Cloud Level Different in Different Terrains

[ShrikeHawk 384]

I notice that the clouds in Kevin's BoB terrain (updated for SF2) do get as low as 10,000 feet. While I'd like it lower, it's still acceptable to me. But I notice that in the Europe WW2 terrain, the minimum cloud levels are up at around 16,000 feet, while using the very same environmentsystem.ini. Likewise, in the default Israel and Vietnam terrains, the clouds start at around 10K feet, but modern Europe and Iceland terrain has clouds at a much higher min altitude. Over my Indian install (with the India/Pakistan terrain) the clouds begin at a whopping 24,000 feet.

 

What gives?

 

What in the terrain is pushing clouds higher in some terrains and not in others? I'd really like to get the clouds to the BoB altitudes in the Europe WW2 install. I love that terrain and the only thing missing for me is properly placed cloud banks.

 

Any help is appreciated.

 

[Stick 773]

Hey Shrike, been a while-I'm guessing each terrain must be having its own environmentsystem.ini which overrides the one in the flight folder.

[+malibu43 142]

It's not that each terrain has it's own environment.ini file - unfortunately it's not that simple.  It's something secret that's hard coded somewhere, but I haven't been able to figure out what it is.  You'll notice that the Range 2 terrain has clouds that start at around 6K!!!  It looks so much nicer than in the other terrains.

 

My guess is that it's hard coded somewhere to start X thousands of feet above the highest point on the terrain (does India include the Himalayas?).  The Range 2 is a very flat terrain.

[ShrikeHawk 384]

Hey Shrike, been a while-I'm guessing each terrain must be having its own environmentsystem.ini which overrides the one in the flight folder.

Hey Stick - I checked that, but no joy. And yes, the Indian terrain is VERY mountainous and includes the Himalayas. In the SF1 iteration (a long time ago) I had to push the clouds higher, because in some instances the clouds disappeared altogether...they were under the mountains! Yikes.

 

It's not that each terrain has it's own environment.ini file - unfortunately it's not that simple.  It's something secret that's hard coded somewhere, but I haven't been able to figure out what it is.  You'll notice that the Range 2 terrain has clouds that start at around 6K!!!  It looks so much nicer than in the other terrains.

 

My guess is that it's hard coded somewhere to start X thousands of feet above the highest point on the terrain (does India include the Himalayas?).  The Range 2 is a very flat terrain.

I wonder if this is the answer. I'm hoping Kevin and/or Stary can weigh in on this because I know both worked on parts of the SF2 BoB terrain and, I believe, both worked on the Europe WW2 terrain. Maybe there's some value buried in the HFD/TFD files somewhere? If I could just get the clouds down to 10,000ft at least, I'd be happy. Meanwhile, where is this Range 2 terrain? I'd like to check that out.

 

I'm hoping Kevin/Stary know a trick that can help. I've got a new cloud that looks like this in the BoB terrain

 

[+malibu43 142]

I think this is the one I have installed:

 

http://combatace.com/files/file/11067-sf2-series-range/

 

I would LOVE to get the clouds in my other terrains down as low as the clouds on this terrain...

[Wrench 9,851]

cloud heights are locked. Can't remember if it was a 2011 or 2012 patch that did it.

Because a bunch on non-modding whiney twats pitched a bitch over on the 3W forums, caused TK to take 'drastic measures". A lot of it was because of the tga bleeds; meaning trees showing through clouds and other (can't remember the name) buffer issues.

 

So, having a terrain specific enviromentalsys ini does really nothing now. You'll note that none of my terrain mods use them

Edited June 6, 2014 by Wrench

[+malibu43 142]

cloud heights are locked. Can't remember if it was a 2011 or 2012 patch that did it.

Because a bunch on non-modding whiney twats pitched a bitch over on the 3W forums, caused TK to take 'drastic measures". A lot of it was because of the tga bleeds; meaning trees showing through clouds and other (can't remember the name) buffer issues.

 

So, having a terrain specific enviromentalsys ini does really nothing now. You'll not that none of my terrain mods use them

 

The question in this thread isn't about whether or not clouds are locked.  

 

It is why do they show up at different heights in different terrains?

Edited June 6, 2014 by malibu43

[Wrench 9,851]

my guess is the "local" heights of the mountains. It (the terrainengine.dll) may read the highest peaks in the HFD, and raise the cloud deck to the fixed distance (whatever that may be) above them.

Again, this is just a guess. The only one that could answer that is TK. Breath holding on that, I'm not.

 

Terrains that are very mountainous, having VERY high mountains should be test flown. Ones like the Himalayas, Iran/Iraq, ANW. I've noticed this on the (in progress) CBI map, that contains the mid-to-eastern Himalayas (the Hump); the clouds are always several thousand feet above them.