View source for Minecraft:Cloud

{{about||the ''[[Minecraft:Minecraft Education]]'' update named the "Cloud Update"|Minecraft Education 1.21.03|the ''[[Minecraft:Minecraft Education]]'' update named "Chase the Clouds"|Minecraft Education 1.21.91}}

[[File:Clouds can have different sizes and shapes..png|thumb|upright=1.5|300px|Clouds can have different sizes and shapes.]]
'''Clouds''' are graphical effects in the Overworld [[Minecraft:sky]]. While serving a solely aesthetic purpose, they can be used to determine directions because they always move westward.

== Appearance ==
[[File:Fancy vs fast clouds.png|thumb|upright=1.5|300px|Comparison of Fancy clouds (left) and Fast clouds (right).]]The appearance of clouds varies depending on the [[Minecraft:graphics settings]] used either on the specific clouds one{{Only|je|short=1}} or the general graphics mode:

* '''Fast/Simple:''' Clouds are opaque instead of transparent. They do not change between day and night. Their color comes from the top of the fancy clouds. Their smallest horizontal dimensions are 8×8 blocks wide. {{IN|je}}, fast clouds are two-dimensional. Simple clouds {{in|be}} are also opaque, but remain 3D (three-dimensional), and are not faded with the render distance.
* '''Fancy:''' Clouds are translucent, three-dimensional prisms, approximately four blocks tall and 12×12 blocks wide. The transparency can be affected by fog and the daylight cycle.
* ''Fabulous!'' graphics in ''Java Edition'' also affect clouds, being the same as Fancy, but also being visible through transparent blocks and [[Minecraft:water]]. In ''Bedrock Edition'', clouds are always visible through transparent blocks and water, even with Simple graphics.
*[[Minecraft:Vibrant Visuals]]{{Only|be|short=1}} adds more layers of lighting to clouds, making them lighter on the edges and darker in the middle. The clouds also create shadows and when a cloud blocks the sunlight, the environment darkens. Because clouds use {{w|environment mapping}}, they are always reflected by water regardless of whether they are visible on the screen. In addition to weather and daylight tinting, clouds have unique tints based on the [[Minecraft:biome]]. Global light sources such as the sun also tint clouds with their color depending on how close the clouds are to the light source.
[[File:CloudsComparison.png|thumb|right|upright=1.5|300px|The same clouds during different time and weather conditions.]]

{{FakeImage|{{Animate|Clouds sunrise1.png;Clouds sunrise2.png;Clouds sunrise3.png;Clouds sunrise4.png;Clouds sunrise5.png;Clouds sunrise6.png;Clouds sunrise7.png;Clouds sunrise8.png;Clouds sunrise9.png|300px}}|The different cloud colors during sunrise and sunset in ''Bedrock Edition''.}}
Clouds are tinted light gray during the day, which changes to gray or dark gray depending on the [[Minecraft:weather]] and the [[Minecraft:daylight cycle]]. During the night, fancy clouds are more transparent. Rainfall and thunderstorms darken clouds even in dry biomes, but snowfall does not have any additional effects. {{IN|be}}, clouds gradually turn orange during sunset and sunrise at any graphics mode. Clouds color {{Color|rgb(191, 191, 191)}} during [[Minecraft:rain]] and {{Color|rgb(30, 30, 30)}} during [[Minecraft:thunderstorms]] or when a [[Minecraft:wither]] is nearby in ''Bedrock Edition'', blended with regular cloud colors for 95%, and not applied in dry biomes with Vibrant Visuals.

The shape, dimensions, and color of clouds can be changed by modifying the <code>clouds.png</code> file located within <code>assets\minecraft\textures\environment</code> within the version's [[Minecraft:Minecraft.jar|JAR file]]. The file's dimensions can be changed to any size.

Clouds are made from individual square pieces. The game assembles clouds by placing cloud pieces one by one.

== Behavior ==
Clouds always float westward between [[Minecraft:Altitude|layer]] 192 and 196. They are not interactive, and simply float through blocks and entities. Unlike in real life, clouds themselves do not produce [[Minecraft:Weather|rain or snow]], meaning rain or snow continues even above the clouds.

The maximum distance in which clouds are rendered depends on the [[Minecraft:Video Settings|cloud distance]] setting {{In|je}} (max 128 chunks), while they are always rendered to 20 chunks in ''Bedrock Edition'', and faded with the render distance on Fancy graphics. With Vibrant Visuals, the cloud distance is controlled by a separate "Clouds" slider, which has for different options at a maximum of 128 chunks.{{Info needed|What are the steps and lowest value in Java Edition and the exact values in Bedrock Edition?}} Clouds do not render with a render distance of 3 chunks or lower.

The position of the clouds is the same for every player on a [[Minecraft:server]], due to their movement being dependent on world time.

== History ==
{{info needed section|
* 24w33a visual changes
* Dimension type configurability}}

=== ''Java Edition'' ===
{{HistoryTable
|{{HistoryLine|java classic}}
|{{HistoryLine||May 23, 2009|link=wordofnotch:111691116|Notch says he accomplished adding "Clouds two tiles above the maximum build height".}}
|{{HistoryLine||0.0.14a|[[File:Cloud JE1.png|64px]] Added clouds, which float westward between layers 108 and 112.}}
|{{HistoryLine|java indev}}
|{{HistoryLine||?|The color and height of clouds can now be changed via world editing.}}
|{{HistoryLine|java infdev}}
|{{HistoryLine||20100227-1414|With the removal of Indev world types and formatting, clouds can no longer be recolored or have their height changed.}}
|{{HistoryLine||20100330|Clouds no longer follow the player horizontally. However, they still follow the player vertically.{{verify}}}}
|{{HistoryLine||20100611|[[File:Cloud JE2.png|64px]] Clouds are now 3D, have a top texture, and are translucent.}}
|{{HistoryLine||20100615|A Fast/Fancy graphics setting is added, which toggles clouds between two- and three-dimensional.}}
|{{HistoryLine||20100624|[[File:Cloud JE3.png|64px]] Clouds no longer have a further texture applied.}}
|{{HistoryLine|java beta}}
|{{HistoryLine||1.8|dev=Pre-release|Now clouds float between layers 128 and 132.}}
|{{HistoryLine|java}}
|{{HistoryLine||1.0.0|dev=Beta 1.9 Prerelease 5|Clouds can now be disabled in the Video Options menu.}}
|{{HistoryLine||?|Clouds now completely occlude the rendering of blocks when seen from below.}}
|{{HistoryLine||1.5|dev=13w06a|Fixed blocks being unable to be seen through clouds from below.}}
|{{HistoryLine|||dev=13w10b|Undid the previous fix due to performance reasons.}}
|{{HistoryLine||1.8.1|dev=pre4|The shape of clouds on "Fast" and "Fancy" are now controlled with the same option that enables clouds, rather than with the standard Fast and Fancy graphics.}}
|{{HistoryLine||1.13|dev=18w10d|Big optimizations to how clouds are rendered.}}
|{{HistoryLine|||dev=18w14a|The rendering of clouds has been optimized again.}}
|{{HistoryLine||1.15|dev=19w38b|Blocks can now be seen through clouds from below again.<ref>{{bug|MC-997}}</ref>}}
|{{HistoryLine|||dev=19w44a|Clouds no longer follow the player vertically.<ref>{{bug|MC-63179}}</ref>}}
|{{HistoryLine||1.17|dev=21w06a|Now clouds float between layers 192 and 196.}}
|{{HistoryLine|||dev=21w13a|Reverted the above change.}}
|{{HistoryLine||1.18|dev=experimental snapshot 2|Clouds once again float between layers 192 and 196.}}
|{{HistoryLine||1.21.6|dev=25w16a|Clouds now exist all the way to the horizon, at 128 chunks.
|The cloud texture now uses bitwise logic, preventing color and alpha transparency from functioning.}}
|{{HistoryLine|||dev=25w17a|Cloud rendering distance can now be configured independently of world/chunk render distance.}}
|{{HistoryLine|||dev=25w21a|[[File:Cloud JE4.png|64px]] The texture file used for clouds has been changed.
|A [[Minecraft:Easter eggs#Clouds|creeper face pattern]] now appears in the clouds.}}
|{{HistoryLine||1.21.11|dev=25w41a|Cloud movement and position is now tied to the world time, hence the same for all players on a server.}}
}}

=== ''Bedrock Edition'' ===
{{HistoryTable
|{{HistoryLine|pocket alpha}}
|{{HistoryLine||v0.6.0|Added clouds. Clouds could be seen only in Fancy graphics, and if so, the clouds appeared opaque and two-dimensional, similar to the Fast clouds seen on {{el|je}}.}}
|{{HistoryLine||v0.7.0|Clouds are now toggled with the Beautiful Skies option.}}
|{{HistoryLine||v0.7.4|Clouds now have a darker color to match ''Java Edition''.}}
|{{HistoryLine||v0.8.0|dev=build 1|Clouds are always three-dimensional, and are opaque and transparent with Fast and Fancy graphics, respectively.}}
|{{HistoryLine||v0.9.0|dev=build 1|New culling of clouds.
|Clouds have been made translucent, as opposed to being completely opaque.}}
|{{HistoryLine||v0.10.0|dev=build 1|New double-sided lighting on clouds that's more coherent with the terrain.}}
|{{HistoryLine|||dev=build 6|Better fog on clouds, starting farther away and following the sky color.}}
|{{HistoryLine|||dev=build 7|The clouds and the terrain are now tinted red during sunset.}}
|{{HistoryLine|bedrock}}
|{{HistoryLine||1.17.40|dev=beta 1.17.40.20|Now clouds float between layers 192 and 196.}}
|{{HistoryLine||1.18.0|dev=?<!-- probably beta 1.18.0.22, but I have no way of confirming this -->|Clouds once again float between layers 128 and 132 in [[Minecraft:old]] worlds.}}
|{{HistoryLine||1.21.80|exp=Vibrant Visuals|dev=Preview 1.21.80.25|Added a unique pattern of clouds for when [[Minecraft:Vibrant Visuals]] is turned on.}}
|{{HistoryLine||1.21.90|dev=Preview 1.21.90.26|The pattern of clouds has been changed.
|Removed the pattern of clouds unique to Vibrant Visuals.}}
}}

=== Legacy Console Edition ===
{{HistoryTable
|{{HistoryLine|console}}
|{{HistoryLine||xbox=TU1|xbone=CU1|ps3=1.00|psvita=1.00|ps4=1.00|wiiu=Patch 1|switch=1.0.1|Added clouds.}}
|{{HistoryLine||xbox=TU5|Cloud height raised to the top of the map, so clouds can no longer phase through blocks.
|Cloud movement syncs with the game's time.}}
}}
<gallery>
Fluffy Clouds.jpg|Textured infdev clouds.
Pocket Edition Clouds.png|Early ''[[Minecraft:Pocket Edition]]'' clouds.
Environment01.png|The cloud pattern prior to [[Minecraft:Java Edition 25w21a]] and [[Minecraft:Bedrock Edition Preview 1.21.90.26]].
Cloud pattern VV.png|The cloud pattern from [[Minecraft:Bedrock Edition Preview 1.21.80.25]] to Bedrock Edition Preview 1.21.90.26 with [[Minecraft:Vibrant Visuals]] turned on.
</gallery>

== Issues ==
{{Issue list}}

== Trivia ==
[[File:Creeper face in clouds.png|thumb|A creeper face that appears in clouds]]
* The {{cd|cloud.png}} image includes a [[Minecraft:creeper]] face as gaps between clouds.

{{clear}}

== Gallery ==
=== Textures ===
<gallery>
Environment02.png|Clouds pattern. A black background was added for visibility.
File:Clouds (texture) JE3.png|The original texture file
</gallery>

=== Screenshots ===
<gallery>
File:Clear clouds.png|Comparison of cloud colors in ''Bedrock Edition'' during clear weather
File:Rain clouds.png|Rainfall
File:Thunder clouds.png|Thunderstorm
File:Sky.png|Standing just above the cloud layer, looking down at the surface
File:Vibrant Visuals clouds.png|Clouds with [[Minecraft:Vibrant Visuals]]
File:Vibrant Visuals ocean reflections.png|Cloud reflections on water are blurry in contrast to detailed block reflections.
File:VV clouds low.png|The cloud distance set to Low
File:VV clouds medium.png|The cloud distance set to Medium
File:VV clouds high.png|The cloud distance set to High
File:VV clouds ultra.png|The cloud distance set to Ultra
File:Mountain clouds.png|Clouds on the surface in [[Minecraft:Mountains|mountain]] peaks
File:Cave clouds.png|Some clouds inside [[Minecraft:Dripstone Caves|dripstone caves]] that generated extremely high in mountain peaks 
</gallery>

=== Development images ===
<gallery>
File:Cloud Height Slider.png|The unimplemented cloud height slider
</gallery>

=== In other media ===
<gallery>
File:Clouds Artwork.png|Clouds artwork
File:Goku over the clouds.jpg|[[Minecraft:Goku]] over the clouds
</gallery>

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== Navigation ==
{{Navbox dimension effects}}
{{Navbox environment}}

[[Minecraft:cs:Mrak]]
[[Minecraft:de:Wolke]]
[[Minecraft:es:Nube]]
[[Minecraft:fr:Nuage]]
[[Minecraft:it:Nuvola]]
[[Minecraft:ja:雲]]
[[Minecraft:ko:구름]]
[[Minecraft:lzh:雲]]
[[Minecraft:nl:Wolk]]
[[Minecraft:pl:Chmury]]
[[Minecraft:pt:Nuvem]]
[[Minecraft:ru:Облака]]
[[Minecraft:uk:Хмара]]
[[Minecraft:zh:云]]