FSW a few FSW TrueSky sunset shots

[sightseer 895]

Heres some recent FSW shots with update8:

 

I think they have the general cloud lighting scheme working well but haze and other things need added/improved.

 

Has anyone seen godrays during the day?  I only see them at sunset.  I wonder if all the shaders are working as intended.

[Sesquashtoo 2,846]

I think all your shots look great!  Enjoy!

Mitch

[Murmur 3,941]

Look great! If they do a well made tuning, it will be indistinguishable from photos of real clouds. The milky way is dramatic, but maybe a little too evident, compared to real life.

 

[sightseer 895]

Thanks guys.  time will tell what they do.  its a great start.  I agree that the nighttime Milky way/starmap is a bit too intense and bright.  The ground and city lights look great though.  there is an odd problem with freeway lighting disappearing intermittently but that's a very, very small issue.

 

I hope they increase ambient cloud lighting during the day and increase the variance of cloud types(with varied lighting based on cloud type and sun position). Combine that with cloud shadows and haze that matches the relevant cloud conditions and sun position and it could be really great I think.

[Murmur 3,941]

45 minutes ago, sightseer said:

increase the variance of cloud types(with varied lighting based on cloud type and sun position).

What do you mean? More shapes for the same type of cloud? Or more types of clouds? How many different cloud types are possible now? I see various coverages of cumulus clouds and altocumulus clouds.

[sightseer 895]

58 minutes ago, Murmur said:

What do you mean? More shapes for the same type of cloud? Or more types of clouds? How many different cloud types are possible now? I see various coverages of cumulus clouds and altocumulus clouds.

 

Well I don't really mean 'cloud types' but rather the various stages of formation of cumulus clouds specifically and the different way they appear due to what stage they are in.  Newly forming cumulus are foglike  and uniform in color and appear yellow or even brown when you look at them with the sun at your back but they are very bright when they are between you and the sun. They're grey or blue grey in overcast conditions.  As the cumulus grow, they start to reflect light and block light from reaching their own bottoms and inner areas which causes darker and bluer shadows.  these same clouds will have silver linings and dark shadows when they are between you and the sun (like my avatar pic).

The lighting that clouds receive plays a huge role in their appearance but so does their stage of development and Id like to see weather situations with more variance.  It will come with time.

I don't think they plan on real weather at first so I hope they'll open up the controls and let us have overcast and rain and decreased visibility in one area clearing out to fewer clouds and no rain in others.  Theres no change right now.

 

Have you ever played American Truck Sim?  I really like the way the lighting of the clouds changes so much with time of day and weather and whether its a random small patch of cloud or if its a cumulus cloud in good weather or if its a cumulus cloud with chances of rain and you've got those dark shadowy cloud parts floating in between the bigger cumulus.  It looks really cool.  that's what Id like to see.  I don't know how possible that is because I think the ATS clouds are photos but Id still like DTG to get as close as possible.  and as nighttime approaches, all the clouds head towards shadowy blue and then they lose light and color as total darkness sets in.  DTG has already done that part well (well enough).

[Murmur 3,941]

11 minutes ago, sightseer said:

I don't think they plan on real weather at first so I hope they'll open up the controls and let us have overcast and rain and decreased visibility in one area clearing out to fewer clouds and no rain in others.  Theres no change right now.

Have you ever played American Truck Sim?

Yes, they should do localized weather, because as realistic as the clouds can look, having identical conditions everywhere becomes boring and unrealistic. But I think the old TrueSky videos show changing weather, so it's probably possible to do.

I never player ATS, but I watched youtube videos and I agree that the weather looks very nice.

 

[ryanbatc 12,813]

Nice pics!

[John_Cillis 2,406]

This post was well worth a visit to see all the beautiful sunset shots!

[sascha 314]

At last we have ambient lighting in cloudscapes, looks stunning!

[sightseer 895]

3 hours ago, sascha said:

At last we have ambient lighting in cloudscapes, looks stunning!

 

Something else Ive noticed is that the godrays cut across the clouds at sunset creating more shadows so when we get multiple cloud layers during the day, upper clouds should shadow lower clouds and if different levels move independently then we should have some really cool dynamic cloud lighting going on.  I have yet to see godrays during the day though.  The haze isn't complete in my opinion and I suspect that's one reason why.