Cumulus Fractus - v2

Started by dandelO, February 14, 2012, 05:42:10 PM

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dandelO

A while back I upload some cumulus-fractus clouds. Here's an updated version with less nodes and does pretty much the same thing.

As before, the main control nodes are;

'Form and Seed' - Makes your basic shapes and provides blending info' to the 'Wisp Dominance'  node.

'Wisp Fractal' - Smaller scaled fractal, provides the wisp factor to apply to the 'Form and Seed' node.

'Wisp Dominance' - Your control and blending shader. Applies wisp to the features created by 'Form and Seed'. This is a surface layer so, you have all the benefits that come with that to apply just the right amount of wisp factor to your clouds. Wisp dominance is controlled by the 'coverage' slider in this surface layer.

Default settings in this clipfile are shown in the image 'wisp_0.25'(see next post).
I've left the minimum altitude constraints unchecked in the .tgc version because you might want to change the height of your clouds but it works much better and looks far nicer when you have it enabled, as you'll see from the image 'wisp_0.25_min alt_1250'.
You can find out the max/min heights of your cloud layer by visiting the 'atmosphere' tab at the top of the program and selecting the connected cloud node to set your own altitude constraints. The(unchecked) minimum altitude constraint for the wisp factor is set for the cloud layer at 2000m high and leaves the bottom of the cloud untouched by the wisp and blends it in from 1250m to 1500m.
There is also a .tgd included for reference, this one does have the altitude constraints enabled.

Don't use 'Y for altitude', you want to keep the altitude constraint level consistent right round the planet, using 'Y for altitude' will cut it off on the X/Z plane. Leaving it unchecked means it will measure your altitude in relation to the distance from the planet's surface right around the cloud layer.

Note, the more wisp you add, the longer the render time will be for the cloud due to the extra details that the wisp applies. Coverage of 0.25 is a nice, sensible level to use.

*** Some examples follow in the next post showing a few different settings I've done on a basic localised cloud. See file names for description of settings used. ***

Cheers! :)

dandelO

#1
Example images are also included with the pack but here they are for quick view purposes too, see file names for settings.
A couple of the examples also use the default settings for the 'intersect underlying' feature in the 'wisp dominance' node, I've no idea how this is computed when applied to a cloud but I've done it just for fun as it has some strange effects.

Cheers, again! :)


dandelO

Thanks, Kadri. :)

Easier reference image for some regular settings:

[attachimg=#]

dandelO

#4
Maybe adding some little 'base softness', around '0.25', if 'flatter base' is used in the cloud layer, is a good idea for these.
I've just realised when I un-localised the layer to do a full render that the base is a bit too extreme for real fractus when viewed over the entire sky.

Perhaps unchecking 'flatter base' would make it even more like true fractus clouds but it's all up to you in the end, I like the flatter base but it should be softer than I've left it in the download.

DannyG

New World Digital Art
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dandelO


dandelO

#7
* There's actually no difference at all between the layer with no wisp factor and the layer with intersect underlying 'favour rises'. Sorry about that, should've checked before posting. So, I've removed that preview image. Doink! ::)

'Favour depressions' and 'displacement intersection' do have crazy effects, though.

bobbystahr

good stuff mate, thanks muchly
something borrowed,
something Blue.
Ring out the Old.
Bring in the New
Bobby Stahr, Paracosmologist