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I'm trying to have a helicopter flying above some clouds. The most elegant way to create clouds that I've seen is using the cloud generator add-on that comes included with blender. When rendering with BI, it works just fine, but in cycles all I can see is the original mesh/bounding box. I've messed around with some volume materials, but I can't figure it out.

What materials should I use? Which objects should I apply them to? I've read in several forums that cycles doesn't support some critical volume-related feature that the add-on used, but they were all old, and I think the features have been implemented since then.

What I've tried to do so far is replace the material that the add-on creates automatically with this cycles "equivalent":node stuffsbut it still doesn't work right. I just see a cube with a sphere inside of it:enter image description here

I specifically want to use this add-on, not an alternative way to create clouds

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    $\begingroup$ possible duplicate of How to create and render clouds in blender cycles $\endgroup$ – Jacob_ Aug 20 '15 at 23:26
  • $\begingroup$ Regarding your edit. It shouldn't matter how you create this, what you want is the material.. $\endgroup$ – iKlsR Aug 21 '15 at 0:29
  • $\begingroup$ Have you seen this vid tutorial on using the Cloud Generator? youtube.com/watch?v=EpGdRJFPVEI It's for BI, but might be a good starting point. $\endgroup$ – Mentalist Aug 21 '15 at 8:31
  • $\begingroup$ @iKlsR Well..this question is about how to make some addon work under cycles, not how to make clouds. The answer will be the same like in the duplicate for now, but in future cycles will support point density and a solution will exist. $\endgroup$ – Jaroslav Jerryno Novotny Aug 21 '15 at 9:22
  • $\begingroup$ @mentalist yeah,i already got it working in bi. The whole question is about getting it to work in cycles $\endgroup$ – markasoftware Aug 21 '15 at 16:12
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The point density that this addon needs to create the clouds volume is now only supported in the Gooseberry branch: Point Density Cycles

Without point density you need to model/sculpt those clouds yourself.

Edit: As the Point Density texture is in trunk now, it is reflected in this answer:

Is there an easy way to make volumetric clouds for Cycles?

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  • $\begingroup$ I'll get the latest gooseberry build and get back to you once I've tested things $\endgroup$ – markasoftware Aug 21 '15 at 16:16
  • $\begingroup$ Thank you! This seems like the solution! Also, just curious, but what exactly is the gooseberry branch/how is it different from the standard branch? $\endgroup$ – markasoftware Aug 21 '15 at 17:41
  • $\begingroup$ @Markasoftware It is a custom build blender release with features needed for the open movie Cosmos Laundromat. Mainly there is some hair simulation for sheeps and volumetrics for the tornado. The features are probably not tested enough to be in official branch. $\endgroup$ – Jaroslav Jerryno Novotny Aug 21 '15 at 21:14
  • $\begingroup$ Will they eventually be in the normal branch? $\endgroup$ – markasoftware Aug 23 '15 at 0:56
  • $\begingroup$ @Markasoftware Yes, but sometimes it may take years for feature to get in trunk, sometimes they get in the next release, it varies a lot. $\endgroup$ – Jaroslav Jerryno Novotny Aug 23 '15 at 0:59

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