Creating Animated Clouds

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Example models

Moving Clouds are a simple prop_dynamic away, below are some of the models of animated clouds:

Some models available in CS:S are:

  • models/props/cs_office/clouds.mdl
  • models/props/de_tides/clouds.mdl
  • models/props/de_port/clouds.mdl

Copying models to another Source game

Looking at Mod Content Usage it defines that we can only use these models "if available"; therefore, it must be done via mounting the GCF. If you don't have access to code or don't wish to mount the GCF you must make your own instead.

Making your own

  1. Create the top of a sphere as a model or brushwork. You could even do a flat surface, but its best to turn the edges downwards so its edges get covered by other things in the sky.
  2. Create a cloud material and don't forget to make it transparent.
  3. Animate the material using the following paramters in its VMT, where X and Y are numbers of your choice.
			"texturescrollvar"	"$baseTextureTransform"
			"texturescrollrate"	X
			"texturescrollangle"	Y

4. Copy the models and materials into the correct directories for your mod.

Note: Be sure to have your faces on the model or brushwork face inwards, or add the "$nocull" 1 option to your vmt.

Placing the model

  1. Make a 3D skybox
  2. Place the model in the map as a prop_dynamic or func_brush if its brushwork
  3. Put the prop_dynamic by the center of your sky_camera in the skybox.
  4. Be sure to make it so the entities Shadow Property is set to Off else it might block the sunlight in your skybox.