With SkyMaxx Pro v5 we will be introducing an updated version of Real Weather Connector to go with it. Virtually unlimited layers are still possible with Real Weather Connector in use No more rotating clouds, where the rotation of particle billboards can be very distracting while flying near a cloud (especially in VR)
True 3D, voxel-based clouds with physically-based cloud growth It is now possible to draw complex volumetric cloud formations to the horizon with v5 The most complex, realistic lighting effects of any cumulus cloud layer offered in the SkyMaxx Pro series The fastest performing clouds we have offered And the per-fragment lighting, including full Henyey-Greenstein phase effects, leads to stunning details both outside of the clouds and within – especially at dawn and dusk. Volumetric clouds do away with billboards entirely, leading to a smooth experience as you approach and fly through them. Volumetric, ray-casted clouds are especially valuable in VR setups, where the rotation of particle billboards can be very distracting while flying near a cloud. Our approach also minimizes texture lookups within the cloud shaders, which is also key to maintaining fast performance. We’ve also come up with some clever ways to minimize the complexity of the shaders without introducing visible banding or slicing effects in the process. These new volumetric clouds use a novel approach to split the computational load of lighting between the GPU and CPU in an optimal manner, resulting in framerates we never thought possible for true 3D voxel clouds. Technology has finally caught up with this approach, and thus SkyMaxx Pro v5 is here. 3D textures do consume a fair amount of video memory, but modern video cards generally can handle the load without a problem.
These are true 3D, voxel-based clouds with physically-based cloud growth. However, they will now be the fastest clouds we offer (you read that right.faster than v4!), and they also feature the most complex, realistic lighting effects of any cumulus cloud layer offered (you will still have the option to run v4 style particle-based clouds). It is now possible to draw volumetric cloud formations to the horizon with v5. Internally, we attempted GPU ray-casted clouds many versions ago, but the performance was just not there. With that said, SkyMaxx Pro v5 brings GPU ray-casted clouds. We have wanted to bring what v5 has in it for years, but it just wasn't feasible till now. A release date is at the bottom of this post. It is with a lot of enthusiasm and excitement that I get the opportunity to announce SkyMaxx Pro v5 to you today! Version 4.0 was our longest major version run, and it's time to turn the page to Chapter 5.
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