My VFX Blog

Well it’s has been a long time since I have update anything.  I might just be talking to myself but it’s time to get back into the flow of things.  I’ll try to upload some new tutorial and scene files for everyone to use. I am also getting into indie-game making so you’ll see more stuff geared to games design as well.

Here is another fire effect test using particle sprites in maya using a simple image sequence.

Magic Particle

Magic Particle is a special effects sprite based particle system editor similar to wondertouch’s particle illusion.  Magic Particle editor is cheaper then particle illusion and also offers a free non-commercial version of it’s software. Which is always a plus when trying out new software.  Wondertouch does offer a Demo version of particle illusion but is limited to a 30 day trail period.

EVOLUTION REEL

Jeff Gabor evolution reel show the breakdown of how animators tackle animating a scene in Ice Age 3 Dawn of the Dinosaurs.

This is my work on the FXwars light house challenge for CGSociety

This is a 2D/3D animated steampunk short. Link

What is MaPZone?
>MaPZone is simply the most advanced texturing tool ever. MaPZone is only intended to be used for producing high quality textures, and this is what it does best. Based on a unique and patented technology called the FX Maps, MaPZone is the only procedural tool giving you that much control over your creation.

Mapzone is a node based imaging software that look to be promising for games artist. Link Windows only is its only down size.

Macrograph’s crowd simulation system (abbreviated as ‘MCSS’ from now on) is a complete S/W solution to creating crowd animation including motion capture data processing, particle simulation and automatic motion mapping with full body inverse kinematics.

Look like this crowd simulation plugin could be fun to play with.  Link

MacroCrowd Plugin for Maya

I want to see if I could get a look of bubbles floating to the surface with Maya Particles.  I emitted partices form an object controling the emitters rate base on the direction of the ball. I then used a locator to control the particles lifespan based on it’s Y location.  This alowed me to get the effect that when the particles reached the surface they dissapear.  I then made the particles emitting for the ball emit new smaller particles.  Made the particles blobbies and created a random size expression for all the particle emitted.  I have to thank effects artist John David Thornton, becuase I created this effect based on his papers.