Houdini Flow Field
Added 2020-07-03 08:39:19 +0000 UTCI did a small research around vector and flow fields and came across this blog post:
https://houdinigubbins.wordpress.com/2017/05/14/vector-field-decomposition/
so inspiring but didnt mention how exactly it was created, and I dont wanna use the already known random way (Curl Noise) I rather wanted it to be controlled by objects so I ended up with two methods:
Magnetic field method:
Inspired by Alessandro Pepe and Mark Fancher
https://pepefx.blogspot.com/2015/08/how-to-create-magnetic-vector-field-in.html
https://youtu.be/qSkG0ac5RmU?t=1365
I created a vop version out of his vex with some tweaks and it allows you to:
- Poles charge (negative / positive).
- Weight parameter for each pole.
- Rotate polarization.
- Adding a boundary.
Gradient method:
The new improvements done to Group and measure sops made it easy, so the new Group Expand has that amazing Flood and Step options which works quite well with Measure Gradient to give us the vector data that we need. in addition it includes:
- The ability to create the flow field on object surfaces in an accurate way.
It's worth noting that in both methods you can increase accuracy by increasing the VDB resolution also the curves can be resampled.
I used redshift as a render engine, everything is setup and ready (materials, lighting.....)
The volume field I created is "velocity" so you can use it to drive what ever dynamic system you have.
