The Gnomon Workshop – Cinematic Sand & Dust Simulations using Houdini

Discover how to create a cinematic desert scene with sand and vehicle interactions. This complex yet rewarding simulation is demonstrated using Houdini Indie by Senior FX Artist Alvaro Segura.

This 3-hour workshop begins by delving into the use of Vellum grains and combining them with Pyro simulations to create a variety of sand textures, ranging from fine, dust-like particles to denser clumped sand. Alvaro details the crucial attributes of both Vellum and Pyro, empowering artists with the confidence to tweak these parameters for the desired effects in their own sand simulations.

Alvaro demonstrates techniques for creating clumped textures and achieving a granular, detailed look while also discussing the behavior of fine, realistic dust. Additionally, artists will learn how to optimize collisions and design custom velocity fields for enhanced simulation realism. Alvaro also walks through how to set up multiple containers and leverage TOP networks for wedging to facilitate heavy simulations and segment them into separate containers for an efficient yet powerful mix. In the final leg of the workshop, Alvaro details how to combine these containers back into a single volume as velocity and density VDBs for lighter, optimized volume handling.

By completing this workshop, artists will have practical workflows and the technical expertise to elevate their sand simulations to a professional standard.

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