I want to simulate a flame spreading rapidly like fuel igniting. Can I control this using material affectors? Or are sprite and streak emitters only controllable down to single patches, but no finer division?

I suppose you could animate the shape and size of the emitter surface to get a similar effect? Although I would think the changes in the shape and dimensions of the surface might affect the emitters making it difficult to get an even consistancy...

I suppose also you could turn on emitters patch by patch and get reasonably fine control...

Any suggestions?

Bill Gaylord

quick answer no to material effector..I would try using animated hair...will try to post a sample. Hair can be controled with a decal that can be animated and thus the flames can grow and move with the decal image.


Added this sample but it was a rush job so try to ignore the small flames...I generated the animated decal with a animated material and so this was only a smal amount of control


[attachmentid=21257]


The large flames are following a white stripe as it moves across a black and gray area..hope this might help

That is pretty darn cool! I've heard of hair on fire, but not hair AS fire!

Playing around with it a bit, I think controlling emitters on groups of patches might have the most natural look. You actually showed me an example a while back, complete with a charred texture that followed the flame. I want to have a flame ignite from a small ember and spread from that point like a gas flame. The "flaming ball" compositing tutorial that David Rogers did for me using my "flaming ball guy" project has the kind of flame I would like to use.

Spreading it by successive patch groups will probably be relatively easy to set up with a slider control.

I suppose the "charred" material would be something best controlled by a material effector.

Thanks!
Bill Gaylord

gradient material would help you with the charred texture and that can be controlled wiith a slider

Wow John......smile.... my favorite of yours to date!