What the different cloud presets look like

[nighthawk2174]

So there's a bunch of presets and for those who don't have the time to go through all of them or don't want to here's a quick low effort guide.  I'm personally a fan of Scattered4, Broken2/3/6, Overcast4 ,and Overcast and Rain2.

Note:

Small gaps = gaps too small even for a very high G BFM fight

medium gaps = Just big enough for a high G BFM fight

large gaps = Large enough for even a gentle turn

very large gaps = Could be double digit NMi in size

Light Scattered:

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Preset 1 

* Very few clouds, few in large groups most in smaller groups.  Range in altitude from ~7000ft to 10000ft

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Preset 2

*Very few clouds most in small groups. 

Layer 1 at 8000ft-10000ft thinnest of the two layers very few and thin clouds. 

Layer 2 is at 24000ft-26000ft, similar to layer 1 in composition but has far fewer clouds

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High Scattered

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Preset 1

*Large individual clouds widely separated.  Two Layers first at 7000-8000ft is the denser of the two groups with larger number of smaller clouds.  Second Layer is at 20000-21000ft least dense of the two with most clouds being much larger.

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Preset 2

* Two scattered layers that are very similar first with groups of medium sized clouds widely separated.

Layer 1 is at 7000-10000ft is the first scattered layer with very large gaps between groups of small clouds.

Layer 2 is at 17000-19000ft is a scattered layer with very large gaps between groups of small clouds.  Is thinner than layer one.

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Preset 3

*Two layers of scattered clouds.

Layer 1 is at 18000-20000ft is the first scattered layer with very large gaps between large individual clouds.

Layer 2 is at 3400-35000ft is an extremely thin and sparse layer of individual small clouds.

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Scattered

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Preset 1

*Two layers of scattered clouds

Layer 1 is at 14000-17000ft is the first scattered layer with very large gaps between large individual clouds.

Layer 2 is at 2700-29000ft is an extremely thin and sparse layer of individual small clouds.

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Preset 2

*A single layer of scattered clouds

Layer 1 is at 8000-10000ft is the scattered layer with large gaps between large individual clouds with a medium number of very small clouds located in these gaps.

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Preset 3

*Two layers of scattered clouds

Layer 1 is at 7000-12000ft is the first scattered layer with large gaps between very large clouds with a smaller number of small-medium clouds in filling in some of the gaps.

Layer 2 is at 21000-23000ft is an extremely thin and sparse layer of individual small clouds.

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Preset 4

*Two layers of scattered clouds

Layer 1 is at 7000-10000ft is the first scattered layer with medium gaps between a large number of small individual clouds.

Layer 2 is at 20000-22000ft is an extremely thin and sparse layer of individual medium sized clouds.

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Preset 5

*Two layers of scattered clouds

Layer 1 is at 18000-20000ft is the first scattered layer with medium gaps between a large number of very large individual clouds.

Layer 2 is at 36000-38000ft is the second scattered layer with very large gaps between a medium number of small clouds.

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Preset 6

*Two layers of scattered clouds

Layer 1 is at 18000-20000ft is the first scattered layer with medium gaps between a large number of very large individual clouds.

Layer 2 is at 32000-32000ft is the second scattered layer with very large gaps between a medium number of medium sized clouds.

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Preset 7

*Two layers of scattered clouds

Layer 1 is at 12000-14000ft is the first scattered layer with large gaps between a large number of very large individual clouds.

Layer 2 is at 22000-23000ft is the second scattered layer with very large gaps between a medium number of large clouds.

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Broken

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Preset 1

*Two layers of broken clouds

Layer 1 is at 12000-14000ft is the first broekn layer with large gaps 

Layer 2 is at 26000-28000ft is the second broken layer which is the same as the first layer in composition.

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Preset 2

*Two layers very close layers of broken clouds with a narrow clear zone in between.

Layer 1 is at 7500-11000ft is the first broken layer with large gaps. Comprised of large clusters of very small to large clouds.

Layer 2 is at 16000-18000ft is the second broken layer comprised of large individual clouds.

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Preset 3

*Two layers very close layers of broken and then scattered clouds with a narrow clear zone in between.

Layer 1 is at 14000-18000ft is the first broken layer with very large gaps. Comprised of a few very large clouds

Layer 2 is at 24000-27000ft is the second scattered layer comprised of medium-large clouds with very large gaps between them.

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Preset 4

*Two layers with a high coverage broken layer topped with a sparse scattered layer.

Layer 1 is at 1400-18000ft is the first broken layer with a few very large gaps.

Layer 2 is at 28000-30000ft is the second scattered layer comprised of medium number of small-medium clouds.

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Preset 5

*Three layers low layer of high coverage broken clouds with layers of scattered clouds above.

Layer 1 is at 7000-13000ft is the first broken layer with a few large gaps.

Layer 2 is at 20000-22000ft is the second layer comprised of scattered clouds of medium-large size.

Layer 3 is at 32000-34000ft is the third layer that is scattered and is very similar to the second layer in composition.

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Preset 6

*Three layers very close layers of broken clouds with a narrow clear zone in between.

Layer 1 is at 130000-15000ft is the first broken layer with a few medium-large gaps.

Layer 2 is at 25000-29000ft is the second layer, it is very similar to the first but with more and larger gaps.

Layer 3 is at 38000-41000ft is the third layer that is very similar in composition to the second layer.

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Preset 7

*Three layers very close layers of broken clouds with a narrow clear zone in between.

Layer 1 is at 9000-16000ft is the first broken layer with only a few medium gaps, very high coverage.

Layer 2 is at 23000-24000ft is the second layer, it is very similar to the first but with more and larger gaps.

Layer 3 is at 31000-33000ft is the third layer that is very similar in composition to the second layer but has even fewer clouds.

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Preset 8

*Two layers very close layers of broken clouds with a narrow clear zone in between.

Layer 1 is at 13000-18000ft is the first broken layer with large gaps. 

Layer 2 is at 28000-30000ft is the second broken layer comprised of large individual clouds.

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Overcast

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Preset 1

* Comprised of two broken layers separated by a small clear area.  

Layer 1 is at 7000-10000ft is the first broken layer with roughly 40% coverage.  Has a large number of very large breaks.

Layer 2 is at 17000-19000ft is a broken layer that is the same as first layer in composition.

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Preset 2

* Comprised of two broken layers separated by a small clear area.  

Layer 1 is at 9000-11000ft is the first broken layer with roughly 50% coverage.  Has a large number of very large breaks.

Layer 2 is at 17000-19000ft is a broken layer that is the same as first layer in composition.

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Preset 3

*Two broken layers with a thinner broken layer above it.  

Layer 1 is at 11000-14000ft is the first broken layer with roughly 40% coverage.  Has a large number of medium breaks.

Layer 2 is at 17000-19000ft is a broken layer that is the same as first layer in composition.

Layer 3 is at 33000-35000ft a scattered layer with numerous groups of large clouds separated by medium spaces. 

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Preset 4

*Two broken layers with a thinner broken layer above it.  

Layer 1 is at 7000-12000ft is the first broken layer with roughly 60% coverage.  Has a medium number of large breaks.

Layer 2 is at 21000-25000ft is a broken layer that is the same as first layer in composition.

Layer 3 is at 38000-39000ft a scattered layer with a few groups of large clouds separated by large spaces. 

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Preset 5

*Two heavy overcast layers with a thinner broken layer above it.  

Layer 1 is at 12000-16000ft is the overcast layer comprised of total overcast with only a few small to large breaks.  

Layer 2 is at 21000-24000ft a overcast layer same as first layer just higher.

Layer 3 is at 38000-44000ft a broken layer with groups of large clouds separated by large spaces. 

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Preset 6

*Heavy overcast layer with thinner broken and scattered layers above it.  

Layer 1 is at 8000-13000ft is the overcast layer comprised of total overcast with a few small to large breaks.  

Layer 2 is at 22000-23000ft a broken layer with large clouds separated by medium sized spaces. 

Layer 3 is at 32000-33000ft a scattered layer with small clouds separated by very large spaces. 

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Preset 7

*Heavy overcast layer with thinner broken layers above it

Layer 1 is at 8000-14000ft is the overcast layer comprised of total overcast only a very few small breaks.  

Layer 2 is at 24000-25000ft a broken layer with large clouds separated by very large spaces. 

Layer 3 is at 32000-33000ft a broken layer with large clouds separated by very large spaces. 

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Overcast and Rain

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Preset 1

*Heavy rain fall below 7000ft medium visibility(~6km), medium number of very large rain free gaps.  

Layer 1 is at 8000-16000ft is the rain layer comprised of total overcast.  With a small number of widely spaced, and medium sized clear zones with no rain.

Layer 2 is at 28000-29000ft and is roughly a 60% overcast layer, Medium number of very large gaps.

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Preset 2

*Three layers with a rainfall, broken, and scattered layer.  Heavy rain fall below with poor visibility(~4km), medium number of very large rain free gaps.  

Layer 1 is at 7000-13000ft is the rain layer comprised of total overcast.  With a medium number of widely spaced, and very large, clear zones with no rain.

Layer 2 is at 20000-22000ft and is broken with roughly 30% coverage, Large number of very large gaps.

Layer 3 is at 32000-33000ft and is scattered and comprised of very few widely spaced clouds of medium size.

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Preset 3

*Three layers with heavy rainfall, overcast, and scattered layers.  Visibility is very poor in the rain and the layers altitude varies greatly.

Layer 1 is at 8000-20000ft is the rain layer comprised of total overcast varying greatly in height.  With a few widely spaced, and large, clear zones with no rain.

Layer 2 is at 20000-22000ft and is roughly a 60% overcast layer, decent number of large gaps.

Layer 3 is at 30000-31000ft and is comprised of very few widely spaced clouds of medium size.

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Edited April 16, 2021 by nighthawk2174
Fixed Pictures

[Hunter Joker]

Great job, pls check images, a lot of them didn't load.

[nighthawk2174]

Just now, Hunter Joker said:

Great job, pls check images, a lot of them didn't load.

Their all loading for me 

[Dangerzone]

I'm getting:

 

The image you are requesting does not exist or is no longer available imgur.com

[nighthawk2174]

OK i'll just go through and reupload them all thanks for letting me know

[Nealius]

This makes me curious now. The naming system of the presets does not match meteorological conventions when comparing the cloud coverage in the screenshots to examples and definitions in the ATSC113: https://www.eoas.ubc.ca/courses/atsc113/flying/met_concepts/01-met_concepts/01c-cloud_coverage/index.html

 

 

[AKULA_OPTIMUS]

Thank you for this, really appreciate it

[S. Low]

Much appreciated!

[Fisherman82]

Indeed much appreciated, a question, you are writing what elevations the layers are at, does that mean that the slider for base is not functional yet?

 

I did some testing and thought that it was functional and that the presets would be applied above the base set by the slider, perhaps I did not notice that it was not functional yet.

[pimp]

Your work is very much appreciated.

[audiodistortion]

Nice work.

[Aarnoman]

Awesome reference guide, well made!

[twistking]

quick question from someone who is not on open beta:

 

can you still tweak the presets with the altitude sliders, or do the presets override the sliders?

[AKULA_OPTIMUS]

1 hour ago, twistking said:

quick question from someone who is not on open beta:

 

can you still tweak the presets with the altitude sliders, or do the presets override the sliders?

Yes, you can set the altitude of the clouds as a whole.

[swartbyron]

7 hours ago, twistking said:

quick question from someone who is not on open beta:

 

can you still tweak the presets with the altitude sliders, or do the presets override the sliders?

 

You can manipulate the cloud base of the lower layer with the altitude slider on all presets.

 

If you select NOTHING you get the old cloud system back where you can set the density from 0 to 10, base and thickness of a single new style volumetric layer with high cirrus above.

EG 10 gives you single layer overcast or 5 scattered with a base and thickness to your taste.

 

Rain and Thunderstorm works too. 

 

 

Edited April 19, 2021 by swartbyron

[Art-J]

This thread should be made sticky. If not now, then at least when devs finish fixing the glitches and tweaking the clouds for good.

 

Awesome job.

Edited April 19, 2021 by Art-J

[twistking]

47 minutes ago, Art-J said:

This thread should be made sticky. If not now, then at least when devs finish fixing the glitches and tweaking the clouds for good.

 

Awesome job.

 

i agree that this is worth the stickyness. alternatively the devs could maybe just add a picture "slideshow" to the ingame selection, so that you would have at least 2 pics per preset (one from above, one from below f.e.)

 

also i always thought we would need a sticky thread with realistic weather set-up per maps. whoever has built missions for the nttr map probably knows why. it would be nice if people who know the region, or simply know a lot about meteorology, could share some ideas for realsitic and/or interesting setups.

 

@AKULA_OPTIMUS@swartbyron thanks for the answer. this seems like a well made implementation already. i can't wait for the complete weather overhaul!

Edited April 19, 2021 by twistking

[Nealius]

Using nighthawk's data I put together a quick-reference spreadsheet. I've added three subjective columns:

 

-METAR Equivalent; the DCS names do not match real-world conventions, e.g. "Light scattered" is actually FEW, some "Overcast" presents are actually BKN, etc.

-Sky coverage in 10ths

-Texture; how much texture the clouds have for cool shadows in certain lighting conditions

 

Spreadsheet link

 

 

Edited April 20, 2021 by Nealius

[Fri13]

Great thread and nice work for the community!

 

Totally should pin it.