[MOD Idea] Semi-volumetric clouds outside of Kaer Morhen

[GMSBS_Ghost]

[MOD Idea] Semi-volumetric clouds outside of Kaer Morhen

Hey everyone! This one has been sitting in the back of my mind for a while now: Would it be possible to have the semi-volumetric clouds present in Kaer Morhen also in other zones of the game? I'm thinking in particular about mountains in Skellige. So basically, when you're standing at a lower ground you see these clouds smoothly wrapping around mountain peaks.

In particular this thread gave me some hope on this topic: http://forums.cdprojektred.com/threads/58178-Mist-Fog-on-Demand-is-it-possible
The fog used in that thread is AFAIK an entity (.w2ent file) which can be spawned pretty much everywhere.

So, I was thinking, maybe the semi-volumetric clouds are also just an .w2ent file that me might be able to use?
I would be more than happy if @Sarcen, @CAPA14 or someone else could shed some light on this.

 

[GMSBS_Ghost]

Okay, I found something interesting using @Sarcen 's excellent Mod Editor:

As you can see, there exist certain .w2p files exclusively for Kaer Morhen whose names are heavily suggesting that these are indeed the semi-volumetric clouds around mountain peaks. Unfortunately, those are no .w2ent files, because if they were, we could spawn/despawn them pretty much like the fog in this mod: http://www.nexusmods.com/witcher3/mods/190/? by @CAPA14 .

So the question now is, has anyone done something with .w2p files? Could we theoretically spawn them (for example when loading the Skellige zone) and then (almost) never despawn to have them there all the time? I really hope this can get us somewhere

 

[Rustine]

So the question now is, has anyone done something with .w2p files? Could we theoretically spawn them (for example when loading the Skellige zone) and then (almost) never despawn to have them there all the time? I really hope this can get us somewhere

You can use them in weather tables, as a clouds layer for example.

 

[CAPA14]

Okay, I found something interesting using @Sarcen 's excellent Mod Editor:

As you can see, there exist certain .w2p files exclusively for Kaer Morhen whose names are heavily suggesting that these are indeed the semi-volumetric clouds around mountain peaks. Unfortunately, those are no .w2ent files, because if they were, we could spawn/despawn them pretty much like the fog in this mod: http://www.nexusmods.com/witcher3/mods/190/? by @CAPA14 .

So the question now is, has anyone done something with .w2p files? Could we theoretically spawn them (for example when loading the Skellige zone) and then (almost) never despawn to have them there all the time? I really hope this can get us somewhere

You can use them in weather tables, as a clouds layer for example.

Correct Rustine. w2p is loadable by Weather Tables.

However don't have a clue if they would work for other place than Kaer Morhen... since probably the volumetric clouds are hand placed to be exactly on the mountains, maybe if you load somewhere else (if it works) the clouds would be terribly misplaced.

 

[KNGRSM]

Position of these particle effects etc. is probably defined in:

\levels\kaer_morhen\global_ambient_fx\fx_clouds_fog.w2l

etc.

unfortunately can't be really edited with the mod editor.

also sarcen updated the mod editor to 0.15, which allows to open and edit the .w2ent files, found in \fx\

so theoretically, you could copy one of these .w2ent files like:

fx\blood\finishers\crawl_finish\finishers_blood.w2ent

this .w2ent entity stores a specific .w2p reference file that can be "activated" ingame through a script function call called: PlayEffect('CName');

the 'CName' is also declared in the fx.w2ent.

you would need to add a copy of one of these \fx\ .w2ent files as a new .w2ent as a DLC, that's the only way of currently adding a new entity to the game, without replacing an existing one.

then make a mod that loads the entity resource that can play effect on specific position etc.

myEnt : CEntity;
myEnt = theGame.CreateEntity((CEntityTemplate)LoadResource("path\to\fx.w2ent");
myEnt.PlayEffect('CName');

 

[erxv]

there is nothing volumetric about the clouds in kaer morhen, they are simple 2d sprites...


messed around with fog particles. could make your own clouds with them, but big fps drops (look at the fps counter on the top right).
(i know the color is off, its default, didnt even try to change that)

Spoiler

tried spawning the real things like KNG said:

no effect, yet

 

[CAPA14]

there is nothing volumetric about the clouds in kaer morhen, they are simple 2d sprites...

We were Deceived by 2d Sprites! LOL!

 

[GMSBS_Ghost]

First of all thanks to all of you for the support, really appreciate it
Also @erxv , thanks for your shots, I think it's still something to start with

Now, I started with the most simple approach and loaded the cloud .w2p files I found via a weather csv in Skellige like @Rustine suggested and well take a look for yourself

Now, as you might see and as @CAPA14 correctly guessed they tend to look off because they are placed everywhere around Geralt and not really tied to mountain peaks or valleys.
Also, the images are showing "fx\level_specific\kaer_morhen\clouds_over_mountain _peak_huge.w2p". The "non-huge-version" of the clouds is rather hard to spot at all and tends to stay closer to the ground.
Still, I'm happy to see some progress and I think the script-based approach proposed by @KNGRSM is certainly the far better method and should be the next thing to have a deeper look at.

Btw, I also took a quick video. It's still uploading, but if anyone is interested I could post a link here, later.

Overall, I think we can take this further
And again thank you all for your support!

UPDATE: First video, more to follow

UPDATE2:
[video=youtube;-Pqs7TEuoh8]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Pqs7TEuoh8&feature=youtu.be[/video]

 

[CAPA14]

As I thought you get like the clouds over invisible mountains lol!

But keep it up man!
If not succeful with the "Clouds" you are obtaining knowledge for something else.

 

[GMSBS_Ghost]

Status Update

Hey everyone, just wanna let you know I was able to make some progress:
Let's start with some images

Let me quickly summarize what I can already do:
- any of the aforementioned .w2p semi-volumetric cloud files can now be loaded on demand at the press of a button without using weather.csv at all.
@CAPA14 , I used a minimized version of your excellent PhotoMode Mod to be able to do this, so thank you very much for that and your hints on this topic! Clouds can either be spawned close to Geralt (like the fog in PhotoMod) or at a fix world position ((X,Y,Z) which I'm using now).
Also, @KNGRSM , thanks for pointing out to me how to load .w2p files
- to get absolute world positions I use a slightly modfied version of the awesome FriendlyHUD Mod, so thank you @Wasteland_Ghost . I specifically use 3D quest markers to show me distance to AND absolute world coordinates of a custome placed marker (see 1st screenshot) .
I'm planning to use this method to track down all locations where semi-volumetric clouds might fit in.
- I also (sort of) have control over minimum and maximum view distance of the clouds. For now, minimum distance ist 100m and maximum distance 500m.

And finally these are remainig ToDos, problems:
- exact positioning of clouds is somewhat difficult, clumsy
- need to add mod as DLC, to avoid foglings (the .w2ent file I'm suing atm) leaving clouds behind them , one question though: If I add mod as DLC should I rename the .w2ent file I'm using to a new name? Will the DLC be installed in the game's DLC folder or in the mod folder just like any other mod?
- If I have gathered all the positions where I want to spawn the clouds I will probably use playerWitcher.ws to automatically spawn all of them on game load, pretty much like STLM and ULM do.
- cloud alpha (I guess?): clouds have a high opaqueness in covering land but are almost invisible if water is behind them. This can to some extent be seen in the second screenshot.
- probably some other things I haven't thought about yet.

I want to thank again everyone involved in this topic and specifically @Wasteland_Ghost , @KNGRSM and @CAPA14 and everyone who I may have forgotten . Also many thanks to you, @Sarcen , without your mod editor none of this would be possible!
Also I would be very happy for any kind of feedback, hints or suggestions .

 

[Tzirael]

@GMSBS_Ghost Great work! I wish you success on getting these into the game in relevant locations, I guess it's gonna be a pain in the arse but I am sure the community will appreciate it , these clouds add so much immersion in the Kaer Morhen area, it's surprising that CDPR didn't keep them in other areas (as per previous trailers, they were present in other areas) . Probably optimisation....

Anyway in regards to your last post, does the fact that your hopefully future mod will edit the same file as STLM or ULM will make it incompatible with them? Or will it just be a case of script merging? And what about weather mods such as EWCM and Enhanced weather? Will these be affected at all?

Again thanks for all the hard work with the limited resources you modders have, cheers.

 

[CAPA14]

@GMSBS_Ghost

Hahaha so you are using foglings to load the "Clouds" ?

How did you make them to be in a attack stance?
That was my problem when loading foglings with photomode, they would have to be attacking so they release the fog.

Btw awesome work man!

Think you will get there! Unbelievable really

 

[KNGRSM]

- need to add mod as DLC, to avoid foglings (the .w2ent file I'm suing atm) leaving clouds behind them , one question though: If I add mod as DLC should I rename the .w2ent file I'm using to a new name? Will the DLC be installed in the game's DLC folder or in the mod folder just like any other mod?
- If I have gathered all the positions where I want to spawn the cloud

You can name them whatever you want. Folder structure can also be what ever you want like. If you need some help with that maybe join us on discord:

https://discord.gg/0XaJGfVklSa0OoId

@CAPA14, @erxv etc. we hang out there discussing stuff etc.

the discord invite is valid for 24 hours, if you don't read this in time, just send me a PM

also, the clouds do look awesome! great work.

 

[GMSBS_Ghost]

@GMSBS_Ghost

Hahaha so you are using foglings to load the "Clouds" ?

How did you make them to be in a attack stance?
That was my problem when loading foglings with photomode, they would have to be attacking so they release the fog.

Btw awesome work man!

Think you will get there! Unbelievable really

Well, to be precise I'm using fogling_fog.w2ent, so not foglings themselves . So I'm using the same .w2ent file you use.
I just assuemed that foglings would now leave clouds behind them instead of fog, never tested that though

---------- Updated at 06:00 PM ----------

@GMSBS_Ghost Great work! I wish you success on getting these into the game in relevant locations, I guess it's gonna be a pain in the arse but I am sure the community will appreciate it , these clouds add so much immersion in the Kaer Morhen area, it's surprising that CDPR didn't keep them in other areas (as per previous trailers, they were present in other areas) . Probably optimisation....

Anyway in regards to your last post, does the fact that your hopefully future mod will edit the same file as STLM or ULM will make it incompatible with them? Or will it just be a case of script merging? And what about weather mods such as EWCM and Enhanced weather? Will these be affected at all?

Again thanks for all the hard work with the limited resources you modders have, cheers.

Yep, I think exactly the same way you do. For now performance does not seem to be affected. Maybe if I go crazy with the rendering distance of the clouds

If I succeed the way I'm imaging it right now, it should be only one or two lines to merge with STLM and ULM, so no incompatibilities there . Also EWCM should not be affected at all.

---------- Updated at 06:50 PM ----------

You can name them whatever you want. Folder structure can also be what ever you want like. If you need some help with that maybe join us on discord:

https://discord.gg/0XaJGfVklSa0OoId

@CAPA14, @erxv etc. we hang out there discussing stuff etc.

the discord invite is valid for 24 hours, if you don't read this in time, just send me a PM

also, the clouds do look awesome! great work.

Thank you. I will try to add it as DLC then soon. Also, I might come by at discord tomorrow.

 

[GMSBS_Ghost]

Small Update

Progress is slow, but I'm getting somewhere. So long...

 

[minicrom]

hoooo you re going to make me very happy one day I can feel it !!!

 

[KeeperOTF]

Progress is slow, but I'm getting somewhere. So long...

DAMN that looks so badass bro, can't wait!

---------- Updated at 07:55 PM ----------

I think it's a huge step forward to the graphics we once expected with this little deatil added.
Only the lighting is the thing that doesn't fit, it's too washed out for example.
great job man!
would be awsome to see it in combination with STLM 2 by @essenthy

I expect something like this:

 

[IrregularJohn]

Holy Christ, @GMSBS_Ghost! That looks gorgeous. I wonder why CDPR changed the assets for the mountains? The original ones seem to look more natural to me.

 

[Guest 2364765]

Holy Christ, @GMSBS_Ghost! That looks gorgeous. I wonder why CDPR changed the assets for the mountians? The original ones seem to look more natural to me.

Well, obviously the volumetric ones will look more realistic.

I assume that keyword is performance and optimisation here. Especially since next-gens struggle to run at 30 FPS as it is.

 

[PATROL]

Shorter mountains looked far better, more realistic and monumental. Pity that they've been changed, as well as the mist around them of course.