Hey there!

I am trying a tutorial using particles to form an object and I am having an issue when visualising the particles as spheres (using the sprite node). I have attached a link to a Youtube video I have uploaded with showing the issue and the houdini file. The problem is that once the particles have formed the object they are still moving and create an unwanted "flickering" effect. If someone could help me to diagnose this issue I would appretiate it very much!! Thanks for your time!!

Cheers,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjOj7ZUFaEw [www.youtube.com]

Try turning off the popwind, or animating the amplitude of the noise down to zero as the particles settle into their goal position.

Enivob
Try turning off the popwind, or animating the amplitude of the noise down to zero as the particles settle into their goal position.

Hey Enivob,

Removing popwind reduces this effect but it still happens. But I think I can work with that. Thanks!!

Manarias
particlesex.hiplc (966.8 KB)

very unfortunate filename

the flickering is happening because you are visualizing particles as sprites, which are just 2d cards always oriented towards camera
so if the particles or camera are moving, there is always a chance that one card will get in front of another and therefore you'll see it as flickering

maybe copy real spheres on them to visualize it that way

tamte

Manarias
particlesex.hiplc (966.8 KB)

very unfortunate filename

the flickering is happening because you are visualizing particles as sprites, which are just 2d cards always oriented towards camera
so if the particles or camera are moving, there is always a chance that one card will get in front of another and therefore you'll see it as flickering

maybe copy real spheres on them to visualize it that way

Thank you very much!!! I only realised now about the name of the file hahah

Manarias, from my experience what I see other people doing in this case is to just frozen time ("timeshift" node with fixed frame?), or just replace the geo entirely once you reach that point in time, using a static version that looks just like you want it.

I see this as a powerful workflow that the pros use to quickly achieve control of the situation, beginners like me sometimes spend too much time focusing on things that do not translate to real value in the end result.

Lately I'm forcing my mindset like this: perfect is the enemy of good, and Houdini is a incredible software that we could spend ages exploring. There will always be another way, and probably a better way to do the same thing, but if the rendered result already invokes the kind of emotion I need that's done, I shall ship those pixels!