641,
ellipticity = 1,
rotation = 1,
pressure_excess = 250,
centerX = 0,
 DCS Dynamic Weather
CenterX
Changing CenterX will change the Latitudinal location of
the system. (1 = 1 meter)

With a CenterX of 0 the system will be in MGRS grid

WQ99.

To the place the system to the North of this point use a

positive number.
To the place the system to the South of this point use a
negative number.
DCS Dynamic Weather
CenterX
pressure_spread = 50000,
centerZ = 0,
groupId = 4641,
ellipticity = 1,
rotation = 1,
pressure_excess = -1250,
centerX = 0,
DCS Dynamic Weather
CenterX
pressure_spread = 50000,
centerZ = 0,
groupId = 4641,
ellipticity = 1,
rotation = 1,
pressure_excess = -1250,
centerX = 10000,
 DCS Dynamic Weather
To load the edited file back into the mission
editor follow these steps.

click on the cloud

icon to open the
weather window
 DCS Dynamic Weather
Click on the Standard button, then the Dynamic
button so the new file becomes available.
 DCS Dynamic Weather
To load your file, select it from the drop down
window and click the load icon.