Clouds and performance

[MwDOODY]

How serious is the performance degrade w / the following proposed formations


 I want as many as 3 cloud groups in 1 viewable area at the same time. Is that going to  be a performance limitation?

 1 storm at sea level headed 155
1 cloud group @ 5-7k   (8 clouds per row, 10 rows, types 0,1,2)headed 45.
1 cloud group @ 7-12k (8 clouds per row, 10 rows, types 0,1,2) headed 260.

each of the cloud groups will travel nearly the distance of the map, so the possibility of them being at the same place at the same time is small, but none the less.. it will happen.

also, im assuming that cloud groups not visible due to distance will have no performance impact on the player, and thus , there will be several cloud groups scattered about..
correct me if wrong.

[Tilt]

The FR performance issue is dependant upon the capacity of the PC running it............... so if you have lots of program generated art work (clouds, smoke, explosions, chutes, other players) all in one area then the system takes a hit and the capacity of the system reflects the actual reduction in FR.


So if you are going to have cloud layers crossing best to do it well out of visual range of any airfields.

I believe there is a still a separate limit re the number of cloud objects active on a terrain (i assume this is a limitation of the cloud sub program)

[buzkill]

i got a wimpy system...ide be seeing obout 15 to 25 frames max
(amd athlon 750; 64 ram; 8 video card)