Rain Effects

This is the very first technical showcase of the rain effects system built for ATG: Kish - the open-world vehicle and lifestyle simulator set on Kish Island, Iran.

Dynamic Rain System

Rain is a significant atmospheric element that transforms the driving experience. For ATG: Kish, building a believable rain system was a priority from early development. This post showcases the earliest working demonstration of the dynamic weather technology.

ATG Kish in-engine screenshot showing weather conditions
ATG: Kish - Dynamic Rain Artwork

What Makes This Technically Interesting

  • Realtime particle simulation - rain drops computed in real-time using Unity's particle system
  • Surface wetness shader - roads and surfaces respond dynamically to rainfall
  • Windshield water interaction - the precursor to the full DriveClub-style windshield FX (see the dedicated post)
  • Physics integration - wet road conditions affect tire grip through the VPP physics layer
  • Atmospheric scattering - rain affects visibility and lighting in the scene

The Evolution

This early rain system laid the groundwork for the much more advanced water-drop windshield FX that was later developed and released free to the community. The iterative process of building and refining these effects is a core part of ATG: Kish's development philosophy - build it properly, share it with the community.

What's Next

Weather systems in ATG: Kish will eventually include:

  • Dynamic rain intensity (light drizzle to heavy storm)
  • Weather transitions in real-time
  • Puddle accumulation on roads
  • Hydroplaning physics simulation
  • Fog and mist effects for coastal Kish Island atmosphere
For the free water-drop windshield shader download (a separate, more advanced system), check out the dedicated post: Free Download - Realtime water FX [Updated]

Dan