====== Planetary Cloud Cover ======

{{ :blog:clouds.png?direct&400|A Cytherean World}}

The next step of progress is the ability to add cloud layers to worlds. Each world can have any number of cloud layers, which are displayed on the globe view for the planet. This is most useful for worlds which have very dense cloud cover, such as the //Cytherean// world shown here. This is a Venus-like world, that is shrouded in thick hot clouds.

Each cloud layer can be a different colour and have different levels of transparency. In the case of //Cytherean// worlds, the thickness of the clouds is determined by the atmospheric pressure, which in turn is determined by the surface temperature.

{{:blog:clouds_faded.png?direct&200 |Cytherean world with surface made visible}}

Thick clouds means that it is difficult to see the surface on the 3D view, so the globe view has also been updated so that the user can control the orientation of the world using the mouse. Doing this also makes the clouds transparent, so that the actual surface of the planet can be viewed.

Other updates include a brief description for the whole system, which will give a brief description of the stars and planets, and note any system wide phenomena (such as heavy solar flare activity). The top of the system page also shows a count of the different types of worlds, and the star port type.