Cloud Rig shelf tool

Converts geometry into a cloud, complete with lighting.

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Overview
How to

Deprecated

The Cloud Rig is now deprecated with the release of the new cloud system.

Overview ¶

This tool converts the selected geometry into a cloud-like VDB volume complete with lighting. This tool can be useful for creating an individual cloud, or simply as a demo for the lower-level tools Cloud, Cloud Noise, and Cloud light.

How to ¶

To... Do this

To...	Do this
Create a cloud-like volume	Select the geometry object you want to convert to a cloud volume. On the Cloud FX shelf tab, click Cloud Rig. The rig tool sets up several nodes in the scene. The Cloud Rig tool hides the original geometry object and creates a new object (`cloud_from_‹name›`) that references the geometry from the object you selected. It adds a Cloud, Cloud Noise, and Cloud Light inside the new geometry object. See the help pages for those nodes for how to use their parameters. It adds a key “sun” light (`sunlight`) and environment light with a sky texture (`skylight`) to light the cloud. It assigns the cloud material to the new object. It wires a reference to the sun light’s position into the Cloud Light node. The cloud light node uses the light position to add attributes to the cloud that are then used by the shader to simulate light scattering through the cloud.

Create a cloud-like volume

Select the geometry object you want to convert to a cloud volume.
On the Cloud FX shelf tab, click Cloud Rig.

The rig tool sets up several nodes in the scene.

The Cloud Rig tool hides the original geometry object and creates a new object (cloud_from_‹name›) that references the geometry from the object you selected.
It adds a Cloud, Cloud Noise, and Cloud Light inside the new geometry object. See the help pages for those nodes for how to use their parameters.
It adds a key “sun” light (sunlight) and environment light with a sky texture (skylight) to light the cloud.
It assigns the cloud material to the new object.
It wires a reference to the sun light’s position into the Cloud Light node. The cloud light node uses the light position to add attributes to the cloud that are then used by the shader to simulate light scattering through the cloud.

Cloud Rig shelf tool

Overview ¶

How to ¶

Shelf tools

Using the shelf ¶

Technical ¶