So Cory this may be a bit passe, but… How ya doin it? It looks like you modleled some big chunks in Modeler, and then maybe used a plug for the small stuft…then trigger it all by an event?
I would really love to know the particulars as I am doing a series of animations involving cracking eggs.
You use LW right?
I’m surprised by all the interest in the crack effect. It is basically a lot of boring work in modeler and then some dynamics.
First I built the crack by starting with a 200 foot long box divided into a lot of sections. Then I pulled points around until it looks descent. Next I added some points and moved tose around to break up any looks of a bunch of squares.
Above the crack there is a secondary breaking of some hanging areas. I made polys of those areas and then one by one, used crackit on them. I get rid of all but the top polys, merge, unweld, and extrude for less poly count.
There is an area below the crack in the shape of a large half circle that will break away. I built big poly chunks, maybe 50 or so, and then did the same thing with crackit to them. C4 will not work as well because it makes too many trianles and the poly count is insane. All these sections were reduced down to 3 layers.
The rest of the static landscape was built, including a layer below the break-away sections.
For dynamics, a couple collision events control the main crack. Another fires off the extra parts above the crack. and a few more break up the parts below.
Starting on the next shot (with the tail of shot 1). This is the same set as the first shot. Particle effects will be added to this next.
Another test of moving snow to see if I can pull this off:) This won’t be part of the final. Lots of comped layers (all dynamics though) and I cheated with a little bit of avalanche audio.
that cracking effect looks great!
In that latest test it looks a bit weird how the snow seems to appear out of nowhere.
Yea, that last test doesn’t look right. Trying to work out how to make it look like snow from the ground and not just moving above it like a crazy fog bank.
Waow, in many ways that’s the best test I’ve seen in this FXBattle, so far.
Comments:
Cheers,
Thanks Jonas,
on the comments:
1 - The still is just a frame of the video
2 - They are volume particles but because it is straight on with no shadows from the avalanche to the ground, it looks 2D yet. There is no easy and reliable way to get just a shadow pass of the particles. I think I have a way of doing it but that would require another pass and some playing around.
4 - The particles are released on the speed of the emitter so when it lands it slows down and more particles are released plus the bounce sends them floating higher for that look.
5 - thanks. I am glad to have have figured out how to do this right. I think the snow debris up front still rolls too far too fast yet but that is just a matter of increasing friction. Now to get those stones to look right and to get good shadowing.
It is built in layers but I would guess overall there is an average of 30 seconds per frame or render time or 3 hours for the previous 2 clips.
Very nice work!!!
But you should put on some turbulence on those hypervoxels. Now when they rising towards the sky they dont move and look unreal.
yes I should. Thanks for reminding me. I noticed that yesterday but after staring at it for so long I forgot.
That’s exactly what I meant when I said they look 2D - you just said it better than I did. 
And it looks MUCH better in the newest render, Cory!
-Jonas
a one man effects team. a very impressive display, very realistic looking ( i think…no snow where i am) should be proud of what you have so far. definantly watching this one.
best of luck, doubt you’ll need it.
