Clouds! (ZScript Included)

[WingedOne]

I'd recommend running this script with "show actions" turned on. I sort of had an ephiphany on how to do cumulus clouds using some simple modeling, the fiber brush, the glow brush and a little bit of the blur brush. I was puzzling on how to do this after I saw a scene with realistic clouds using POV-Ray's "media" features.

The image ain't that great, but I thought the technique would be useful, both to myself and others.

After doing this, I thought it might be more effective to model a bunch of clouds, all at the same z-depth, multi-mark them and then polymesh them all into a single unit. That way you could be assured all your clouds would be about on the same altitude when placed in the scene.

Any thoughts on how I can improve upon this technique would be welcome. Of course viewing anyone's experiments with this would be welcome as well.

http://www2.zbrushcentral.com/zbc_uploads/user_image-1013040254nrs.jpg

Here's the script:

Clouds.txt (http://www2.zbrushcentral.com/zbc_uploads/user_file-1013040327ask.txt)

[Stonecutter]

Hey W/O, I think those are great clouds and your technique is very nice...The only 121 I would offer is that clouds are generally flattened a bit on the bottom, depending on how high they are in the sky. The lower they are, the flatter, the higher, the more fluffy and rounded...

But these clouds are great, and very believable! Nice job, and a cool script!
:tu: :tu: :tu: :cool:

I should add my comments re: cloud geometry are general...Your image rocks!!

[DeeVee]

I agree with what SC wrote. I would add that Comulus clouds apart from their billowy form, should be darker at the bottom. However the creation is the important thing., and the script is well done. I am sure it would be a welcomed addition to juandel, and zoid's great threads on the same subject.

[drjjwow]

looks awesome wingedone.. thanks for the awesome tip...

[juandel]

as beautiful as lying on my back at one of my favorite spots and watching that realworld cloudshow, WingedOne! i saved that tool and will give the suggested multimarker way a try soonissimost. thank you for sharing - much appreciated! :tu: :tu: :tu:

- juandel

[Muvlo]

Supurb job WingedOne, this is a very useful technique. :)

[juandel]

http://www.cyber-webs.com/zbrush/cloudswo.jpg

well, it does not look like, but i used your cloudtool for making this one, WingedOne! :) i created an arrangement of a few of your clouds at different z-depths and sizes, marked each of them and then used the multimarkertool with perspective distortion on, snapshot it a few times and built up some depth that way... sillyme used a not so nicely interacting material for the background which resulted in much too hard edges of the clouds so i gave it a try to export it as .psd and reimport it as texture to fill the canvas with a depthless flatmaterial version and started smudging and the like. i think some of the sky-depth achieved with that gorgeous .ztl of yours remained in the painted version... other jujuxperiments to follow soon. thank you once more for the inspiration!

- juandel :D

[thelonious]

Juandel- cloud maestro extraordinaire