How about some pictures of those new clouds?

[Cavemanhead]

For those like me who won't be able to see them for a while...  Can you nice folks post some pictures of the clouds with your explanation of what you think makes them good (or not)... 

 

 

[71st_AH_Mastiff]

http://youtu.be/VvaHO1Kh8Cc

[senseispcc]

This is a picture taken yesterday 19-04-2014 or 2014-04-19;

 

click to view in full size...
 

[Nage]

New clouds are beautiful. However it seams they introduced annoying blurr effect. I have cinematic effect unticked so its not that.

Edited April 20, 2014 by tikvic

[PB0_Foxy]

Here are some pictures from Zargos on the french forum

 

 

 

 

 

[Phant0m]

that blur effect (if you are talking about that blurry halo around a/c near clouds) was there last week too. Hope it is somewhere on their todo list. They fixed a similar problem with the Stalingrad smoke so I have confidence it is a non issue

[71st_AH_Mastiff]

seems to be an issue with HDR, and Bloom.

[Mastermariner]

They are straining my eyes because they looks like they are out of focus. 

Master

[Feathered_IV]

 

[MarcoRossolini]

Looks a bit like War Thunder's clouds...

 

I'll have to see them in game properly to get an opinion, they look nice... but... um...

[SeriousFox]

Yeah, new clouds looks cool sometimes, but most of the time it's too blurry. 

[Jaws2002]

There are advantages and disadvantages with the new clouds. Up close the individual clouds don't look as defined as the last ones. I'll miss those. The new ones look better as flying through them and interact better with the light. I wish they could keep some of those nice old ones in the mix.

 

Few quick shots. (click on them to see the full resolution PNG screenshots):

 

click image upload

Edited April 20, 2014 by Jaws2002

[Voidhunger]

Biggest improvement with the new clouds is when you are in the cloud or near the cloud. Excellent work team !!!

[Jaws2002]

And some more (again have to click on them for the actual resolution and quality):

 

 

 

click image upload

[Volkoff]

Whatever the remaining technical issues, the clouds are very lovely looking. I have to experiment with time of day, see how the different colors of the sky accentuate the beauty of the clouds.  MJ

Edited April 20, 2014 by =69.GIAP=MIKHA

[JG27_Chivas]

The clouds do look very good.   Hopefully the clouds will be thick enough that we lose complete sight of aircraft we're following, so they can be used as a defense.   I know its difficult to program, but it will also be interesting to see if the AI aircraft lose sight aswell.

[FuriousMeow]

I know its difficult to program, but it will also be interesting to see if the AI aircraft lose sight aswell.

Considering they already accomplished this in RoF, there is no if.

[79_vRAF_Friendly_flyer]

What a step up from both old IL2 and RoF!

[TheBlackPenguin]

Considering they already accomplished this in RoF, there is no if.

 

Yes, having lost many an AI flight through the cloud (friend and foe) I can attest to that (and attest to losing sense of direction if not using instruments and coming out of the cloud in a steep dive), but this raises another question, will the AI be able to go around tick cloud when patrolling, or indeed use it when it needs to? Seems like a tall order to program though.

[ShamrockOneFive]

I have to say that these are the best looking clouds I've ever seen in a video game of any kind. The detail, the shape, lighting effects... all incredibly impressive. As a bit of a weather nut I find it really impressive especially in the ways that the time of day and sun affect how they look. Really great work by the development team!

[Fifi]

Still a RoF clouds lover 

[JG4_Sputnik]

Im not very fond of the new clouds just yet. But I can't put my finger on it why exactely... hope they are still in developement.

Although on some selected screenshots they look great, on others just not so much.

[216th_Peterla]

Fellas those clouds look amazing.

[kendo]

Another person here very firmly giving a big thumbs up for the clouds. IMO by far the best I've seen and exactly what I was hoping for when I gave some criticism of the earlier implementation. These look more natural. 

 

Nothing is perfect so maybe they'll be tweaked further still, but even if not I'm very happy.

 

Contrails and icing effects next?

 

ALSO, what is the likelihood of some of these further improvements to the engine eventually finding their way back into ROF?  

Edited April 21, 2014 by kendo

[SR-F_Winger]

another one:

http://youtu.be/7yEjaYPURHw

[Picchio]

The overall impression for me is very positive, sometimes you get to see really spectacular cloud formations.
Flying right above, or under them is just so amazing.

But I really hope that we will get more variations, with not so fuzzy edges... I can only dream of something looking as defined as a cloud like this:

 

 

That could be something worth of being called ground-breaking, in a combat flight simulator...

[VR-DriftaholiC]

There could be some more elevation difference in the clouds too they seem to be in a rather flat layer. But I do love flying through them it's very realistic 

[SR-F_Winger]

The overall impression for me is very positive, sometimes you get to see really spectacular cloud formations.

Flying right above, or under them is just so fucking amazing.

 

But I really hope that we will get more variations, with not so fuzzy edges... I can only dream of something looking as defined as a cloud like this:

 

 

That could be something worth of being called ground-breaking, in a combat flight simulator...

This would be the absolute bechmark. As far as i remember the devs stated that there will be serveral iterations of the clouds. And also that there will be a cloudengine thats based on new technology. Wether the clouds we currently have are already "new tech" or just optimized "old tech" i dont know. Certainly hope the last.

[Jaws2002]

The type of clouds used in the new installment are similar to War Thunder and to some respect Arma3 clouds. From distance are good and this type of rendering does big formations ok, but I don't like the low resolution when you get close to them. The old ones had more defined shape and looked better from up close. New clouds interact much better with the light though. I hope we can get a version with more defined shapes, like in the picture above. If the shape is more defined, then you get better, sharper shadows when you fly above them.

Shadows make a huge difference:

 

free photo hosting

Edited April 22, 2014 by Jaws2002

[Schmalzfaust]

Wow beautiful, this is my new wallpaper 

[Jaws2002]

I love it too.

I used it a long time ago to make a composite screenshot from CLOD.

 

 

[Zak]

I have several tech scetches of some variations for our clouds, and I think I'll share them with you this week. Interestinng to know what you think

[Jaws2002]

Cool. Thanks Zak.

[kendo]

I have several tech scetches of some variations for our clouds, and I think I'll share them with you this week. Interestinng to know what you think

 

That would be really interesting Zak. Look forward to seeing them.

 

I guess there will always have to be some compromise in what can actually be realised with the clouds in a sim - to capture the variation even in that amazing photo above between the clouds in the lower and upper layers....? For me the new clouds are very, very good, but I can see where people such as Jaws2002 are coming from in looking for other aspects too. And if there could be more of that variation and variety then it really would be something special.

[Brano]

They look good during full daylight,but flying dusk/dawn part of the day I am not so impressed.There is strange laging as clouds animate,very annoying to watch at.When looking thru semitransparent part of cloud from top to earth,i see strange splash of colors.For sure space for improvement.So far I am indifferent.Old clouds,new clouds,shake it and see what coctail we can get out of it

[Cavemanhead]

Dear Zak,

 

Some ideas of what would be nice to see in the clouds section of an update... 

 

1)  How did they evolve - how did you decide how to make them the way they are now

2)  What defines a "tier 2 cloud"...

3)  What kind of future advancements are planned (any weather, etc)

4)  Pictures of the various cloud types

5)  Comment on if AI see the clouds, etc...

6)  Comment on cloud shadows, animation, etc...

 

Thanks.

[Jaws2002]

Since we are talking about clouds and lighting rendering in a game, look at this demo video for "reset" lighting engine:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=0ygZCDoCVec

Edited April 23, 2014 by Jaws2002

[71st_AH_Mastiff]

I have several tech scetches of some variations for our clouds, and I think I'll share them with you this week. Interestinng to know what you think

I hope to see boomers, and you have nailed it on the test build with the fading in and out of the clouds base. great job!

[Phant0m]

I just like the way the clouds move over the course of the MP mission - it makes me happy

[=69.GIAP=RADKO]

A lot of gaming developers would be happy enough with the current version of clouds. However if 1C Game Studios keeps striving for perfection then people are going to buy the game just to enjoy the sheer beauty of it. Certainly would be a great tool for marketing. 

 

I've yet to try out the new clouds but seems like they're developing quite nicely. Don't stop there though, push the boat out with this one Zak. Any developer can make land, mountains buildings (not a criticism)  etc.....but no-one has created technology to truly finalise the virtual would around us.....the sky!

Edited April 23, 2014 by =69.GIAP=RADKO