CGTalk - sucking up clouds

erathien

01-19-2009, 02:30 PM

hi all,

first of all i want to thank anyone anwsering this thread in advance.

I would require pointers and help regarding my project

i need to make a CG shot of a heli (or something like that ) flying through clouds and sucking them in into a container its carrying.
To break down the problem, there are stages i would require pointers on :

1. making realistic clouds in maya (fluids or particles or combination ? )
2. "deforming" those clouds in front of a container opening (as it is sucking them in)
3. "killing" clouds once inside container

(yeah "just" those stages :) )

thanks to anyone anwsering

Aikiman

01-19-2009, 08:57 PM

As an untried method so I don't know how effective it would be, is to paint a bunch of particles and emit density at particle position inside a fluid using some mel, with a nice cloud shader from visor. Your will have to set the density as dynamic in your fluid with everything else as none. Then set your density to have a high dissipation and opacity set to density. Now apply a goal weight to your vacuum and have your particles suck into it. The only real drawback is that you wont have the "same" cloud formation sucking into the container unless you time the texture and animate its texture origin across. Also to help with the sucking effect maybe move the implode center over to the vacuum and animate the implode. Just an idea.

Alternatively just use particles with a decent cloudy shader on it and raytraced segmented shadows. Paint the particles as before and add your goal weights. Use a low goal weight with a moderate goal smoothness say 5-6. You could kill particles based on proximity of the vacuum by setting your lifespan to lifespanPP and writing a little bit of mel. Otherwise make a collision between your particles and your vacuum and kill them then.

erathien

01-20-2009, 06:29 AM

thank you, will make sure i try both methods and let you know how it went.

RoVeR

01-23-2009, 06:17 PM

I remember seeing a tutorial on making clouds. Did a search and found it at:

http://www.3dlessons.com/tutorials/How-to-Make-Realistic-Clouds-using-Maya-Fluids-41906.html

I hope it helps.

rattletrap99

01-27-2009, 02:11 PM

An approach that comes to mind is to have your cloud emitter inside your catch bag, then fly the heli backwards, emitting clouds forward. Render the sim, then reverse the resulting clip in AE, Shake, or Final Cut Pro.

erathien

01-27-2009, 02:40 PM

yeah i agree but for now im keeping that solution as a last resort.
To be honest the movement of cloud should be different if emited than when sucked in.
But if everything else fails, i ll try that one as well

TY guys for all replys

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01-27-2009, 02:40 PM

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