--- title: "Clouds and Night Sky" canonical: "https://documentation.chaos.com/space/VMAYA/362643485/Clouds%20and%20Night%20Sky" format: markdown --- This page provides information on the Clouds and Night Sky features of VRaySun in V-Ray for Maya. ## **Clouds** --- --- ### **Example: Density** The Density parameter controls the amount of clouds in the sky. The higher the value, the more clouds appear in the render. --- ### **Example: Height** Notice how the clouds change their position in the sky when the Height value increases. --- ### **Example: Contrails Strength** This example illustrates how the strength parameter enhances the visibility and prominence of contrails in the sky. --- ### **Example: Contrails Time** The frames in this animation display the Contrails time parameter, with values ranging from 0 to 2.0, in increments of 0.2.  ![image](media://4496ad0f-27e8-4662-bc54-85b7ade5623f) ## **Night Sky** --- ### **Stars and Milky Way** --- **Brightness** – Controls the brightness of the stars as seen directly in the sky or in perfect mirror reflections/refractions. *See the **[Brightness example](https://docs-chaos.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/VMAYA4EDIT/pages/264142852)** below for more information.* **Intensity Multiplier** – Controls the intensity of the scene illumination cast by the stars. *See the **[Intensity Multiplier example](https://docs-chaos.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/VMAYA4EDIT/pages/264142852)** below for more information.* **Latitude **– Determines the Night Sky latitude, where -90° means the sky shows over the South Pole, and 90° means the sky shows over the North Pole. *See the**[ Latitude example](https://docs-chaos.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/VMAYA4EDIT/pages/264142852)** below for more information.* **Longitude **– Determines the Night Sky longitude, where 0 is the Prime Meridian, and 90 is 90° to the East of the Prime Meridian. *See **[the Longitude example](https://docs-chaos.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/VMAYA4EDIT/pages/264142852)** below for more information.* **Milky Way Multiplier **– This is a multiplier of the brightness of the Milky Way. --- ### **Example: Stars and Milky Way Brightness** The Brightness example shows how changing the value of this parameter affects the stars in the sky. --- ### **Example: Stars and Milky Way Intensity Multiplier** In this example, the light of the stars illuminates the house and the forest beneath. The Intensity Multiplier parameter controls the intensity of illumination. --- ### **Example: Latitude** This example illustrates how the sky and stars change as the latitude degrees are adjusted. --- ### **Example: Longitude** This example illustrates how the sky and stars change across the meridians as the longitude value is adjusted. ### **Moon** --- **Filter Color** – Filter color is a color tint for the appearance and illumination cast by the Moon. The default white (1, 1, 1) color means no change of color. **Azimuth **– Specifies the Moon azimuth angle measured from the scene North to Eastward. A value of 0 means it aligns with the -Z-axis, while 90 ° aligns with the X-axis or East.  **Elevation **– Controls the angle between the Moon and the ground. A value of 0 makes the Moon exactly at the horizon, and a value of 90 makes the Moon in the zenith. **Phase **– Specifies the phase of the Moon, where a value of 0 is full Moon, 90 is first quarter, 180 is new Moon, and 270 is the last quarter. *See **[the Phase example below](https://docs-chaos.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/VMAYA4EDIT/pages/264142852)** for better illustration.* **Rotation **– Rotates the Moon disc in the sky, where zero makes it match the Moon’s appearance in its highest point when observed in the Northern hemisphere, and 180 corresponds to the Southern hemisphere. **Edit** **Moon Position** – Selects the Moon as a sub-object of the VRaySun, so it can move separately from the VRaySun and be set in a custom position manually. This way, you can adjust the Azimuth and the Elevation parameters interactively in the viewport. > ✅ Alternatively to the **Edit Moon Position** button, you can select Maya’s Show manipulator tool (T), and to deselect the Moon and go back to adjusting the Sun, you can select Maya’s Move tool (W). Use Maya’s Universal Manipulator tool (Ctrl+T) to get control over both simultaneously. --- ### **Example: Moon Brightness** The Brightness example shows how this parameter affects the Moon’s appearance in the scene. --- ### **Example: Moon Intensity Multiplier** In this example, the light of the Moon illuminates the house and the forest beneath. The Intensity Multiplier parameter controls the intensity of illumination. --- ### **Example: Phase** The Phase example illustrates the phase of the Moon depending on the specified value for the same parameter. --- ### **Example: Animation of Stars and Moon** Here’s an example how all Stars and Milky Way and Moon parameters can be animated.