need help in making (realistic) dirt tracks.

Support Basics & Interface
1

I have a very complicated question here.

I need to find a way to create dirt tracks. For example I have this wheel that will be rolling in some dirt. Well the dirt is light in density and about half an inch thick(as thick as a wooden pencil).

When I have this wheel rolling along thru the dirt I want to be able to see the trail marks it leaves behind. I am not looking at a shoty way at doing this. I will be using either particles or bump maps to help create realistic dirt particles. So if you could imagine each dirt particle has a certain amount of depth to it…so as the wheel rolls in the dirt the dirt, the dirt will not only sink down and leave a trail, but will also cling to the wheel itself.

I know I know. very complicated. I was hoping to wing this if at all possible.

thanks.

jer

ps-If I could animate the NOR(to create bump maps) I could invert the settings within a confined area that I want the dirt to sink and where I want it to be elevated. So as the wheel passes over the dirt…that area it passes over can be given different NOR values to sink the dirt. Maybe there is a better solution? But now I still don’t know how to create dirt that clings itself to the wheel as it passes thru the dirt.

2

I’m not sure if this would work or not, just thought it through real fast. Could you make the tracks a seperate object, like a plane or thin cube. Then use bumbmaps and textures to make the tracks look real. Blend the track object in with the ground, then as the wheel moves, animate the track object lengthing (vertex animation I guess) equally with the wheel moving.

As for dirt coming up. You could try individual models or perhaps duliverts. Just an idea though.

3

you can infact animate the NOR value, since you can use a sequence of images or a movie as texture. You do that with the Image texture type, by clicking the Movie button. It’s a tad more complicate if you want to use a sequence of images.

Martin