...too bad Vue doesn't allow for Plug-in's! If they DID- then maybe E-on would be attracting people like Dmytry Lavrov. This is a FREE Plug-in he's offering! Check out these INCREDIBLE RENDERS of clouds and landscapes. I don't have MojoWorld now- but it certainly makes me think seriously about getting it- with these Amazing EFX...

Unlike Terragen 2 - which is still off in Alpha-Land- this is here and now!

While Vue 6 will hopefully be showing some impressive cloud-scapes- it's too bad that E-on doesn't allow plug-in's like MojoWorld, Carrara and most other major software companies around. ...Then we COULD of had stuff like this in VUE 5 already...

I think the single BIGGEST announcement that E-on could make at Siggraph is to allow Third Party plug-in's for Vue...
http://dmytry.pandromeda.com/mojoworld/volumetrics.html

Attached Link: http://dmytry.pandromeda.com/mojoworld/view_img.php?name=clouds_and_mountains_horizon_4_pp.jpg

...AWESOME!!!

vue 6 better be darn goo. its the only progam i can figure out how to use

Yes- I've tried a demo of MojoWorld and I wasn't particulary wild about it's interface. It seems World Machine has a somewhat similiar interface- as does the Alpha of Terragen 2.

If E-on can deliver some really awesome looking clouds and atmospheres without the really geeky interfaces- that in itself would be an awesome accomplishment. However- I've never tried this MojoWorld plug-in myself- so I have no idea what the user interface is like...

Good looking clouds - and good that you can get above them and aim your camera down. Most of the sunbeams look pretty weak, but there is the one strong image, so i guess thay can be made to look great.

Terragen 2 looks great too. Wonder when it will be available.

 Anyway, competition is good.

Attached Link: http://www.hifisim.com/activesky5.htm

Yes, I think so too. I did a whole series of threads about a year ago on clouds- as some people here may remember... The main point -is/was- that the VAST MAJORITY of all these great looking clouds In Terragen 2 and MojoWorld are PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE-  work done by Universities that have researched clouds, cloud physics, atmospheres, etc!

A lot of other scientific data has been published by a number of U.S. Govt agencies- like NASA, NOAA, etc.-- weather models, cloud physics, etc.- it's ALL PUBLIC INFO!

Fans of Microsoft Flight Simulator and some of the really very REALISTIC MS Flight Sim Add-ons know that all sorts of complex, multi-layer clouds can be generated in MS Flight Simulator using CONSTANT and REAL TIME weather data fed into the software over an internet link. The data is supplied by the US Weather Service for FREE!... and in MS Flight Sim these highly complex conditions (including hurricanes) can be rendered at 30 Frames Per Second - Real Time- in MS Flight Simulator- as you fly through the clouds- at whatever level you choose! And you can add in your choices of atmospheric sunrises, sunsets, seasonal conditions, etc. etc...

So- getting great looking clouds is really a matter of people sitting down and doing the software coding. Matt Fairclough and Dmytry Lavrov have proven that basically a single smart individual can use this public data and program some extremely REAL looking atmospheres and clouds...

And this is why COMPETITION is good- because E-on wouldn't be making their own clouds a lot better if it wasn't for these other guys already showing how really GREAT it can look, heh!

What E-on should HOPEFULLY bring to the table is a new software version that allows creation of beautiful atmospheres and cloud-scapes without excessive GEEKY interfaces. This IS something that E-on is good at doing- so their REAL GIMMICK - which may be revealed soon- is not about making really impressive clouds- but about making Really Impressive Clouds that the average person can Understand How To Make... Like HiFi Sim's Active Sky...

Interesting comments Veritas - hadn't realized so much cloud work was going on or that MS-Flightsim can do realtime real weather. I have enough trouble landing in clear weather, so i haven't played with clouds or winds much.

The clouds seen in FS2004 aren't volumetric clouds, those are 2D layers, crossing each others in the distance and pointing in the direction of the airplane ... that's why FS2004 can keep up the speed and display the cloud system in realtime.
But they did a great job with those clouds, because they look close to reality and this system allows for lots of different cloud versions and weather situations.

Volumetric clouds will be used in the upcoming IL2/Pacifc Fighters follow up "Battle for Britain".

But you're right, the online weather link works pretty good - not realtime - it calls up stored info of weather situations from about 15 min. to 1 hour ago.
It is a cool function and working very well.

Attached Link: http://www.renderosity.com/mod/forumpro/showthread.php?thread_id=2410250

Yes, I really enjoy using the Active Sky HiFi Sim Clouds. I use them in Vue, even...

Here's an old Vue link on this Flight Sim Cloud subject...

Thanks Veritas for this link ...

That's looks very interesting - haven't thought of this at all - cool idea definitely !

Direct controlable clouds  is something  that i really  wanted in Vue ...  using the cloudmaterials on spheres isn't doing the job - looks just fake.

I will look into this possibility - well, until the volumetric clouds coming with Vue 6 ...