Realistic Clouds

[Dusty926]

58 minutes ago, rowdyb00t said:

  If you fly about 60km to the west, you will find this....

 

-snip-

Any time you select heavy and you see light clouds, that means there is some heavy clouds in a front somewhere on the map. 

 

I see! Okay, thanks! Not an effect I'm 100% sold on yet but it's cool that's even possible at all! It's just weird sometimes to select Heavy Weather and have almost pristine skies for me. I think I'll get used to it with time though, I don't think I can go back to default.

[blue_max]

13 hours ago, Dusty926 said:

I see! Okay, thanks! Not an effect I'm 100% sold on yet but it's cool that's even possible at all! It's just weird sometimes to select Heavy Weather and have almost pristine skies for me. I think I'll get used to it with time though, I don't think I can go back to default.

Yeah... I would probably also be more on board with actually having the weather select being nearby. But it’s your mod of course :)

 

Really looking forwards to the new sky domes! They look amazing! Could you also back port them to the 9.1 version that is easier on the VR framerate? Thanks!

[rowdyb00t]

32 minutes ago, blue_max said:

Yeah... I would probably also be more on board with actually having the weather select being nearby. But it’s your mod of course

 

Really looking forwards to the new sky domes! They look amazing! Could you also back port them to the 9.1 version that is easier on the VR framerate? Thanks!

Thanks. I plan on adding the lighting and skydomes to the version 9 mod. 

[rowdyb00t]

This is a view from above on an example of the heavy weather fronts above Stalingrad while moving the camera west. Not all of them have the same spacing on the maps. Keep in mind that these do move depending on the wind and its direction. However now thinking about it, I built these thinking that in the summer / winter most fronts come from the North, South and West. But I have not done any research on weather on the Eastern Front.

 

 

I hi-lighted the position on the map in the top right corner of the pics. 

Edited April 28, 2020 by rowdyb00t

[Retnek]

Looking at the clouds for a "weather-front" - my first thought was "this does not fit really" (Not being a pilot, a meteorologist and without detailed knowledge about the weather-system in the Ukraine - my expectations how clouds should look like come from Northern Europe)

 

If that front represents a  thunderstorm-front, some distinctive clouds ("cells") at the front-line should tower much more into the height - type cumulus or even cumulonimbus. I suspect it is limited by the simulators weather-engine  - as high and as towering as possible. For that kind of thunderstorm-front it seems ok to me when loosely scattered clouds or clear skies follow behind it.

 

If it is a frontline bringing in a "new" weather situation - a mild change from good weather to a longer rain period f.e. -  than the shallow front-line as seen above seems suitable to me. But it should be be followed by a dense cloud field covering the airspace behind the front for hours at least.

 

Please don't get me wrong! The way you realize weather-effects is beautiful and with a much more natural expression than it is done by default. But in this case  the combination made me stop and think about it.

Edited April 28, 2020 by Retnek

[RedeyeStorm]

@rowdyb00tI really enjoy your cloudmod but I have some issues with rain/snow effects. Because I fly VR I had version 9.1 revised loaded. Today I got a mission where the briefing indicated overcast with snow. Upon spawning into the cockpit I didn't have an overcast (heavily clouded but there where gaps in the cloud cover) and no snow. I left the mission and changed to cloud mod version 8. Back into the mission voila overcast and snow. I am wondering why I don't get an overcast and snow in version 9.1 revised? Is it an error of some sort or is because snow and rain only come with a complete overcast condition?

[rowdyb00t]

Definitely the game limitations are in effect here. Keep in mind you almost have to fly across the whole map to see the whole thing before it repeats. I could upscale the cloud map to make a weather front have another 50 kilometers of overcast behind it and cumulonimbus reaching 10km high, but doing that would make flying in VR impossible with the frame rate tax. It already brings mine down from 90 to 40,  2D seems ok for me with no taxing ( 2080ti, r5 3600x, ect ). However not every one has a high end PC. 

   The games “ceiling” seems to be 10km, that’s where the cirrus cloud maps are set to. Also the QMB does a random on cloud thickness however, you set the base height ( up to 3000m ). Those clouds in the pic are 5km thick and I’ve had them up to 7km in the mission editor. Anyway thanks for the thoughts @Retnek . There are so many things that would be nice to implement into the game like 3D cirrus, rain with any cloud type, lightning, deforming clouds, accumulating snow and so on. 

[rowdyb00t]

58 minutes ago, [Pb]RedeyeStorm said:

@rowdyb00tI really enjoy your cloudmod but I have some issues with rain/snow effects. Because I fly VR I had version 9.1 revised loaded. Today I got a mission where the briefing indicated overcast with snow. Upon spawning into the cockpit I didn't have an overcast (heavily clouded but there where gaps in the cloud cover) and no snow. I left the mission and changed to cloud mod version 8. Back into the mission voila overcast and snow. I am wondering why I don't get an overcast and snow in version 9.1 revised? Is it an error of some sort or is because snow and rain only come with a complete overcast condition?

  There are 10 different kinds of overcast files in each summer and winter. Six of them in each are drawn with the cloud maps which means there will be no precipitation. Unfortunately the only fix is to return all the overcast back to stock overcast. The difference between Version 8 and 9.1 is that 8 does not have newer overcast. So this means all ten files have precip. Possibly I could make a version with all stock overcast?

[RedeyeStorm]

Hello @rowdyb00t,

 

I would like that. If it isn’t to much work that is. If I understand it 4 overcast files do generate precipitation. 

[rowdyb00t]

4 hours ago, [Pb]RedeyeStorm said:

. If I understand it 4 overcast files do generate precipitation. 

Yes

[SCG_motoadve]

I really  like the idea and look of the fronts, but they affect performance quite a bit.

[rowdyb00t]

17 minutes ago, SCG_motoadve said:

I really  like the idea and look of the fronts, but they affect performance quite a bit.

  Yes they do, I’m really hoping that when they introduce deferred shading that will help with FPS

[G_GART]

Hi @rowdyb00t!

First many thanks to your great cloud MOD! Now about missing precipitation in som of your overcast weathers (looked att version 9.1 only ) as i checked them i noticed that the variabel  OvercastHMinMax was missing and the "FogRange" variabel must have a value between 12000 -14000 for the precipitation to be generated! but changing "FogRange" will limit the generation of cloud layer, (game engine limitation maybe) now cloud  will cover a limited circle in sky/map, this circle will be further generated /expand in that direction, you move the camera in the mission editor, this is more visible when you fly the mission! i.e. the clouds will not cover the whole sky/map as vanilla clouds do! ( but maybe it can be neglected!) maybe you decide to try it and make som other changes to make an update! have nice time!

from version 9.1 and (04_Overcast_01)

 

 

 

seen from above

 

 

 

 

[rowdyb00t]

@G_GART

  Hello there and thanks. I have messed around with this a little bit but wasn’t satisfied with it. It would be nice if the fog range could be extend past 14000. If I remember correctly, anything past that makes the cloud disappear but you still have precip. Also I think the generation layer for the precip doesn’t match the base of the 3D clouds. Maybe I’ll look into messing with this again. It would be really neat if the precip could be tied into the cloud maps to have it with heavy weather too. 

[G_GART]

@rowdyb00t

Hi!

As you say, i have tested FogRange values as below:
FogRange < 11000  precipitation still there, your cloud layer will disappear and the game generates vanilla clouds!
FogRange=11000 precipitation is still there and the game will generate vanilla cloud under your cloud layer as well.
FogRange =12000 - 14000 will generate your cloud layer (limited circle shape) with precipitation as I explained in my first post
FogRange > 14000 Will generate your cloud layer without precipitation.

well assigned values from12000 to14000 will generate precipitation in heavy weather too (limited circle shape) even clear weather!!  

Edited April 29, 2020 by G_GART

[rowdyb00t]

@G_GART

 

  So I messed around with the precip again with no luck. However I think if I raise the cloud height by enlarging the cloud map sector size, it will be hard to see far enough to make out the fog range limit. That being said, the new problem will be that doing this will kill the FPS In VR. I’ll try it out anyway and post a vid 

 

edit: I fiddled around some and still looks odd with the fog range circle 

Edited April 30, 2020 by rowdyb00t

[rowdyb00t]

Getting the clouds a little more like clouds.

 

[Stonehouse]

Pretty amazing those last shots

[Avyx]

Amazing. Is there a new update ??

I wish I could get rid of those jitters, at all, but that's not possible

Edited May 2, 2020 by Avyx

[rowdyb00t]

4 hours ago, Avyx said:

Amazing. Is there a new update ??

I wish I could get rid of those jitters, at all, but that's not possible

  No update yet. Not sure what you mean, you have the jitters or your clouds? 

[Avyx]

On the clouds... 

?

[rowdyb00t]

24 minutes ago, Avyx said:

On the clouds... 

?

 

Did you download the gpresets file?

[Avyx]

Yes

Could I edit this file, for improvement?! 

[rowdyb00t]

28 minutes ago, Avyx said:

Yes

Could I edit this file, for improvement?! 

 Possibly, try 256 for cloud samples. Could you post your in game settings and your nvidia settings?

[Avyx]

what do you mean with " game settings"? 

Graphics settings? 

Here are the NCP and Graphics settings for IL 2 BoX

Edited May 2, 2020 by Avyx

[rowdyb00t]

@Avyx

 

Im assuming when you say jittery, you mean at the bottom of the clouds? Or do you mean the boiling effect?

 I personally use the nVidia aliasing (except transparency, this causes glowing smoke and effects ). Maybe lower your horizon draw distance to 100Km and Landscape detail your x3. I also personally don’t use the HDR, it causes bloom, I don’t use SSAO and my gamma is 0.8. 

[Avyx]

I disabled SSAO, HDR and Horizon draw distance to 100Km and Landscape detail  X3, still this " boiling effect "

I modified the " 128 for cloud samples "  to 256

How far can I go with those digits ? 512 ? 1024 ?

And the worst for IL 2 BoX is the color banding. It looks incredible awful ( clouds ) compared to all the flight simulators I have

Here, for example ( a different flight sim / combat ) the clouds look amazing, color banding - almost zero

Is that because of the cloud files ? PNG / BMP / DDS ??

 

Edited May 2, 2020 by Avyx

[rowdyb00t]

1 hour ago, Avyx said:

I disabled SSAO, HDR and Horizon draw distance to 100Km and Landscape detail  X3, still this " boiling effect "

I modified the " 128 for cloud samples "  to 256

How far can I go with those digits ? 512 ? 1024 ?

   Man I don’t know what’s going on with it. I have none of those problems and I’m pretty sure no one else has this either because they more than likely would be posting. I remember @Goffik had to do a complete reinstall.What version do you have? Are you GPU drivers up to date? If so did you do a clean install? As for the cloud samples, mine are at 128 but you can go as high as you want I believe. I know it’s a lot of pages but if you read through this thread this issue has come up before. I really want to help. 

[Avyx]

I forgot to mention : in the last time, the game just crash when I start a Quick Mission, or the image is freezing. It's happen more and more often

I think I'll uninstall - reinstall again. But I want to backup the most important : joystick / throttle setup and the mods

 

LE : just happened again, 2 minutes before

Where can I find the log file ? I'd like to attach it here.

Thank you

Edited May 2, 2020 by Avyx

[rowdyb00t]

40 minutes ago, Avyx said:

LE : just happened again, 2 minutes before

Where can I find the log file ? I'd like to attach it here.

Thank you

 Enable crash dump reporting. I think it’s in bin/game. 
Then I think it generates in the data folder. Mission logs should be a file in data. If not they are in data as well. Do you run ReShade??

[Avyx]

Yes, I do run ReShade, and I think that's the culprit

 

Do you have it also ??

[rowdyb00t]

13 minutes ago, Avyx said:

Yes, I do run ReShade, and I think that's the culprit

 

Do you have it also ??

  I used to have it but had a few issues. If your AA is off the game will crash. It doesn’t do anything for VR so I decided to not use it for box. However it’s great for other games though. 

[Avyx]

I just removed ReShade and did some quick tests with Quick Mission

So far so good. I tested about 15 minutes. A wonder. No crash, no freeze.

I'll keep testing, I hate to uninstall - reinstall a game ( or Windows OS )

I'll upload later a very short video with the " boiling efect " on the clouds

 

 

LE :  https://gofile.io/?c=p4419t

Edited May 2, 2020 by Avyx

[rowdyb00t]

@Avyx

  So the boiling I notice in some of the clouds in 2D but not in VR. Not sure why that is. However this is how the game draws the clouds unfortunately. I only notice it where they are thinned out. 
 

explained on page 6 here:

https://forum.il2sturmovik.com/topic/40836-work-in-progress/page/6/

 

Edited May 3, 2020 by rowdyb00t

[Avyx]

Indeed, only when they are thinned out 

Can I reduce / remove / this, somehow? 

[rowdyb00t]

1 hour ago, Avyx said:

Indeed, only when they are thinned out 

Can I reduce / remove / this, somehow? 

 I suppose I’ll have to go through all the sky files and try to reduce this. But no big deal. 

[Avyx]

Thanks a million

[rowdyb00t]

Anyone who would like to have GIANT clouds here you go. I don't recommend these in VR though, Frame killer  I added these to the Heavy Clouds ( 03_heavy_00, 02, 04 ). Just drop in MODS folder and have a go. The last two pics the clouds are 31,000ft. 

 

Cumulonimbus.zip

 

 

 

I spelled airfield wrong 

 

 

Edited May 4, 2020 by rowdyb00t

[Avyx]

I'll keep them, as default, they look amazing

Performance isn't affected, at all ( no VR )

 

 

[rowdyb00t]

15 minutes ago, Avyx said:

I'll keep them, as default, they look amazing

Performance isn't affected, at all ( no VR )

 It’s very difficult to get all the outlines of the cloud looking just right, especially when you make them that large. Glad you like