Environment Gator

Community Showcases
1

IMPORTANT !!
The Environment Gator is no longer available on the Asset Store since i´m working on a brand new asset that will replace it !!

!! This version of the Environment Gator (v6.0) and the Audio Gator(v1.0) asset are going to be release for FREE soon !!

Not sure if using the Asset Store or if I’ll put them as a direct download on my website.

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Environment Gator v6 for Unity Personal & Pro Edition.

Details and Support @
Environment Gator Website
SixTeenLeft.com

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What is that ?
The Environment Gator( EG) is a fully programmable environment manager and generator. Create, program, sync, all the environmental aspects of a Unity’s scene according to current Time and Weather conditions.

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Integrates all the major Unity 5 features

Enhanced Day-Night cycle system and Time generation

Enhanced Weather System

Program and handle 6 Sky-Box modes

  • Solid Color

  • Procedural

  • 1xCubeMap

  • 2xCubeMaps

  • 3xCubeMaps

  • Experimental

  • Simple

  • Advanced

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Rendering options
Linear / Gamma Color Space, Deferred / Forward rendering , HDR , probes interaction.

Static and Dynamic Scenes
Chances of having dynamic scenes, static or a mix of the two.

Powerful Ambience Audio Manager ( Audio Gator )
Use all the power of the new audio API with the new internal audio manager.

Events Manager
Programmable Internal Events system according to Time and Weather.

Particle Systems manager

Presets System

Super easy via scripts interaction

Post-Processing stack and Legacy Image FX integration

Powerful custom Editor

Originals, dedicated assets

Support & frequent updates
& more…

Notes:
Since I always forget to update the open topic every time,
please follow the Dev-Log on the website or in subsequent topics.

Best Regards,

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2

Hi Stefano

Very nice , looks promising :slight_smile:
do you use textures for your Clouds ?
or do you generate dynamic clouds.

Thanks

Norby

3

Hi Norby,
thank you!:slight_smile:

In this very first release, all the clouds are ’ just '… textures. ( Also the PerlinClouds are based on textures__*__ ). Three different types of clouds ( flat, volumetric, perlin ) are handled by the EG at runtime. Even if this system produces nice skies (imo), i’m working at the new clouds system. I’d love to have a texture-free system, or at least a 50% - 50% one, in future releases.

Best Regards,
Stefano.

*
New textures for the perlinClouds are coming soon. ( i know, the current ones are…let’s say not so fascinating ! ) :wink:
Users could even make their own textures and use them in the system.

4

This looks awesome! I’ve been thinking about buying a new weather/time plugin to replace Unistorm, which is nice but not flexible enough for what I’m trying to do. Yours looks like it is much more flexible and easier to extend. I suggest getting a web demo up! I’m close to throwing my money at you but would like to actually see it in action in a web player first. :wink:

5

Hi,

thanks!! I totally agree with you about the webdemo, and i’m already working on it. The problem is that there are a lot of assets involved in the component but i want to keep the demo size suitable for the web player. Anyway, if I fail, we will still have a web-demo, just huge. :wink:

Regards,
Stefano.

6

Looks very interesting, reminds me a bit of GTA 5 skies, since they also use real skies unlike other solutions in the asset store.
Like makeshiftwings said, i also want to see it in real time with a web player.

Can you say the performance hit this system makes?

7

Are future upgrades/updates free if I purchase this asset now? I would like to purchase and test current version but also have future updates.

8

Hi,

Uao,thank you, maybe it’s a bit too much,i mean GTA, but thank you!
The web demo will be a priority during next period.
As for the performances, the system is very flexible, and although it is desktop oriented, disabling some features, and reducing the number of clouds inside an ACF, we will be able to achieve very good results in terms of draw calls and fps.

There’s a brief talk about performances inside the UserDoc.

Sure, you will buy it once . Future updates , till the end of the 2.0 devCycle are included.
Soon i’ ll post a public semi-official roadMap for updates.

Regards,
Stefano.

9

Looks good, in there a realistic starmap implemented.
Would love to have stars showing in correct postions depending on time and date.
Would allow for navigation via celestial methods in game.

EDIT: Purchased, look forward to where this product goes.

10

Hi Stefano,

your work seem really interesting.
I hope to see soon a video or a web demo.

Keep up the good work!
Stefano

11

yeap interested, but waiting for webplayer demo

12

I bought the asset and I really like the looks of the atmosphere but I’m taking a huge hit on FPS. Can you elaborate on the necessary settings to achieve a minimal performance hit while maintaining scene fidelity?

13

Hi to all,

and thanks, i really appreciate.

The demoScene was optimized to run on a mid-range modern machine. In fact it includes a very simple sky ( few clouds ) and an overall mid-quality. Let’s say an I5 with a GT520m runs it at 60+Fps.

-Wrong Layers configuration could cause a frames drop. Please, be sure to perform it before enter Play mode.
-Have you noticed if the fps drop occurs when the weather is overcast?
In case, please try to reduce the amount of particles emitted by the EGCVol ( volumetric clouds that you found inside the ACF_SW_Final prefab ). It sounds complicated but is not. I’ ll glad to help you in the process if u need.
-Please try to disable the terrain and look if the fps drop occurs.

Edit: @Kerry ( check your PM ): Also the position of the terrain could cause the issue, due to the fact that the EG needs to be spawned at 0,0,0. ( currently tracking this issue )

Edit:

The demo is coming soon. I know, i’ll try to hurry.

I’ll be back soon with some important infos and next release ( 1.25 ) features.

Best Regards,
Stefano.

14

Hi,
first of all i want to thank you guys for the amazing and inspiring support !!
Very interesting ideas and suggestions are coming from the users, that’s great!
This way will be easier for me to keep on with the development of the component in the right direction. thx!!

Now a Brief Update.
I’m currently working at the vers#1.24 ( minor update ), it’s all about tracking issues and assets refinement ( i.e. Perlin Clouds Textures ).
Tracking
Editor Labels width ‘on resize’ issue. That’s annoying, i think i’ve found a workaround but it will take some time, because i need to rework all the editor. For the moment, please report “strange” Editor’s behaviours here.
Tmp workarounds:

  • Try to dock the inspector on full Right, resize it ( to the right ) using the divider between the inspector and the game/scene view, till it shows up properly.
  • Undock the Inspector
    Next Release
    The next release should be 1.25, but if the 1.24 will grow as a major update, it will be released first. I’ll have a release date after the demo release.
    Demo Release Live Documentation
    I’m really focused on the demo release, i hope to have it ready for this week.
    This is also why the live documentation will be not updated in the next 3/4 days.( sry )
    I’m also working at a new support page on my website to have a much more organic and organized documentation with new examples, tutorials, and “How To?” section.
15

Good work !

Seems to be a nice asset :slight_smile:

16

Thank you Napster!!

The Demo is almost ready, i think i’ll be able to release it a bit earlier. It will not be so exhaustive in this early version, i don’t want to spend too much time on it, i think it will be enough for a demonstration. I’m building a rough menu right now, some final tests, tomorrow, and it should be ready.

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17

Hi,

the webPlayer demo is online!!

EG1.24f_WebDemo

Edit:
If your browser looks stucked with a black screen, minimize ( aKa refresh ) his window. I’ve noticed this only on Chrome, sometimes.

Regards,

18

Nice demo! I like it. I did have some questions:

In the demo, the sky seems to be brighter and more orange on the left and right edges of the screen, but when you turn to look at it, it becomes darker and more blue. So no matter where you’re looking, it’s always darker and blue in the center of the screen and brighter and orange on the edges. Is that intentional? It looks weird in my opinion, like there’s something wrong with my character’s eyes. :wink:

Are the sound effects in the demo included with the kit?

Is it possible to modify the atmospheric scattering to get very exaggerated red/orange/purple sunrises and sunsets but a normal blue sky during the rest of the day?

19

Hi,

i’m glad you like it.

Yep, nice catch!!
What you’ve noticed is not an intentional effect, is actually a mistake i made, setting the fog in the demo scene !! shame on me!
I will fix it in the next demo, thanks!

The Atmospheric Scattering system is pretty flexible and includes HDR Exposure,Rayleigh scattering and Mie scattering.
You can also set his parameters as dynamics according to current Weather condition.

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For more extreme ( aKa not realistic ) effects, you could try with the atmospheric scattering and if it’s not enough you can use the EGSky mode that is not so precise and realistic like the AS but it worth a try, trust me!
You will have much more control on the sky colors with that solution.Take a look in the userDoc, i’ve tried to briefly explain differences between the twos.

The sounds are included. They belong to the first sound package that comes for free with the vers#1.23.
I’ ll release several asset’s packages ( textures,audio,particles sys) to use with the EG. Depending on their complexity some will be included in next releases for free, others will ship as separate products.

Regards,

20

please change demo to allow us to pick the weather we would like and then play it…

thanks in advance!

clear
light snow
heavy snow
light rain
heavy rain
light wind
heavy wind
partly cloudy
thundering/lightening
etc