Creating Fireflies

[Wizdoc]

It all depends on how much in detail you want to go.

A simple "dramatic" swarm of fireflies can be achieved simply in your favourite comp software with a creative use of 2D particles and glow.

But if you want to see those buggers up close, or you want them to perform complex 3D tricks, then you probably need to model a firefly and animate the swarm within your 3D application of choice. I don't have any extensive experience with Lightwave or Maya so I can't help you with the technical specifics within those programs.

[JuddWack]

I don't think any modeling will be necesary for this project, just 2 people in a field with a lot of fireflies nearby. They originally planned on shooting the fireflies in the scene but when they scouted the "firefly field" everyone was disappointed.

[SalaTar]

www.wondertouch.com (http://www.wondertouch.com/)

that will make em fly

sample vid (http://www.salatar.com/fly.mov)

[Phillip]

Judd


if you just want to do it as a 2D composited effect - check out sala's link - wondertouch's Particle Illusion - its damn easy to use - does this sort of thing in its sleep and is a godsend if you need to do particle effects like this quickly but with a professional finish... deeply recommended.


- Phillip

[JuddWack]

I checked it out but didn't like it. Since it got a second recommendation I'll take a second look.

It just seemed like sloppy programming to me with all the items it put in my start menu but what first caught my attention was the demo renders out at 640x480 and he is shooting 24p which is 720x480. I was trying to think of a way around this. It might be unnoticable if I just put frames side by side.

[Phillip]

Judd

If you have a need for compositing particle effects quickly into your work, Particle Illusion is seriously worth buying and not expensive for what it delivers.

Alternatively if you just need ti for one shot and you will never have the need again - find someone who has it and subcontract the FX shot.

A licensed version lets you use PIllusion Render to render to same resolution as your friend is shooting at. Its pretty normal for a demo version to be restricted in some way.

As for sloopy programming - thats certainly not a view I would associate with Wondertouches products. Particle Illusion is anything but - especially when you consider what it delivers once you get to know the product.

- Phillip

[Wizdoc]

If you're only doing a single shot requiring those fireflies, I don't think spending money on a separate particle system is justifiable. Particle Illusion is a great application, but I'm sure your compositor software (be it Combustion, AE or whatever) can handle the work just by itself in this case.

For example, I attached a quick firefly test I made using Digital Fusion and its native 2D particle system (4 second Quicktime MOV). Is that the sort you're looking for or something completely different?

[hiphopcr]

I love Digital Fusion's particle system!

[JuddWack]

Well I did checkout partical Illusion and it is pretty kickass, but like I said the demo won't let me render at the res I need and I can't spill $400 for one scene, nor is it in the budget to contract someone.

Wizdoc, that is similar to the look I was going for except there would be more and I think each would spend more time "turned off" that you have assigned.

Basically what I got right now is about 150 green hypervoxels from a partical emmiter floating around the way I would like in Lightwave 7, so I have the movement. I'm having trouble getting a way to pulse the lights, obviously without keyframeing each firefly individually.

I've been busy lately but hope to dedicate a good day to this tomorrow since I have off work.

[bartrobinson]

I would use basic particles, not hypervoxels. Then, I believe, there are a few "Parent to Particles" L-Scripts that should let you do some sort of random offsetting of a glow by way of animation or frame by frame model substitution. Check Flay.com for that type of thing.

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