Clouds Shader

A simple Cloud Layer shader

This shader is aimed at providing a passable cloud layer effect for background use without using any noise generators. The effect is fully unlit and relies on the artistic use of gradients to look correct in the environment

Example setup used in the Demo world for the outdoor clouds

Settings

• Enable Depth Blending: Enables transparency based on the depth of the scene. This allows soft blending around intersecting objects.

• Depth Transparency: Only visible when Enable Depth Blending is checked. Controls the amount of depth-based blending applied. Based on the name - requires a depth light (see below)

• Apply Shading: Enables realtime Directional Light-base shading using a Shade Ramp

• Shade Ramp: Controls the color of the shading applied to the clouds. Only visible when Apply Shading is enabled

• Tint: Tins the Shade Ramp. Only visible when Apply Shading is enabled

• Recalculate Normals: Enables a fairly expensive normal recalculation on the mesh. This can provide more accurate shading results. Only visible when Apply Shading is enabled

• Normal Precision: Controls how close the final normals will be based on the extrusion applied to the mesh. Lower values = higher precision, but noisier results. Only visible when Apply Shading is enabled

• Color Bottom: Controls the start color of the gradient.

• Color Top: Controls the end color of the gradient

• Height Bottom: Controls the position of the gradient start, applied in local space

• Height Top: Controls the position of the gradient end, applied in local space

• Noise Tex: A special pre-baked noise texture that is not meant to be changed

• Extrusion Mode: Determines the way the cloud movement is done

  • Normal: The mesh will move along the normal vectors of the surface
  • World Space: The mesh will be moved along the pre-determined direction in world space

• Extrusion Direction: Only visible when Extrusion Mode is set to World Space. Controls the world-space direction of the extrusion applied by the cloud noise

• Only Top: Only visible when Extrusion Mod is set to World Space. Limits the vertex movement to the upwards-facing vertices

• Mask Mode: Controls masking of the extrusion effect

  • Texture: Uses a texture mask to mask the extrusion amount
  • Vertex Color: Uses the vertex color to mask the extrusion amount

• Mask: The mask texture to use. Only visible when Mask Mode is set to Texture

• Mapping Space: Controls the coordinate space the texture is applied in. Only visible when Mask Mode is set to Texture

  • UV: Uses mesh's UV coordinates to map the mask texture
  • Local Space: Uses the Local Space coordinates of the mesh to map the mask texture
  • World Space: Uses the World Space coordinates of the mesh to map the mask texture

• UV Set: Picks the UV set to use for the mask texture. Only visible when Mask Mode is set to Texture and Mapping Space is set to UV

• X/Y Axis: Controls the axis the mask texture is applied on. Only visible when Mask Mode is set to Texture and Mapping Space is set to Local Space or World Space

• Mask Channel: Controls which texture or vertex color channel to use for masking. Allows you to pack things more efficiently

• Mask Strength: Controls the strength of the masking effect