Understanding Particles and Dynamics in Maya

In this part of the series, I'll show you how to create burning and flying chunks using particles and fluid dynamics in Maya.

Preview

1. Setting Up the Particles System

Step 1

Open Maya.

Step 2

Jump into the Dynamics mode. Go to Particles > Create Emitter.

Step 3

A volumetric spherical particle emitter icon gets created on the grid, as shown in the following image.

Step 4

Click on the Animation Preferences icon in the lower right corner. It opens the Preferences window. Set the Playback Speed value to Real Time 24 fps and click on Save.

Step 5

With the Emitter selected, go to emitter1 attribute and Set Key the value of Rate (Particles/ Sec) to 400 at the 1^st and 6^th frames.

Step 6

At the 7^th frame, Set Key the value to 0. This action will stop the particles emission from the 7^th frame onward.

Step 7

Go to Volume Speed Attributes and set the value of Away From Center to 35.

Step 8

Set the value of Random Direction to 4.

Step 9

Set the value of Along Axis to 15.

Step 10

Create a ground plane. Select the emitter followed by the ground plane and go to Particles > Make Collide.

Step 11

With the particle system selected, go to Fields > Gravity.

Step 12

Go to the gravityField1 attribute and increase the value of Magnitude to 70.

2. Setting Up the 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

Select the particles followed by the container. Go to Fluids > Add/ Edit Contents > Emit from Object and click on the option box.

Step 3

Set the Emitter name as Chunks Emitter and click on the Apply and Close button.

Step 4

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 5

Set the values of Temperature and Fuel to Dynamic Grid.

Step 6

Under the Dynamic Simulation rollout, set the values of High Detail Solve to All Grids, Substeps to 2, Solver Quality to 30, Simulation Rate Scale to 1.5, and turn on the Emit in Substeps option.

Step 7

Go to Auto Resize to turn on the Auto Resize option. Set the values of Max Resolution to 500 and Auto Resize Margin to 3.

Step 8

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

Step 9

Go to the ChunksEmitter1 attribute and set the values of Rate (Percent) to 7000 and Max Distance to 0.700.

Step 10

Under the Fluid Attributes rollout, turn on the Motion Streaks option.

Step 11

Under the Fluid Emission Turbulence rollout, set the values of Turbulence and Detail Turbulence to 1.

Step 12

Under the Emission Speed Attributes rollout, set the values of Speed Method to Add and Inherit Velocity to 1.5.

Step 13

Hit the Play button. You'll see the simulated frame in the viewport, as shown in the following image.

Step 14

With the fluid container selected, go to Content Details > Density and set the values of Density Scale to 0.5, Buoyancy to 0, Noise to 1, and Dissipation to 1.8.