Question about terrain height and clouds

[+malibu43 142]

So I've been on this kick the last couple of days trying to get some decent looking clouds back into the game at the current patch level.

 

I noticed that the broken cloud layer when flying over the SF2 Range, is actually close to where it should be. About 5000'. However, in the same install, when I fly in Vietnam, the cloud base is up closer to 10,000' and looks pretty silly.

 

The only thing I can think of here is that the cloud base altitude is restricted to MSL altitudes, so a terrain that's higher above sea level will have clouds at a lower AGL altitude.

 

So here's my question - is there a way to trick the game into thinking a terrain is higher above MSL than it really is? I looked through .ini files for the terrains and couldn't find any references to altitudes. Is this something that is controlled via the HFD or TFD file?

 

I don't really know much about terrain editing, so I'm looking for someone more experienced to step in and comment on if there are any possibilities here or not. If it was easy, someone probably would have done it already, I know. But I just thought I'd ask...

 

Thanks!

[Wrench 9,852]

TK did change the apparent generated height of the cloud deck a few patchs back ... it seem to be now 'fixed' at certain level.

 

Want to test high altitude? download the Himialaya terrain, and fly on scatterd/broken/overcast days, and let us know (just watch out for cumulo-granite clouds)

[+malibu43 142]

Thanks Wrench. I'm a ware that "higher" terrains will be closer to the clouds. I think I didn't explain my original question well enough.

 

I was wondering if it was possible to "lift" the stock terrains (including oceans and everything) by a few thousand feet so that the cloud deck would appear lower. However, after searching around, it looks like there may not be an easy way to do this (a simple .ini edit would have been great), and it probably requires re-painting the height map, flattening airfields, etc... Plus, there would be performance issues for some aircraft if what was, even though it may be minor (all aircraft would fly like they're 5000' higher).

 

Probably just easier to deal with the less than perfect cloud height.

[Wrench 9,852]

no.

not since TK locked it out