ABSTRACT:

I am creating a tool for generating a large variety of directable, realistic cloud types. Not having such a tool to create cloud effects for production films is a problem for directors who would like to use clouds as a device in telling stories.

Prior work in cloud generation for computer graphics focused on making real-time solutions or tools that account for only one aspect of rendering clouds, but there is no comprehensive solution for creating directable, visually appealing cloud effects for CG films.

My work incorporates recent work on cloud rendering, then expands on that work by adding additional flexibility and capability. This solution has already produced production quality results in the student film "Kites". Future work will improve and expand these results for a more general solution.

The usefulness of this solution is demonstrated by examining its helpfulness to the technical artist working on a production CG film and its capability to generate a large variety of cloud effects.