UE5.2: Volumetric Cloud Shader

Shader-based volumetric cloud 

Experimenting the shader-based volumetric cloud. It is indeed very impressive! By leveraging the volumetric cloud nodes based on UE's built-in Ray March functions, UE team eliminates the need for additional code to create dense volume clouds, thus embracing an exceptionally lightweight and optimizable workflow for realistic clouds. The following video demonstrates the potential of this technique. Furthermore, you can enhance the sky further by decorating it with custom volume textures or 2D textures, enabling full control over the shader within the material." 

How do I create the volumetric clouds? 

So, first step, go inside material and see in the details panel, switch the Material Domain to Volume.

And there is a basic workflow like these images follow up: Volumetric Advanced Input / Output. And here is the magic, in the Volumetric Advanced Output / ConservartiveDensity. This pin gives us the power to draw the clouds volume in VolumetricCloud Actor like we draw some clouds on a 3d canvas.

Here's the material input part - Volumetric Advanced Input

Here's the material output part - Volumetric Advanced Output


3d volume open up a free space for any cloud inputs


Once you have all the layers altitude setup the cloud layer would be at the right altitude in the 3d volume, the clouds can be overlay it will not add additional cost to the performance.

The Key Shader nodes reveal

Let's take a look at the most interesting nodes - Volume Texture Cloud Layer

Here are 3 things required to have in all cloud layers

Here's the Hero Cloud layer nodes

Here's another example of the volumetric cloud material.

Solutions Comparison

There are already many ways to achieve volumetric clouds in UE5.2, VDB plugin, Heterogenous Volume (Used in Niagara Volume), Sparse Volume (Also use vdb volume), here's my opinions about these tech.

Last Update:  April 3, 2024

Software: Unreal Engine 5.2

OS: Windows 10

Specs: RTX 3080, AMD 3900x, 64GB RAM


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