RSS 2.0
Image   Flaming Fluid
Nicholas Pliatsikas © 2008

Nicholas created this as a cover image for 3D World Magazine Issue 103. The match was created using Zbrush and Modo for the modeling and displacement. Nicholas then used Houdini's POPs to emit particles based on metaball weights, and filled the flame shape with a volume of particles. He then passed the particle data to the fluid surface solver and generated the fluid look using the filtering options. Houdini's glass shader was used in conjunction with an HDRI map for the reflections. Extra detail maps for the displacement on the match were created, and some world space procedrural displacement to the fluid surface was added. The final image was rendered at 5000 pixels high using Mantra with some final post work done in Photoshop.



User Comments
by Ronensart 2008-05-04 15:53:19
well done. 
nice idea.
by slade 2008-05-14 13:27:51
by slade 2008-05-14 13:28:05
awesome work
by crovfx 2008-06-17 05:23:27
I have to admit it's a nice looking render, but after years of production experience and having done quite a few fire shots myself (including "liquid fires") I can't help to wonder...what's the actual production value of it ? 
Is the fluid at least animated ? How would it behave if it was ? How much post work was done in Photoshop ? 
Don't take this comment the wrong way as I am not trying to devalue the quality of time image as it is, but the fact is that pretty still images are sometimes just that --> pretty...still...images ;) 
 
Best regards to the author of the image and best wishes for his future endeavours. 
by niko3d 2008-06-21 13:42:50
Hi crovfx, The image was a created based on a brief for the front cover of 3d world magazine, so it was created to be exactly as you say a pretty still image. 
 
"but the fact is that pretty still images are sometimes just that --> pretty...still...images" Thats an interesting point for discussion, one could also say a vfx sequence is just a series of pretty images ;¬) Saying that there is some polish done in Photoshop as it is an illustration after all, alittle similer to what people do in compositing apps. 
 
The approach I had taken for this project was to create a more directable and controllable effect. The setup is of course procedural and partially generated using pops. With a little extra work it could easily work as an effect in production(quite a specific one at that)... we are using Houdini after all ;¬) I dont know if you noticed but if you want to discuss this further just pop into my office you do sit right beside it, catch you Monday Zeljko ;¬)
by crovfx 2008-06-23 05:27:12
Hi niko3d, 
"vfx sequence is just a series of pretty images" - I do agree with you on this and once again applaud on the final quality of the image - it's pretty ;). What I really meant to say was...can you pleeease make me a render submitter ;) 
 
cheers ! 
 
Zeljko
by niko3d 2008-06-23 07:04:53
Haha you cheeky bugger :D If Georg doesnt get to it first I will make you one ;¬) Maybe one day I will get around todo doing a sequence of the above image, if so i will post a link to it here. 
 
Anyways thanks to everyone for the kind comments :¬)  
Nicholas Pliatsikas 
by Joker386 2011-04-04 07:04:42
your Idea is so perfect. 
bravo !
by shaljoseph 2012-12-04 14:33:13
Nice details... sooper cool!

Please login or register to add comments.