Tutorial 13: Spline Follow

 

In this tutorial you will learn how to use FumeFX’ Spline Follow.

 

For this tutorial please load Tut_13_start.ma scene from your [MAYA]/FumeFX/Tutorials folder.

 

Select fumeFX1 and curve1 and from the FumeFX menu select Spline Follow. This will automatically connect all the nodes properly.

Open the curve1_splineFollowProxy and under the Visualizations rollout check Visualize and uncheck Draw only when selected checkboxes. This will allow you to see the influence radius even if the Spline Follow isn’t selected.

Select fumeFX1 and from the FumeFX menu select Simple Source.

Position it so that it points at the beginning of the curve1 (Translate -7,17,49, Rotate -90,0,0).

Under the ffxSimpleSourceShape1 dialog, Source rollout, set Diameter to 10.

We want this source to emit smoke only.

Set Type to Disabled for Fuel, Oxygen and Temperature.

Set Radial Velocity to 0.0.

 

 

Select fumeFX1 and under General Parameters rollout and adjust the Default Path.

Press the Simulate button to see how the simulation with initial parameters looks like.

 

As you can see from the initial simulation, the radius of influence needs to be larger so that the smoke does not escape from the Spine Follow’s influence. From the Spline Follow Flow Parameters rollout, set the Influence Radius value to 15.

 

Also, we want the smoke to travel a bit faster along the NURBS Curve, so adjust the Strength Along Axis to 1.5.

 

Run the simulation again and see how those changes have affected the simulation.

 

If you want the front of the smoke not to widen as it progress along the curve, set the Strength From Axis to -0.1 which will pull the smoke towards to the NURBS curve.

To refine the simulation, under FumeFX General Parameters rollout set Spacing to 0.5.

 

To add a bit of turbulence and detail to the flow, open the System rollout and set X Turbulence to 0.2 and Turbulence Noise Scale to 10, Detail to 2.0.

 

Run the simulation.

 

It seems a bit more detailed, but the flow still looks a bit too rigid.

To make it look more natural, under the Spline Follow Flow Parameters rollout set the Blending Rate to 0.5. Lower value means that Spline Follow will allow velocities from the grid to affect the flow.

 

Run the simulation.

 

If we want to make the smoke to rotate around the NURBS Curve, set the Strength Around Axis to 1.0 and run the simulation.