Hey guys im looking for abit of feedback/Help with creating Texture sheets from houdini simulations. This is what ive come up with so far for the effect im currently working on.
Im quite new to houdini but so far its been a really good challenge to learn how to use it and I feel ive improved quite a bit but im quite stuck on trying to find information about how to effectively create decent looping textures. Ive watched Andreas Glad’s which has helped me to make the exhaust smoke and the currently explosion textures but I’ve been scratching my head for the last few days on how to make it look better.
The main questions I have are about houdini’s simulations an getting a nice looking looping texture:
Using Andreas’s tutorial only applies to the billowly smoke solver? When I try to create simulations using the fireball or explosion solvers I cant seem to get it to a good looping state I’ve tried time shifting but in most of my simulations the smoke has risen long before the 100th frame and theres just not enough time to loop it so it has enough substance?
Mostly im just looking for some insight on how some other people might approach making explosion simulations for creating a looping type of texture sheet?
Do you really need looping explosion texture? Since explosion does have beginning and ending, its hard to loop it.
What about creating two spritesheets: one for loop dust and the second one for non-loop explosion? You spawning explosion and then filling it with dusty loops for randomness.
I think its getting to the point where I might do that yeah, I was just thinking that if I have it as a looping texture then I can start it at any point an that will help give it alot of usability
I did a quick search and maybe this tutorial helps? I do think it’s the same method Andreas Glad uses in his tutorial though, so I’m sorry if you’re looking for something else.
Simulating looping explosions is hard to do, sometimes you’re better off with a SOP-based solution and faking the temperature through noise. Note that the pyro shader works with any kind of volume, and you can remap temperature freely (i.e. to density)
But if you insist on simulating, you’re going to have to tweak the simulation parameters to be a lot less physical. Some various tips
Have the explosion be sudden and fast, with as little vertical movement as possible
Use timeshift and timescale to fit your loop within maybe 128 frames, and then just render out every other frame
Rendering from an orthographic camera set from above might help
Sorry would you mind explaining this abit more? Im quite new to houdini so some of my terminology might not be right,
sometimes you’re better off with a SOP-based solution and faking the temperature through noise.
Ive just been using the explosion preset on the pyroFX tab and playing around with the settings till I get something I like. Is there a better solution?
Yes. Dedicate some time to learn Pyro. Since this seems important to you, learn it properly. Making it fit on a sprite is a very minor problem once you get to grips with pyro. Follow the Masterclasses by Wagner, go through Knippings course or sign up to Rebelway.
I think this is a step in the right direction again Kinda solved it after alot of playing around and watching some smoke tutorials. gunna move forward with this I think and render out a better quality version (this was just a test so dont worry about the timing an such) Gotta fix the alpha too but will sort all that out!
Ive been watching stuff on it for the last couple days now trying to get this looking halfway decent