SpeedSix.Cumulo   (Discreet Box12)



PURPOSE

Fluffy cloud simulation in almost 3D space. Rolling clouds, fluffy drifting clouds and sky writing are just a few uses.

cumuloa.jpg cumulob.jpg



INPUT CLIPS

 1: Background Clip : The clouds are drawn over this clip.
 2: Birth Clip : Use to limit the region within which the clouds are formed.



Cumulo   CONTROL PAGE

Restart  (Pushbutton)
     Delete the current cloud[s] and restart.

Restart+PreRoll  (Pushbutton)
     Delete the current cloud[s], restart and preroll.

PreRoll  (Pushbutton)
     Run the sequence for the number of PreRoll frames with the current cloud formation.

PreRoll  (Number  Min: 1, Max: 1000, Default: 40)
     How many frames to pre-calculate before rendering the output.

Quantity  (Number  Min: 0.0, Max: 5000.0, Default: 20.0)
     Base number of cloud forms to create each frame.

Continuity  (Number  Min: 0.0, Max: 100.0, Default: 25.0)
     Percentage chance of full quantity of cloud forms being created each frame. Have periods of low continuity to create clusters of clouds.

Lifetime  (Number  Min: 1.0, Max: 5000.0, Default: 200.0)
     How long, in frames, each cloud will exist for. When it has been around for the given lifetime it will disappear. By using the Styling control Use Fading you can ensure they fade in and out and not just pop off.

Birth  (Position  Default: -.125,0.8)
     Location where the clouds originate; are born.

Birth Radius  (Number  Min: 0.0, Max: 2.0, Default: 0.3)
     The size of the region within which clouds can be created. This should cover the birth matte region if using a birth matte to confine the area within which clouds can be created.

Cloud Size  (Number  Min: 1.0, Max: 40.0, Default: 20.0)
     Base size for a cloud element. If growing then this is the biggest size a cloud element can grow to be.

Cloud Size Var  (Number  Min: 0.0, Max: 100.0, Default: 20.0)
     Variation in cloud element size.

Seed  (Number  Min: 1, Max: 999, Default: 165)
     Change for a different pattern of development.

Use Birth Matte  (Checkbox  Default: Off)
Off: the clouds are born anywhere within the birth radius.
On: the clouds are born within the birth radius but only where the red channel of the birth clip is greater then 0.0 ( i.e. non black ).

Invert Birth Matte  (Checkbox  Default: Off)
     Reverses the matte i.e. black becomes white.

Grow/Shrink  (Checkbox  Default: Off)
Off: the clouds remain a constant size after they are created.
On: the clouds grow and shrink as they age and die. The next 3 controls govern the growing/shrinking effect.

Grow(Life)  (Number  Min: 0.0, Max: 100.0, Default: 100.0)
     The percentage of the cloud's lifetime during which it grows.

Shrink(Life)  (Number  Min: 0.0, Max: 100.0, Default: 0.0)
     The percentage of the cloud's lifetime during which it shrinks.

Min Size  (Number  Min: 1.0, Max: 40.0, Default: 20.0)
     When created and Grow/Shrink is on, this is the minimum size they be or can become.

Mode  (List Box  Options: Render | Wireframe, Default: Wireframe)
Draw wire frame [overlay] or output with rendering parameters.
Demos  (List Box  Options: Drift | Contraints | Simple 3D | Bombard | Sunset | Sky Writing | Billow, Default: Drift)
Select a preset to get you going.


Forces   CONTROL PAGE

Restart  (Pushbutton)
     Delete the current cloud[s] and restart.

Restart+PreRoll  (Pushbutton)
     Delete the current cloud[s], restart and preroll.

PreRoll  (Pushbutton)
     Run the sequence for the number of PreRoll frames with current cloud formation.

Use Gravity  (Checkbox  Default: Off)
     Turn the effect of gravity on or off.

Gravity  (Number  Min: 0.0, Max: 100.0, Default: 10.0)
     Increase to drag the clouds in the direction of the gravity angle.

Gravity Angle  (Number  Min: -360.0, Max: 360.0, Default: 90.0)
     The direction in which gravity in acting.

Gravity 90 to Wind  (Checkbox  Default: Off)
On: Gravity will automatically act at 90 degrees to the wind direction.

Use Swirling  (Checkbox  Default: Off)
     Turn on turbulence.

Swirl Density  (Number  Min: 0.0, Max: 100.0, Default: 10.0)
     The coarseness of the turbulence field. The higher the value the more bumps and wiggles the turbulence creates. Low numbers give broad sweeping swirls.

Swirl Magnitude  (Number  Min: 0.0, Max: 100.0, Default: 5.0)
     How wildly the clouds react when they hit the turbulence.

Swirl to Max  (Number  Min: 0.0, Max: 500.0, Default: 40.0)
     How many frames it takes for the maximum swirling to build up.

Use Friction  (Checkbox  Default: Off)
     Turn on to let friction slow down the movement.

Friction  (Number  Min: 0.0, Max: 100.0, Default: 2.0)
     Higher values will cause the movement to slow more quickly.

Use Constraints  (Checkbox  Default: Off)
     Use Constraints. This is best used in 2D mode only. There is little visible effect in 3D mode.

Use Wind  (Checkbox  Default: On)
     Use Wind.

Wind Source  (Position  Default: 0.0,0.75)

Wind Target  (Position  Default: 0.5,0.75)
     The wind blows from the source towards the target.

Wind Speed  (Number  Min: 0.0, Max: 100.0, Default: 12.0)
     The strength of the wind.

Constraint Angle  (Number  Min: 0.0, Max: 89.5, Default: 6.0)
     When constraints are in use, the clouds try to stay in a mass, moving in the direction of the wind and swirling through the turbulence but not escaping from a region the diameter of the birth radius. Imagine a tube, or very long wind sock; the clouds try to stay within it's bounds. As the angle increases the region of constraint gets wider and wider away from the birth position. At maximum value the constraints become negligible.

Mode  (List Box  Options: Render | Wireframe, Default: Wireframe)
Draw wire frame [overlay] or output with rendering parameters.


Light   CONTROL PAGE

Restart  (Pushbutton)
     Delete the current cloud[s] and restart.

Restart+PreRoll  (Pushbutton)
     Delete the current cloud[s], restart and preroll.

PreRoll  (Pushbutton)
     Run the sequence for the number of PreRoll frames with the current cloud formation.

Cloud Colour  (Colour Box  Default: yellow)
     The base colour of the cloud elements.

Use Light  (Checkbox  Default: Off)
     Use a light source.

Light  (Colour Box  Default: white)
     The colour of the light source.

Light Source  (Position  Default: 0.5,0.0)
     Where the light is positioned.

Light Target  (Position  Default: 0.5,0.4)
     Where the light is pointing at.

Density  (Number  Min: 0.0, Max: 100.0, Default: 25.0)
     How solid each cloud is over all its area. Reduce the density and the whole cloud is affected.

Fluffiness  (Number  Min: 1.0, Max: 100.0, Default: 12.0)
     How soft the edges of each cloud are. Increase the fluffiness and the edge of cloud becomes thinner, more transparent.

Contrast  (Number  Min: 1.0, Max: 100.0, Default: 50.0)
     How sharply the light drops off when hitting the cloud. The higher the contrast the more defined the transition between light and cloud colour.

Brightness  (Number  Min: 0.0, Max: 100.0, Default: 50.0)
     The greater the brightness the more dominance the light colour has. At maximum the light colour will flood each cloud.

Z Light Source  (Number  Min: -1.0, Max: 1.0, Default: 0.3)
     The "height" of the light source (out of the image plane), shining from the source towards the target.

Mode  (List Box  Options: Render | Wireframe, Default: Wireframe)
Draw wire frame [overlay] or output with rendering parameters.


Depth   CONTROL PAGE

Restart  (Pushbutton)
     Delete the current cloud[s] and restart.

Restart+PreRoll  (Pushbutton)
     Delete the current cloud[s], restart and preroll.

PreRoll  (Pushbutton)
     Run the sequence for the number of PreRoll frames with the current cloud formation.

Use Fading  (Checkbox  Default: Off)
Off: the clouds pop on at birth and pop off when they die. This may be satisfactory if both events occur off screen.
On: the clouds will now fade in and out as specified, during their lifetime

In(Life)  (Number  Min: 0.0, Max: 100.0, Default: 10.0)
Out(Life)  (Number  Min: 0.0, Max: 100.0, Default: 10.0)
     With the default values the clouds will fade in over 10% of their lives and fade out for 10%. Vary the percentages to vary the balance of fading in and out for each cloud, over its lifetime.

Use Textured  (Checkbox  Default: Off)
     The spherical clouds are fast to render and give you a good idea to the feel of the cloud formation but it is too uniform. Adding in texturing will give each cloud turbulence, breaking up it's form. But this will add a time overhead; patience is required! Do not be too enthusiastic as to the number of clouds born each frame.

Texture Mag  (Number  Min: 0.0, Max: 100.0, Default: 40.0)
     The higher the magnification the more holey the clouds. Each cloud is deformed into the texture field. Reduce the magnification and the deformation is reduced.

Texture X  (Number  Min: 1.0, Max: 100.0, Default: 25.0)
Texture Y  (Number  Min: 1.0, Max: 100.0, Default: 25.0)
     The texture in each direction can be scaled independently. If both are increased by similar amounts then the texture will be finer in detail. Increasing the Y over the X gives a horizontal texture; increasing the X over the Y, a vertical texture.

Seethe  (Number  Min: 0.0, Max: 100.0, Default: 0.0)
     Seethe the texture within each little cloud shape.

Perspective  (Checkbox  Default: Off)
     Turn on perspective. The clouds now move in Z but it is cheated. You control their size change, via the Grow/Shrink options. It must be on for the full effect. This gives the illusion of the clouds growing as they come towards you.

Camera Distance  (Number  Min: 1.0, Max: 1000.0, Default: 100.0)
     Where you are looking from in perspective mode. The clouds will pop off the minute they hit the camera plane.

VanishP  (Position  Default: 0.5,0.5)
     This give the clouds a trajectory to follow as they come towards you. Try changing the position and you will soon see the effect. The closer the vanishing point is to the birth center the more steeply the clouds will approach.

Z Speed  (Number  Min: -100.0, Max: 100.0, Default: 5.0)
     This is the speed the clouds will move toward you. At 0.0 they will hover where they are born. Increase the speed and watch them move forward.

Z Range  (Number  Min: 0.5, Max: 100.0, Default: 50.0)
     This is a percentage of the birth radius and gives a Z value to the birth position. At the lowest, 0.5, all the clouds are born in very nearly the same Z plane. This slight variation allows them to be depth sorted successfully so that they are drawn in the right order.

Mode  (List Box  Options: Render | Wireframe, Default: Wireframe)
Draw wire frame [overlay] or output with rendering parameters

Index