Low level cloud control

james adamson · February 08, 2020, 07:17:34 AM

Hi all.
I am trying to add some low level cloud to my scene. What I am after is pretty dense rolling low level cloud that interacts with the terrain.
i.e It appears to roll around the mountains. My camera is in the middle of a huge valley/gorge and I am trying to get the clouds to roll right up to and past my camera. I am trying to get that dense cloud layer that clearly is interacting with the scene around it. Trees popping through that sort of thing. I got some good
results with easy cloud at a distance but my lack of knowledge on whats actually going on is restricting control other than height/density/depth. I moved onto trying v2 and v3 after reading some posts and I have seen post where Volker Harun talks of sculpting clouds like "scooping ice cream." Sounds fun, any pointers anyone.
Thanks in advance.
James.

Tangled-Universe · February 08, 2020, 11:06:35 AM

Hi James,

Can you post a render of your scene thus far and describe your wishes?
If you also post a .tgd I can show you how to make your cloud interact with the terrain.

Cheers,
Martin

james adamson · February 08, 2020, 01:00:10 PM

Hi Martin.

Thanks for the response.

Here is a rough setup and a still. I have not yet rendered anything animated. I think you get the idea from the still.

I am after dramatic rolling clouds/mist licking around and over the terrain.

Many thanks.
James.

WAS · February 08, 2020, 02:29:17 PM

Clouds are unaware of the terrain, so there is no collision to really do this accurately, but youl could use a altitude offset to try and simulate some of the effect on the clouds moving over the terrain.

Honestly I think this is something more suited for a art directable approach, which TG is more procedural.

james adamson · February 08, 2020, 02:50:37 PM

Yeah I guess it is more of a dynamics process, but if I can cheat it in Terragen

james adamson · February 08, 2020, 02:51:54 PM

Not sure what that emoji is doing there. Was supposed to be a few question marks.

mhaze · February 09, 2020, 04:59:36 AM

This possible but complicated. Somewhere on the forums there should be an explanation.

mhaze · February 09, 2020, 05:10:37 AM

I've found the tutorial.

james adamson · February 09, 2020, 06:46:20 AM

Thanks Mhaze I will take a look.
and activate brain!

james adamson · February 09, 2020, 07:23:53 AM

Cheers Mhaze, just looked at that tutorial. It is exactly what I am after. Just gotta make it work now

james adamson · February 09, 2020, 08:33:01 AM

Hi again. Where did you find that tutorial? I am looking for the tgd files and can not find the original tutorial anywhere on the forum.
Cheers.
James.

Tangled-Universe · February 09, 2020, 09:22:48 AM

I made that tutorial, but I need to check if it's still up to date and correct.

Now you know why I offered to help

james adamson · February 09, 2020, 10:14:58 AM

Ha Ha....
Found it and all the bits looks like its doing the right stuff.
I have said it before and ill say it again. This forum is as wonderful as the software itself.
Cheers.
James.

james adamson · February 09, 2020, 10:22:50 AM

I believe the main difference and please correct me if I am wrong is that you can now directly export the heightfield as an exr image.
Will this have any implications on the result? Also the image in your scene derived from the heightfield looks odd when I viewed it in Nuke. It is just a pixel wide
and red? I also do not understand the constant as a depth modulator. Is that just creating a depth offset?

james adamson · February 09, 2020, 10:24:56 AM

Oh and displacement to scalar is now a function node. Was that available when you made the tutorial and could I use that in between the terrain output and altitude offset function?