best approach to make swirly-mist effect

I’m using 2.5 at the moment.
Here is a short clip of the effect I’m going for. (not the cat :slight_smile: )
This could also apply to micro-bubbles viewed under water. Basically I need something IN the fluid volume being moved about by some kind of realistic turbulence. Simulation seemed like the best way to get it, but maybe not.

I’ve played with mesh fluids, smoke, volumetrics. The permutations of particles, fluids, smoke, etc are getting harder to work out :spin:

Any ideas?

I have a idea but its only a idea, If you are willing to try one frame at a time. use the cloud generator, enable proportional editing, delete the boxes and mesh, and sculpt the mesh. i don’t know how to adjust the settings to make it look less like a cloud and more like mist but it can be done. The clip looked like water spray or a mist to me.

@kazinger, I’m not sure how I would get the ‘turbulence’ look if I sculpt each frame by hand, that’s the hard part. The video is not perfect, but what I was trying to create was definite water particles (not steam) caught up in swirling air, like one might see at night under a floodlight when the rain is so fine that it swirls around more than it falls down. (the steam-like stuff in the video was from the hot lamp and not intentional.)

I’m not positive, but can you use particles with a “point density” texture, and then add something like a vortex to make motion in the particles, and then add some Brownian motion? This was the only information I could find on point densities, but I’ve played around with it a tiny bit, and it should get the effect you’re looking for. I would think that and a combination of some smoke would get pretty close to the effect you’re looking for.
/wild guesses

Hope that helps even a tiny bit :wink:

@AynEhlora
Yah, although technically the motion would be fluid-based, I am thinking that it will take particles to do what I want. I don’t think point density so much as the particles themselves, very high number, perhaps very tiny billboards. A couple of force-fields (especially turbulence) to create the motion. I’ll post something if I get it to work. (I’m trying to stick with 2.5 for now, much more fun to work in)

I kinda been working on the same thing, kinda . Running water , creek , using sculpted mesh with animated displacement maps and transparent texture, This is to solid looking for what you want. Im trying to mix physics at the splashes and falls. I can post my best results , nothing so great so far.

Use the smoke system for the vapor in conjunction with a couple turbulence force fields of differing scales (with position animated over time) and possibly a vortex field.

Add a particle system for the bits in the mist, using the same turbulence / vortex fields.