11 KiB
About
Setup for weather, lighting and color grading. All mods in this guide are by CyanideX, except The Nullifier (robber804), and are built to work together:
- Nova City 2 replaces the weather and lighting (ENV) of the game.
- Weather Switcher controls the weather and is required by Nova City 2.
- The Nullifier removes area-specific lighting overrides, so the custom weather also shows up everywhere (e.g. in the Badlands).
- Nova LUT 4 is the color grading (LUT). LUT Switcher 3 lets you switch LUTs in game.
- Nova Optics fine-tunes exposure. Use it if Nova City 2 is too dark for you.
- Torrent replaces the flat vanilla rain with real drops lit by the city, and adds storms with lightning and thunder.
Nova City 2 is designed for Path Tracing. It still works with RT or raster, but those modes are not its focus.
Mods
| Mod name | Link | Purpose | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nova City 2 | NexusMods | Weather & lighting overhaul (ENV) | |
| Weather Switcher | NexusMods | Change weather, control time, customize clouds | Required by Nova City 2 |
| The Nullifier | NexusMods | Removes sector lighting overrides | Required by Nova City 2 |
| Nova LUT 4.0 | NexusMods | Color grading (LUT) | |
| LUT Switcher 3 | NexusMods | Switch LUTs in real time | + Optional file: "LUT Pack - Nova LUT" |
| Nova Optics | NexusMods | Exposure, bloom, vignette etc. + vehicle fix | Optional, see Nova Optics |
| Torrent | NexusMods | Realistic rain, storm mist, lightning & thunder | Optional, see Torrent |
Requirements (all listed under Dependency Mods in SitirioTV's Cyberpunk 2077 Mod Collection): Cyber Engine Tweaks, Codeware, redscript, RED4ext, ArchiveXL, TweakXL, Window Utils
For Torrent also: Mod Settings (to change its settings) and AudioXL (optional, without it the lightning has no thunder)
Installation
- Install the requirements first.
- Drag & drop the content of each ZIP into the Cyberpunk 2077 root folder.
- Steam:
...\steamapps\common\Cyberpunk 2077\
- Steam:
- For LUT Switcher 3, also download the optional file "LUT Pack - Nova LUT" from its Files tab. Without a pack, LUT Switcher shows no LUTs.
- For Torrent, keep the regular Nova City 2 main file. You do not need "Nova City 2 - No Custom Rain": that version is meant for other rain mods, while Torrent builds on Nova City 2's rain weathers and replaces the rain itself.
Updating from Nova City 1? Delete the
NovaCityToolsfolder inbin\x64\plugins\cyber_engine_tweaks\mods\and theNovaOverrides.iniconfig file.
Remove these mods
| Remove | Why |
|---|---|
| Other weather / lighting / ENV mods | Nova City 2 replaces them |
| Vignette-removal and exposure mods (e.g. Crouch vignette effect remover) | Not compatible with Nova City 2 |
| Ultra Fog | Overrides the same file. Use Ultra Fog Lite instead |
| Night City Visuals Nulled, Night City Fog Nulled, Dogtown Visuals Nulled | Replaced by The Nullifier |
| ENV Tuner Lite, Eye Adaptation Auto Exposure Fix | Not compatible with Nova Optics |
| Preem Optics, Blind Begone | Replaced by Nova Optics |
| Other LUT mods | Only one LUT can be active. Use LUT Switcher packs instead |
Setup in Game
LUT Switcher, Weather Switcher and Nova Optics are configured in the CET overlay (see Cyber Engine Tweaks). Each one has its own window. Torrent uses the Mod Settings menu instead.
LUT Switcher
- Open the LUT Switcher window.
- Select Nova LUT in the sidebar, then Nova LUT 4.
- Optional: Star it to add it to your Favorites.
The active LUT is saved automatically and persists across saves and reloads.
Some quests and scripted scenes temporarily override the LUT. It comes back once the scene ends.
Weather Switcher
No setup needed, the defaults work fine. Useful features:
- Weather tab: Lists all weather states, including the custom Nova City states. Click one to apply it.
- Reset/Resume Weather: Returns to the normal weather cycle.
- Auto Apply: Applies the selected weather every time you load a save (e.g. 24/7 sun). Leave it off for the natural weather cycle.
- Toggles tab: Persistent toggles for visual features like blur, shadows and reflections.
Together with the Time Slider, it's ideal for testing your settings at different times of day and in different weather.
Nova Optics
Nova City 2 has a realistic exposure system, so nights and unlit interiors are dark on purpose. If it's too dark for you, use Nova Optics:
- Open the Nova Optics window.
- Click the red Disabled bar so it turns to Enabled.
- Uncheck Auto. (Auto only fixes exposure while driving in first person and ignores your manual settings.)
- Expand Exposure:
- Check Override.
- Check the globe icon (Global), so it applies everywhere. Leave the vehicle icons unchecked.
- Set Shadow Boost (upper slider) to 2.50.
- Leave the lower slider at 0.00.
Changes are applied live and saved when you release the slider.
Shadow Boost 0.00:
Shadow Boost 2.50:
Higher values brighten dark scenes further, but the image can start to look washed out. Check the result at night and at noon.
Torrent
Warning: Storms bring lightning flashes. If flashing lights bother you, turn on Reduce Flashes or set Lightning to Off.
No setup needed, the defaults work fine. All settings are under Mod Settings > Torrent:
| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| Enabled / Quality | Turns the mod on or off. Quality: Low, Medium, High or Ultra |
| Intensity | More and thicker rain on top of each weather's look |
| Visibility | Use it if the rain looks too faint on your setup |
| Rain Cover | How rain gets under roofs and bridges: Simple (straight down), Auto (default, only when windy), Full |
| Storm Mist | Wind-blown mist and spray in Nova City 2's Storm weather |
| Lightning | Off, Storms Only or All Rain |
| Lightning Frequency | 1 to 10 (default 3). Each step means about 50 % more strikes |
| Reduce Flashes | Dimmer bolts, one slow glow instead of a flicker, fewer strikes |
| Thunder Volume | Needs AudioXL |
| Lightning Strike Key | Key to trigger a strike on demand while it's raining |
Use Weather Switcher to set a rain or storm state for testing. Lightning comes mostly between 9 pm and 2 am game time.
The performance cost is small: about 1-2 FPS with the default settings. Torrent saves nothing to your save game, so you can install or remove it at any time.
Uninstall: Delete the folders red4ext\plugins\Torrent and red4ext\plugins\AudioXL\sounds\Torrent.
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Solution |
|---|---|
| Still too dark | Raise Shadow Boost in Nova Optics. Reset the in-game gamma to default. A flashlight mod helps in unlit areas |
| Nova Optics doesn't change anything | Check that it says Enabled, Auto is unchecked and Override + Global are checked |
| Badlands / some areas ignore the weather | The Nullifier is missing |
| Weather never changes | Turn off Auto Apply in Weather Switcher, or click Reset/Resume Weather |
| LUT Switcher shows no LUTs | Install the optional "LUT Pack - Nova LUT" |
| LUT Switcher / Nova Optics window missing | CET or one of the requirements is missing or outdated |
| Lightning has no thunder | AudioXL is missing, or Thunder Volume in Torrent's settings is too low |
| Rain looks flat again after a game update | Torrent stops drawing when a patch changes the game's rain, until Torrent is updated |
| Lower FPS in rain | In Torrent's settings: lower Quality to High or Medium, set Rain Cover to Simple, or turn off Storm Mist |