What is the Secret of Easy Cloud "Clumping"

[WAS]

Hey Matt, I understand you don't want to share the internal node structure of the easy clouds, which is understandable. But perhaps you can give us a hint on how you keep the clouds so tight, with detail?

The Altocumulus Castellanus clouds can get some very tight Cumulus like forms which are hard to do with just Perlin Billows or Voronoi Billows without having too much stray "blobs". And when you mask by smoother forms, trying to clamp in the forms, the look just isn't right.

What's the secret?

[Dune]

Logically I'd say you start with large shapes and work/break the grey transitions so they turn into smaller blobs, like you'd break up the greys in a surface shader. Perhaps even a line of reducing sizes, breaking up larger sizes, only in the grey zones. But I'm not Matt

[WAS]

Logically I'd say you start with large shapes and work/break the grey transitions so they turn into smaller blobs, like you'd break up the greys in a surface shader. Perhaps even a line of reducing sizes, breaking up larger sizes, only in the grey zones. But I'm not Matt

Yeah, we've been trying that for years ... Lol

This seems more function driven but I dunno. I could never get these shapes without taking it with altitude offset or depth, but then other areas look off. I tried negatives noise variation and it helps some but generally the shapes are all wrong.

One of the main issues with masks is noise is in 3D space. Adding detail to the "Shape" will happen throughout the volume.

[Dune]

Unless the hard whites (and blacks) can be ruled out, and shape only broken up by something in the grey zones, I'd say. So pull through surface shader and use the breakup...

[WAS]

Yeah that's what I do, haven't gotten these appealing shapes before without too much chaos.

[WAS]

Converting Displacement for A "2D" map seems promising, but can't get those tight shapes to show through.

Would be cool if v3 clouds could read vector maps for even more sculpting control from disp.

[N-drju]

I usually just use SSS as depth modulator. Keeps the cloud tight but detailed. Sounds basic, but I am really proud with my results. No need to go too deep!

[WAS]

I usually just use SSS as depth modulator. Keeps the cloud tight but detailed. Sounds basic, but I am really proud with my results. No need to go too deep!

SSS is good for meta/hero clouds, sure, not procedural. I always find it looks too smooth and constant sloping of the cloud too. Too much warping of SSS and you get separated round plumes detached too. If it has plumage already it won't attach it to the form, but just depth modulate the plumes making circles and blobs. 

I have yet to see these clouds you've masters.

[N-drju]

SSS is good for meta/hero clouds, sure, not procedural. I always find it looks too smooth and constant sloping of the cloud too. Too much warping of SSS and you get separated round plumes detached too. If it has plumage already it won't attach it to the form, but just depth modulate the plumes making circles and blobs.

But you can still mask some procedural clouds (I think?) to keep them massed in a certain spot. Would have been a lot easier of course if "easy" clouds had more customization possibilities. Also, from what I remember, Matt said once that easy clouds automatically adjust their size depending on the depth value entered. This may be one of the causes for the issue described.

I have yet to see these clouds you've masters.

I am in the middle of prepping my portfolio and re-rendering some images. Once this (and paperwork) is done, you will see them on my Artstation.