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Storm Cloud

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Hi everyone,

I am looking for a model that is a unit in the shape of a storm cloud with some basic/simple animations. I looked to the model "Misfortune" by HappyCockroach, but when I tried sizing up the model it became scattered and no longer looked like a cloud. Also I couldn't select it. So I am looking for a model that will be a unit in the shape of a storm cloud that can be selected without the need for many animations (since it's just a cloud...).

Kind regards,
TE
 
Level 6
Joined
Aug 28, 2019
Messages
84
Unholy Frenzy's buff model doesn't suit your needs?
That's a good thought Storm Knight, didn't think about this buff - I did check into this, similar to the issue I encountered with the "Misfortune" model, when you scale up this buff it just looks less and less like a cloud and more like a puff of smoke and/or something unnatural. I am going for a smooth, nice-looking cloud...

The issues:
- It's too smoky-looking, not enough white and grey shades
- I need something that can be scaled up, and scaling up makes the model spread apart, revealing it for simply the smoky movements that make it up
- There is a light blue haze/hue that is stuck there despite owner color

Some useful points:
- Like Misfortune, it is somewhat useful only if it stays small
- Unlike Misfortune, it is at least selectable

Idea:
Just thought of this - if no one is able to make this model, what if I overlap Misfortune and Unholy Frenzy using animation names and/or attachment link names?

I will try this out... thank you for commenting, Storm Knight...

UPDATE:
Tried attaching Misfortune via self-only aura with attachment points... didn't work - because I don't think Unholy Frenzy has any attachment points defined within it...


Can anyone help out here?!
 

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I can give you another possible idea, monsoon is also an effect and its directly built to be this rain effect alongside clouds, but the issue is that, its not selectable. or so i think, you might wanna give it a try :)


i get that your idea is to have a giant selectable cloud, but its hard to achieve something like that without actually knowing modeling. however i can point out a few more things i guess.

first is this Nebula , i can maybe give you a different colored version of this, but i'd imagine this is too much of the storm and no clouds are involved.

second is that, there is also the cloud special effect within the game, you know... the one that dragonhawkriders have as an ability. check if that's selectable and its comfortable to work with. i can also try and recolor that cloud effect for you to be more a mix of white and blue compared to light blue which looks like frost.
 
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I can give you another possible idea, monsoon is also an effect and its directly built to be this rain effect alongside clouds, but the issue is that, its not selectable. or so i think, you might wanna give it a try :)
I agree the Monsoon Effect is cool and would be great as an added effect for a cloud, it does not include any cloud though (although the waves of mist are appreciated)
first is this Nebula , i can maybe give you a different colored version of this, but i'd imagine this is too much of the storm and no clouds are involved.

Looks more like a modified wisp than a cloud - too spherical, too sparkly, too symmetric... seems like editing this model would be too much work, might as well start from scratch


second is that, there is also the cloud special effect within the game, you know... the one that dragonhawkriders have as an ability. check if that's selectable and its comfortable to work with. i can also try and recolor that cloud effect for you to be more a mix of white and blue compared to light blue which looks like frost.

I have considered the Cloud ability - this effect is not selectable, but I did use this effect (in my only other map project that I published) as a ward, and I used an ingame ward model as the anchor for selecting, and the ward was not noticeable because Cloud is very dense. So, maybe you could get away with using a small ward or something; could also use a transparent model, like the Fairy, and just add all these effects to it...

Back to the cloud effect itself - the cloudiness of it is probably the closest thing we have to the effect I'd like, however the circular effects make it look unnatural, unless you are going for a Super-Cell, but you would still need cumulus and nimbus-looking things in there. Also it's blue... way too blue, lol...

(I looked at disease cloud too, not selectable, too transparent/small/fast moving, and green)

I suppose if there were some way to remove the circular effects and blue hue of cloud, paste a few of them together and make it selectable... it could work.


UPDATE: Alright, I think I found something reasonable - if a moderator would agree, we could call this solved...

1) I extracted Cloud of fog with RMPQ Extractor ( Abilities\Spells\Human\CloudOfFog\CloudOfFog.mdx )
2) I found the textures for this model, extracted those, and learned that they were colorless, so I
3) Opened up CloudOfFog.mdx in War3 Model Editor 1.07, went to the node manager, and set the blue hues to white and grey ones, which changes Cloud's appearance now.
4) Since I am not good at modeling, I decided to try to get around this with abilities and attachment points, so I:
5) Made an Ability based on the hidden ability "Sphere", put 6 sprites in there, and set it to CloudOfFog
6) Made an Ability based on Brilliance Aura, made the only target the Cloud itself, and set target attachment points to head, origin, overhead, chest, right foot, left foot
7) Set the model to Wisp, and made its permanent color light blue
8) Made another ability based off Immolation, allowed negative values in preferences, and made immolation into an AOE healing ability, and then used the Misfortune buff model for this... all the units were at max health, so it didn't seem to cause a crash....

What do you guys think? This looks awesome.
 

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Level 6
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Storm Knight, you helped me think this through, much thanks! You are going in the credits of my project.

I might even make a separate map and post this cloud-thing as a resource, I think people might find it neat. Not very easy to import though, unless someone makes a model exhibiting all of the effects I did with abilities.

I will be tweaking the color shades of the cloud to make it match Misfortune, too.
 
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