[WIPAddon]CLOUD SYSTEM

Easy Clouds:

Make high quality, production ready clouds for your scene using a dynamic interactive add-on.
It is a Shape based cloud generator or draw paths to generate a cloud along them:


FEATURES:

  • Draw clouds
  • Change path thickness
  • Create clouds from object shape.

Active cloud parameters:

  • Show/Hide Source points
  • Cloud color
  • Cloud point amount
  • point offset
  • point size
  • Noise Falloff
  • Visibility(Cloud Alpha)
  • Cloud resolution [ Manual Update]
  • Extend Cloud Previewer(CloudDomain)
  • Enable HighRes Cloud generation[ Manual Update]
    -BAKE/FREEBAKE Active cloud.

FUTURE PLANS:

  • Cloud shader Library system for Cycles(production ready presets)
  • Preset list with cloud types:
    (cumulus, stratus, and stratocumulus; middle clouds include altocumulus and altostratus; and high clouds include cirrus, cirrocumulus, and cirrostratus)

Purchase Link:

Nice, well done :wink:

@pitiwazou
Thanks!

Hi @Albertofx a very good add-on and an excellent idea too!
Congrats.

i have one idea in +:
Add a padlock after “Update” button to make auto-update when any button is left up…and change the name “Update” to “Manual update”.

Good Luck.

@Spirou4D

I haven’t really figured out how to auto update on changes. And if that’s not what you mean, can you explain it a little more.

Very very useful!

@Albertofx

yes in python if one parameter (of buttons) change, you can run a operator to run an other operator (a function update).
You must search an other addon with this kind of operation…
for example in UI panel:
layout.prop(context.scene, “add_material_auto”, icon = “MATERIAL”).hereyoucanchoosetheevent

.hereyoucanchoosetheevent
read the Blenderpython wiki.
Each time you change the parameter, an other function is interpreted…

EDIT: you too could have a event in your function.

Awesome! On how many addons are you working at the same time? :spin::smiley:

@julperado
thanks!
and I’m working on both Clouds System and Cloth Tearing System.

Added a Noise parameter for cloud point edges.

This is great. When will you release it?

Wooow! you are a chief! Big congratulations, Dear @Albertofx !

It’s now available for purchase for whoever wants to try it out.
Clouds System is available for $35 or share and get it for $19.

Awesome add-on!
Thanks.

Nice! too bad Im working on something similar… You beat me to it

I bought the plugin. The results are very nice but there seems that there are some problems: despite the clouds’ appearing very bright and well in the view port when rendered they remain too dark. I tried to put powerful light sources around but in vain. Something goes wrong. The second problem is the rendering times. Rendering an image in a big scale would take enormous time. Is there not a way of finding some solution to this problem? Some optimizing?

@Fatesailor
Hey, I noted that on the site, You will need to assign your own shaders until I update it and add a library preset system with ready to use cloud shaders.

The assigning of shaders by the user needs some instructions however. Which one of Cycles’ shader would give, for example, the best result (and with which settings applied on it)?

Indeed, the best way is to have a ready made shader library for the plugin.

Some other option that it needs is as to the sharpness or blurriness of the cloud shapes that are produced. You may need, according to what you are aiming at in your scene, some cloudy shapes with shapes fading very smoothly or some that have sharp formations. Such an option would be important for a cloud generating tool.

And, of course, some optimization as to the rendering times… even if through a setting which lowers, optionally, the quality of the results…

@Fatesailor
the shaders are added to the cloud domain, not to the cloud itself, that goes for both cycles and internal, And yes, I am currently working on the library shader feature for those who don’t want to bother doing the shaders themselves.
I would consider adding a high res factor of 1 or 2 , messing around with Noise Falloff and visibility may give you those results. I’ve made plenty of tutorials for you to get enough understanding. And as for rendering times, I can’t do much but provide recommended system requirements before purchase, which is something you should have been aware of. If you can, please be patient for the shaders library otherwise, I would recommend using internal based off your description on rendering time and maybe try messing with cloud domain material settings.

Really, in BI the clouds are rendered very fast and in a quite high quality. There is no any problem in rendering images of high resolution. There exists another problem though, when rendering in BI: there remains the shadow of the bounding box. I tried many ways to get rid of it but in vain. Can we find a solution to this problem? If we find a solution to it the whole plugin would be worth considering even if for using it in BI only…