How does it work?

[N-drju]

In the most simplistic way, I'm always wondering how clouds are created in Terragen. Given the fact that they use fractals I would imagine that they should look like white, straight towers with bending edges... That's the case for instance when you mask surfaces. However they turn out to look exactly like normal clouds, being nicely shaped despite just relying on a 2-dimensional image. How does it work?

[Oshyan]

The fractal noise functions are 3D, not 2D. Also there's some other stuff going into it, like automated edge falloff and top/bottom tapering in the cloud layer's handling of the input noise function, among other things.

- Oshyan

[N-drju]

Hm, interesting I didn't know that. When I turn on the pattern image I see a flat 2D picture so I never thought of it having a 3D underlining.

I think however that the falloff function may be slightly annoying in certain situations - for instance if you want a greatly localized clouds that are very high. Then, even if you extend the cloud depth even to several thousand meters the localized cloud refuses to grow. Remaining a foggy bundle of roughly the same size as you had before you started building the cloud tower.

[Oshyan]

That's why there's an option to disable "Taper top and base" in the cloud layers now.

- Oshyan

[N-drju]

You mean in Terragen 4? Is there anything simmilar in TG 3, or even TG 2 for that matter?

Oh, and one more question - do you plan, at some point in the future, to add some other cloud types? We could also have stratus, cirrostratus, cirrocumuls and maybe even the mighty cumulonimbus for storms. Maybe a point to consider? Wonder what kind of options you could prepare for these cloud layers!

[Oshyan]

Taper Top and Base was added in a TG3 update.

We are certainly considering other cloud types to add... It is challenging and time consuming to create convincing representations of any type of cloud, improvements will come with time...

- Oshyan

[N-drju]

Good to know you are working on it. I guess I need to take a better look into my cloud controls - I think I somehow missed this feature!