Modeling smoke clouds

rickben702

I'm getting back into playing around with Carrara after many years and I was trying to model/ render smoke clouds like from a steam engine. Any guidance to a starting point would be helpful. Thanos.

Dartanbeck

I like using a special map of smoke in the particle emitter. Use size over live and other emitter parameters along with clever use of the connected Shader to tweak the smoke/steam effect to look and behave how I need it to look.

But that's just one method.

Steve K

I use Carrara for almost all aspects of animation, but sometimes other tools are preferred.  For smoke, I like a 2D FX overlay program "Particle Illusion", which works with any still or animation.  One big advantage is that a 2D FX program renders way faster than 3D, in the case of "Particle Illusion" faster than real time (really).

Here is an example I did using a smoke effect @ ~3:00 and ~4:00:

"Particle Illusion" is available as a plugin for many video editors (I use Vegas), but has a free standalone version (which I have not used since the pre-plugin days):

https://borisfx.com/products/particle-illusion/?collection=continuum-premium-filters&product=continuum-filter-beauty-studio

Sci Fi Funk

@Steve K - looks very good in both cases. Thanks for the share - another problem I will have to face solved! Added bonus is that it works for Vegas, you and I have that in common as well.

Cheers.

WendyLuvsCatz

I just use an invisible fountain primitive with a tiny volumetric cloud surface replicated on it

in Octane I don't even need to replicate the cloud as it sees the fountain particles as voxels

Sci Fi Funk

Wendy - Are you using the latest Octane (via a subscription)? I noticed they were offering that, but I'm stuck with the non-subscription version, although it is up do date, I'm just getting back into the swing of things, so having to re-learn a load of stuff to make progress.

WendyLuvsCatz

no I am still on Octane 4 and unlikely to ever upgrade now, if it stops working will go back to Carrara render.

Otoy have gotten enough money from me

Sci Fi Funk

WendyLuvsCatz said:

Otoy have gotten enough money from me

My feelings too. I don't do subscriptions for software. OK so I have that option for the smoke as well. Great news. Thanks.  

Sci Fi Funk

WendyLuvsCatz said:

Otoy have gotten enough money from me

My feelings too. I don't do subscriptions for software. OK so I have that option for the smoke as well. Great news. Thanks.