creating rain (animated)

jrm21

Any ideas how to create a convincing rain effect in Carrara?

I figured the particle emitter would be the place to start (and watch everything slow to a crawl as it "calculates" - that problem has been there since early version 8), but I can't get anything that looks good. I tried some of the particle presets, but they don't give the effect I am looking for either.

Search for "rain" in this forum turns up nothing - I can't be the first person who has wanted to try this. Maybe I am just missing the obvious?

I can easily create a rain effect in post. However, I would prefer to have something which will interact with the environment if possible.

Any suggestions are appreciated.

briandaz_3e696c2bd8

I haven't tried it, but I had a thought:
Part of the problem is rain usually moves so fast, it turns into a streak, so the typical spherical particle, while physically correct, does not match the expected visual.
A possible solution is to create the streak in an image, with a transparent background. Then use the "facing camera" option in the particle emitter. That way the emitter creates the random rain distribution and downward velocity, but you can get the (simulated) motion blur that is expected with rain.

Salem2007

Dartenbeck has an animated rain environment for Carrara

http://www.daz3d.com/carrara-environkit-woodlands

I'm not sure if it will interact with items in the scene, though. He'll probably read this and comment.

WendyLuvsCatz

the fountain emiter is another possibility, I use it for snow, you need to turn up gravity and spread, put it in a grid replicator too
the little triangles can be also be made invisibe and surface repicated on with an object like vertex autumn leaves, I do those too.

jrm21

Thanks, I will look into both those ideas.

Wendy,

Would you elaborate on this:

wendy♥catz said:

the little triangles can be also be made invisible and surface repicated on with an object like vertex autumn leaves, I do those too.

I understood the rest of what you wrote, but I am not sure about this part.

WendyLuvsCatz

jrm21 said:

Thanks, I will look into both those ideas.

Wendy,

Would you elaborate on this:

wendy♥catz said:

the little triangles can be also be made invisible and surface repicated on with an object like vertex autumn leaves, I do those too.

I understood the rest of what you wrote, but I am not sure about this part.

like cripeman does here but using fountain instead of partical emiter
also here

Fenric

I can get pretty good rain results using a particle emitter with a simple vertex cylinder. See if this scene works for you:

http://www.fenric.com/download/rainstorm.car

Dartanbeck

Salem2007 said:

Dartenbeck has an animated rain environment for Carrara

http://www.daz3d.com/carrara-environkit-woodlands

I'm not sure if it will interact with items in the scene, though. He'll probably read this and comment.

Ahhh.... that product has a rainstorm animated backdrop video included, along with a scene that has it set up for use - but the rain was all performed in post using Project Dogwaffle Pro: Howler 8

argus1000

Fenric said:

I can get pretty good rain results using a particle emitter with a simple vertex cylinder. See if this scene works for you:http://www.fenric.com/download/rainstorm.car

Cylinders? Why didn't I think of that? It works too.

jrm21

Fenric said:

I can get pretty good rain results using a particle emitter with a simple vertex cylinder. See if this scene works for you:

http://www.fenric.com/download/rainstorm.car

Thanks for that. That does work. I think combining that technique with some post rain will be exactly what I have in mind.

Much appreciated. Thanks everyone for the help.

Dartanbeck

For post, I use AnyFX by Pixelan in Dogwaffle Howler but AnyFX is also available for other apps too. I find Howler to be really convenient - since I can create a selection that goes across my whole animation file - or I can animate the shape of the selection using the rotoscoping Curve tool. Then I can blurr the selection and apply the effect. With AnyFX rain and snow effects, you can (and should, I think) make several passes at varying degrees of opacity, angle, and the effect settings. So you can effectively have some falling really fast, blowing with the wind, which can be changed along the way using the timeline, and then add some more over under the roof that is just mildly dropping straight down.
By using the section in Howler, you're declaring what is on the current Alpha channel. The power of Alpha in Howler is so awesome! You can paint in alpha to really fine tune selections, and pretty much set your alpha however you need - White is selected, Black is not, and gray is everywhere in between selected and not. So you can use the intensity of white in your alpha to help control the intensity of the effect you're applying.

I heard that After Effects is really great - and can do all of this stuff too - even better. I wouldn't know. AE is out of my financial reach right now. Howler is inexpensive, but incredibly powerful - especially for the animation work I want to do.

Using the Alpha technique I was rambling about is how I made the animated textures for V4 for the Walking in the Rain test video I made.

jrm21

Dartanbeck,

Thanks for the info. I mainly use Final Cut Pro, which has a rain effect. I also have access to After Effects (have the Adobe CC package through my office). I never bothered to learn AE. From the tutorials I have looked at, it can make a pretty convincing rain affect. Apple's effect seems similar but might have a few less options. I am definitely trying to avoid buying more plug-ins or software. The rain effect I am working on is for a personal project and I can't justify and $$ for it.