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Screenshot01

Clouds as they appear with Fancy graphics

Clouds are graphical effects in the sky. They serve a solely aesthetic purpose.

Appearance

Fancy vs fast clouds

Comparison of Fancy clouds (left) and Fast clouds (right).

CloudsComparison

The same clouds during different time and weather conditions.

The appearance of clouds varies depending on the graphics settings used:

Fancy: Clouds are translucent, three-dimensional prisms, approximately four blocks tall. At night they turn a shade of blue and become more transparent. They are similar in appearance to stratocumulus clouds.

Fast: Clouds are two-dimensional and opaque. They have no day-night rotation[verify]. Their smallest horizontal dimensions are 8×8 blocks wide. Fast clouds in Pocket Edition are also opaque, but remain three-dimensional. Their appearance is similar to cirrus clouds.

In Console Edition, clouds consist of 3×3 block sections, which form the same pattern of clouds found in other editions.

From above or inside the clouds, they will appear semi-transparent, regardless of the player's graphics settings. The sun and the moon will always appear visible through the clouds from below, even if there are blocks that would otherwise block its view[verify].

The shape, dimensions, and color of clouds can be changed by modifying the clouds.png file located within assets\minecraft\textures\environment within the version's JAR file. The file's dimensions can be changed to any size, allowing for different cloud patterns each day[verify].

Behavior

Before 1.9 clouds would always float westward on layer 127. After 1.9 they do not have a set height but float somewhere between 100 and 150 based on the viewer's height (each viewer is seeing a different set of clouds). They are not interactive, and simply float through blocks and entities. Unlike in real life, clouds themselves will not produce rain or snow, meaning it will continue to rain or snow even above the clouds.

Since clouds are are rendered client-side, the position of clouds is different for each player on a server.

Clouds will retain their position even if the game is restarted. The position of clouds is persistent between worlds — if the player quits their current world and generates a new one, then travels to the same coordinates they were at in the previous world, the clouds will be seen in the same position as the previous world. Switching between Fast and Fancy graphics will randomize the position of clouds[verify]

Clouds can be toggled between Fancy, Fast, and Off in the Video Settings.

Video

Note: This video is oudated, as clouds can now be toggled between Fancy, Fast, and Off, independent from the general Fast/Fancy setting.

Cloud/video

History

classic
0.0.14a_01Added clouds, which float northward between layers 108 and 112.
infdev
June 15, 2010A Fast/Fancy graphics setting is added, which toggles clouds between two- and three-dimensional. Fancy clouds use a different texture: Cloudsold
alpha
?Fancy clouds no longer have a separate texture to Fast clouds.
beta
1.8The cloud layer was raised to layer 127.
release
1.0.0Beta 1.9-pre4Clouds now float towards the west.[1]
Beta 1.9-pre5Clouds can now be disabled in the Video Options menu.
1.2.1Build height increased to 256, allowing for players to build much further above clouds.
1.8.1The clouds' "Fast" and "Fancy" shape are controlled with the same option that enables clouds, rather than with the standard Fast and Fancy graphics.
Pocket Edition Alpha
0.6.0Added clouds. Clouds could only be seen in Fancy graphics, and if so, the clouds appeared opaque and two-dimensional, similar to the Fast clouds seen on PC.
0.7.0Clouds are now toggled with the Beautiful Skies option.
0.7.4Clouds now have a darker color to match PC.
0.8.0build 2Clouds are always three-dimensional, and are opaque and transparent with Fast and Fancy graphics, respectively.
0.9.0build 1New culling of clouds.
Clouds have been made prettier.
0.10.0build 1New double-sided lighting on clouds that's more coherent with the terrain.
build 6Better fog on clouds, starting farther away and following the sky color.
build 7The clouds and the terrain are now tinted red during sunset.
Legacy Console Edition
TU1CU1 1.0 Patch 1Added clouds.
TU5Cloud height raised to the top of the map, so clouds can no longer phase through blocks.
Cloud movement syncs with the game's time.

Issues

Issues relating to "Cloud" are maintained on the bug tracker. Report issues there.

Gallery

References

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