Snow effect - blizzard. Care to comment?

[m0nkey 111]

Been messing with particles lately after seeing some different scripts at armaholic. Found out there are many effects already made (for quite some time) I did not know about, and that there are many different ways to achieve any given effect (or so it seems).

 

I like this one. What do you think? Realistic? Too much? Not enough? Lighting and colorization way too much or little? The map is thirsk winter, set at about 10am on an april date with full sun. All else is scripting.

 

[Gilatar 272]

Looks good. Would be cool if you could limit the view distance a bit more, so that you can only see 50-100m ahead of you. But this looks very good.

[m0nkey 111]

Thank you. I do have some different settings I have tried, and view distance is one of them. The fog and view distance can be a boom or bust with this effect it seems. A lot of it depends on the time of day and the overcast values. Everything changes dramatically with those two.

 

Still though, the idea was to get away from the particles that many seem to use, which look good for certain types of snow, but remind me of little balls rather than actual flakes. Just toying with how to get a really nice effect and like to learn new stuff.

[schadler17 36]

This looks good, and if the servers I played on had a snow map, I'd ask for the script for it lol.

But they dont, so I'm SOL until I talk them into adding more.

[jshock 512]

Looks good. Would be cool if you could limit the view distance a bit more, so that you can only see 50-100m ahead of you. But this looks very good.

 

It would be good to have an option to have low VD, but would be better to open the door to lots of different "artistic" needs and to have it be as versatile as possible, in other words allow an on-demand dynamic change of the effect. For example, maybe the mission starts off as more of a slurry, then when a mission reaches its pinnacle you have it hit hard and fast as a full on blizzard. A bit of extra work I'm sure, but would be cool and quite useful to a bigger base of mission makers.

[McLupo 118]

Hello,

 

at first I want to say: Great work and a nice idea. Thanks for that.  :)

I love this "little" things changing the atmosphere.
Would be nice to combine it with the tpw_foggy_breath script?!
The coloring could be a little bit more increased, I guess?!
A video in the nearby town would be helpful to decide it.
In the forest it looks great, ´cause in reality the colours are fading away.

 

I love the Thirsk Winter Map and I will definitely use your script - that is a promise.  :)

 

Thanks again and keep it up!

 

Greetings

McLupo 

[m0nkey 111]

It is part of a larger concept. I am always over building, over reaching haha!

 

But truly, what I have been looking for is a PC game. True PC. And that means mods. In the days of yesteryear it was BF. Now, its down to only ArmA IMHO. Thats OK though, as I can live with that. In fact, as a long time PC gamer (since apple came out thanks to my dad, yes, back THEN), I've pretty much stopped playing any so-called PC game except ArmA.

 

On the plus side, as a PC geek, I like to script and code and in general learn things. So, ArmA offers a LOT of that :) This particular aspect, a snow effect, came after seeing others work and messing with it myself. What few missions I make I try to make so random even I (the maker) don't really know what to expect. I love Zenophons Framework. But lately I have been messing with a different mission, and wanted to add any map ability, which led to a dust particle script, which led to a snow script, which led to more work that I should be doing, which led to this.

 

And "this" means a random snow effect IF the map is in the "list" of "snow maps". Thats how I've approached it. All random. So yes, I have been developing this to be cycling through sounds and effects. The colouring and such, now that is much more arbitrary, but I've been including that too. 

 

I don't know where this will go exactly, but I am really liking playing with it. It makes a "snow" mission really come alive!

[m0nkey 111]

Here is a clip on Helvantis, with no fog, 10am, 30% overcast, april date, same snow effect and wind audio. It shows some structures and fairly brignt snow. About halfway through I toggle to a colorization effect to enhance the snow. Probably should have used some fog.

 

Got what I think is an acceptible "moderate snowfall" script done. Flakes are a little large yet, but it looks real nice. At certain times of day anyway. Colorization plays a huge role based on the light/clouds.

 

https://youtu.be/1xKr_qxwZ_k

[Richie 330]

If only, if only ....

[1212PDMCDMPPM 200]

The main issue of not using fog is that AI is not impacted by particle effects (while they are impaired by fog).

 

m0nkey, are you using a modified script base on Goon's one ?

I really like his white saturation.

Try it also during a clear night, with moon. It's really nice.

[IndeedPete 1038]

I need dis! Can I haz this?!

 

No seriously, I'm always looking for more snow effects for my WIP campaigns on Helvantis. I've already put together a small suite with different effects partly based on Ruebe's work for Arma 2. I have different effects such as light snow fall, heavy snow fall, ground fog, foggy breath, and small blizzard like things. In combination with overcast, fog, and PPEffects they really contribute to the atmosphere. Not to mention the more challenging gameplay.

 

Here's an older video, just some combat footage on Helvantis with different effects:

 

 

And a few shots, some of them edited, I took over the time:

 

 

Some time ago, I've also uploaded a sample mission on Stratis with the effects. It might be outdated, I've improved them over time but the download's still working: https://www.dropbox.com/s/ny9vsxhyu8ueh2y/Showcase_Snow.Stratis.rar?dl=0

[1212PDMCDMPPM 200]

I really like this one:

 

 

http://www.armaholic.com/page.php?id=29159

 

[m0nkey 111]

@1212PDMCDMPPM

 

I thought that would be the case regarding the fog/particles and the impact to AI. I haven't tried my snow effects with AI yet as I am only learning about it in the last few days. But thanks for bringing it up. I do have fog and view distance in the scripts, as well as a randomization of the wind, to a degree. I've currently worked it so that the server periodically dictates the type of snow and strength and wind, and the client just watches for instructions. One goal was for all connected clients to have roughly the same experience with this effect, at least in terms of when, how strong and from what direction, in a general sense.

 

I am using color correction based upon sooo many others scripts. In fact, I've collected so many different snow scripts and ppEffect scripts I seriously cannot keep things straight any longer. Goons dust particles script is what started all this. I've played with all of them. It really is an immensely varied effect. From what particles to use, to which command to use to which different setting to use to how the wind or light affects things. Its understandable that many places I found snow effects from had the same basic code that was slightly modified. Its challenging.

 

I have taken all of it and tried to understand how each is different and from doing so came up with this effect. I certainly make no claims to any of it being "mine" because everyone else before me did the hard work, including this guy right below ....

 

@IndeedPete

 

Why yes you certainly may have this. I have seen all of your stuff on the topic. Thank you very much for sharing. I've already got the showcase, which is where I got the idea for the audio from, thank you. Your audio is not all the same length so there are gaps in the playback. Not an issue except you turned of those butterflies (didn't know about that, thank you) so there wasn't much ambient noise when the wind would stop. I found some royalty free audio of wind, and made my own wind.

 

I've also learned that I should think about what happens on player death from yours and meatballs randomweather. Thank you again. 

 

Now I will share a couple small things with you, maybe you have seen this, maybe not. In your snow effects, you use multiple PE vehicles. A couple for ground fog and maybe a snow effect, all combined to create different snowfall. What I found, over and over, was that more than one PE vehicle would cause the overall affect of each to drastically be reduced. So creating a flurry, then a moderate snow, then a heavy snow then some ground blowing snow, would mean none of them would be what they were if they were used one at a time.

 

The effect I see is that if one PE is created, you can modify it so that you don't actually see the particle as it really is. But when you create more than one PE, its like each particles comes down in a que, and you can sometimes see the true particle because its not being rendered as fast because its in a que. I have no idea if there is a que, I'm just saying thats what I have found. The only way I can get my blizzard type effect is to only use one PE. I can start with a lighter effect and use two PE vehicles at one time to sort of transition between the two. Its a good tool to have to work with once you understand how it works. Its more about all the options of the particle array for me though, to get different effects.

 

Thanks for the replies!

 

Edit: here is the day one tests of taking different particles used by myself and others, and watching what each does and hinting the drop and size values. It was just  so I could decide what setting looked like what. Pretty boring, but there lots of different snow in it

 

[jandrews 116]

great stuff. how are the frames?

[m0nkey 111]

Frames can take quite a hit it would seem. From 100fps to 50/60 range on thirsk. Thats huge. But I will admit that the missions I've tested that have it, I can maintain 60ish frames with snow and AI both, so not sure what to make of a "performance hit".

 

I can say that any snow or other particle effect that uses a drop value of 0000  is going to use all of the particles you can create with your video settings. I think 12000 is tops or something.

 

Here is some driving after some more exploring of how this all works.

 

[m0nkey 111]

Here is one that has no color correction. It uses some really different settings on the same particle and works pretty well for a blinding wind driven snow. Youtube videos don't do it justice really.

 

[m0nkey 111]

Here is a short clip that shows how a randomized set of snow effects might make things interesting. It was just a short test to check if all my snow types would work in a random fashion. The fact that heavy snow started just when I was going to take a shot thrilled me to no end. Thats what I want, to create a mission that even I don't know what will happen.. that way I can play it over and over haha!

 

I forgot to disable environment, so my custom sounds are not playing and you can see butterflies lol.

 

[1212PDMCDMPPM 200]

m0nkey, I just love your blizzard and your last video !!

 

Quick questions:

- do you somehow detect you're in a vehicle ? it seems the snow is not "entering" the car

- do you think you can create the snow effect "more away" from the player when he's in a building ? (I know, the problem is how much away it should be...)

- do you plan to share your scripts at some point ?

 

Thx !

[IndeedPete 1038]

Never really noticed that particle change thing. I must admit, I'm lazy as fuck when it comes to creatin gthese effects by myself. Same for pp effects. I usually take other people's work as basis and then just adjust them to fit my needs or add some additional functionality. What I like are different combinations of both particle and pp effects. During the course of a longer campaign displaying the very same effect in every mission can become quite boring. Thus I'm aiming for randomised combinations of different effects.

 

I'm running this snippet (part of a bigger function) at the beginning of each campaign mission. That gives me partly interpolated and randomised weather conditions depending on pre-defined intervals according to the mission date. It's still WIP but it gets decent results.

if !(_fixedWeather) then {
	private "_fog";
	_config = (missionConfigFile >> "CfgStageWeather" >> ("Stage" + _stage));
	_startDate = getArray(_config >> "startDate");
	_startWeather = getArray(_config >> "startWeather");
	_endDate = getArray(_config >> "endDate");
	_endWeather = getArray(_config >> "endWeather");
	
	_weatherParams = [_startDate, _startWeather, _endDate, _endWeather, date] call BIS_fnc_interpolateWeather;
	_overcast = _weatherParams select 0;
	_fog = (_weatherParams select 1) + (random 0.1);
	if (_fog > 1) then {_fog = 1};
	_windN = (random 20) - 10;
	_windE = (random 20) - 10;
	_windSum = (abs _windN) + (abs _windE);
	_snowP = _overcast + 0.1;
	
	if ((_windSum <= 5) && !_isHub) then {[] spawn IP_fnc_groundFog};
	if ((_windSum > 10) && !_isHub) then {[] spawn IP_fnc_groundStorm};
	
	if ((random 1) <= _snowP) then {
		if (((random 1) <= (1 - _snowP)) && !_isHub) then {
			[] spawn IP_fnc_snowStorm;
		} else {
			[] spawn IP_fnc_snowFall;
		};
	};
	
	_ppTemplate = switch (true) do {
		case ((_fog > 0.25) && (_overcast > 0.15) && (_overcast <= 0.8)): {"BrightSnow"};
		case (_overcast > 0.8): {"FilmNoir"};
		default {(["SurferClear", "SurferBlue", "EastWind"] call BIS_fnc_selectRandom)};
	};
	
	[_ppTemplate] call IP_fnc_setPPEffect;	
	_weatherParams = [_overcast, _fog, _windN, _windE];
};

Would love to add your effects for even more variety. What also looks quite cool is mixing rain and lightnings with snowfall.

[m0nkey 111]

m0nkey, I just love your blizzard and your last video !!

 

Quick questions:

- do you somehow detect you're in a vehicle ? it seems the snow is not "entering" the car

- do you think you can create the snow effect "more away" from the player when he's in a building ? (I know, the problem is how much away it should be...)

- do you plan to share your scripts at some point ?

 

Thx !

 

I am glad you noticed the vehicle part. I was suprised at that. My test mission is doing nothing to cause that, so it must be native to the engine.

 

I have not yet looked at stopping it in the buildings, still trying to find different snowfalls and colorsets to use. I've got about 10 right now, of varying effect. Last night I started looking at how to slowly transition between them, as when you deleteVehicle a particle that has 0000's existing, they get really "heavy" just when they start or end. You can see that in my last video, right when I go to put the bipod out, you can see up and see the "wall of snow" coming. Going to fix that I think. After I get all that done, there are some examples by others that I can look at to get started on stopping it in buildings, if thats even possible.

 

Do I plan to share it? YAH MAN! Of course. Thats what I love about this game, above all else. You can still create something new, share it, modify it, reuse it, share it.... and BI actually wants this. They know what all the others have forgot, that its thier fanbase doing things like mods that drive new ideas and keep people playing the game. If they ever go with the BF/CoD method of selling games, I quit playing games on pc and will buy a console. But yah, I will most certainly share it!

 

Never really noticed that particle change thing. I must admit, I'm lazy as fuck when it comes to creatin gthese effects by myself. Same for pp effects. I usually take other people's work as basis and then just adjust them to fit my needs or add some additional functionality. What I like are different combinations of both particle and pp effects. During the course of a longer campaign displaying the very same effect in every mission can become quite boring. Thus I'm aiming for randomised combinations of different effects.

 

Would love to add your effects for even more variety. What also looks quite cool is mixing rain and lightnings with snowfall.

 

Creating the effects is some time consuming work for sure. I've done nothing special really. But I have played with almost all  the settings and options and understand most of them pretty well now. Well enough to predict what a value might produce at least. Once I got to that point, creating the effects has been getting a lot faster. Now the colorizing, thats a different thing.

 

I know what you mean about randomizing. Its my #1 goal. Play a mission a couple times if its scripted, and thats about it. Play a mission thats random, well, it is different every time, so to me it depends on other aspects. Weather can certainly play a role. I like having that option. This is all about creating an ambiance for the snow maps. Next will be dust maps. The weather values will likely need some different coloring, and I am almost afraid to say it, but time of day may also need different colorings. The colorings can really bring out the snow effect, depending on the effect of course. Some of the particles are just not that convincing with default coloring I am afraid.

[1212PDMCDMPPM 200]

m0nkey,

thx for your answers.

 

Here's the code I'm using in my sandstorm missions to lower the noise of the wind while indoor (I'm using a music. It's the only way I found).

This code is not from me but from one of the authors of JSRS (IIRC):

0 = [] spawn {
	while {alive player} do {
		if (vehicle player == player) then {
			if (lineIntersects [
					eyepos player,
					[
						eyepos player select 0,
						eyepos player select 1,
						(eyepos player select 2) + 10
					]
				]
			) then {
				1 fademusic 0.25;
				//hint "inside"; // you are probably indoors
				}
			else {
				1 fademusic 0.5;
				//hint "outside";
			};
		};
		sleep 2;
	}; 
};

You have to put it in the initPlayerLocal.sqf

[m0nkey 111]

Okay, here is an example of various effects and how they might transition. These are pretty much what I ended up with. There are actually about 8 more, but it takes a lot of time to tweak them "just so" and I might just use these. Anyway, there are quite a few pitfalls with all of this. The primary being there are only so many particles available at one time, and snow requires a lot of particles haha.

 

That means you see wierd things, like particles spawning or removed right near you. It also means, depending on the effect, particles may never hit the ground and just fade into thin air. Thats really bad in the mountainous areas. 

 

But overall, if you just look ahead and not up, and enjoy the immersive experience of some snow, its worthwhile.

 

At least to me it is.

 

A few more things I want to put together on this before I share it up. Mainly has to do with transitions and how to randomize a winter weather pattern.

 

[EO 11225]

Your last video is quite beautiful :rolleyes: .....I can see your script becoming very popular.

[kbbw123 115]

So how does it work with AI's? are they also limited in theire spotting or will you suddenly get shot whitout knowing how or where?

 

Looks amazing btw

[IndeedPete 1038]

So how does it work with AI's? are they also limited in theire spotting or will you suddenly get shot whitout knowing how or where?

 

Looks amazing btw

 

Based on my observations, the AI doesn't give a shit about scripted particles. As much as they don't care for thick grass or bushes. Maybe lowering their skills by script helps. Using the fog from Arma's weather engine helps limiting their view as well.