The SilverLining Sky, 3D Cloud, and Weather SDK received big visual improvements with version 3.009. Our CUMULUS_CONGESTUS_HI_RES cloud type looks better than ever, and we’ve also made a lot of improvements to the cloud shadow maps returned by Atmosphere::GetShadowMap().

Seeing is believing – click the image above showing SilverLining 3.009 integrated into the SkyMaxx Pro 2.0 add-on for the X-Plane flight simulator. Note the crisp cloud shadows on the terrain, and the high level of detail of the clouds. We’ve invented a hybrid cloud rendering technique that combines the photorealism of large billboard-based clouds with the 3D volumetric feel of SilverLining’s cloud engine.

You can appreciate the 3D nature of the clouds better when you fly through them, which this video (courtesy of Dave Roberts) shows nicely: