For my VFX promotional advert (Top down shooter), I decided to do some experimentation with smoke particle effects in Maya as I am considering adding smoke effects into the final video during the live action scenes.
Firstly, I created a Maya project and changed the modeling menu to the FX menu. Then, using the fluids tab, I created a 3D container so I could make and hold particle effects within a 3D space.
Once the 3D container was created, I began testing the particles and adjusting their values until I had a basic smoke effect, with the particles floating towards the top of the container and dispersing like a fog.
After I got that correct, I began further editing the particle's values, making the smoke appear more realistic by adding higher resolution, adding noise and swirling to make the smoke float upwards in a more randomised pattern and changing the frequency and speed of the smoke's turbulence.
Next, I created a small cube, then selected the 3D container with the cube (container first then cube) and used the fluids toolbar to make the 3D object able to collide with the particle effects of the smoke.
This allowed me to effect the direction, flow and behaviour of the smoke by having collidable objects and walls for the smoke to interact with.
Finally, after playing around with the different values, textures and collisions of the smoke particles, I created a short show reel of the VFX smoke in a 3D hall, showcasing the smoke's collision phyisics with a moving object (a sphere).
Overall, I believe this went well and I believe this experimentation has allowed me to better understand how Maya's particle systems work and how to effect them, giving me further ideas for what could be done for my final VFX video.
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