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[WxTech]

This might better appear in a more appropriate sub-forum where I cannot seem to post...

I run v4.08, and have just come up with a way to enjoy a custom high cloud texture for each mission in static campaigns.

In the map's folder where its load.ini resides, I create a new load.ini for each and every sky I use. The only difference among them is the highclouds and highcloudsnoise entries, which load the relevant textures residing in the mapmods/maps/_tex folder.

Then for each .mis file in the campaign I direct to the appropriate load.ini.

For example, one might have textures (in the _tex folder) for scattered, broken and overcast cirrus. In the map folder one might create, e.g.,
load_sct_ci.ini
load_bkn_ci.ini
load_ovc_ci.ini,

the only differences being the high clouds and noise entries for the loading of the desired sky textures.

I just did this for the 26-mission Cactus Diary campaign. I chose plausible textures for each day based on noted weather events the author mentioned, and guesswork. I use 10 different skies, which gives good variety. There is cirrus, cirrocumulus, cirrostratus (almost smooth overcast) and persistent contrails among them, in varying sky coverage.

It's SO nice to not have the same old upper sky every mission!

I'd be astonished if no one else has stumbled upon this. And for all I know, later versions might permit varying high cloud selection?? At any rate, this is a way for us dinosaurs at least to enoy more variety.

[slipper]

Nice info WxTech, is there any chance you could post up for download the files and folders you used mate please?

regards

slipper

[WxTech]

As to the load.ini files, obviously this has to be a custom job done for each map.

The only common aspect is the highclouds/highcloudsnoise texture pairs. There are many floating about.

You can get started with Bender's Ultimate Environment. Copy to a dummy directory and browse for the high clouds textures you like. Give each a unique name and put those in your mapmods/maps/_tex folder. Then make new load.ini files in the relevant map's folder, one each for each high cloud texture. All load.ini's are identical, differing only in the two lines containing the pair of HighClouds = / HighCloudsNoise = lines.

Bender has done the work for you; simply locate and rename the files you like. It goes without saying that you must assign unique names because all reside together in the same _tex folder.

I might add that I cobbled up my own sky textures in Photoshop, using bits taken from Bender's files in most cases. Where necessary I altered scales via resizing. I was a professional weather observer for a time.

Incidentally, I have a plethora of mods, and always install manually after first putting into a dummy directory. This ensures that I remain on intimate terms with what is where, what it does and how my game works overall. And it permits to comfortably tweak many mods to my own ends. I encourage all to get comfortable with manual file handling; it's helpful for more than just us control freaks. \lecture ;-)

[BravoFxTrt]

BTW, Bender's Ultimate Environment 1.0 works in PreDBW2

[SAS~Gerax]

Find Bender's Ultimate Environment 1.0 here:
https://www.sas1946.com/main/index.php?topic=1786.0

I encourage all to get comfortable with manual file handling; it's helpful for more than just us control freaks.

so true! 

[WxTech]

I should add that a mission which directs to other than the basic load.ini cannot be opened in the FMB. You would have to temporarily change the .mis file's MAP line entry so that it directs to load.ini, not any *.ini differing from this.

[WxTech]

It also occurs to me that this approach can work for other variables. Take the Temprrature entry; this controls the state of water, liquid or ice. In conjunction with the related textures, you can have early-winter snow-covered terrain, then snowy land and iced-over water for mid winter in subsequent missions.

Indeed, from a suitable library of textures, a rich variety of map variatons for seasonal change can be built up. Such as richer spring greens, paler summer greens, autmnal rust, early winter dusting of snow, mid-winter white, late-winter melt, etc.

Naturally, a quite extensive list of load_*.ini files can accrue. But in this way virtually every mission in a campaign can look unique in at least some respect.

[marcost]

Hi WxTech,

Good work and something I had thought about myself.

Rather than specific clouds for specific missions, I was thinking of just randomising the high clouds. The conclusion that I came to was that is the cloud tga files that need to be 'randomised' rather than the load.ini files. That way, you don't have to worry what the load.ini says. You could create a simple batch file that renames the tga file each time you run the game. The disadvantage of this method is that the cloud type would be fixed for each game session i.e. would not change between missions within a single session. Your method addresses this limitation!

There are already seasonal variations within maps e.g. Canon's channel and Gilb57's Europe.

Regards,

Martin