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

Shading Settings

Shading settings for the Clouds shader

• 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)
• Cast Shadows: Enables shadow casting for the clouds
• 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
• Shadow Color: Controls the color of realtime shadows applied to the clouds.
  • Only visible when set to Opaque rendering mode and Cast Shadows is enabled
  • Does not work with Enable Depth Blending
• 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
• Add Height Gradient: Enables a height-based gradient that can be used to add more detail to the clouds.
  • If Apply Shading is enabled, the height gradient will be multiplied on top of the ramp
• Height Gradient Space: Controls the coordinate space the height gradient is applied in.
  • Local Space: The height gradient is applied in local space
  • World Space: The height gradient is applied in world space
• 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

Details Settings

Details settings for the Clouds shader

• Detail Texture: The texture to use for the detail layer
• Tint: Tints the detail texture
• Strength: Controls how visible the detail layer is
• Mapping Space: Controls the coordinate space the detail texture is applied in. The texture is mapped using the Triplanar approach
  • Local Space: The detail texture is applied in local space
  • World Space: The detail texture is applied in world space
• Triplanar Blend: Controls how much blending is applied between different coordinate axis
• Scale: Scales the detail texture
• Flip 90: Flips the detail texture 90 degrees
• Scroll: Controls the speed of X/Y/Z scrolling of the detail texture

Noise Settings

Noise settings for the Clouds shader

• Noise Tex: A special pre-baked noise texture that is not meant to be changed
• Noise Space: Controls the coordinate space the noise is applied in
• 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 Mode is set to World Space. Limits the vertex movement to the upwards-facing vertices
• Mask Mode: Controls masking of the extrusion effect
  • None: No masking is applied
  • Texture: Uses a texture mask to mask the extrusion amount
  • Vertex Color: Uses the vertex color to mask the extrusion amount
• Mapping Space: Controls the coordinate space the mask 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