Easy Cloud

From Terragen Documentation from Planetside Software
Revision as of 19:24, 9 September 2020 by Redmaw (talk | contribs) (Added description and example images for the Shadow Map settings.)
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Easy Cloud


Overview[edit]

Settings:

    • Enable:
    • Enable primary:
    • Enable secondary:
    • Move textures with cloud:
    • Seed:
    • Random Seed button:
    • Mask by shader (BETA):


Main Tab[edit]

Main Tab

Settings:

    • Cloud Type: This popup has three options.
      Cloud types
      • Cumulus:
      • Altocumulus Castellanus:
      • Stratocumulus:
    • Model: This popup has two options.
      Model types
      • TG 3.9.04:
      • TG 3.9.07:
    • Coverage:
    • Variation:
    • Growth:
    • Cloud base altitude:
    • Cloud depth:
    • Localized:
    • Center:
    • Radius:
    • Edge sharpness:
    • Cloud density:


Colour Tab[edit]

Colour Tab

Settings:

    • Cloud colour:


Lighting Tab[edit]

Lighting Tab

The settings on this tab are arranged under three distinct groups. The Silver lining and dark edges, the Multiple scattering, and Light received from environment. (Need descr)

Settings:

    • Sun glow amount
    • Sun glow power
    • Softness:
    • Param B:
    • Param C:
    • Enviro light:
    • Enviro light tint:


Tweaks Tab[edit]

Tweaks Tab

Settings:

    • Direct light modulator:
    • Environment light modulator:
    • Ambient light modulator:
    • Shadow function:
    • Ambient:
    • Fake dark power:
    • Fake dark sharpness:
    • Improved lighting model:


Anim Tab[edit]

Anim Tab

Settings:

    • Enable drift:
    • Drift speed (m/s):
    • Drift heading (degrees):
    • Enable evolution:
    • Evolution speed (m/s):
    • Evolution method: This popup has four options.
      Evolution methods
      • Move all textures upwards:
      • Move all textures downwards:
      • Move height texture upwards:
      • Move height texture downwards:
    • Frames per second:
    • Reference frame number:
    • Time warp (control frame number using Animation Panel):
    • Warped frame number:


Quality Tab[edit]

Quality Tab

Settings:

    • Rendering method: This popup has two options.
      Render methods
      • 2D:
      • 3D (volumetric):
    • Ray-marching quality:
    • Sample jitter:
    • Receive shadows from surfaces:
    • Smallest scale:
    • Add micro wisps:


Optimisation Tab[edit]

Optimisation Tab

Settings:

    • Acceleration cache: This popup has five options.
      Acceleration cache options
      • None (highest detail)
      • Conservative acceleration:
      • Optimal:
      • More acceleration:
      • Aggressive acceleration:
    • Use 2D shadow map: When enabled this setting will generate an internal 2D shadow map for each cloud layer from all light sources in the project. Shadow map data includes shadows cast by the cloud layer onto the terrain, objects, and other cloud layers, but not self-shadows.
    • Shadow map resolution: These values determine the resolution for the internal buffer’s width and height to be used in creating the shadow map for the cloud layer. Higher values take longer to calculate but result in more accurate detail. Lower values tend to be softer and have less contrast, due to less detail.
      Shadow map resolution = 200 x 200
      Shadow map resolution = 400 x 400
      Shadow map resolution = 800 x 800
      Shadow map resolution = 1600 x 1600
      Shadow map resolution = off
    • Shadow map blur radius: These values determine the blur radius in pixels to apply to the shadow map after it has been rendered, therefore the Shadow map resolution values are important to take into consideration. For example, a Shadow map blur radius value of 2 will have a greater softening effect on a Shadow map resolution of 100 pixels by 100 pixels compared to a Shadow map resolution of 1000 pixels by 1000 pixels. The higher the Shadow map blur radius value the softer, or more blurred, the shadow map will be.
      Blur radius = 0
      Blur radius = 0.5
      Blur radius = 1
      Blur radius = 2
    • Use voxel buffer:
    • Millions of voxels:
    • Voxel buffer resolution:
    • Accelerate empty space:
    • Visualize voxels:
    • Use voxels for shadows:
    • Transition dist. (voxels):


A shader is a program or set of instructions used in 3D computer graphics to determine the final surface properties of an object or image. This can include arbitrarily complex descriptions of light absorption and diffusion, texture mapping, reflection and refraction, shadowing, surface displacement and post-processing effects. In Terragen 2 shaders are used to construct and modify almost every element of a scene.