This tutorial gives a step-by-step approach on how to render the Walt Disney Animation Studios Cloud Data Set. The VDB files contained within the download are heterogeneous volumetric cloud model containing density data. We will render this VDB data using an Arnold Volume and shade it using a standard_volume shader. We will light the scene using a physical_sky connected to the color of a skydome_light.
A scene file can be downloaded here.
The tutorial is broken up into the following chapters:
README.txt
file.wdas_cloud_sixteenth.vdb
. This is the lowest resolution version of the cloud data and so will be quicker to load initially (we will replace it at the end with the full resolution VDB file).step_scale: 1 | step_scale: 20 |
elevation: 45 (default) | elevation: 10 (sunset) |
0 (default) | 10 |
25 | 50 |
scatter_color: 0.5 (default) | scatter_color: 10 |
The scatter slider is maxed to 1. Increasing this value above 1 is a hack and should be used with care. The number should normally be below 1 to be energy conserving.
Remember to add 'density' to the scatter_color_channel.
transparent_depth: 1 | transparent_depth: 15. Controls the depth into the volume at which the transparent_color is realized. |
Increasing this value gives the volume a much more cloud-like appearance.
transparency_depth is unit-dependent.
transparent_weight: 0.368 | transparent_weight 0.7. Increasing this value allows for more control over the density of the cloud volume. |
density: 1 | density: 4.3. Increasing this value gives the cloud volume a thicker appearance. |
anisotropy: 1 (default) | anisotropy: 0.5. Anisotropy should be above 0 as clouds are quite strongly forward scattering. |
Once you are happy with how the cloud is looking, you are ready for final frame rendering.
wdas_cloud_sixteenth.vdb
with wdas_cloud.vdb.
Bear in mind that this is the full resolution VDB file and so will take longer to render.'wdas_cloud_sixteenth.vdb' | 'wdas_cloud.vdb' |
volume_indirect: 2 | volume_indirect: 3 |
Once you have completed this tutorial, remember to take your head out of the cloud!
Settings used for this scene