Getting Started
with VNS 3: Sky &
Clouds
Part 9C. Layered Clouds
1. Now for the clouds. Switch
the Lake Sky view back to realtime mode. Open the Plan
view popup menu and select View > New Planimetric
Camera.
2. The Plan Camera view will
be replaced by the new Planimetric Camera view.
3. Go to the Scene-at-a-Glance and double-click the empty Cloud Models
category to add a new Component. The views will update with the
default Cloud Model bounds.
4. Rename it 2D Layers.
Select the second A little thicker and denser type.
5. Turn to the Basic page
and Set Bounds in a View.
6. The Set Cloud Model Bounds box reminds us that the next two points
clicked will become the Cloud Model bounds.
7. Activate the Planimetric
Camera view and zoom out once with the - key. To minimize
render time, we only place clouds where we can see them in camera
views. Left-click once behind the Lake Sky Camera near the lake.
Click again to the northwest. The view will refresh with a shaded
box representing the Cloud Model.
8. Looking at the Lake Sky view,
you can tell from active Cloud Model plane that we didn't make
it big enough.
9. Zoom back another notch in
the Planimetric Camera view. Set Bounds in a View
again and create a larger Cloud Model area. Make it large enough
to cover the sky in the Lake Sky view. If it doesn't,
repeat the process until it does.
10. Save the project and render
a Lake Sky preview.
11. This type of Cloud Model
uses stacked layers to give the illusion of vertical depth. This
works very well for clouds at high elevations. The Basic
page has the Coverage and Density controls, the
key tools for customizing your clouds.
12. Think of Coverage
as Clouds per unit area. The maximum value is 100%.
13. Density controls individual
cloud density and size within the texture. Increase the value
to 500%. Save the project and render a preview.
14. The Density texture
is the Cloud Model pattern itself.
15. The Shadows page controls
the casting of shadows by Cloud Models.
16. Receiving of shadows by terrain
and foliage is controlled by a Shadow Component. Go to
the lower S@G tab and double-click the Shadows
category to open its only Component, which is currently disabled.
17. The Receive Shadows
page sets what shadows the terrain receives.
18. Open the Lake Sky
popup menu and select Render Options > Terrain
> Terrain to enable it for rendering.
19. Save the project and render
a preview.
20. Return to the Cloud Model Editor General page and disable
the Cloud Model.
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