Environment Studio: simple, intent-based environment creation window (advanced sliders kept) #1107

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opened 2026-10-26 09:17:37 +00:00 by sky_line · 0 comments

sky_line commented

2026-10-26 09:17:37 +00:00

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A new Environment Studio window that makes building a sky / day cycle simple: the user describes the look they want and the viewer works out the settings, instead of hand-tuning dozens of sliders in the environment editors.

Simple mode (the default view)

A few high-level controls, for example:
- Time of day (sun / moon position)
- Cloudiness (clear to overcast)
- Brightness / dimness (overall exposure and ambient level)
- Haze / atmosphere density (crisp to hazy / foggy)
- Mood or colour temperature (warm, neutral, cool)
- Water look (calm / clear to murky)
Each control drives a coordinated set of the underlying sky / water / day-cycle parameters, so the result always looks coherent. For example, "overcast" raises cloud coverage and density, softens the sun, lowers direct light, raises ambient and adjusts haze together.
Live preview in-world as the controls move.
Start from a preset ("clear noon", "golden hour", "stormy", "night", ...) and adjust.

Advanced mode (nothing is taken away)

Every existing slider stays available, either in an Advanced section of the studio or by opening the current editors.
The simple controls are derived from and applied to the same settings, so a user can rough it in with the simple controls, then fine-tune in advanced.
Decide how to handle a setting that was hand-edited after a simple control set it (for example, leave the hand-edited value alone until the user resets it).

Output

Save as a normal sky / water / day-cycle asset to inventory (standard formats, nothing viewer-specific), apply locally, or apply to a parcel / region where the user has permission.

Open questions

The exact list of simple controls and how each one maps onto the underlying parameters.
Whether this replaces the current environment floaters as the entry point or sits beside them.
How the studio looks under our renderer's lighting (GI, RT shadows, exposure) compared with other viewers, since shared environments are seen by everyone.

A new **Environment Studio** window that makes building a sky / day cycle simple: the user describes the look they want and the viewer works out the settings, instead of hand-tuning dozens of sliders in the environment editors. **Simple mode (the default view)** - A few high-level controls, for example: - Time of day (sun / moon position) - Cloudiness (clear to overcast) - Brightness / dimness (overall exposure and ambient level) - Haze / atmosphere density (crisp to hazy / foggy) - Mood or colour temperature (warm, neutral, cool) - Water look (calm / clear to murky) - Each control drives a coordinated set of the underlying sky / water / day-cycle parameters, so the result always looks coherent. For example, "overcast" raises cloud coverage and density, softens the sun, lowers direct light, raises ambient and adjusts haze together. - Live preview in-world as the controls move. - Start from a preset ("clear noon", "golden hour", "stormy", "night", ...) and adjust. **Advanced mode (nothing is taken away)** - Every existing slider stays available, either in an Advanced section of the studio or by opening the current editors. - The simple controls are derived from and applied to the same settings, so a user can rough it in with the simple controls, then fine-tune in advanced. - Decide how to handle a setting that was hand-edited after a simple control set it (for example, leave the hand-edited value alone until the user resets it). **Output** - Save as a normal sky / water / day-cycle asset to inventory (standard formats, nothing viewer-specific), apply locally, or apply to a parcel / region where the user has permission. **Open questions** - The exact list of simple controls and how each one maps onto the underlying parameters. - Whether this replaces the current environment floaters as the entry point or sits beside them. - How the studio looks under our renderer's lighting (GI, RT shadows, exposure) compared with other viewers, since shared environments are seen by everyone.

sky_line added the

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2026-10-26 09:17:37 +00:00

sky_line self-assigned this

2026-10-26 09:17:37 +00:00

sky_line added this to the Slipstream project

2026-10-26 09:17:37 +00:00