Potential cloud bugs

[Brooke]

There might be an issue with the random generator for clouds.

Here is an example of type 0 clouds.  Note that, while cloud shapes vary in the x axis, they are periodic along the y axis.

[Brooke]

This one might not be a bug, but I mention it in case.

AH2 had various cloud types ("0 cumulus 1", etc.), and AH3 has some cloud types named the same thing ("0 cumulus 1", etc.).

However, "0 cumulus 1" in AH2 does not look like "0 cumulus 1" in AH3 (which makes more work for cloud builders as they have to go through all the clouds types in AH3 and refigure out how they look).

The clouds types not looking the same in AH2 vs. AH3 might be intentional, but in case not, I mention it.

0 cumulus 1 in AH2:


0 cumulus 1 in AH3 beta, which are much more numerous and closely packed (independent of the periodicity issue).

[Brooke]

I have looked at other cloud types that aren't similar between AH2 and AH3 beta (such as "8 cumulus 3"), but haven't posted pictures here.  It's not just "0 cumulus 1" that are different one to the other.

[Brooke]

Also, if ever there is the chance to fix a bug in the cloud editor that has been there for many years -- where front 1 is reset when you load a cloud file -- that would be great.  That bug is hugely annoying, requiring you to redo front 1 manually every time you load a cloud file, and never knowing what front 1 was in the saved file.

[Brooke]

A note on direction of the non-randomness -- it is perpendicular to the "v" direction in the cloud editor.

I.e., make a cloud front, let it evolve, and the nonrandomness is in the direction along the front, perpendicular to the direction the front is moving.

[popeye]

Also, noticed that fleet AAA seems to be able to see through a cloud cover.  Puffy ack was getting real close as I flew above the clouds, and killed me when I dove into the clouds in pursuit of a red guy.

[Brooke]

A fuller exploration of cloud bugs in AH3 beta is here:

http://electraforge.com/brooke/misc/aces_high/betaCloudBugs/cloudbugs.html

[Brooke]

Updated explanation of bugs in representation of clouds, showing all clouds types from above and below in AH2 vs. AH3 beta:

http://electraforge.com/brooke/misc/aces_high/betaCloudBugs/cloudbugs.html

Example of the difference (type 8):

[DubiousKB]

There might be an issue with the random generator for clouds.

Here is an example of type 0 clouds.  Note that, while cloud shapes vary in the x axis, they are periodic along the y axis.

(Image removed from quote.)

First impression.... There's a large group of bombers that went that'a'way!   like a large formation's contrails....

Keep up the hard work gents! AH3 will be what you guys make it!

[hitech]

Brooke these really are not bugs, we may change some of the formations, but when you use them for real, the repeating/tiling issues pretty much goes away if you select more then one type at a time.

Also on the thick cloud bank I made the seem of the imposters (thats what is causing the darker issue) a little lighter so it is not as pronounced.


HiTech

[Greebo]

I'd have to say that visually the new clouds are not as good looking as the big round formations used in AH II. The new square formations look artificial and there is still a little jittering at some ranges. I guess there must be some performance advantage to the new system or it wouldn't have been changed.

[Brooke]

Brooke these really are not bugs, we may change some of the formations, but when you use them for real, the repeating/tiling issues pretty much goes away if you select more then one type at a time.

Also on the thick cloud bank I made the seem of the imposters (thats what is causing the darker issue) a little lighter so it is not as pronounced.


HiTech

Thank you very much for the information.

In AH2, I used all the same type of cloud over the whole map, so this is an important piece of info for me.

I'll start playing around with mixtures in beta and see what I come up with.

I'm hoping that I'm still able to get clouds that look like this over a whole terrain:

[Brooke]

HiTech, I played around with clouds tonight, such as trying types 0-1, 0-2, 0-3, 0-4 as the front, not just all 0, all 1, all 2, etc.

This is what it looks like, which doesn't look good or usable for special events, where we need to generate clouds over most of or all of the terrain.

I don't seem to be able to generate clouds looking like in my previous post (pics from various past scenarios).

Any suggestions on what I'm doing wrong or should be doing?

Types 0-1 (regular pattern still, as if random-number generator isn't working)


Types 0-2 (still regularities, and even though using mostly types 0 and 1, already becoming too thick for most events, and bigger clouds looks square)


types 0-3 (too thick for use, still squarish looking)


types 0-4 (too thick for use, still squarish looking)