Planetside Software Forums

General => Terragen Discussion => Topic started by: yossam on January 04, 2017, 12:36:15 PM

Title: God rays with easy clouds
Post by: yossam on January 04, 2017, 12:36:15 PM
Am I missing something or is there a trick to getting "god rays" with the new cloud system. It was easy with the old clouds, but everything that worked then is not working now. Help.........................please.  ???
Title: Re: God rays with easy clouds
Post by: AP on January 04, 2017, 07:48:44 PM
It is possible. Perhaps adding more haze and of course a matter of placing the sun in just the right position.
Title: Re: God rays with easy clouds
Post by: bobbystahr on January 04, 2017, 09:39:26 PM
When I did my Jungle and Swamp scenes with rays I used a localized Cloud Ver2 with no Density shader dialed really thin with shadows. But in a river scene I did I just used reg. Atmo but I may have added bloom.I've attached the tgc I got years ago from Chornor(Bob).I saved this right from my scene though
Title: Re: God rays with easy clouds
Post by: Oshyan on January 04, 2017, 10:19:26 PM
The new clouds should not make a notable difference in godrays as those were primarily in the atmosphere. The same conditions are still necessary. It helps to have high altitude clouds (most of the new presets are lower altitude), high haze, and somewhat high cloud coverage so that there are "holes" in the clouds, rather than individual puffy clouds.

- Oshyan
Title: Re: God rays with easy clouds
Post by: bobbystahr on January 04, 2017, 10:39:14 PM
Quote from: Oshyan on January 04, 2017, 10:19:26 PM
The new clouds should not make a notable difference in godrays as those were primarily in the atmosphere. The same conditions are still necessary. It helps to have high altitude clouds (most of the new presets are lower altitude), high haze, and somewhat high cloud coverage so that there are "holes" in the clouds, rather than individual puffy clouds.

- Oshyan

noted and thanks Oshyan
Title: Re: God rays with easy clouds
Post by: AP on January 04, 2017, 10:41:43 PM
The same render as before but with increased haze coverage.
Title: Re: God rays with easy clouds
Post by: fleetwood on January 08, 2017, 11:40:31 AM
Here is something you might try to get more rays :
Turn off "Use Voxels for Shadows" in the Easy cloud Optimisation tab.

Here is an example. left side image is with voxel shadows enabled and the right side image is with voxel shadows turned off. All other setting the same.
Title: Re: God rays with easy clouds
Post by: yossam on January 08, 2017, 11:42:35 AM
Appreciate the info.............I knew there was something that would help.  :)
Title: Re: God rays with easy clouds
Post by: fleetwood on January 08, 2017, 06:10:47 PM
Made a couple larger examples, just so other cloud detail differences, if any, can be seen more easily. I see only rather slight differences in the cloud shadings of these renders. Voxel shadows on renders faster. That render took 2 hours 19 min. With the voxel shadows off the render took 2 hours 59 minutes. All settings the same except for the vox. shadows being on or off.
Title: Re: God rays with easy clouds
Post by: Dune on January 09, 2017, 02:28:15 AM
Interesting, thanks for checking it out.