POTENTIAL CONFLICT ENSUES OUT OF A HDG TRACK DEV DURING A VISUAL APCH.

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AT APPROX 18 MI FROM ARPT; WERE CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 29 AT ATW. DUE TO ALT WE NEEDED TO LOSE AND A SOLID LAYER OF CLOUDS DIRECTLY AHEAD; I TURNED THE ACFT APPROX 30 DEGS TO L OF A STRAIGHT LINE TO THE RWY. ATC SOON ADVISED THAT THE MANEUVER HAD PLACED US IN CONFLICT WITH ANOTHER (PREVIOUSLY NOT CALLED) IFR. I EXPLAINED THAT I HAD TO MANEUVER TO AVOID CLOUDS AND DSND; AND THAT I UNDERSTOOD I WAS CLRED TO MANEUVER DURING A VISUAL APCH. ATC RESPONDED THAT I COULD MANEUVER 'WITHIN REASON' BUT THAT I SHOULD HAVE INFORMED HIM PRIOR TO TURN. I PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE ADVISED; BUT I DIDN'T THINK 30 DEGS WASN'T WITHIN REASON. I THINK ATC SHOULD HAVE ALSO ADVISED ME OF THE OTHER IFR. I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH OF A CONFLICT ACTUALLY TOOK PLACE; AS THE CTLR NEVER VOLUNTEERED THAT INFO. MY OPINION AS TO THE CAUSE OF THE INCIDENT: CTLR ASSUMED I WOULD FLY DIRECTLY TO THE RWY; I ASSUMED THE AREA WAS CLR TO MANEUVER AS NECESSARY FOR CLOUDS SEPARATION; DSCNT; ETC. THIS INCIDENT COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED IF EITHER THE CTLR OR MYSELF HAD QUERIED THE OTHER ABOUT WHAT PATH WE WOULD TAKE OR IF THERE WERE ANY CONFLICTS WITH OTHER ACFT OR CLOUDS. I THINK THAT FROM NOW ON I WILL MAKE A POINT OF CLARIFYING JUST HOW MUCH SPACE I HAVE TO MANEUVER ON A VISUAL APCH; AND I STILL BELIEVE THAT THE CTLRS SHOULD ADVISE PLTS AS TO POTENTIAL CONFLICTS; EG; 'CLRED FOR VISUAL APCH; TFC 9 O'CLOCK; 6 MI; E BOUND IFR AT 4000 FT.'