Dragonfly Software: Cirrus Skies - Released!
by Steven Peterson · 02/12/2009 (5:47 pm) · 15 comments
Today ( February 12th, 2009 ), I am very excited to introduce my new company, Dragonfly Software; and to announce the release of our first product: Cirrus SkiesOur primary focus is developing and supporting high-quality code-packs for the Torque Game Engine. As some of you know, I've been tinkering with Torque environmental-effects mods for years. This move has finally given me the opportunity to finish my work and make it available to the GarageGames Community. Today's product announcement is just the tip of the proverbial ice-berg for what we have in store!
This is something that I have worked hard on for a long time. I want to thank the great staff at GarageGames for all their help and support. To everyone who sent me mid-night emails asking when this would be complete, thankyou for your constant encouragement. I’m confident you will all agree, Cirrus Skies was well worth the wait!
Introducing: Dragonfly Software
Envisioning Better Software, With Every Line of Code.
Dragonfly Software is developing dynamic weather-effects for the Torque Game Engine. Our middleware add-ons produce a more immersive and life-like gaming experience. Our code is designed to be modular, flexible, clearly written and well documented to save end-developers time, money and aggravation.
Dragonfly Software also does occasional contract-programming, and has numerous other projects in the development pipeline! Dragonfly Software is a 2008 software-startup based in the Lowcountry region of SC, USA.
Cirrus Skies: On Sale Now!
Bringing Torque Skies to Life, Since 2009!
Cirrus Skies is a new 'Cloud Management System' for the Torque Game Engine. It adds new functionality and flexibility, allowing game developers to quickly create beautiful, lifelike and dynamic skies for their games. Cirrus Skies is available for purchase in the Garage Games: Developer Store. For more information please visit the Cirrus Skies Product Profile on the Dragonfly Software Website.
Cirrus Skies: Features
- Includes 3 procedurally generated cloud-effects to get you started
- Arbitrary number of cloud layers per mission
- Ability to toggle and fade all layers independently
- Ability to set or fade any layer to any transparency value
- Ability to select different source-types for each cloud-layer's texture
- Ability to create star-fields and other visual effects
- Ability to fully control cloud-layers through C++ or TorqueScript
- Ability to easily create new cloud-layer effects via. sub-classing
Cirrus Skies: Availability
- TGE: Currently Available!
- TGEA: Coming Soon!
Now Available under: GarageGames | Developer Store | Tools | Cirrus Skies
#2
02/12/2009 (7:55 pm)
Any chance of a video, or possibly a demo, so we can see this in action? 
#4
02/12/2009 (10:09 pm)
Cool stuff though...this looks like a good resource.
#5
02/12/2009 (10:12 pm)
This is really great looking I agree a video would be nice to see. Also I can't help but want to see this evolved into something more comprehensive that would include day / night cycles and possibly a weather management system. I'd pay extra fer that :D
#6
02/12/2009 (10:16 pm)
and i went to your site just yesterday to see if anything was happening did not look like it but this is good news.
#7
@Michael - Thanks for the help and support man. I finally made it happen.
@Brett, Jason - [video] .. seems to be a recurring theme. I'll see what I can do.
@Eamonn - Are you teasing me? But of course that is exactly what we're working on with EnviroTorque 2.0,
@Brandon - That was you? I noticed the spike in traffic! :-P Thanks for checking us out.
02/12/2009 (10:55 pm)
Thanks for the comments so far everyone! @Michael - Thanks for the help and support man. I finally made it happen.
@Brett, Jason - [video] .. seems to be a recurring theme. I'll see what I can do.
@Eamonn - Are you teasing me? But of course that is exactly what we're working on with EnviroTorque 2.0,
@Brandon - That was you? I noticed the spike in traffic! :-P Thanks for checking us out.
#8
Also adding some "randomness" to changes in weather, perhaps driven by some sort of seasonal cycle. As in ET2 understands Spring, Summer, Winter, Fall and some % probability of certain weather types could be defined for each season.
Additionally, because people might get sick of playing in the snow all the time the ability to define the probability of weather types for each month would be good.
Example:
January, Winter, 20% Snow, 20% Rain, 30% heavy overcast, 30% light overcast
August, Summer, 5% heavy overcast, 20% light overcast, 75% sunny
And adding in the ability to month by month define the "luminosity" of the Sun so that in Winter months it might be a little darker than in Summer months.
Bleh.. am rambling now, but I love dynamic weather systems in games :D
02/13/2009 (10:33 am)
Thanks Steven. Really nice work, look forward to EnviroTorque. I don't know if this is feasible, but I'd like to have the ability to arbitrarily define Sunset and Sunrise times so that you could have a setting where 24 in game hours = 4 hours real time and adjust the Sunrise, Sunset so that there would only be 1 hour of darkness. That sort of flexibility would be very nice.Also adding some "randomness" to changes in weather, perhaps driven by some sort of seasonal cycle. As in ET2 understands Spring, Summer, Winter, Fall and some % probability of certain weather types could be defined for each season.
Additionally, because people might get sick of playing in the snow all the time the ability to define the probability of weather types for each month would be good.
Example:
January, Winter, 20% Snow, 20% Rain, 30% heavy overcast, 30% light overcast
August, Summer, 5% heavy overcast, 20% light overcast, 75% sunny
And adding in the ability to month by month define the "luminosity" of the Sun so that in Winter months it might be a little darker than in Summer months.
Bleh.. am rambling now, but I love dynamic weather systems in games :D
#9
www.garagegames.com/community/resources/view/15391
02/13/2009 (2:08 pm)
eamonn you might want to look at this blog i think it has what you want.www.garagegames.com/community/resources/view/15391
#10
@All - Cirrus Skies for TGEA-1.8.x is in the hands of GG-Q&A now. Should be available very soon!
02/24/2009 (8:27 am)
@Brandon - I'll have to take a closer look at that. I think what I'm working on goes quite a bit beyond that but it's still interesting.@All - Cirrus Skies for TGEA-1.8.x is in the hands of GG-Q&A now. Should be available very soon!
#11
Will
03/26/2009 (7:25 am)
Wow amazing product... will Cirrus Skies for TGEA be a free update for those who want it more for TGEA then TGE or will we have to shell out more for it as an update? Great work. Thanks for the info..Will
#12
The "Cirrus Skies for TGEA" release got held up due to everyone working on GDC stuff. I expect to have a definitive answer to this and other questions the beginning of the week, so look for a new blog soon!
03/29/2009 (11:31 am)
Good Question Will. The "Cirrus Skies for TGEA" release got held up due to everyone working on GDC stuff. I expect to have a definitive answer to this and other questions the beginning of the week, so look for a new blog soon!
#13
06/13/2009 (4:03 pm)
any plans for T3D?
#14
07/20/2009 (1:53 am)
Would like to do T3D but I don't have my hands on the engine yet. Hopefully there will be one. 
#15
10/07/2009 (3:13 pm)
This looks very cool, and I'm considering purchasing it. However, I'd like a a little more info first. Is this just layer control/blending or does it procedurally generate clouds, like Farcry 2 does? Also, is it possible to create volumetric clouds? And finally, a video would be huge; I'd like to see it in action! =)
Employee Michael Perry
ZombieShortbus