Aurora Shader
Unlike traditional 2D sheet effects or simple texture overlays, this addon generates real 3D volumetric geometry directly in your skybox. The aurora curtains flow, wave, and shift organically using advanced Perlin noise algorithms, creating a stunning sense of depth, scale, and realism.
✨ Key Features
- True 3D Volumetric Rendering: The aurora is not a flat texture stuck to your screen. It exists in the world’s skybox, allowing you to view it from different angles and see the parallax depth between layers.
- Procedural Generation: Every wave and curtain is generated mathematically in real-time. No external textures are required, meaning you will never see a purple/black checkerboard!
- High Performance: Optimized mesh generation with adjustable quality settings to ensure it runs smoothly on various systems.
- Fully Customizable: An extensive menu allows you to tweak everything from brightness, animation speed, and spread to the exact position and height in the sky.
🎮 How to Use
- Subscribe to the addon.
- In-game, open the Spawnmenu (hold Q).
- Navigate to the Post Process tab.
- Look for the Shaders category .
- Click on Aurora Borealis (3D) to open the control panel.
- Check the "Enable" box and adjust the sliders to create your perfect sky.
⚙️ Console Variables (ConVars)
For server owners or advanced users, you can control the effect directly via console:
ConVar
Default
Description
r_aurora_3d
1
Enable or disable the 3D aurora effect.
r_aurora_quality
2
Mesh quality (1=Low, 2=Medium, 3=High). Higher values look smoother but cost more FPS.
r_aurora_speed
0.5
Controls how fast the curtains wave and shift.
r_aurora_brightness
1.2
Intensity of the aurora’s glow.
r_aurora_height
4000
The altitude of the aurora in the skybox units.
r_aurora_spread
1.0
How wide the curtains stretch across the horizon.
r_aurora_layer_dist
2000
The distance between the multiple layers of curtains.
r_aurora_smoothness
1.0
Controls the frequency of the waves (lower = jagged, higher = smooth).
r_aurora_pos_x / y
0
Offset the entire aurora system in the skybox.
ℹ️ Technical Notes
- This effect renders using the
PostDrawSkyBox
hook. It works best on maps that have a 3D skybox or an open sky.
- Since it uses vertex colors and procedural meshes, it is extremely lightweight on texture memory.
If you enjoy this addon, please leave a like and favorite! 👍
