Attention to all mission creators: new clouds in 4.701

[BlackSix]

Hello everyone,

 

In addition to significant visual improvements, the new clouds may also require you to check and possibly rework your missions. I highly recommend paying attention to the following three points:

 

1. The new clouds are quite a bit different in shape and height. This means that the lighting in a mission could change pretty dramatically. The mission can get very dark now, and if, for example, you want your plane to be illuminated by the sun at the start, or you have a route under the clouds, or you need to attack ground objects, you may want to change the clouds type. The lighting situation is more of a factor now, so I advise you take a look at it.

 

Same clouds type 02_medium_02 in version 4.6xx and 4.701:

 

2. The lower edge of the new clouds remained at the same level as the old one. All your routes below it are not threatened, but again, control the new illumination and change the type of clouds if necessary. Also, check that the waypoints height doesn't coincide with the lower edge, but is at least 30-50 meters below it.

 

3. All your routes that were previously guaranteed to be above the clouds may require either an adjustment in their height or a change in cloud type. As I stated, some clouds have become much higher, and some have become generally two-level. I've had to redo many of my routes above the clouds in my missions.

 

Also, if you indicated the type of clouds and their height in the briefings and changed them, do not forget to correct your texts.

 

The team apologizes for any inconvenience this causes mission makers, but improving the clouds will make missions much more interesting visually and in some cases tactically.

 

[FTC_Mephisto]

@BlackSix Thank you. Is there any way to steer the localized effects? E.g. if I want some rain around some specific area, but then clear skies around the targets? 

Edited December 8, 2021 by FTC_Mephisto

[BlackSix]

Unfortunately, it's not possible to manually change the position of the clouds. The only way for you is to iterate over the numbers and types of clouds in order to try to get the desired configuration.

[FTC_Mephisto]

1 hour ago, BlackSix said:

Unfortunately, it's not possible to manually change the position of the clouds. The only way for you is to iterate over the numbers and types of clouds in order to try to get the desired configuration.

 

Ok. So basically play with different templates in the editor and try a fitting combination? Does the position of clouds change randomly or is it fixed for each preset / map? So if I take 02_medium_02 for BoBP I might always end up with a heavy clouds group over Emmerich (made up example)?

[ITAF_Airone1989]

1 minute ago, FTC_Mephisto said:

 

Ok. So basically play with different templates in the editor and try a fitting combination? Does the position of clouds change randomly or is it fixed for each preset / map? So if I take 02_medium_02 for BoBP I might always end up with a heavy clouds group over Emmerich (made up example)?

I think they can move during the mission due to wind...

Or at least I saw that in beta: I took off from Taman with no clouds over the airfield and then I landed on the same AF in a heavy rain condition.

 

[BlackSix]

The clouds have a constant configuration at the beginning of each mission and are not distributed over the map randomly each time but they can move during the mission due to the wind.

[FTC_Mephisto]

Thank you. Are turbulences still a map-wide setting or do these also apply differently depending on the clouds (e.g. like rain)?

[BlackSix]

I cannot say, I did not experiment, because I try not to use turbulence, I find it very annoying for players in flight

[Jaegermeister]

@BlackSix, thanks for the heads up on the mission design. I assume we will have to update previously published missions at some point too.

[BlackSix]

Yes, it would be nice if you check all your official missions at least.

[IckyATLAS]

I have tested the height value which seems to come at a default 6000 mt value. It seems this parameter  is not anymore taken into consideration, it was used to stretch the clouds vertically or stretch the separation on the only two level cloud system of the previous version.

Using the level parameter one can set the lower ceiling of the clouds, the upper ceiling is not defined anymore as it will depend on the cloud model chosen.

There is a nice choice of cloud systems but I perfectly agree that we could have more in the future to suit all possible needs.

 

 

[DFLion]

Thanks for your advice on the new clouds ‘BlackSix’ I’m gradually updating all my missions and they are looking good. You just have to experiment a bit to get the right heights etc. it would be good to get a ‘new cloud’ interface to select them more accurately- this would involve some programming which is not the priority at the moment.

DFLion

[jollyjack]

Maybe someone into this can post a list of new and old style lookalikes?

Or better: add an umbrella for the ladies in an Uv2s ...

[LukeFF]

1 hour ago, jollyjack said:

Maybe someone into this can post a list of new and old style lookalikes?

 

 

[FTC_Mephisto]

It would have been good to get a comprehensive documentation for the new clouds. Altitude range, height range, ability to generate rain, etc. Otherwise the community now needs to reverse engineer this information which surely should be readily available at 1C…

[PA_Keko_]

Thank you @BlackSix!!! 

[jollyjack]

The new clouds look very good, especially for bad weather.

Pity you cannot program a local hectic storm or turbulence; or where i live there's also some magic line above which the weather is usually better than below.

It's not an official Meteoric fact, but every North Sea fisherman knows about it.

[Vendigo]

Is there a way to make the entire map covered by overcast clouds?

I have the maximum level applied "04_overcast_09" - nevertheless some parts of the map are cloudless and sunny, specifically the area that is supposed to be overcast by the mission scenario. Each time I start the mission, the cloudless area is at the same location so I can't get the weather to be as it is supposed to be.

     

[ITAF_Airone1989]

 

1 minute ago, Vendigo said:

Is there a way to make the entire map covered by overcast clouds?

I have the maximum level applied "04_overcast_09" - nevertheless some parts of the map are cloudless and sunny, specifically the area that is supposed to be overcast by the mission scenario. Each time I start the mission, the cloudless area is at the same location so I can't get the weather to be as it is supposed to be.

     

Look here:

the last number (overcast_09) is not the clouds thickness but just the type, so maybe some other type will fit better