Feature: Weather

v1.21.0

Weather

This feature requires all the players and GM have and are using BetteR20 on their workstation(s). The weather feature takes a tileable graphic and then... tiles it across the screen and then moves the tiles in a direction.

Instructions (How to use it)

Overview:

The feature is composed of three parts much like the Dynamic Lighting layer.

The Weather Configuration - the means to enable or disable and to various degrees control its presentation

The Effect - the specific weather effect (unlike Dynamic lighting, its more than just light, and you can control coloration size, speed etc (covered in The Configuration))

The Weather Layer - which allows you to exclude areas from where the weather effects are demonstrated.(See Known Issues)

Weather Configuration

Go to the Page Toolbar.
Select the Map in question,
Choose the Settings Cog and then go to the weather settings

(Prior to BetterR2 1.14.10 Go to the Config Editor, and choosing the "Weather" tab you can modify the weather layer's presentation. The image. It's speed. It's 'direction'. The nature of its motion. etc. the following elements are used to assign such.)

Effect

Type

Selects from a predetermined set of weather like patterns;

Fog
Rain
Ripples (excellent for underwater scenarios)
Snow
Waves (excellent for animating rivers, oceans etc)
Custom (see Custom Image)

Custom Image

(Type must be set to custom to make this field editable)

A URL for the image, the image will then be scrolled across the screen.

Weather Speed

A slider bar determining the speed the image slides across the screen.

Direction

Cardinal direction of the animations source (going to its opposite) eg. "North" moves from top of the screen to the bottom "South"

Custom Direction

Custom Direction only matters when the Direction field is set to Custom.

A slider bar which aligns 0 (" North ") all the way around to nearly (" North ") again, in a clockwise fashion - 1/4 being corresponding East ⇒ West, 1/2 being South ⇒ North; 3/4 being West ⇒ East.

Oscillate

This shifts the nature of the movement - from being linear to moving two and fro (hence oscillate).

when unchecked it only moves in the default single directional manner.

Oscillation Threshold

Determine the distance the weather/image travels until it reverses and returns to the starting point

Intensity

Choosing "Heavy" doubles the image, layering upon each other offset making transparency

Tint

Toggle to enable a tint upon the weather layer - this tints EVERYTHING under it, and doesn't respect the weather layer's boundaries.

Tint Color

Used for selection or entering Hexacolor settings.

Special Effects

Choose a special effect, currently this only Lightning.

Instruction Walkthrough (How to use it)

The Weather layer

The Weather layer The weather layer works like the Dynamic Lighting layer. Although the Circle Tool doesn't currently define a reserved space. Use the Drawing tools (Make Shape, or Polygon/Line) to set the boundaries/obstructions.

Weather patterns start from the outside INTO and across the layer. So if you draw a box the size of the map you, effectively kill the weather effect.

Any shapes drawn INSIDE of another restriction boundary are not 'restored' for weather, an area defined as having no weather effect inside of it, will have no weather effect inside of it.

AS A WORKAROUND you can make a thin opening to the edge of the map leading to an internal spot which be part of the weather pattern.

Weather 📁

Type
Choose what type of weather pattern (Rain; Fog, Snow, Waves, Ripples, and Custom)
Custom Image
Custom image is disabled unless Type is set to Custom.
At which point the field becomes availible, and you can set a URL for the image
Weather Speed
The speed of the animation (see Oscillate)
Direction
The direction of the animation. (8 compass directions - assuming Top of the screen is "North") Be default, an image use will rotate 45° degrees clockwise from its natural orientation.

Direction	Degree (relative to top)
Northerly (moving to south)	12 o'clock (0°)
North-Easterly (Moving to South Westerly)	1:30 (45°)
Easterly	3:00 (90°)
South-Easterly	4:30 (135°)
Southerly	6:00 (180°)
South-Westerly	7:30 (225°)
Westerly	9:00 (270°)
North-Westerly	10:30 (315°)

Custom Direction
a slider to customized the direction of the animation 0°-360°
Oscillate
This changes the image's action from flowing across the layer, to moving back and forth - this is modified by Weather Speed; and Oscillation Threshold.
Oscillation Threshold
The amplitude of the threshold
Intensity
doubles the image (slightly offset)
Tint
Boolean,
Tint Color
If the tint is turned on, this brings the color picker up to see.
Special Effects
Currently
- Lightning - random flashes of light.

Suggested settings;

Underwater

Choose type "ripple"
Slow Weather Speed
Oscillate, with a low threshold
Tint it with a blue

Severe Storm

Choose type "rain"
Direction so that the rain moves towards the bottom of the screen
moderate Weather Speed
Intensity Heavy
Special Effects Lightning

From TipMcVenus

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Setup:

Result:

[[File:

Support/Suggested Use Guidance.

(this is a community-curated set of best practices / FAQ on the feature's support and solutions/workarounds.)

The URL must be a valid URL - which doesn't require authentication. The circle Tool doesn't restrain weather Line Splitter doesn't work on the Weather Layer.

Shapes drawn within out shapes on the weather layer don't effectively toggle states of the weather, the outter most shape defines where the weather will not show within. period.

If you cannot see or use the weather feature, try restarting the Roll20 session with a CTRL + F5, or restarting the browser.

Feature Support

Known Issues/Limitations

Looks like its perfect... (Did we miss anything?)

FAQ

Nothing's here (Do you have any suggestions?)

Best Practices

None as yet (Do you have any suggestions?)

Related Features

Config Editor
Quick Layer Sidebar
Line Splitter (doesn't work on the Weather layer)
Background Layer
Foreground Layer

Did that answer your question(s)?

If not please check the under Support; Troubleshooting or the Known Issues page for further guidance, or go to the Discord community and leave a comment in the issues channel.

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