Hi all, I’m trying to create that perfect fire (as many have tried I’m sure).
One of the things that I’m sure will help make it much better I can’t seem to do. I have changed the particle material’s alpha to fade out by the 100th frame (IPO) and have started the halo size at zero to increase to the final size of 3 at the desired point in the halo’s lifespan and this is all fine.
But when I try to change the materials Size X, Y or Z using IPO curves so that the flame starts out more ‘squat’ if you like and then stretch as it goes up (through it’s life cycle) it doesn’t work. It changes it’s size x, y or z based on actual frames rather than the point in the particles life span. If I haven’t explained myself very well please let me know and I’ll try again.
Any suggestions anyone?
dont make it with particles.?..get a short ainmation of a real fire, cut it out with a alpha channel… and stick it into your 3d scene …
it’s size x, y or z based on actual frames rather than the point in the particles life span.
That makes sence, because the life of the Texture and Material starts at frame one, not at the frame the particle is emitted. You could have two or more textures, same colors but different size values, and map each to a different Empty (Object in MapInput instead of ORCO) that you place along the Z axis of the particle stream. Or you could have two or more Generations of particles, each linked to its own Material.
%<
If the life of the material or texture starts at frame 1, why do the alpha value and halo size settings of this material change based on the life of the particle?
I don’t know. Here’s the file I made to test when you asked the question. What should happen is that at a certain point (about frame 15) the yellow color at the bottom should move from the left of the Particle stream to the right where the particles are already yellow. It doesn’t; it seems as if it uses the mapping from the IPO for all frames hence my answer above. If you turn HaloTex on the texture should do the same but for each particle seperately. In this case the red color does swap sides over time but for all particles simultaneously; ie per rendered frame amd not per emitted particle.
You’re right though, if it works for Alpha and HaSize, then it should work for this.
http://uploader.polorix.net//files/111/FlighSizeXPart.blend
%<
Yeah, I thought the docs said that the frames of particle IPOs are all supposed to be seen as percent through particle lifecycle instead of, making them sorta like ramps, too.
If you want to change the shape of the particle flow, though, you could try changing the IPOs for the particle velocity. If you have them go at Z speed N for 50 frames and then Z speed 2N for 50 frames, I think the end result would be that the first half of the all the other particle settings / animations would be applied to the bottom third of the space they take up, and the second half would be applied to the upper two thirds, if that makes any sense . . .
http://www.fileden.com/files/2007/2/12/767158/Fire1.avi
http://www.fileden.com/files/2007/2/12/767158/PrtcleFlme.blend
Is this similar to what you’re wanting to do? if so, good! If not, ignore me.
It would look better if I animated the texture, but it’ll do for a quickie, I suppose.
If you’re going for a small flame(like a candle) then maybe a fading alpha would do. But a big fire(to me) looks as though at one ‘frame’ the flame is there, and the next not. The illusion for my fire was based off of how fast the flame moves(normal, z force), some randomness(random[haha]), and how quickly it dissappears(lifetime), which can be handled in the particles panel, unneeding of ipos(in it’s basic…blah blah, I ramble like a loon)… The key, which I just recently discovered, for a more realistic flame is the use of motion blur, as fire moves so fast, it seems necessary to me. It may take a while to render. If so, I apologize…ramble, ramble…
Almost forgot: The right combination of ‘halo size’ and ‘add’ with a not-too-detailed texture can make or break it(lookit me, as if I know what I’m talkin about)…