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Hey guys I haven't been modding for a while and just started recently. I want to make a map with a realistic environment. I want to have a cloud plane with clouds passing over head.
Yes, another way I can do this is by making a skydome rotate so it seems as if the clouds are moving but they are just rotating. I want a cloud plane that moves from west to east or north to south. This is a strategy that is used in countless of games to give it a more realistic sky.

But since I have almost no knowledge of modeling and animation, I would like to ask for help. Do I just create flat plane (a huge square with a tiny width) in XSI and insert the cloud texture and animate it?? Then use an alpha channel to only show the clouds in the TGA image file that I use for the clouds?
I know I'm a noob but if someone could please shed some light I would be very thankful

You don't animate anything. You set it up so that the texture scrolls, similar to how the lava texture scrolls on stock SWBF2 Mustafar and how the fog/cloud texture scrolls on stock SWBF2 Mygeeto.

AQT wrote:You don't animate anything. You set it up so that the texture scrolls, similar to how the lava texture scrolls on stock SWBF2 Mustafar and how the fog/cloud texture scrolls on stock SWBF2 Mygeeto.

I looked at the the lava and cloud planes on zero editor and they are all small squares that are connected except for the lave which is a big terrian model. Since I can't use these, do I make a large enough plane in XSI and make the textures scroll like you said? Also will this be visible at all distances like a skydome?

the best thing is to import a shipped sky/clouddome amnd use it a scale reference.
you can make the tetxures scroll by adding the scrollflag to it with andes zetools
if you include the model in the sky file it will always be visible, thats how its done with all sky- and backgroundobjects.

this is just an idea: maybe you can model a cloud in xsi and move them with zero anims

That would be an inefficient way of doing it.

DarthD.U.C.K. wrote:the best thing is to import a shipped sky/clouddome amnd use it a scale reference.
you can make the tetxures scroll by adding the scrollflag to it with andes zetools
if you include the model in the sky file it will always be visible, thats how its done with all sky- and backgroundobjects.

Hmm I see, can I also make certain effects like dust or fog clouds which are odf FX props be visible at all distances if I do this? by including the model in the sky file?

I don't know about this "odf FX props" you speak of, but see the stock Geonosis .sky file which utilizes explosion .fx files. There's also the following:

[b][color=#FF8000]The FAQ / Everything You Need Thread Version 2.0[/color][/b] wrote:...
ZeroEditor/Mapping
...

• How to: Custom Flyer Domes

...

AQT wrote:I don't know about this "odf FX props" you speak of, but see the stock Geonosis .sky file which utilizes explosion .fx files. There's also the following:

[b][color=#FF8000]The FAQ / Everything You Need Thread Version 2.0[/color][/b] wrote:...
ZeroEditor/Mapping
...

• How to: Custom Flyer Domes

...

I'm talking about the effect props like :hoth_prop_dust, or hoth_prop_cloud. I want to place them in ceratin places of the map, but since the map is large, I want the these prop effects to be visible at all distances.

Then simply increase the NearSceneRange and FarSceneRange in your .sky file.

AQT wrote:Then simply increase the NearSceneRange and FarSceneRange in your .sky file.

Alright thanks AQT and everyone one else, I'm going to try to make the cloud plane, lets see if it works. And sry it got a little of topic