Understanding Particles and Dynamics in Maya—Part 20

Preview

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dust

1. Setting Up nParticle System

Step 1

Open Maya. Create a polygonal torus on the grid.

Step 2

With the torus selected, set the value of Radius to 3 at 1^st frame and click on Set Key option. At 30^th frame, set the value to 12 and click on Set Key option. 

Step 3

Delete the half part of the torus mesh as shown in the following image.

Step 4

Jump in nDynamics mode. With the torus mesh selected, go to nParticles > Create nParticles > Emit from Object and click on the option box.

Step 5

In the Emitter Options window, set the Emitter type as Surface and click on Create.

Step 6

With the emitter selected go to emitter1 attribute and set the value of the Rate to 80000. 

Step 7

Go to nParticleShape1 > Shading attribute and turn on Lighting option. This option illuminates the particles in the viewport. 

Step 8

Open Lifespan rollout and set the values of Lifespan Mode to Random range, Lifespan to 0.1 and Lifespan Random to 0.08.

Step 9

The value of Rate is set to 80000 at 1^st frame, so click on Set Key option. At 40^th frame, set the value to 0 and click on Set Key option.

2. Creating Fluid Dynamics System

Step 1

Jump in Dynamics mode. Go to Fluid Effects > Create 3D Container and draw a 3D fluid container in the view port as shown in the following image.

Step 2

Go to fluidShape1 attribute and set the value of Base Resolution to 50, Boundary X to None, Boundary Y to –Y Side and Boundary Z to None.

Step 3

Under Display rollout, set the Boundary Draw option to Bounding box.

Step 4

In the Outliner window, select fluid1 followed by nParticle1. Go to Fluid Effects > Add/ Edit Contents > Emit from Object.

Step 5

Go to Auto Resize to turn on Auto Resize option. Set the values of Auto Resize Threshold to 0.002 and Auto Resize Margin to 2.

Step 6

Go to Lighting rollout and turn on Self Shadow option. Set the value of Shadow Quality to 1. Turn off Real Lights option.

Step 7

You can see the dust simulation in the viewport as shown in the following image.

Step 8

With the emitter selected, go to Fluid Attributes and set the value of Density/ Voxel/ Sec to 10. 

Step 9

Go to Emission Speed Attributes rollout and set the values of Speed Method to Replace, Inherit Velocity to -10, Directional Speed to 5, Direction X and Y to 0 and Direction Z to 1.

Step 10

Go to Fluid Emission Turbulence and set the values of Turbulence to 2, Turbulence Speed to 1 and Detail Turbulence to 2.

Step 11

With the fluid container selected, go to Content Details > Density and set the values of Density Scale to 1, Buoyancy to 1, Noise to 1 and Dissipation to 0.1.

Step 12

Under Velocity rollout, set the values of Swirl to 32 and Noise to 2.

Step 13

Under Turbulence rollout, set the values of Strength to 0.1, Frequency to 0.6 and Speed to 1.

Step 14

Go to Field > Volume Axis and draw an icon in the view port.

Step 15

Set the values of Volume Shape to Sphere and Transform Attributes as shown in the following image.

Step 16

Go to Volume Speed Attributes rollout and set the values of Away From Center to 1 and Along Axis to 5.

Step 17

Hit the Play button and you will see the spreading dust simulation.

Conclusion

In the next part of the series, I'll show you how to create various dust impact effects using Maya fluid dynamics.