Anyone up for some small pictures and small clip files to create a shared cloud library? If so, here are some to start with.
The dark clouds belong to the shared file(s) from Moodflow. I made a clip file of his clouds. With Frank's clip file, it was created by taking his suggested settings. I hope it's okay I included these.
Feel free to change and then re-share the clip files as well as add new ones.
Or we can change the thread or section this should be in. I'm open to ideas to share more of our cloud work.
[edit - I replaced my regular clouds with a better version]
Good idea !
Nice.
great Idea i got some pretty weird clouds i will share put into the libary ;D
Sorry about the low quality of the render here.
Not to hijack the thread, but there is a dedicated cloud/atmosphere section in the downloads area of Ashundar that allows you to upload companion images with the files. It's not very full at the moment, but I'm sure that it could be filled pretty quickly.
http://www.ashundar.com/index.php?action=tpmod;dl=cat185
Anyways, those dark clouds look great, Calico, and I think that sharing these is a great idea.
Well, it doesn't matter to me. What does everyone think? Should we just use Ashundar instead? I'm up for whatever, but like the idea of having a stash of clouds for all of us.
Excellent resource Calico. I think you should keep it here on Planetside primarily, and have it on Ashundar as a second measure.
Brewing storm...
A set of storm clouds with a flat base.
Clouds .tgc
Wow guys. I am DEFINITELY going to go home and play with these. Very nice. Hah, I wish I had some nice clouds to share.
This seemed more appropriate for the File Sharing area since the images are just here to illustrate the files (clip files) being shared. So I've moved the thread.
- Oshyan
@Oshyan - Thanks!
@Everyone - Hope you enjoy these. We can experiment and do as much as we want.
This one is as close as I could get to what I remember a summer day looks like. We've had a long winter. ;D
Super thread calico...will start saving the rare good clouds I get with images as well and drop them[few tho they'll be], in here....
heres my clip file for my dawn patrol render
enjoy!
(http://38.114.207.6/1217167835083b350ee54d6ddf1999664g.jpg)
Grey skies with storm clouds brewing...
Wow, that's a really nice one Calico!
yep, outstanding. thanks for sharing :)
That looks nice Calico, thanks for sharing :)
Quote from: calico on April 24, 2008, 12:43:25 PM
Grey skies with storm clouds brewing...
that's a very very cool shot !!!
Thanks. I'm working on another one.
this is a placeholder, will post my seperated clouds here aswell, plus a 'stacked' version, as soon as the preview render is finished
Cool. I'm still working on my next version of clouds.
Quote from: child@play on April 26, 2008, 08:10:39 AM
this is a placeholder, will post my seperated clouds here aswell, plus a 'stacked' version, as soon as the preview render is finished
Simple clouds.
Hey there are some really cool clouds in here, but I feel *really really* dumb.
Once I download my file, how do I use it?
Where is the option to use clouds as per the attached file?
(it is late and I worked over 9 hrs today- brain dumb)
To use a TGC, use select File / Insert Clip File and then find the TGC file associated with what you've downloaded.
In the default TGD, you'll find the default atmosphere. If the TGC you inserted does not have an atmosphere attached to it, go into the Node Network to find the atmosphere. Connect the atmosphere's output to the input of the cloud's node. The output coming out of the cloud's node needs to go into the Planet object's Atmosphere Shader input.
If the TGC already has an atmosphere, then simply select the output from the lowest node in the clip file's node structure and connect it to the Planet object's Atmosphere Shader input. After that, the default atmosphere (that you aren't using anymore) can be deleted...or whatever.
If this doesn't make sense, consider going to the beginner tutorials to learn more about TG2. Hope this helps.
Quote from: BlueRose on April 30, 2008, 06:16:04 AM
Hey there are some really cool clouds in here, but I feel *really really* dumb.
Once I download my file, how do I use it?
Where is the option to use clouds as per the attached file?
(it is late and I worked over 9 hrs today- brain dumb)
This is a muli-layered cloud pack. It uses a Distance Shader as a Blending Shader on four of the Density Shaders. Various things are possible, due to the six layers of clouds. The Atmosphere is included in the TGC.
This TGC (get it below) will work in the latest Alpha, of course, but it will work in version 1.9.04.1, since this was where it was created.
[edit - see below under Multiple Clouds TGC; the TGC was removed and replaced with the clouds_multiple.tgc below]
Quote from: calico on April 24, 2008, 12:43:25 PM
Grey skies with storm clouds brewing...
ohhhh, I like this one. Will be using this. Thanks :)
This belongs to the above multi-layered cloud pack. Same TGC, except I changed settings in all of the clouds and reconnected the Distance Shader with different settings. This one looks better. If you have already downloaded this, I apologize. Please try it again. If you haven't, you should try it. It's much better.
Calico, is that an artifact the way it glasses over in the lower right hand corner? Very nice bank!
@Mandrake, do you mean from the picture? That is from a mountain and the resulting shadows over it.
Try the new TGC...it's much better.
Yep, I marked it, lower right, kind of glass like. I'll play with these clouds soon. :)
I think that might be the cloud cover over the top of the mountain, unless I'm seeing something different.
if you need some inspiration : http://www.cloudappreciationsociety.org/gallery/index.php?x=browse&category=&pagenum=
Here's my cloud. It's one cloud layer - Actually, there's only one cloud cell on the entire planet.
Have fun with the node network on this one. If you use this in an image just give a little credit ;)
Quote from: Blonderator on July 12, 2008, 11:35:43 PM
Here's my cloud. It's one cloud layer - Actually, there's only one cloud cell on the entire planet.
Have fun with the node network on this one. If you use this in an image just give a little credit ;)
how generous of you thanks soooooo much!!!!
Thanks Blonderator!
Thanks to Frank for letting me learn from his settings and thanks to some of the people on http://tg2board.tgblog.de/ in the Technical Challenge site for their encouragement. This is a Work In Progress, but should make some beauties.
All of the work in this TGC was completed by me.
Awesome Idea, Way to go Calico /smiles.
Here is a huge cumulus cloud. I hope you enjoy.
A larger version of the image is here
http://forums.planetside.co.uk/index.php?topic=4445.msg46755#msg46755 (http://forums.planetside.co.uk/index.php?topic=4445.msg46755#msg46755)
Devin
Calico is it possible for you to post some new pages with new links so we can upload water TGC's as well and terrain tgcs? and others?
Water
Terrain
what else?
DT
I like the idea of other threads for specific libraries, but I'm still scrounging around with rock stuff.
I like the idea of a water library, so I'll post one. And I like the idea of a terrain library, but I wonder about the file size limit for terrains like TER format.
Once we get some of these titles up, hopefully we will all see the usefulness.
Cool
DT
Here`s the .tgc from the Warped cloud image I uploaded the other day, plus a strange thing I came out with when playing with the settings one day.
With the cloud ship I altered the cloud hardness to set it as if the loading bridge (type thingie) either look as if it had met the ship, or softened the setting to get it not quite attached.
Weird either way.
Enjoy!
Quote from: calico on July 18, 2008, 10:07:56 AM
I like the idea of other threads for specific libraries, but I'm still scrounging around with rock stuff.
I like the idea of a water library, so I'll post one. And I like the idea of a terrain library, but I wonder about the file size limit for terrains like TER format.
Once we get some of these titles up, hopefully we will all see the usefulness.
I would keep the terrain postings here to procedural ones; after all the other resources (clouds, water, etc.) are procedural. There are other sites like Ashundar and Terranuts that do large file hosting for free.
- Oshyan
Thanks for your input, Oshyan. This is just what we needed to be clear and makes perfect sense. Procedural is more interesting, anyway.
Quote from: Oshyan on July 20, 2008, 10:10:56 PM
Quote from: calico on July 18, 2008, 10:07:56 AM
I like the idea of other threads for specific libraries, but I'm still scrounging around with rock stuff.
I like the idea of a water library, so I'll post one. And I like the idea of a terrain library, but I wonder about the file size limit for terrains like TER format.
Once we get some of these titles up, hopefully we will all see the usefulness.
I would keep the terrain postings here to procedural ones; after all the other resources (clouds, water, etc.) are procedural. There are other sites like Ashundar and Terranuts that do large file hosting for free.
- Oshyan
Here's a clip, two cloud layers and an atmosphere that makes a light wintry overcast.
Here's one of my own, it gives a nice variety of styles
.tgd from this picture:
http://forums.planetside.co.uk/index.php?topic=4622.msg48215#msg48215 (http://forums.planetside.co.uk/index.php?topic=4622.msg48215#msg48215)
Good luck with these clouds, I expect to see the improvements being posted here as well ;)
Martin
This is all such nice variety. Bravo!
Here are a couple I've been messing around with. Full size images found here:
(http://www.archer-designs.com/temp/clouds/patagonian-desert-thumb.jpg)
http://forums.planetside.co.uk/index.php?topic=4661.0 (http://forums.planetside.co.uk/index.php?topic=4661.0)
(http://www.archer-designs.com/temp/clouds/cloud-tail-thumb.jpg)
http://forums.planetside.co.uk/index.php?topic=4662.0 (http://forums.planetside.co.uk/index.php?topic=4662.0)
I hope to see something better created from these!
Quote from: RArcher on August 15, 2008, 10:09:29 AM
Here are a couple I've been messing around with. Full size images found here:
(http://www.archer-designs.com/temp/clouds/patagonian-desert-thumb.jpg)
http://forums.planetside.co.uk/index.php?topic=4661.0 (http://forums.planetside.co.uk/index.php?topic=4661.0)
(http://www.archer-designs.com/temp/clouds/cloud-tail-thumb.jpg)
http://forums.planetside.co.uk/index.php?topic=4662.0 (http://forums.planetside.co.uk/index.php?topic=4662.0)
I hope to see something better created from these!
Nice! I really like the bottom one!
Agreed and the top one looks a lot like the clouds in some of Luc's work. in particular
http://www.planetside.co.uk/gallery/f/tg2/luc_tgd202.jpg.html
Modified my contrail and finally got it to work in the Y direction properly.
Clouds and atmosphere from my Hometime image. http://forums.planetside.co.uk/index.php?topic=4813.0
Almost purely default settings, I'm just uploading them on request.
Left hand = Sun elevation 35 degrees/strength 3.5(my defaults)
Right hand = Sun elevation 1 degree/strength 9.
Here's a couple more...
Nehg' In-Ska' .tgd http://forums.planetside.co.uk/index.php?topic=4833.msg50460#msg50460
And, explosion.tgc Which is a total of 3 nodes. (to be finalised, upload soon, small preview images attatched).
...
...
...
[attachimg=#]
[attachimg=#]
A .tgc of a TG2 explosion, just import the clipfile object and the corresponding settings are inside it(as they are with objects in general in TG2). Light source 01 should be set to coordinates within the main explosion object(planet) diameter.
4 nodes are inside. cloud layer + density fractal nodes and a lightsource. 1 more default shader simply removes the input node from the main explosion object node when it's imported.
[attachimg=#]
Very cool :). Thanks.
A quick rundown on use and components:
The TG explosion object begun as a TG2 planet object. I made the co-ords 0,0,0 and changed it's radius from several million, to 3 meters. Now you have a tiny planet of 6m diameter in front of that you can populate upon, add it's own atmospheres/cloud-layers, surface shaders (like I did in my dandinO render posted a while back).There's no surface shaders for this one though because the planet surface is invisible, more on that in a minute...
Once you have got this far, you'll want to add a cloud layer to this new planet: Set it's 'level' to '0' and it's height to '6'.
Doing this means that the cloud is also inside the planet it surrounds, 3 metres right to its core and also, it projects 3 metres outward from the surface.
Now, unchecking 'render surface' in the small-planet node settings omits the planet leaving you a nice 12 metres diameter puffball of cloud to edit with it's density fractal and internal lightsource. My scales here for the density fractal are based on this 6m radius of the cloud layer so, if you edit the scale of the explosion object you'll want to edit the fractal explosion scales to suit. There is also a light source inside the explosion object. If you move the parent explosion object from x0,y0,z0 you must do the same for it's lightsource, it must be inside the cloud to illuminate it with the force of 'the explosion'. Likewise, if you change the scale of the TG explosion object, you must also adjust the brightness of the light source inside to complement the bigger/smaller levels you give the parent object and its fractal.
There is a fourth, disabled but necessary, node inside the explosion model too. This is a disabled default shader and is in the internal network plugged into the 'surface shader' input of the explosion model. I've done this to remove the input node from the parent object. Now it's hidden inside being cuffed by a disabled shader. There is no surface to render anymore as the object only consists of clouds and a light so, no matter what you plugged in there, it'd have no effect whatsoever. Better to hide it I think, rather than leaving it out there to confuse someone who might be expecting results from it.
In effect, the explosion model is textured completely with TG atmospherics! Do I hear some Vue Meta-cloud competition hotting up in here? Lots of varying scale cloud models like this one could be used to create metaclouds, no doubt in my mind.
The lightsource here is used for fireglow but without it, these cloudpuff balls illuminate accordingly to atmospheric and lighting settings aswell, with the grouping and clipfile functions in TG I lay claim to being the inventor of TG2 Meta-clouds! :P. (strike me down if I'm wrong, I'm no pliagiarist, I've just never seen them.).
Stacks of these, strategically placed and scaled, could be saved as clips and imported as entire cloud formations in one click.
This is one more addition to my TG2 Public Library folder. I'll have a section of my webpage up and running soon where my Public Library will be open on a sharing basis. Everything there will be free, damn, it's not like it costs me anything to have fun doing this!
This doesn't mean that if you download anything from the public library that you must share something of your own, not at all but, unlike a real library, where your books must be returned, instead, all you would return(this isn't mandatory either, just an option) would be the link to any renders you made with the downloaded file. I would then supply the hosting space for these images which would then be transfered to my 'Public Gallery' section where I'd host any of your uploaded renders, along with, or without links, of your choice, to your websites etc. Any publicity is good publicity and, the more eyes that see your works, the better in my opinion.
Anyhow... TG calls... I'm lost in it's clouds completely now, they are just so fantastically diverse!
Sorry, I should mention that you can visit my site, as it is just now, by clicking on my signature picture. It needs some work and it's only a free Google Page Creator site but, it's entirely ad-free and ANY type of file can be stored in my account. If I write my own page templates, html, css, etc. and then hosted them in my GPC account I can have a complete website of my own hosted there. Of course, it still carries the 'google.pages' in the url but, I don't really need my own domain name, this is just a bit of fun.
**$ :\There is no SECToR 13!
Wow thank you bro so much, what a FYI and small tut for that TGC, wonderful work bro. Thanks very much.
Ok, I've definately created the first(I think) functional metaclouds in TG2. :)
[attachimg=#]
It's just a quick test but, this single cumulus cloud is actually 3 of my TG cloud objects, built together to give complete control over cloud shape!
Use the bounding box translation arrows to push and pull your cloud objects around your sky, duplicate them some more and place as many meta clouds in your scenes as you want, specifically where you want them and, build them to specifically what SHAPES you're after.
Push-me-Pull-me clouds in TG2, wonders will never cease! See image 'metacloud workspace' to see how easy it is to move the clouds around the scene. They each have their own bounding box!
Here's a metacloud clip... Each metacloud object has its own cloud layer and density fractal, you NEED a cloud layer for each object but you DON'T need a density fractal for each one. A single fractal could be used for all of the objects and, because of the differences in xyz translation and meta-cloud object scale, the patterns will be different, but consistent, across the whole cloud formation.
Have fun! I know I am! This is good stuff.
Oh... And, TG2 metaclouds are volumetric TG2 objects, not atmospheric shaders so you cannot use them like you would normal cloud layers. Incase anyone needs that clarifying, although I know you probably won't. :)
@dandelO - This is weird, but cool. I'd like to try it.
Great stuff, thanks :) ;) :D
This really is thinking out of the box ;D Congratulations, you've done the basics of meta-clouds in TG2, with TG2's quality clouds.
I've just given it a go and found all I need do is copy a base Meta-Cloud-Planet and its Cloud Layer multiple times, plug in that single Density Fractal into all Cloud Layers, and move the planets around. I don't even have any atmospheres or shaders on the Meta-Cloud-Planets (although I did have an atmosphere originally on the base Meta-Cloud-Planet, deleted the atmosphere, and the height changes seem to have stuck - which is good).
Now imagine being able to export particle animation files from XSI, Maya, Lightwave, etc, and auto-generating planets that use the particle import .chan files, or some such?
Without a doubt, linking settings from a master planet and cloud layer onto child nodes, so you only have to tweak a single setting (with child overrides for some settings), would make this the bee's knees.
Render times are great, probably due to there only being localised rendering of the clouds. If the planets could be scaled in the Master Planet's Y/altitude then some incredibly interesting and flexible cloud set-ups could be made with Dandelo's technique.
If an imported mesh (fully closed with no holes) could be populated by its volume with these things, then you can build clouds in your favourite app.
QuoteIf the planets could be scaled in the Master Planet's Y/altitude then some incredibly interesting and flexible cloud set-ups could be made with Dandelo's technique.
Technically, I believe that displacing the non-rendered planet's surface laterally(say to 1.5% it's lateral diameter, then the base planet would then be an ovoid and(this probably doesn't work correctly) the cloud cover would be measured from the centre of the ovoid, not the sphere. I don't think TG2 has that capability with planet atmo effects, just spheres and such, I think the laterally displaced sphere would poke through the cloud sphere(if the planet was rendered, of course).
It is now possible to just import one
volumetric TG object ;D, duplicate and rescale it numerous times and then just shift them around to their required positions.
If TG's ctrl+G functioned the way most other apps do then, there would be an overall bounding box created for the group of meta-clouds and that could be pushed/pulled around with ease...
I've just had an idea, I'll post another thread in TG2 Discussion forum...
Haha dandelO, my brother you on a roll. lol, and a fantastic one at that.
Hay I have a quick stupid question to ask you guys. I am having trouble trying to attach a Sky tgc file to my Sky and I can't find a way to do that. Could someone shoot a link to a tutorial or some info on TGC files and how to attach them? I thought I knew as I have done some on water and such, but the nodes/tabs are much different in the Skies tab then the water tab. So guess I am feeling a bit dumb about now lol /cough...................................
So a quick link would be sweet as WHEN I DID A SEARCH, NOTHING CAME UP????????? oops darn cap locks Oh well.
Ha ha Working on making Sky Boxes for there 3D Game Studio Engine and as far as I can tell no one has made any Sky Boxes using Tg2 yet, so I thought I would try and be among the first wave to do it. has unless someone here has already? then in which case to you have a conversion chart to work from? All I have is the Tutorial on making Sky boxes for regular Terragen. And the Camera interface in much different from TG2's. So if anyone is working with 3DGS, give me a private jingle? Please.../smiles most humbly...
Thanks you all so very much in advance.
DT
In general, the TG sky is just the inside of a sphere. This sphere is coloured with a constant shader, set to completely black. Your atmosphere creates the colour of the sky, not the background. You can try and go inside the 'background(sphere)' node and start to begin applying shaders that will be visible through the atmosphere. This is how I done my procedural night sky.tgc. you can find it here... http://forums.planetside.co.uk/index.php?topic=4766.0
To use this, just open TG, click 'file' >> 'insert clipfile' and select the clip you want to import. e.g. 'Procedural night sky.tgc'
Since my nightsky.tgc is only a TG2 object(sphere), it doesn't need racked up to any other nodes at all. Just disable/delete the original 'Background' node and the night sky one will now be used in it's place. If you left the default one enabled you'd get a mix of both backgrounds, I think, because the 'nightsky-background' sphere and the 'background' sphere are identical in size.
JimB: The heights of cloud layers will always stick without an atmo' as they are calculated from the parent planets outer edge, not the bounding levels of decay/haze/etc(even though they are atmospheric elements.
On this note, I might deduce that an image I viewed here recently(can't remember whose or which image though) where there was a top-level cut-off of clouds at their upper limit, could be solved by increasing the background sphere's radius. Maybe those clouds were too high/tall for the background node's dimensions and thus, poking through it?... Just a thought.
Thank you so much my friend,
wonderful FYI and Tut, I will get on it right away, and interesting thought about the night and day blended together as if done right could make one hell of a fantastic Fantasy Twilight time Sky. Ya got me thinking Te he, thanks for the info bro. /smiles. Been a while since I worked in TG2 and been stuck in vid-game-engines of late, so fun fun to play in TG2 again and I hope make some killer Sky boxes if I can get it all figured out and I will /winks.
DT
QuoteIf an imported mesh (fully closed with no holes) could be populated by its volume with these things, then you can build clouds in your favourite app.
That'd be nice but, I'm afraid TG2 planets can't be exported, even as .tgo.
I'm about to try a population of planets... Be right back, I suspect they've the same problems as the sphere when populated though.
Lol, I'd best not check 'sit on terrain'! CHRIST!
...
@dandelO - My asteroid program does just that - creates populations of planets. It'll load your computer a bit, after a certain number. It depends largely on this number and the amount of computing capability.
Quote from: calico on September 22, 2008, 01:55:06 PM
@dandelO - My asteroid program does just that - creates populations of planets. It'll load your computer a bit, after a certain number. It depends largely on this number and the amount of computing capability.
Calico, this is VERY interesting. Does it create populations of
TG2 planets though, you know, the ones with the surface AND atmo shading capabilities, or are they just round planets with a surface texture?
It's the atmo input I'm interested in, the meta-clouds are TG2 built-in planet nodes but, they rely solely on the ability to render only the atmospheric elements of each planet, 'render surface' is unchecked in each meta-cloud...
???
These are asteroids...they look like asteroids - grey, distorted and rough. No atmosphere, but the resulting population has everything available that any default planet population would. The distortions are mostly up at the top of the node structure and allow control of the multiple branches beneath. This makes changing multiple planet terrains easier. I haven't done a lot with atmospheres with this, but it is probably very similar as far as ease.
You can find the program here - http://forums.planetside.co.uk/index.php?topic=3643.0
Quote from: dandelO on September 22, 2008, 10:46:30 AM
QuoteIf an imported mesh (fully closed with no holes) could be populated by its volume with these things, then you can build clouds in your favourite app.
That'd be nice but, I'm afraid TG2 planets can't be exported, even as .tgo.
...
I wasn't suggesting that at all ;) What I meant was a new feature to TG2 that could populate an imported mesh's volume with planets. Then you render that within TG2.
Jim, by imported mesh, do you mean something like a galaxy cloud or space setting with space stations...or what? I understand, I guess, but clarification about what you might do sounds interesting enough to be nosy.
;D
Nice, Jim! I like it, are you listening PS? ;) At least fix the planet/sphere population problem, I've already figured out staggered height populations. Fractal distribution over that would do just as good a job for me for laying my meta-clouds upon...
Sh*t! I've just had another idea... Be right back, hopefully! ;)
EDIT: DOH! No I haven't, I can't populate the clouds, didn't even try! I meant to lay them on another invisible planets surface, what'm I thinking? I've just written it in this very post ^^ :D
This is my final meta-cloud model(for the moment ;)). This one cloud is 3 small TG2 planet models.
It is very diverse and editable as this attatched image shows.
None of these images have been created using different fractal seeds, cloud coverage, densities, edge sharpness or cloud colour! None of them!
The only settings that need moved about for these meta-clouds is the 'cloud altitude' and 'cloud height' sliders!
The only thing you have to make sure of when raising/lowering 'cloud height' is that the cloud-layer MUST reach into the core of the planet. (thus the default level of -50 for cloud altitude and 100m for depth.
Making the default model so that the cloud layer is beneath the non rendered planet surface keeps the samples down, more cloud depth = lots more samples! Cut corners wherever you can! ;)).
There are only a total of three non rendered planets making up this one cumulus, duplicate them and move them around with their bounding boxes to manually build infinite cloud shapes.
Forget everything you've learned about TG's cloud height/depth settings when using these meta-clouds. Read on...
Each meta-cloud object has it's own cloud layer. These will pop up in your atmosphere tab when you import the clipfile.
One density fractal supplies all the cloud data. It's scales are set for this size of 100m radius planet as my defaults. If you raise the object size/raise the scales to match...
'Cloud altitude' and 'cloud depth' with these doesn't mean 'height above x,y,z. in your TG world anymore.
These clouds are volumetric OBJECTS(3x100m radius TG2 planets) and will appear in your objects tab. To control their position you'll use the x,y,z values there.(or, even easier, just drag each cloud's bounding box!).
Cloud altitude, in meta-clouds, is now based on the planet that the particular puffball of cloud surrounds. If you don't make the cloud altitude offset, to reach the middle of the planet, you'll get a hollow cloud-ball or a 3D 'doughnut' effect. Think of the 'depth' of your meta-clouds as a radius, from the point in the centre of each cloud-puff, to it's outer limits. Does that make sense? Good! :)
The following image shows the diversity that can be achieved by only adjusting the very first 2 sliders in each cloud layer shader! ;D
I think I've got the scales and densities pretty decent for a model of this size, nothing really needs touched except those first 2 sliders but, feel free to do what you want with it.
Here's a mini-tut image on easy usage and the .tgd and .tgc for the default meta-cloud model. (pictured first in the image).
[attachimg=#]
Cheers.
dandelO.
EDIT: Substitute the words 'Level' and 'Height' in my preview image for 'Altitude' and 'Depth', respectfully. Sorry, my mistake. :-[
Sorry, I just came back in here before anyone else managed to, so I could pat myself on the back. Tonight I sleep with an inner grin on my chops! ;D
Damn! How can I sleep with these lying in my computer!? I might just play some more...
This workspace image didn't fit above...
Well, you have done quite a lot here. It's marvelous, from what I can see and I haven't had time to play with it yet. I'm still playing with the "old" clouds. :D
If I could better understand what JimB and you were trying to do...well, maybe I just need to play around with these and then I'll understand.
QuoteIf I could better understand what JimB and you were trying to do...well, maybe I just need to play around with these and then I'll understand.
Calico: In Vue, there are things called 'meta-clouds'. They're really just groups of spheres that can be stacked into any pattern and textured with volumetric cloud materials, only, in Vue, they can all be grouped together and, the whole cloud body can be moved as one object.
I've just made TG2's equivalent but, I'm lacking the ctrl+G function(as is everyone using TG and wanting to group objects together.) to group them. These models must be moved
individually around your scene to built specific cloud shapes.
There's really nothing left to do to it, this cloud pictured above is built from 3 seperate meta-cloud models(each model is a TG2 built-in planet with 'render surface' unchecked and no atmosphere). Plug in a cloud layer v.2 into the atmo node of the invisible planet, use a corresponding density fractal to the size of your small invisible planet and, if you make the depth of cloud and its altitude match to reach the core of the planet you are basically controlling the RADIUS of each cloudpuff, or in other words, how far it 'erupts' outwards.
I'll make a little diagram to explain in photoshop...
This is very crude, Calico but...
The pink/red circles and text explain the cloud elements, the black/grey are planet related. And, this is a sphere, not a circle remember. ;)
The 'cloud altitude' is 50 metres beneath a 100m radius planet(the planet's surface is not rendered and it has no independent atmosphere, only a cloud layer and density fractal). The 'cloud depth' is 100 metres. Meaning it extends 50 metres in each direction from the 'cloud altitude' level of -50 metres.(the pinkish ring on the diagram).
This means the cloud extends outwards from its 'cloud altitude'. 50m to the core of the sphere and 50m to it's outer edge aswell. Essentially, filling the area of the planet sphere with volumetric clouds.
I can't make the workings any clearer than that, Calico, I'm no mathematician, just a humble fiddler. :)
Oh! The pink blobs are the actual volumetric meta-clouds. They look fantastic in this image, no? ;)
[attachimg=#]
Great job explaining, dandelO. I believe I understand and this is without playing with it yet. Good communication!
I will play with this, but I'm still fiddling with the cloud I started weeks ago. ::)
This is all *extremely* cool stuff and the results are looking very nice. I will see what we can do about a proper "move group" capability, although I don't know if it can make it in before the release. Regardless, I hope everyone takes this and runs with it as it's an extremely cool technique.
- Oshyan
Way to go dandel0!
You answered a wish I had in a post on Feb. 3, 2007 when discussing animating clouds.
I am a meteorologist and am always looking for ways to create clouds using 3d software packages.
I have been using Lightwave 3D for about 10 years with a plugin from Japan called OGO-Taiki. It uses procedural textures (pseudo-random fractals) and does a great job. It is difficult to create individual clouds and place them but it does incredible whole skies.
There is another plugin that can do individual clouds fit to specific shapes, but it is very difficult to get reliable results.
Vue 5 was a dissapointment and meta-clouds in Vue 6 look great but as with every software release or technique that professes to create clouds it is usually cumulus and the many other cloud types are ignored. I have had trouble in Vue 6 getting good results with anything but cumulus.
My first impression of your very creative technique was - another cumulus generator. So I tried to create cirrus streaks and a cirro-stratus cloud deck by modifying your T2 scene and the results were excellent.
Thanks for making a quantum leap possible within T2. It seems to me you gave the Planetside staff a new way of thinking. Using a modified planet concept an entire meta-cloud generator could be developed within T2 using your idea. Hopefully if the developers adopt it they can make the height/depth requirements default and instead of just spheres make it possible to use any closed, simple 3D geometric object
The images attached are from the scene I have attached. Here is what I have done.
1. each of 3 spheres has a diameter of 900
2. each cloud layer, following dandel0's instructions has an altitude of -450 and a depth of 900
3. The spheres are concentric
4. The density fractal was stretched in the x direction only to 900 (image1, and image2)
5. Each meta-cloud layer has separate tweaks for variations in detail - coverage adjust, cloud density, colour, base wispiness, base softness are all different.
The difference between cirrus_streaks1 and cirrus_streaks2 is that individual meta-cloud layer densities are doubled for cirrus_streaks2.
The difference between cirrus_streaks1 and cirrus_streaks3 is that I stretched meta-cloud layers 1 and 2 along all three axes in the density fractal and doubled both the cloud density and coverage adjust for each of the three layers.
From a single T2 scene cumulus clouds (the original scene from dandel0), thin cirrus streaks, thicker cirrus streaks and a uniform cirro-stratus overcast, thickening to the right, all volumetric. It will be interesting to see if T2 reproduces realistic filtering of sunlight through the overcast.
The attached scene is for cirrus_streaks1. The transform shaders are for future experimentation.
dandelO - great thinking. I have been struggling with how to do individual clouds in T2 for sometime you have opened the door.
Steve Horstmeyer
See, that's it! This technique is so pliable and elastic, there are really no limits. I'm glad you like it, Steve. :)
Imagine a scene, one large scale meta-cloud(like yours, sky coverage size) offset to the left-hand side of the screen, you have the curve of the invisible planet providing the base shape for a layer to sit on, you don't have to make your cloud layer touch the very centre of the planet's core so, you essentially now have a curved plane defining where the clouds will be, then, you can intersect this layer with yet another meta-cloud, offset to the right-hand side, to get real intersecting 'curves' of cloud. Limitless! Just like TG2 itself. You simply couldn't do this stuff with any other software.
Some time before this I'd played with the 'soap-bubble' idea, same theory only, the cloud has no real depth, just a shell of cloud around a ball of atmosphere(for, at the time, I'd not disconnected the new planet atmosphere node.) I kind of brought it up here in January in this post, when I'd been doing something similar... http://forums.planetside.co.uk/index.php?topic=3187.msg32394#msg32394
Large or small scale, these clouds will do nice things if you ask them politely.
I'd really like the ability to deform their base planet circumferently(??? :-\ :D) , and have the cloud-layer 'altitude' measure from the deformed surface, like an egg shape, or a sausage but, it doesnt work that way, cloud altitude is measured from the core - outwards, it's 'altitude' above the surface is basically just the face of another sphere with a larger radius. Still, it's very intuitive and specific shapes can be 'built' by adding more planets, have fun! :)
dandelO.
I've noticed that with your .tgd, Steve, all the planets(clouds) are at the same co-ords and that, 2 of the cloud layers are being 'blocked' from rendering, I think it has to do with the transform shaders between the density fractals on the 'left' and 'right' models.
In your .tgd only the middle cloud is rendering, try it yourself, move either the left or right meta-cloud and you'll notice no change in the rendered cloud at all.
I couldn't work out your .tgd until I'd zoomed out to behind the cloud(instead of inside it where the camera is set) and tried moving each object. Only moving the 'middle' cloud has any effect on the scene and, I don't know why because it has a transform shader added to it aswell. Strange. I've not played with adding any seperate shaders to the density fractal though so, I'll have a look...
Excellent work DandelO! I am definitely going to try this out. I did similar research a while back which came up with similar results--> http://forums.planetside.co.uk/index.php?topic=3618.0
I've created a few images using it, but haven't posted them.
Whoa! I can't believe I missed this but hey, great minds and all that jazz, eh? ;)
I probably just completely overlooked it as I never had a PC working well enough to scratch any deeper than the skin of TG2 clouds, subsequently, most of my previous entries have had minimal clouds or workaround methods to fake things. I've just started out with them properly this last few weeks. I'm thoroughly impressed.
Great work, brilliant :)
only wish I was not stuck in front of my banged out lappy and could really experiment at home.
Richard
dandelO
Thanks ... I did not catch that.
I reconfigured the scene and used 3 concentric spheres without the transform shaders.
Outer sphere radius = 9000
Middle sphere radius = 2000
Inner sphere radius = 1000
In this case the inner sphere blocks the middle and outher spheres and you see no higher clouds. The other meta-cloud layers are working but they cannot be seen through the lower layer.
I'll play around with this and get back to you.
Steve Horstmeyer
Steve, I'll wager you're still filling the planet to its core with clouds. To make concentric layers with 3 different planets with 3 seperate radii, you'll want to limit the depth of your clouds to limit how far back and forward of their altitude they're reaching.
'Test1' is your .tgd with the new concentric sizes and each planet filled to its core with cloud. It looks not unlike your unedited .tgd renders(except the quality), I moved the sun to 130° from 90° as it was shining the clouds up too much, I'd bet if I moved it to 90° and rendered there wouldn't be much difference in my test and yours. No cigar!
So, I've changed the cloud depths, and their densities to match, and this method works fine for concentric layers of cirrus clouds(you can do this in TG anyway the conventional way with 3d cirrus layers so this seems like work that's done already but, it's worth doing anyway, just to see. ;)).
Bear in mind: my metacloud model was originally designed(but not bound. ;)) to be used as blocks of fluff that could be built into cloud formations.
As such, the one-density-fractal-does-all method works well. You'll want to add different density fractals to each layer because, at such varying distances, they won't look as good, obviously.
Original with concentric clouds at full cover = test1.
Edited cloud depths = test2.
Edited.tgd is attatched.
[attachimg=#]
[attachimg=#]
INSTANT EDIT: I also moved the camera slightly because it was inside a cloud. :)
Here's the view from outside looking in.
The camera in the edited.tgd is inside the smallest circle. If you look close, you can just see it, looking back at you! ;)
[attachimg=#]
is this thread still alive? :)
well, here is a file from me anyways, first planetary scale clouds i managed to create with quite some detail.
hf
p.s.: postworked version with curve-adjustment/contrast
This is quite an old one but I got a couple of requests over on Ashundar/terragen.org
Thanks for posting that, Mr. L ;).
OMG, this is wonderful. Thanks Mr. L.
Luc's gift to the forum...
http://forums.planetside.co.uk/index.php?topic=5490.msg56723#msg56723
heres a small tryout of animated/ dissoving clouds...
Here's what I call my "Average Dutch" atmo clip.
You can find an image it was used in here:http://forums.planetside.co.uk/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=5624.0;attach=14655;image
Nothing spectacular but just the average Dutch sky on a average Dutch day.
Ice cirrus
This is a slightly modified version of the cirrus clouds that I used in this scene:
http://www.terragen.org/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-5767
This clip has been modified so that it can easily be dropped into a default scene and give an acceptable result.
The original complete project file is available here:
http://www.terragen.org/index.php?action=tpmod;dl=item477
Hallo,
As a total TG2-beginner I am very happy about these marvellous clouds. Thank you all :)
If you could attach the schematic file as an Adobe PDF file, which I think that you can, you could zoom in and out on it as needed in order to see detail.
There are plenty of free PDF file creator tools out there to make the files out of jpegs or whatever.
Can someone post clouds for a gas giant? I've been trying to make a gas giant but it looks like crap from space and the clouds are always above the camera from within the atmosphere.
If you are still using Terragen 0.9.43 for your Uranus project, the .tgc clip files posted here will not help you. Google search for Terragen .atm files.
...and most clouds here are for earthly projects, as most here go for realism, as in earth. If you are using T2, keep tweaking! That is what most of us do. - Bill .
I'm done with my Uranus project. I want to try to do Jupiter in TG2!
Good idea !
Here's a large cloud. Made using FrankB's help and some of Luc's settings. It has a distance shader connected to a camera for cloud placement.
Cheers,
Simon.
Wow! :o ;D 8)
Very nice Simon - thanks for sharing.
No probs and thanks... I am going to start digging out some more clouds, so I'll up them as I sort them out. calico pointed out that I hadn't posted any clouds (at which point I started to feel a bit guilty).... so share and share alike.
Cheers,
Simon.
An Altocumulus layer. TGD and TGC.
To keep this thread on topic, please post comments in the image thread: http://forums.planetside.co.uk/index.php?topic=8002.0
here is the fog clip file from my "Noble Giant-Creepy fog" render.
I'd like to post a slightly unusual formation (I think it's reasonably close to Cirrocumulus or Cirrus floccus) that might be useful in some specialised scenes (see below) - but unfortunately, in the tweaking process, somehow the .tgc has ballooned to 1.18 MB. Any suggestions?
EDIT: I must have picked up the wrong file - here is the clip file - a measly 5k! This file was developed from Matt's mackerel sky. See the thread a couple of posts above, where he also explains how to reseed (the node that's unconnected).
Ooo, I like that. Did you use the Painted Shader at all? That will make TGD/TGC files rather large. Other than that I can't think why a simple TGC of just the cloud and atmosphere would be so big.
- Oshyan
Doesn't look like a painted shader.
ooops! - see two posts above - clip file now available.
Here's another variant that is much more sparse - I've used it to simulate falling snow.
Neat. Try making it even more sparse, decreasing the scale, and increasing octaves. Then increase the Cloud Depth so it floats in front of the ground.
Here's some realistic cumulus clouds from my "Rocky Hills" image. There's also a default (?) cirrus layer in there FOR GREAT JUSTICE!!! (no, just for variation in the sky)(that phrase is from Zero Wing, a Japanese video game that was poorly translated to English and had an opening cutscene, which is now scattered in various forms all over the Net)
I've included a preview of it dropped onto a default scene. Here ya go.
Some fluffy cumulus clouds, they turn pretty orange with more red sky decay. You may want to turn the samples down as they are pretty high.
Here are some realistic cumulus-fractus clouds.
I've been attempting these for ages now and couldn't get the control I was after. Sometimes you just need to leave an idea for a while and go back to it after a new wave of thinking has had time to creep up and make things all clear. :)
The following variation progression image is the rendered results of moving only one slider upwards, between '0' and '1' and hitting render.
[attachimg=#]
These are simply rendered in direct lighting. Of course, they are far more flexible than this...
The cloud layer is fed by two fractals, these are split into two main shader channels for dual-control of the cloud input; 'Form and Seed' and 'Wisp Dominance'.
Pretty self explanatory. The form/seed fractal describes the overall shape of the cloud layer, wisp dominance is how much of this form is 'eaten' and puffed by turbulent wispy noise.
To use them, simply insert them as a clip file into a scene, connect them as you would any other cloud layer, random seed the form/seed fractal until you get a nice overall shape for your layer and then just begin to raise or lower their wispiness. Use the 'coverage' slider in the wisp dominance layer to add/remove their fractus factor. It's set to default for '0.25' wispiness coverage, a nice happy level. :)
Altitude constraints can also be set in this layer for the wispiness.
If you don't like the pattern of the wispiness but still want to keep the main form of cloud you've got, just change the 'wisp fractal' seed/noise flavour/warp etc. for different variations.
In the clipfile version remember to check the 'blend by shader' boxes of each node the 'distance shader' is plugged into, and attach your render camera to it as well. The distance shader blending is unused in the default clip. It's there if you do want it, though, ready to be enabled.
The cloud layer requires only 47 samples at full quality detail.
That's about it, maybe someone can light them up nicely, I wan't to see some nice red sky decay on the feathers of these birdies! I'm away to play with these myself now. :)
I'm game. Give me a bit.
Thank you dandelO for sharing your knowledge and this file.
Many thanks!
Here is the tgc file (clip) for my cloud setup. Just connect the atmosphere to the altocumulous node and the altocumulous node to the Planet node where the atmosphere node was connected.
The density fractal will control the amount of vertical 'stretching' by changing the warp slider value in the warp tab.
Thanks Henry!
Thanks Henry; never have enough clouds
If you want a sky like the one below, download it now (free): http://store.nwdanet.com/terragen2store/6-terragen-2-presets/7-atmosphere-a-clouds.html
Quote from: FrankB on June 17, 2010, 07:07:51 PM
If you want a sky like the one below, download it now (free): http://store.nwdanet.com/terragen2store/6-terragen-2-presets/7-atmosphere-a-clouds.html
Thank you Frank; this is generous of you; and, will create a multitude of possibilities.
This is just right for the cloudy area I live in. Thanks!
Cirrocumulus + Altocumulus Layers:
[attachimg=#]
Oppressive cumulus. Some unclassified, dirty cumuli.
[attachimg=#]
It makes us feel good that somebody like you continues to come up with these endless possibilities, spreading the enthusiasm.
You're all very welcome, and, thank you, Bob. :)
I would include you in the artist batch we have here. Many of your images have been wonderful. Not everything I have done is great. Frankly, I get impatient to move on to the next project quite quickly.
Hmm..perhaps a sandstorm..possibly something else :) The file contains the clouds, light and camera.
Good one, Freelancah! And those sand ripples look great.
Thanks very much! How are you doing those ripples?
freelancah, this is looking great; and, thank you for the file. I would like to see the sun as a large disk (no corona) with a thin dust cloud (sand storm) diffusing its light. The sand ripples look very good; and, maybe they could be combined with Tangled_Universe's ideas for smoothing them out a bit - something to try.
The ripples are made with a method described by David Burnett in this thread http://forums.planetside.co.uk/index.php?topic=843.0
Quote from: Ogre on August 29, 2008, 11:56:36 AM
Modified my contrail and finally got it to work in the Y direction properly.
Anyone know how to move this thing around. Have to admit a bit of newb when it comes to functions, however in the simplest terms if I wanted to locate this effect over one or more different volcanos how do I move it? Ideally it would be just moving the whole thing intact?
Another nice thing would be to elongate the trail quite a bit, can anyone steering toward the right nodes to be messing with?
Thx for the link!
Quote from: domdib on September 12, 2010, 05:06:21 PM
Thx for the link!
Sorry all obviously don't post much. This question was in regard to the volcanic plume.
http://forums.planetside.co.uk/index.php?topic=3691.msg49482#msg49482
Here's another...just many cloud layers with semi different settings..
A basic cloud layer from this image sharing discussion (http://forums.planetside.co.uk/index.php?topic=10923.0).
[attachimg=#]
Thanks Martin, was this coupled with your night background?
Yes, Bob, a slightly different one that I've posted before, just fixed luminosities and colours. That's why it doesn't use RTE. The background node shows no stars if it does.
Quote from: dandelO on October 09, 2010, 06:10:10 PM
Yes, Bob, a slightly different one that I've posted before, just fixed luminosities and colours. That's why it doesn't use RTE. The background node shows no stars if it does.
Thanks Martin, when I saw your image, my visualization started generating and gave me some ideas for a future project ...much appreciated.
On two rare occasions, I saw clouds like these here in Arizona. Both were connected with high altitude rocket tests and occurred after sunset. One was from Edwards Air Force Base to our west; the other from White Sands New Mexico to our east. The rocket trails left what looked like clouds and were illuminated by the sun which was below the horizon.
Noctilucent Clouds used for my Neon Twilight
i think i should post it here. i believe most of the more experienced folks here can show us extremely good results and i hope to see it :)
based from RArcher's Fantasy Clouds (http://www.nwdanet.com/buy-packs/details/38/7/preset-packs/fantasy-clouds-by-rarcher)
(http://th03.deviantart.net/fs71/150/i/2010/283/2/f/neon_clouds_by_nethskie-d30gohq.jpg) (http://nethskie.deviantart.com/art/Neon-Twilight-182176766)
Nethskie was my inspiration! Cheers, dude! Now post that image, already... :D
thanks mate! i posted a TGD file on my previous post i hope you can play with it and give us better results than mine :)
Freelancah - these are great offerings. Thank you.
And thanks everyone who has kept these clouds coming. I love it!
Here's another quick cloud setup..
Some quite realistic clouds i made. Low render times.
I didn't like the repeating billowy noise in my old cirrocumulus layer (http://sites.google.com/site/d4nd310/downloads/Cirro-Alto%20Preview.jpg)(top left preview), I see it in peoples pictures, and my own and it seems so repetitive and unnatural, I've edited it to fix this, I far prefer this new version, hope you do too! :)
v2.a(primary rays only, the way cirrocumulus should be, they do not self-shadow)
[attachimg=#]
v2.b(primary+secondary rays - 4x longer render for minimal effect)
[attachimg=#]
The file is optimized for raytraced rendering, if you should need to render with the micropolygon rasterizer, just bump their quality up to '1' from the default '0.25'.
Both of these previews are at '0.25 cloud quality' and AA of only '2'.
Render times were; v2.a = 2 minutes/v2.b = 8 minutes. Not really a good trade-off when it's so little visible.
The defaults are set to 'v2.a' settings, for speed and to keep them true to life. Enable secondary rays only if you need to but I wouldn't really advise it, the difference is really very subtle but it will produce the little shadow rays in the atmosphere if you'd like them. The effect of secondary rays on the clouds themselves is barely noticable, as by design.
Enjoy! :)
Thank you Martin, I was looking for something like these for my next image - really appreciate what you've done here.
metacloud
metacloud
I'm still learning to use clip files, whenever I insert one from this thread, the nodes and setting appear under atmospheres for the clouds but it never renders them. Am I missing something crucial?
they need to connected/plugged into the node network to render, connect the cloud layer node to the atmosphere input the planet 01 node.
Quote from: sylink on March 02, 2011, 01:19:19 PM
I'm still learning to use clip files, whenever I insert one from this thread, the nodes and setting appear under atmospheres for the clouds but it never renders them. Am I missing something crucial?
Ah that did it, thank you!
What a great thread and superb posts!!
Super interesting and valuable information too!!
Thank you very much everyone for sharing... calico, PG, Phylloxera, Mandrake, Seth, Blonderator, dwilson, silentgod, Mr_Lamppost, mrwho, Tangled-Universe, RArcher, moodflow, Ogre, dandelO (great mini-tutorials!), stevehmeyer, child@play, kleinm, AndyWelder, littlecannon, Matt, zaai999, domdib, TheBlackHole, Gforce, njeneb, FrankB, freelancah, nethskie, Granknight, Vyacheslav!
I just got Terragen and hopefully with your great tutorials and expert help I will also be able to contribute with some good things for you all too!
Thanks for sharing your art with us!
Cheers
MAX
The nuke from this thread: http://forums.planetside.co.uk/index.php?topic=11069.0 . Enjoy.
Here are some more clouds to play with. Dune asked about some settings from another thread and maybe these are it. If I have posted these before, my apologies.
Thanks, Calico.
Here's 1 sunset thingy from long ago
looks nice!
cheers freelancah!
Thanks! Changed the file a bit and re-render to show the sky better
I want to share my "On Top Clouds" clip file. I used these clouds in my "On Top of Some World" file.
I used three cloud files....I think they were all Cirrus clouds???
This file is best used with a very high camera angle.
If used credit or a mention of my name would be nice but, I'll leave that up to you as I know I don't always remember where or from whom I borrowed a file....use freely.
Thanks for all of your help and free files...it has helped me alot!!!
Sharing is a good thing.
Mark
Thank you, Mark.
these look great Mark, cheers!
Thanks Mark, these are good looking and deserve a place in future compositions.
Thank you sir!! will help me understand good cloud settings further
* EDIT: Fixed the post to show attachments. OOOHHHH! Trippy shadow effect! ;) *
Here's a thing I was playing with and thought it would be a good idea to tidy it up to make it easily usable as a clipfile. It provides up to 3 extra levels of added detail based on Voronoi noise to the cloud layer. This might be useful as another approach at creating the 'mackerel' effect in the sky as it adds continually decreasing cells to the layer. Further warping and/or stretching(not included) could probably be tweaked to make some cool 'herringbone' effects, too. Have a play.
The instructions(are also in a note node in the internal network of 'Voronoi Cloud Shader') are as follows;
Main Network View.
The cloud seed and distribution controls, 'Density Fractal 01', is found beside the cloud layer node. You can use random seeds until you have a nice form that suits your scene. I have made a nice default setting. You can adjust all parameters of this node to your own taste, so it has been left easily accesible in the main network view.
As well as providing seed and coverage functions, 'Density fractal 01' is also the mask for the following levels of Voronoi detail.
'Density Fractal 01' should NOT be connected directly to the cloud layer, it is supposed to be that way.
The node 'Voronoi Cloud Shader' should be plugged into the density fractal input of the cloud layer node.
_________________
Internal Network View('Voronoi Cloud Shader' node).
Choose an output from 'Level 1', 'Level 2' or 'Level 3'. Plug it into the 'colour function' input of 'Voronoi Shader'. Each ascending level of Voronoi functions raise cloud detail by adding smaller scales of cells which subdivide the level directly below themselves. Consequently, the higher the function level, the longer the render time.
Level 1 = Adds 750m base-cells to the cloud layer.
Level 2 = Adds a subdivision level of 4 to the base-cells.
Level 3 = Adds a subdivision level of 8(of the base-cells) to level 2.
Lastly, there is a node in the internal network called 'Warper'. This does just that, warps the cloud layer to remove the visible straight edges from the default Voronoi cells. It is scaled to match the preset Voronoi scales and shouldn't require any further editing.
_______________
'Level 1,2 or 3' nodes plug into the 'Voronoi Shader' as shown in the internal network screenshot, default settings are 'Level 3' - Full Voronoi settings;
[attachimg=1]
The clip file defaults are 'Voronoi Clouds_b - Level 3'.
Voronoi Clouds_a
[attachimg=2]
Voronoi Clouds_b
[attachimg=3]
Cheers! :)
Wonderful clouds, again! Thank you, Martin!
Thanks Martin!
Welcome! :)
I'm still playing with them too, I think there's lots of potential for interesting cloud features here.
Now this is different.
Quote from: dandelO on April 07, 2012, 03:12:08 PM
* Edit; Image attachments don't seem to be working after the forum upgrade but they are in the .rar file anyway. *
Odd, I tested image attachments and they indeed were working. But I see they don't in your post. Not sure why. Sorry to bring this a bit off-topic, just wanted to note that we're looking into this. Attaching an image for a test...
- Oshyan
Seems to work fine now, I edited my post to fix the image display.
cheers Martin, I have a couple of cloud experiments on the go, it will be interesting to see what I can glean from this!
:)
J
;D
nice cloud nodes DandelO! :)
these make me want to get back to using TG2!
A simple and basic column of warped cloud for volcanoes and such. Many settings to play with..... and stuff like mixing two of these with different cloud colors.
Quote from: dandelO on April 07, 2012, 03:12:08 PM
* EDIT: Fixed the post to show attachments. OOOHHHH! Trippy shadow effect! ;) *
Here's a thing I was playing with and thought it would be a good idea to tidy it up to make it easily usable as a clipfile. It provides up to 3 extra levels of added detail based on Voronoi noise to the cloud layer. This might be useful as another approach at creating the 'mackerel' effect in the sky as it adds continually decreasing cells to the layer. Further warping and/or stretching(not included) could probably be tweaked to make some cool 'herringbone' effects, too. Have a play.
The instructions(are also in a note node in the internal network of 'Voronoi Cloud Shader') are as follows;
Main Network View.
The cloud seed and distribution controls, 'Density Fractal 01', is found beside the cloud layer node. You can use random seeds until you have a nice form that suits your scene. I have made a nice default setting. You can adjust all parameters of this node to your own taste, so it has been left easily accesible in the main network view.
As well as providing seed and coverage functions, 'Density fractal 01' is also the mask for the following levels of Voronoi detail.
'Density Fractal 01' should NOT be connected directly to the cloud layer, it is supposed to be that way.
The node 'Voronoi Cloud Shader' should be plugged into the density fractal input of the cloud layer node.
_________________
Internal Network View('Voronoi Cloud Shader' node).
Choose an output from 'Level 1', 'Level 2' or 'Level 3'. Plug it into the 'colour function' input of 'Voronoi Shader'. Each ascending level of Voronoi functions raise cloud detail by adding smaller scales of cells which subdivide the level directly below themselves. Consequently, the higher the function level, the longer the render time.
Level 1 = Adds 750m base-cells to the cloud layer.
Level 2 = Adds a subdivision level of 4 to the base-cells.
Level 3 = Adds a subdivision level of 8(of the base-cells) to level 2.
Lastly, there is a node in the internal network called 'Warper'. This does just that, warps the cloud layer to remove the visible straight edges from the default Voronoi cells. It is scaled to match the preset Voronoi scales and shouldn't require any further editing.
_______________
'Level 1,2 or 3' nodes plug into the 'Voronoi Shader' as shown in the internal network screenshot, default settings are 'Level 3' - Full Voronoi settings;
[attachimg=1]
The clip file defaults are 'Voronoi Clouds_b - Level 3'.
Voronoi Clouds_a
[attachimg=2]
Voronoi Clouds_b
[attachimg=3]
Download;
[attachimg=4]
Cheers! :)
Holy Mackerel Skies Batman...great stuff...must go play now, thank you cloud wizard sir...
Quote from: Oshyan on April 07, 2012, 08:35:24 PM
Quote from: dandelO on April 07, 2012, 03:12:08 PM
* Edit; Image attachments don't seem to be working after the forum upgrade but they are in the .rar file anyway. *
Odd, I tested image attachments and they indeed were working. But I see they don't in your post. Not sure why. Sorry to bring this a bit off-topic, just wanted to note that we're looking into this. Attaching an image for a test...
- Oshyan
This is an amazing picture. I've seen the daylight version of this as well. Oshyan Is this your work?
Quote from: bobbystahr on May 15, 2012, 04:48:48 PM
Holy Mackerel Skies Batman...great stuff...must go play now, thank you cloud wizard sir...
(http://mlkshk.com/r/34A2)
Did DandelO's rar attachment for the tgc clips get lost/deleted from his message (see page 12 of this thread)? I was about to try diving into voronoi clouds myself, and this would be a massive boost.
Thanks,
-Matt
Quote from: dandelO on April 07, 2012, 03:12:08 PM
* EDIT: Fixed the post to show attachments. OOOHHHH! Trippy shadow effect! ;) *
Here's a thing I was playing with and thought it would be a good idea to tidy it up to make it easily usable as a clipfile. It provides up to 3 extra levels of added detail based on Voronoi noise to the cloud layer.
<...>
Cheers! :)
Cumulus clouds from the "Arid Lands" thread.
nice job Allen, for the terminator zone, try changing to a default atmosphere and this settings:
Bluesky height: 7000
haze exp height: 1000
ceiling adjust: 8
in the lighting (cloud node)
change the enviro light to 1
the enviro light tint to 0.1125
and cloud altitude to 8000
this is only for a better aesthetics.
;)
Cloud coverage doesn't always work good if you have your cloud fractal masked. Did you try working on the fractal variation and clumping itself? Perhaps adding a bias scalar plus some constant node or even (theoretically) a PF? Just thought of the last sentence, never tried a bias here. And/or using the gamma adjustment in the cloud node?
Hi Allen, if you ask me, in your 1st Global cloud test1, the picture above looked pretty
good to me, I guess in his last test, you have found a middle point in the result.
Quote from: Henry Blewer on June 16, 2010, 03:21:13 PM
Here is the tgc file (clip) for my cloud setup. Just connect the atmosphere to the altocumulous node and the altocumulous node to the Planet node where the atmosphere node was connected.
The density fractal will control the amount of vertical 'stretching' by changing the warp slider value in the warp tab.
Thanks Henry, I really like this and had forgotten I downloaded it...well built and versatile. PS ought to collect a bunch of these and have a preset pack that installs or comes with the dl...like the one now but stuff culled from here in File Sharing. I figger any one of us would be honoured to have their .tgc included....just thinkin again...a baaaaad sign for sure, hee hee hee
Quote from: FrankB on June 17, 2010, 07:07:51 PM
If you want a sky like the one below, download it now (free): http://store.nwdanet.com/terragen2store/6-terragen-2-presets/7-atmosphere-a-clouds.html
dead link
Something here perhaps? http://www.store.nwdastore.com/atmospheres-clouds
- Oshyan
Quote from: Oshyan on September 15, 2015, 07:26:25 PM
Something here perhaps? http://www.store.nwdastore.com/atmospheres-clouds
- Oshyan
That was it, and thanks but I didn't really need it, already got it before the Danny era. Old Moderator habits reporting dead links die hard I guess. Did that on auto pilot.
Just a glowing cloud...
Don't remember what i changed but i think it was mostly reseed only.
Have a look for yourself. Matt made it very easy to get fast results with defaults.
Nice one, Kadri. Thanks for posting here.
wow great clouds, amazing works :-)
Quote from: FrankB on June 17, 2010, 07:07:51 PM
If you want a sky like the one below, download it now (free): http://store.nwdanet.com/terragen2store/6-terragen-2-presets/7-atmosphere-a-clouds.html
dead link
Yeah, that's from 2010 Bobby, before NWDA's demise and subsequent resurrection by Danny. I'm not sure but it looks like that link just led to the overall atmosphere and clouds category, which is now here: http://www.store.nwdastore.com/atmospheres-clouds (one free option)
- Oshyan
Quote from: Oshyan on September 27, 2016, 03:15:17 PM
Yeah, that's from 2010 Bobby, before NWDA's demise and subsequent resurrection by Danny. I'm not sure but it looks like that link just led to the overall atmosphere and clouds category, which is now here: http://www.store.nwdastore.com/atmospheres-clouds (one free option)
- Oshyan
D'oh...shoulda remembered...I have that freebie. Thanks Oshyan.
As requested................beware of time rifts. ???
A set of ten Mammatus Clouds.
Interesting, thanks a lot, AP.
Cool, thanks!!!
Thanks for sharing.
Thank you AP!
Thank you AP, these are fantastic! It's really hard to strike that balance between realism and strange formations, and I think you have done that very, very well here. The perfect thing to add some plausible "weird" skies to a scene.
- Oshyan
Welcome everyone.
Quote from: AP on January 20, 2017, 07:10:56 PM
Welcome everyone.
Finally noticed these...Nice work man, thanks.
Many years later I finally rediscovered the patagonian-desert clip....what a beauty...used it in my most recent post.
A set of six Large Cumulus Clouds.
Thankyou!
These look good, AP. Thanks very much.
Yipeee! 8)
Other clouds.
Lovely, just lovely mate...and many thanks for the time saving thumbnails as well.
You are welcome.
Thank you!
Swirl cloud.
:D :D :D
Quote from: AP on March 05, 2017, 07:09:38 PM
A set of six Large Cumulus Clouds.
you rock! thx ;D
Quote from: dandelO on April 07, 2012, 03:12:08 PM
* EDIT: Fixed the post to show attachments. OOOHHHH! Trippy shadow effect! ;) *
Here's a thing I was playing with and thought it would be a good idea to tidy it up to make it easily usable as a clipfile. It provides up to 3 extra levels of added detail based on Voronoi noise to the cloud layer. This might be useful as another approach at creating the 'mackerel' effect in the sky as it adds continually decreasing cells to the layer. Further warping and/or stretching(not included) could probably be tweaked to make some cool 'herringbone' effects, too. Have a play.
(cut)
I was searching this topic and found dandelO's post but sadly there's no download link to be found there. So now I was wondering if anyone has a copy of this file to send me? Or if someone could otherwise help me in creating clouds similar to those in the picture labeled "1 level Voronoi" in the post I quoted.
Thank you very much :)
Here's an interesting cloud and though not as a .tgc is easily saved as such out of the project as it's neatly packed.
The terrain for this lives here on my machine so you'll have to re-path it
E:\0Terrains\BumpsAndCanyons\Bumps and Canyons.ter
and it's from AP here:
http://www.planetside.co.uk/forums/index.php/topic,19166.msg187299.html#msg187299
with the additional erosion I play with for masks.
The Density Fractal of the Cloud runs through a Transform shader and I've rotated the fractal 90 degrees in the X and Y..never knew you could do that. It's quite changed from the default setting as you can see if you mess around with the .tgd.
The tree pop is OC12_Eucalyptus_globulus_Bluegum_tgo\Models\OC12_6.tgo and is from the XFROG freebies, the 2 grasses are from Dune's NWDA freebie.
Big thanks to A P fore the inspirational share.
hmmm that Tassie blue gum looks like an isolated specimen growing in California rather than one in a forest in Tasmania. ;) ... but I digress...
Quote from: bigben on July 17, 2017, 03:18:13 AM
hmmm that Tassie blue gum looks like an isolated specimen growing in California rather than one in a forest in Tasmania. ;) ... but I digress...
Just filler Ben, it's all about the clouds in this project.
I'm still pretty new here, so forgive me if this has been done already. I've been creating a few scenes for a tv series we're working on and most of the scenes require clouds. The new clouds in TG4 are great, but I get a little confused by the differences between them. I realize once I select a cloud I'll be making numerous tweaks to them, so the initial settings aren't important. But I would still like to know what their initial appearance is. So I created a cheat sheet for myself, and I figured I'd share it here if it's of any value to anyone.
p.s. Now with TG 4.1 out I'm sure the render times are different.
Niel
Quote from: rolland1013 on July 31, 2017, 06:00:34 PM
I'm still pretty new here, so forgive me if this has been done already. I've been creating a few scenes for a tv series we're working on and most of the scenes require clouds. The new clouds in TG4 are great, but I get a little confused by the differences between them. I realize once I select a cloud I'll be making numerous tweaks to them, so the initial settings aren't important. But I would still like to know what their initial appearance is. So I created a cheat sheet for myself, and I figured I'd share it here if it's of any value to anyone.
p.s. Now with TG 4.1 out I'm sure the render times are different.
Niel
Thanks Niel, this is a handy reference.
Handy indeed, thanks for posting.
Quote from: bobbystahr on July 16, 2017, 11:34:51 PM
Here's an interesting cloud and though not as a .tgc is easily saved as such out of the project as it's neatly packed.
....
The Density Fractal of the Cloud runs through a Transform shader and I've rotated the fractal 90 degrees in the X and Y..never knew you could do that. It's quite changed from the default setting as you can see if you mess around with the .tgd.
....
Thanks bobby!
Quote from: luvsmuzik on August 03, 2017, 01:50:01 PM
Quote from: bobbystahr on July 16, 2017, 11:34:51 PM
Here's an interesting cloud and though not as a .tgc is easily saved as such out of the project as it's neatly packed.
....
The Density Fractal of the Cloud runs through a Transform shader and I've rotated the fractal 90 degrees in the X and Y..never knew you could do that. It's quite changed from the default setting as you can see if you mess around with the .tgd.
....
Thanks bobby!
most welcome, have fun
Thank you, Bobby, for the "Bumps and Canyons" file!
Quote from: AndyWelder on August 08, 2017, 05:23:52 AM
Thank you, Bobby, for the "Bumps and Canyons" file!
Most welcome Andy, have fun.
Here is a tgc from an image I made from last year using an EZ Cloud set up. If anyone wants the World Machine .ter and the tgd (minus plants of course), let me know.
original post:
http://www.planetside.co.uk/forums/index.php/topic,21981.msg221213.html#msg221213
Thanks for Thursday, wouldn't say no to the .ter & .tgd...
A couple of large clouds.
Thanks AP!
Thanks very much, very handy.
Thanks AP...will come in handy I'm sure.
Thanks a lot!!!
All those downloads and only 3 thank yous....hmmmmmm
Well, that's how it goes here, lots of lurkers and grabbers ;)
Quote from: Dune on September 12, 2017, 10:54:03 AM
Well, that's how it goes here, lots of lurkers and grabbers ;)
sigh
Here's the atmo for Nice Day in Dystopia, 0003 is top light and 0002 is facing the camera. Have fun.
This is a TG4 file, sorry to users of earlier versions.
That would be a TG4 file, Bobby?
Quote from: AndyWelder on October 11, 2017, 02:31:36 PM
That would be a TG4 file, Bobby?
yes it is Andy, sorry, but they're Ver 2 clouds
Nice atmo, Bobby. Downloaded to take a peek. Thanks, man.
Very nice. Thanks for sharing.
Quote from: Dune on October 12, 2017, 02:14:04 AM
Nice atmo, Bobby. Downloaded to take a peek. Thanks, man.
A pleasure to share back with one who's added so much to my TG knowledge...
Quote from: dandelO on April 07, 2012, 03:12:08 PM
* EDIT: Fixed the post to show attachments. OOOHHHH! Trippy shadow effect! ;) *
Here's a thing I was playing with and thought it would be a good idea to tidy it up to make it easily usable as a clipfile. It provides up to 3 extra levels of added detail based on Voronoi noise to the cloud layer. This might be useful as another approach at creating the 'mackerel' effect in the sky as it adds continually decreasing cells to the layer. Further warping and/or stretching(not included) could probably be tweaked to make some cool 'herringbone' effects, too. Have a play.
The instructions(are also in a note node in the internal network of 'Voronoi Cloud Shader') are as follows;
Main Network View.
The cloud seed and distribution controls, 'Density Fractal 01', is found beside the cloud layer node. You can use random seeds until you have a nice form that suits your scene. I have made a nice default setting. You can adjust all parameters of this node to your own taste, so it has been left easily accesible in the main network view.
As well as providing seed and coverage functions, 'Density fractal 01' is also the mask for the following levels of Voronoi detail.
'Density Fractal 01' should NOT be connected directly to the cloud layer, it is supposed to be that way.
The node 'Voronoi Cloud Shader' should be plugged into the density fractal input of the cloud layer node.
_________________
Internal Network View('Voronoi Cloud Shader' node).
Choose an output from 'Level 1', 'Level 2' or 'Level 3'. Plug it into the 'colour function' input of 'Voronoi Shader'. Each ascending level of Voronoi functions raise cloud detail by adding smaller scales of cells which subdivide the level directly below themselves. Consequently, the higher the function level, the longer the render time.
Level 1 = Adds 750m base-cells to the cloud layer.
Level 2 = Adds a subdivision level of 4 to the base-cells.
Level 3 = Adds a subdivision level of 8(of the base-cells) to level 2.
Lastly, there is a node in the internal network called 'Warper'. This does just that, warps the cloud layer to remove the visible straight edges from the default Voronoi cells. It is scaled to match the preset Voronoi scales and shouldn't require any further editing.
_______________
'Level 1,2 or 3' nodes plug into the 'Voronoi Shader' as shown in the internal network screenshot, default settings are 'Level 3' - Full Voronoi settings;
[attachimg=1]
The clip file defaults are 'Voronoi Clouds_b - Level 3'.
Voronoi Clouds_a
[attachimg=2]
Voronoi Clouds_b
[attachimg=3]
Cheers! :)
@Dandelo Do you have this as a clip file available to download anywhere? It looks a like a good system to learn.
Quote from: eapilot on January 26, 2018, 10:54:22 AM
Quote from: dandelO on April 07, 2012, 03:12:08 PM
* EDIT: Fixed the post to show attachments. OOOHHHH! Trippy shadow effect! ;) *
@Dandelo Do you have this as a clip file available to download anywhere? It looks a like a good system to learn.
good luck on that, he hasn't, according to his profile, been active here since 2015.
Does anyone have this old clip or Terragen file? I am trying to control a mackeral cloud effect in a cloud layer v3.
Whatever reason there was for dandelO to withdraw the file, there was a reason. I think one should leave it that way. And I'm saying that even though there are some dandelO files I'd like to play with that I'm missing too.
Thanks to all of these contributors to the Cloud Library! You rock!!!
1. rcallicotte / calico
2. PG
3. Phylloxera
4. Blonderator
5. dwilson
6. silentgod
7. Mr_Lamppost
8. mrwho
9. Tangled-Universe
10. RArcher
11. ogre
12. dandelO
13. child@play
14. lucbianco
15. kleinm
16. AndyWelder
17. littlecannon
18. Matt
19. Zairyn Arsyn
20. domdib
21. TheBlackHole
22. Gforce
23. Henry Blewer
24. freelancah
25. nethskie
26. Granknight
27. Vyacheslav
28. Markal
29. Dune
30. AP
31. Kadri
32. yossam
33. bobbystahr
34. cyphyr
35. Danny at NWDA for all the freebies
I hope I don't miss anyone. Just didn't want to be "lurking and grabbing" without saying thanks. ;)
Love this place. :)
-Derek
Quote from: D.A. Bentley on February 06, 2018, 11:38:25 PM
I hope I don't miss anyone. Just didn't want to be "lurking and grabbing" without saying thanks. ;)
Love this place. :)
-Derek
Oh you're not one for sure and by the way I'm currently messing around with I think
your Peachy Clouds...a lovely setup.
wonderful stuff :)
For posterity's sake here is the Multi-Layered Cloud example I shared here: https://planetside.co.uk/forums/index.php/topic,24581.0.html
Thanks WAS
Wow, thanks, that looks very cool!
;D
Quote from: D.A. Bentley on February 06, 2018, 11:38:25 PM
Thanks to all of these contributors to the Cloud Library! You rock!!!
1. rcallicotte / calico
2. PG
3. Phylloxera
4. Blonderator
5. dwilson
6. silentgod
7. Mr_Lamppost
8. mrwho
9. Tangled-Universe
10. RArcher
11. ogre
12. dandelO
13. child@play
14. lucbianco
15. kleinm
16. AndyWelder
17. littlecannon
18. Matt
19. Zairyn Arsyn
20. domdib
21. TheBlackHole
22. Gforce
23. Henry Blewer
24. freelancah
25. nethskie
26. Granknight
27. Vyacheslav
28. Markal
29. Dune
30. AP
31. Kadri
32. yossam
33. bobbystahr
34. cyphyr
35. Danny at NWDA for all the freebies
I hope I don't miss anyone. Just didn't want to be "lurking and grabbing" without saying thanks. ;)
Love this place. :)
-Derek
Cloud ball things.
Nice. Looks like suspended fat drops.
Cool, you go to some strange places Jordan, thanks for sharing this.
Thanks WASasquatch / Jordan!
We need to start a Pacific Northwest Terragen meetup group. I know there are a few of us on here West of the Cascades. ;)
Derek (just Derek)
Quote from: D.A. Bentley on September 06, 2018, 11:04:34 PM
Thanks WASasquatch / Jordan!
We need to start a Pacific Northwest Terragen meetup group. I know there are a few of us on here West of the Cascades. ;)
Derek (just Derek)
Yeah I'd definitely be interested in something like that for sure. Good idea Derek.
Fascinating stuff!
Overcast A1
Oh, that looks very good! Thanks, Jordan!
Quote from: Hannes on December 27, 2018, 11:30:16 AM
Oh, that looks very good! Thanks, Jordan!
Thank you. I was able to figure out some nice settings in different styles to let light through while maintaining the appearance of thick clouds. This method uses altitude to cut off the "overcast" making it especially illuminated, and than using the final density to modulate the overall density to let light through, as using the density within the cloud settings can be tedious, and cause holes.
Just a basic example how you could use an one cloud-many layer setup (3 layers).
I am just working on some images with this kind of setups and might upload later a better version too here.
Thanks a lot! :)