Volumetric clouds

[loqutos]

Hey, nice clouds. Great!
I am currently working on a lot of military flight sims and would love to know what the technique in Max is for this effect.

Thanks
Loqutos

[Dave Black]

Looks cool, but you may want to call them volumetric fakes, as that's not really the definition of volumetric. Even if it's a particle system, you are using mapping on planer geometry, which has no volume.

You'll see the difference when you have to light them. Non-Volumetric effects can't interpolate lighting the same way as a true system.

Nice effect, though.

I'm sure alot of people would like to see your technique...I mean, I ain't trying to bust your chops, just don't want the terms confused. Thanks for sharing!

-3DZ

:D

[loqutos]

If I need true volumetric clouds, I always do my work in Lightwave, which can generate some truely superb clouds and fire effects using their volumetric system.

Loqutos

[Dave Black]

As can afterburn, and pyrocluster for Max...

But that's niether here nor there.

I sure hope NikLG will still share his methods, as I see alot of people asking this question...

Thanks again.

-3DZ

:D

[Oktavian]

Yes, it would be cool to know how you have made them.

[NikLG]

Sorry for not getting back earlier, I was away on Friday...back in work now, so I'll do something about it.
The effect is done using volumetric fog, so it is 'volumetric' in a way ( ie, you could fly through the effect if you wanted ).

It's basically 2 hemispherical gizmos. One being slightly smaller and offset from the other ( that's the one that produces the 'shadows' ).

Set the volume fog to be exponential ( and fractal ), and then basically mess about with the settings until you get a nice cloud effect.
Use the same settings on the other ( shadow ) gizmo, but adjust the noise threshold so it is smaller than the main fog ( ie if the white clouds ar .9 to .6, set the shadow to .8 to .5 ) and maybe adjust the density and set the gizmo edge softness to 1 ( .5 for the main clouds )

If you have a landscape model in the scene, make sure that the bottom's of the gizmo's are above the landscape model or you'll get clouds in front of the land ( could be usefull if you want mountains in the clouds though.. )

That's it, I think....a bit long winded, but hey. Hope you can understand it all....:p

I was going to attach some images withthis, but they were a bit to compressed to be of any use....

[ian_foster]

could you post the max file? I always find it much more informative if I can rip apart a file and work out how it was done, rather than a vague description. With fog settings, you can fiddle for hours and hours trying to achieve the desired result, but obviously you've hit it there.

Anyway, if you can post the file, that would be sweet.

[NikLG]

er..I'll try. Don't really know how to do that here though....any advice ?

[ian_foster]

don't you have any web space?

If you want, you could email me and I'll host the ZIP for anyone else that wants it?

[Enivob]

I'm mainly interested in the color scheme. Very nice.
I have a MaxScript that produces clouds that you can fly through. It supports cumulous, stratus, and my half-assed hybird of cumulo-nimbus. I like the way the bottom side of the clouds are shadowed.

Please note, if you are going to share that file, pick the lowest version of Max that you have. A lot of us don't have 5.0 yet, or even 4.0 (I guess I'm speaking for my selft here, still kick out stuff with 3.1)

[NikLG]

I am using 5.1 at the moment...I have 4 so I'll see if it works with that. How does one go about attaching a zip file to a post ?
I have only ever attached images, which appear to have a size limit....


...oh, just saw your other reply...no I don't have any web space I am afraid, never got round to it...so if you want me to mail it to you, give me the info I need and I'll do so :)

[ian_foster]

I've just PM'ed you NikLG with my email addy, etc.

[Bob27]

the volumetric clouds you 've made looks good !

[NikLG]

Thanks Bob27.
Ian_Foster : Any luck with that file I sent ? Could you post a link to it for anyone that may be interested ?

Cheers

[ian_foster]

Nik,
I got the file, thanks. I can't access my web space at the moment :( damn BT. But as soon as it's up again, I post the file.

I've taken some screens of the settings so people using earlier versions of Max should be able to get the same results.

[NikLG]

cool.
Cheers Ian.

[Leo73]

Andy Murdock's Lots of Robots DVD has a really great tutorial on how to do volumetric clouds. You should check it out

[CGTalk Moderation]

This thread has been automatically closed as it remained inactive for 12 months. If you wish to continue the discussion, please create a new thread in the appropriate forum.