Hi,

This is my first try to make (more or less) realistic
media-clouds. The cloud-media is contained by two
parallel planes which form the cloud-layer. At ground-
level i've placed a reflective plane for now. Additionally
there is an atmospheric media to blend the horizon smoothly
into a white color. The cam's location moves along a straight
line, starting above the clouds and ending nearer to the ground
(I know, it's not very spectacular :)
I am not satisfied with the cloud-shape yet and the horizon-effect
is a bit too strong, too.
Rendertime was about 2 - 3 minutes per frame at 256x192 on my
700MHz-machine

Comments and Criticism are welcome :)

Thies


P.S.: video-files are appended in replies

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Attachments:
Download 'cloud_flight.mpg' (503 KB)

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Attachments:
Download 'cloud_flight.avi.dat' (541 KB)

This is beautiful!

Maybe the Sky above the clouds could be darker (leaving atmosphere) or 
more blue to increase the contrast. But this could be a thing that got 
lost in video compression...


Regards,
Sebastian H.

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The clouds look convincing from a distance. But flying through the plane
makes them appear too thin.. I would also be interested in a direct
fly-through a dense cloud, which is not possible with planes.. Anyway, the
render time is very reasonable and that matters a lot!

The DivX version looks almost like mpeg1 so try compressing it to 80 kB next
time.  ;o)  DivX is SO good..

Regards,
Hugo

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"Sebastian H." <seb### [at] webde> wrote in news:3d5fe946@news.povray.org...
> This is beautiful!
Thanks :)

> Maybe the Sky above the clouds could be darker (leaving atmosphere) or
> more blue to increase the contrast. But this could be a thing that got
> lost in video compression...
You're right, the Sky is too dark. This is caused by the sky_sphere which
already has a blue->white gradient towards the horizon plus an athmospheric
media which produces a similar effect. Combined they don't look too realistic.
In the new version I've fixed that problem by making the background completely
blue and letting the atmospheric media create the bright horizon.
Perhaps I'll post a still image of it soon.


> Regards,
> Sebastian H.

Greetings,
Thies

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"Hugo" <hua### [at] post3teledk> wrote in news:3d5ff28e$1@news.povray.org...

Hi,
> The clouds look convincing from a distance.
Thanks!

> But flying through the plane makes them appear too thin..
Yes, you're right. I made the clouds so thin firstly because of render-time
and secondly i had problems with thicker clouds getting too greyish like
some rainclouds.. Perhaps i can get the look right with different extinction-
values..

> I would also be interested in a direct
> fly-through a dense cloud, which is not possible with planes.. Anyway, the
> render time is very reasonable and that matters a lot!
Yep, i'll try to make a flythrough in the next animation.

> The DivX version looks almost like mpeg1 so try compressing it to 80 kB next
> time.  ;o)  DivX is SO good..
=)


> Regards,
> Hugo

Greetings,
Thies

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Very cool.  It's even neater that it's animatable.

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Very impressive, good render time too.

I was thinking of doing a 'from orbit' picture of a skyhook descending to
it's docking station - your picture reminded me of the final stages of that
descent.

What are you going to do with it?

                  == John ==

"Thies Heidecke" <h3i### [at] gmxnet> wrote in message
news:3d5f5df6$1@news.povray.org...
> Hi,
>
> This is my first try to make (more or less) realistic
> media-clouds. The cloud-media is contained by two
> parallel planes which form the cloud-layer. At ground-
> level i've placed a reflective plane for now. Additionally
> there is an atmospheric media to blend the horizon smoothly
> into a white color. The cam's location moves along a straight
> line, starting above the clouds and ending nearer to the ground
> (I know, it's not very spectacular :)
> I am not satisfied with the cloud-shape yet and the horizon-effect
> is a bit too strong, too.
> Rendertime was about 2 - 3 minutes per frame at 256x192 on my
> 700MHz-machine
>
> Comments and Criticism are welcome :)
>
> Thies
>
>
> P.S.: video-files are appended in replies
>
>
>

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"Greg M. Johnson" <gregj:-)565### [at] aolcom> schrieb im Newsbeitrag
news:3d6230a5$1@news.povray.org...
> Very cool.  It's even neater that it's animatable.
Thanks! I'm already rendering the next animation =)

Greetings,
Thies

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"John D. Gwinner" <jgw### [at] dazsicom> schrieb im Newsbeitrag
news:3d627fc4$1@news.povray.org...
> Very impressive, good render time too.
Thanks! though i fear that the rendertime increases as the clouds get more
detailed
and higher res.

> I was thinking of doing a 'from orbit' picture of a skyhook descending to
> it's docking station - your picture reminded me of the final stages of that
> descent.
Yeah, that would be a possible use of it, but for greater distances, e.g from
space, one probably had to blend into an other method, i think.

> What are you going to do with it?
I plan to make the clouds look more realistic and detailed and to write a
macro around it for easier handling (like in Jaime Vives Piqueres' stsky.inc),
more different cloud-types (cirrus, stratus, cumulus) for simultaneous use,
improved atmosphere (best would be with physically correct color-gradients
for sunsets and such..) and support for sphere-shaped atmospheres for planets
(currently it's an endless plane).

Quite some work before me =) (This could take some time...)

At the moment the media-density pattern for the clouds and the right
absorbtion
and lighting gives me headaches.. hopefully i'll get it right soon.

>                   == John ==

Greetings,
Thies

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If you do all that :-) I can wrap it up into a plug in for Moray.

                  == John ==

"Thies Heidecke" <h3i### [at] gmxnet> wrote in message
news:3d62889a$1@news.povray.org...
>
> "John D. Gwinner" <jgw### [at] dazsicom> schrieb im Newsbeitrag
> news:3d627fc4$1@news.povray.org...
> > Very impressive, good render time too.
> Thanks! though i fear that the rendertime increases as the clouds get more
> detailed
> and higher res.
>
> > I was thinking of doing a 'from orbit' picture of a skyhook descending
to
> > it's docking station - your picture reminded me of the final stages of
that
> > descent.
> Yeah, that would be a possible use of it, but for greater distances, e.g
from
> space, one probably had to blend into an other method, i think.
>
> > What are you going to do with it?
> I plan to make the clouds look more realistic and detailed and to write a
> macro around it for easier handling (like in Jaime Vives Piqueres'
stsky.inc),
> more different cloud-types (cirrus, stratus, cumulus) for simultaneous
use,
> improved atmosphere (best would be with physically correct color-gradients
> for sunsets and such..) and support for sphere-shaped atmospheres for
planets
> (currently it's an endless plane).
>
> Quite some work before me =) (This could take some time...)
>
> At the moment the media-density pattern for the clouds and the right
> absorbtion
> and lighting gives me headaches.. hopefully i'll get it right soon.
>
> >                   == John ==
>
> Greetings,
> Thies
>
>

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Grrr... Another DivX anim I can't view...

--
Pandora/Scott Hill/[::O:M:C::]Scorpion
Software Engineer.
http://www.pandora-software.com

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"Pandora" <pan### [at] pandora-softwarecom> schrieb im Newsbeitrag
news:3d643ee6@news.povray.org...
> Grrr... Another DivX anim I can't view...
Thats the reason why I posted the animation as mpeg, too.
Their content is equal.

> --
> Pandora/Scott Hill/[::O:M:C::]Scorpion
> Software Engineer.
> http://www.pandora-software.com

Greetings,
Thies

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Could you post your latest code, please?

Grim

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"GrimDude" <gri### [at] cox-internetcom> schrieb im Newsbeitrag
news:3d759eba$1@news.povray.org...
> Could you post your latest code, please?
Sure, i had planned to post it, but i first wanted to clear it up
a bit first and do some more research to make them more realistic.
But if you are interested i'll post the current version. i have to
add though, that my current Version doesn't look as good as the
anim in this post imho.
I'll post the source in p.b.s-f and my latest anim in p.b.a

> Grim

Greetings,
Thies

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