Author Topic: A question about weather (Read 571 times)

BlckMgk · « **on:** December 25, 2003, 10:49:17 PM »

Since Festers been making a big push for weather/visibility changes, would it be possible to make cloud layers and fog an admin controlled object? I.e. something like a carrier, but an admin can literaly control the weather, draws a line in the sand and makes one side murky, and the other not (a storm front) with properties like altitute, speed, duration, and intensity. (Could just make it uniform) If the admin wishes for different fronts, he must draw them in.

I don't know if an object that size would cause massive amounts of lag to track, since it would probably need to be broadcast globaly (something like 100 paratroopers being dropped at the same time).

So maybe HTC, can brainstorm a bit since they know their product best, that would probably be one feature no other sim has...

-BM

Sway · « **Reply #1 on:** December 26, 2003, 12:03:37 AM »

I want hail comin through the glass in my cockpit

Rafe35 · « **Reply #2 on:** December 26, 2003, 01:18:38 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by Sway
I want hail comin through the glass in my cockpit

Dont forget! Add some weather: Snow, Rain, and Heavy Fog.

Swoop · « **Reply #3 on:** December 26, 2003, 04:57:52 AM »

Yeah I remember when HT was in the MA telling us all about the new clouds (loooong time ago now), he said cloud cover could be set from 0% coverage to 100% if we wanted. I thought this was fantastic, the great events we could create with these new clouds.........and then HT gives us clouds.......and they can only be setup during terrain design.

Oh.

. Nev mind then.

Now I used to have a Scottish lad staying with me, one time I was flying through a cloud bank and he was stood behind me open mouthed. Said "That's awesome, never seen clouds modelled so well before."

Then I panned sideways and showed him this:

His response? "Ah, well....er......nev mind then."

When was the last time you saw clouds looking anything like those seen above? Once you're actually "in" a cloud bank they look great, the edges just look plain stupid though. No offense meant to HT but they really do look silly.

Ghosth · « **Reply #4 on:** December 26, 2003, 09:31:36 AM »

How do you show a curve in a universe where everything is a square (or a triangle slice of a square)???

Curves for cloud edges would be incredibly hard to do well.

Give him time I'm sure he's thinking about it.

BenDover · « **Reply #5 on:** December 26, 2003, 02:22:48 PM »

I'm pretty sure you can set up clouds by sticking the .ahw in the terrains folder.

TweetyBird · « **Reply #6 on:** December 27, 2003, 08:57:34 AM »

Prettier curves = more triangles = more video memory = fewer fps.

I dont think the edge of the cloudbank looks all that bad. After 3 days you won't notice the eyecandy, but you always notice frame rate.

I'd vote for for an option where all the eyecandy could be turned off for performance. They could still use it to attract casual new users, and it could be turned off when the player got serious