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Maya Monday: Particles and Particle Plug-ins

Maya Monday: Particles and Particle Plug-ins

We are going to talk about one of the most useful and versatile types of effects out there – particles. Particles can be used to make fire, smoke, water drops, microbes, dust and sand, and any number of miscellaneous motion graphic elements. We’re going to lump fluid simulation in as well and cover a few plug-ins to expand your options.

Understanding Particles and Dynamics in Maya

Envato has an ongoing series on particles by Uriel Deveaud that is worth checking out. It covers particles, n-particles, dynamics, n-dynamics, n-cloth, n-hair, and more. It’s not a video tutorial, which is often easier to follow, in my opinion, and contains a lot of screen shots that explain the process. This goes much further than just particles but there’s a lot of good stuff here, so I’m listing a few others.

See all of Urial’s tutorials at Envato here.

Maya – Basic Particle Dissolve Effect

This tutorial from Jeremy Fernsler explains how to make that super useful particle dissolve to dust effect. I used this same effect for blowing away an Angus Young statue back in the very early 2000s for an AC/DC world tour, but with After Effects. If only I had these tools back then! Anyway, that project was one of the most fun I’ve ever done.

Maya Dynamics Tutorial – Galaxy Particle Effects HD

Use the color and shape of a texture and use it as a particle emitter.

final render of Phoenix FX particles renderChaos Group Phoenix FD for Particles

Phoenix FD is an all-in-one solution for fluid dynamics. With Phoenix FD, artists can simulate fire, smoke, liquids, foam, ocean spray and more. Phoenix FD is used in multiple television series such as Game of Thrones and The Flash, and is specifically designed for fast-paced production. Phoenix FD integrates seamlessly into Maya and is optimized to render with V-Ray.

Creating Smoke from a Particle System with Phoenix FD

This tutorial explains creating cigarette smoke.

Read the tutorial

Chaos Group Phoenix FD for Maya comes in a few options:

Perpetual License      Rental Options

Sitni Sati FumeFX for Maya

FumeFX is a groundbreaking solution designed for realistic and breathtaking fire, smoke and explosion effects. This unique plug-in is a powerful gaseous fluid dynamics simulator created by Sitni Sati for seamless integration with Autodesk Media & Entertainment’s Maya™ modeling and animation software. Designed for use by visual effects artists, game developers, and visualization professionals who demand the utmost in realism, FumeFX is unrivalled in its ability to capture the nuance and complexity of fluid gas behavior.

Get FumeFX for Maya  Trial Version

Maya FumeFX Crash Course Introductory Tutorial

Allen McKay gives a quick start tutorial to FumeFX.

Next Limit RealFlow

RealFlow is an industry-standard, out-of-the-box fluid simulation software. Fast and easy to use, it is compatible with ALL major 3D platforms. Simulate anything from a single drop of water to a massive tsunami.

RealFlow for Maya   RealFlow Node License  Trial Version

Making a Spalsh with RealFlow and Maya Tutorial

Kris Spelce shows you how to make some splashes with RealFlow in Maya.

Redshift 2 Maya – Tutorial #1 – Particle Rendering

Saul Espinoza talks about rendering particles in Maya with Redshift.

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Posted by Michele

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