Snowball Demo - "Winter is Back' (updated for BJS version 5.6)

Hello BJS Community,
I have finally decided (and found some time) to update my first real demo for BJS ‘Project Snowball Demo’.
The link to the demo is unchanged.

The Snowball Demo, although quite old and unexperienced at the time of creation, is still showing in the top 50 most viewed, so it definetely deserved this (late :timer_clock:, sry) update.

Work is not all done yet. This is an intermediate update (about 60% complete).
Updating this first demo of mine with all its fancy code was not easy. To be honest there are things in there I’m still not quite sure what they are supposed to do (probably nothing :wink: :roll_eyes:

Here’s a shortlist of changes:

  • All textures update with 30 to 200% less load on textures
  • All terrain update with 50% lower impact on performance
  • Physics update with 50% lower impact on performance
  • All trees and rocks now use instances instead of clones (more performance on older systems)
  • All meshes with 20% to 50% lower impact on performance
  • Retimed animations on snow accumulation and snow removal (awaiting particle systems with a timeout)
  • New PBR material on the glass globe (inner side) to create more sexy and complex glass on the snowball globe
  • New GUI Full screen button (to the far bottom right)
  • Updated code for BJS version 5.6.x
  • New loading sequence with separate scripts for animations and materials
  • Small color changes on colors (for weather and time of day animations) using the BJS v5 colorspace
  • Script update for v5+ BJS

So, not many changes as per design in this update but now ready to have more design improvements on the next update.
The scene should work much better on lower-end systems (with little improvement in performance on high-end systems).

For the time of the post 5.5 launch, the chalet flag is also proudly raising the BJS flag (you can change flag with ‘F’ key or by entering the snowball globe, next clicking on the flag post to call the 3D GUI).
I take this opportunity to wish all of you Guys downunder a happy and snowy upcoming winter season :snowflake: :snowflake: :snowman:

Take care and stay safe,

7 Likes

Hi,

that’s really beautiful. I’m interested in the way you’re making the sky. You seem to mix a Sky material with a cloud texture. Could you tell me how you manage to do that.

Thanks in advance,

Boris

Thanks for your nice comment and sry for late reply.
I took a long WE in the mountains :mountain: Needed some fresh air :relaxed:
In this scenario, nothing complex. I simply added 3 primitives (tubes or spheres) inside the skybox with a small distance between each. Each has an alpha texture (png) of clouds. Next simply changing the alpha, emissive and diffuse of each ‘cloud layer’. I could also animate them (may be I will), I was thinking of it for a while. Could be easily done.

1 Like

Ok, thanks for your answer.