I've been working on a way to use my particle system to create explosions.
This is the result so far. It took a long while to tweak it to look like
this, and by now I think I've worked so much on it that I can't judge it
myself anymore; I need outside opinions. So what do you think?

The animation is 100 frames long and was rendered at 320x240 AA 0.3 on a
1GHz computer. Try to guess how long it took.

Rune
--
3D images and anims, include files, tutorials and more:
Rune's World:    http://rsj.mobilixnet.dk (updated Jan 20)
POV-Ray Users:   http://rsj.mobilixnet.dk/povrayusers/
POV-Ray Webring: http://webring.povray.co.uk

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Attachments:
Download 'explode.mpg' (503 KB)

Hi Rune,

I think the actual explosion/flames/smoke look perfect, *except* for the way
that the building shows through the explosion as solid lines, similar to
what happens in many games (which I think looks terrible). Not sure how this
could be avoided though.

All the best,

Andy

"Rune" <run### [at] mobilixnetdk> wrote in message
news:3c6a95e0@news.povray.org...
> I've been working on a way to use my particle system to create explosions.
> This is the result so far. It took a long while to tweak it to look like
> this, and by now I think I've worked so much on it that I can't judge it
> myself anymore; I need outside opinions. So what do you think?
>
> The animation is 100 frames long and was rendered at 320x240 AA 0.3 on a
> 1GHz computer. Try to guess how long it took.
>
> Rune
> --
> 3D images and anims, include files, tutorials and more:
> Rune's World:    http://rsj.mobilixnet.dk (updated Jan 20)
> POV-Ray Users:   http://rsj.mobilixnet.dk/povrayusers/
> POV-Ray Webring: http://webring.povray.co.uk
>
>
>

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> I've been working on a way to use my particle system to create explosions.
> This is the result so far. It took a long while to tweak it to look like
> this, and by now I think I've worked so much on it that I can't judge it
> myself anymore; I need outside opinions. So what do you think?

Looks quite nice, but I'd suggest using isosurfaces or dense media instead to
get a more 3D feel. At the moment it looks a lot like it's just flat polygons
facing the camera, which doesn't really suit pov's abilities, it's only the
early stages of the explosion that you can see the particles are actually media
(and even then I had to pause the animation to be sure).

> The animation is 100 frames long and was rendered at 320x240 AA 0.3 on a
> 1GHz computer. Try to guess how long it took.

I'd guess about 5 minutes per frame.... if it is pov...

Actually now I look closer I'm not convinced it is ray traced! Where's the
shadows? Is this just a real-time animation using a pov rendered explosion
texture on each particle?
(apologies if it isn't, but this is just how it looks to me)

--
Tek
http://www.evilsuperbrain.com

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"Andrew Cocker" wrote:
> I think the actual explosion/flames/smoke look perfect

Thanks!

> *except* for the way that the building shows through the
> explosion as solid lines, similar to what happens in many
> games (which I think looks terrible).

Hmm yes... :(

Rune
--
3D images and anims, include files, tutorials and more:
Rune's World:    http://rsj.mobilixnet.dk (updated Jan 20)
POV-Ray Users:   http://rsj.mobilixnet.dk/povrayusers/
POV-Ray Webring: http://webring.povray.co.uk

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"Tek" wrote:
> Looks quite nice, but I'd suggest using isosurfaces or
> dense media instead to get a more 3D feel.

Isosurfaces have sharp edges and are not easy to use to create flame and
smoke IMO.

> At the moment it looks a lot like it's just flat
> polygons facing the camera, which doesn't really
> suit pov's abilities

Heh, it looks like flat polygons facing the camera? :p

> it's only the early stages of the explosion that you
> can see the particles are actually media (and even
> then I had to pause the animation to be sure).

So it first looked like flat textured polygons, but after a closer
inspection you became sure that it was media after all?

> Where's the shadows?

Arg, you caught me!

> Is this just a real-time animation using a pov rendered
> explosion texture on each particle?

No, it's POV-Ray all right. But it *is* textured discs facing the camera.

Ok, so it's not a replacement for good old media as your observations
reveal...

> > The animation is 100 frames long and was rendered
> > at 320x240 AA 0.3 on a 1GHz computer. Try to guess
> > how long it took.
>
> I'd guess about 5 minutes per frame.... if it is pov...

But here's the positive side. It's only 9 seconds per frame, for a total of
15 minutes for the whole animation. Not exactly real-time as you thought,
but quite fast for a POV-Ray animation.

Rune
--
3D images and anims, include files, tutorials and more:
Rune's World:    http://rsj.mobilixnet.dk (updated Jan 20)
POV-Ray Users:   http://rsj.mobilixnet.dk/povrayusers/
POV-Ray Webring: http://webring.povray.co.uk

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I like the fire after the explosion, but the way the mushroom cloud disperses
looks a bit odd to me. Maybe if the column of smoke from the fire was thicker
just after the explosion, and dwindled down, it may look better.

Rune wrote:

> The animation is 100 frames long and was rendered at 320x240 AA 0.3 on a
> 1GHz computer. Try to guess how long it took.

My guess is 1.5 - 2 hrs. It really depends on how many particles you have, and
whether you are using media or not. I suspect this is not media (discs perhaps?)
just because, if you make Al chew gum whilst walking, you would surely make
absorbing smoke which would leave a shadow :-)

MJL
--
light_source{9*(y#macro A(H,B,R,T)prism{0,1H+4,0u*9,9v*9,0#local I=1;#while(I<H)
#local V=asc(substr(B,I,1))-33;<div(V,10)mod(V,10)>#local I=I+1;#end pigment{rgb
y}rotate-<90,R>translate-T}#end-z)rgb 9}A(14",6;MWmhryXN3,"60<15,0,8>)box{-99(x+
z)*99pigment{rgb 1}}fog{distance 11}camera{location(y-z)*25look_at 0}A(8"6hiAG=6
"-60x*-10)A(16"/.@VZno=<PLA89/"0x*5) // MJL

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> No, it's POV-Ray all right. But it *is* textured discs facing the camera.
>
> Ok, so it's not a replacement for good old media as your observations
> reveal...

Aha! I was consfused by that but now I see it.

That would be a very effective technique for distant explosions or previewing an
animation, but I'd like to see how good it would look with media!

BTW, if you want to get shadows you could get a second set of discs facing the
light source and use the no_image tag :)

--
Tek
http://www.evilsuperbrain.com


Rune <run### [at] mobilixnetdk> wrote in message
news:3c6ad778@news.povray.org...
> "Tek" wrote:
> > Looks quite nice, but I'd suggest using isosurfaces or
> > dense media instead to get a more 3D feel.
>
> Isosurfaces have sharp edges and are not easy to use to create flame and
> smoke IMO.
>
> > At the moment it looks a lot like it's just flat
> > polygons facing the camera, which doesn't really
> > suit pov's abilities
>
> Heh, it looks like flat polygons facing the camera? :p
>
> > it's only the early stages of the explosion that you
> > can see the particles are actually media (and even
> > then I had to pause the animation to be sure).
>
> So it first looked like flat textured polygons, but after a closer
> inspection you became sure that it was media after all?
>
> > Where's the shadows?
>
> Arg, you caught me!
>
> > Is this just a real-time animation using a pov rendered
> > explosion texture on each particle?
>
> No, it's POV-Ray all right. But it *is* textured discs facing the camera.
>
> Ok, so it's not a replacement for good old media as your observations
> reveal...
>
> > > The animation is 100 frames long and was rendered
> > > at 320x240 AA 0.3 on a 1GHz computer. Try to guess
> > > how long it took.
> >
> > I'd guess about 5 minutes per frame.... if it is pov...
>
> But here's the positive side. It's only 9 seconds per frame, for a total of
> 15 minutes for the whole animation. Not exactly real-time as you thought,
> but quite fast for a POV-Ray animation.
>
> Rune
> --
> 3D images and anims, include files, tutorials and more:
> Rune's World:    http://rsj.mobilixnet.dk (updated Jan 20)
> POV-Ray Users:   http://rsj.mobilixnet.dk/povrayusers/
> POV-Ray Webring: http://webring.povray.co.uk
>
>

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It does look really good, but by what I've seen your particle-system
do before, I was rather disappointed.
Thats just the case when you normally post animations that get
comments like "Jesus! I need to dig into POV a LOT more!" ;-)

As others have mentioned already, it looks 3D-Game-esque,
not POV-RAY. I mean, hey? What did you expect? We're
talking about the one, the only, the freeware raytracer
POV-Ray! Doh!  ;-)

Okay, I do like POV-Ray a lot...

And you post an animation just as I'm about to take the
next two non-computer weeks to work through a printed
version of my Particle-System, and finally get it finished,
now that my IRTC-Entry (my first!) has been sent in...

Hooya! (Starship Troopers Battle Cry)

See ya, and I'll just hope you'll post a media-version in a few
days (hey, you've got two weeks, then I'll be back!) ;-)


--
Tim Nikias
Homepage: http://www.digitaltwilight.de/no_lights/index.html

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Just saw your reply to Tek; so they are discs. To make them cast shadows, you
could use a smart combination of light groups, discs and no_image / no_shadow to
make a shadow effect. Keep your camera oriented discs for visuals, and use
light_source oriented discs for shadows.

MJL
--
light_source{9*(y#macro A(H,B,R,T)prism{0,1H+4,0u*9,9v*9,0#local I=1;#while(I<H)
#local V=asc(substr(B,I,1))-33;<div(V,10)mod(V,10)>#local I=I+1;#end pigment{rgb
y}rotate-<90,R>translate-T}#end-z)rgb 9}A(14",6;MWmhryXN3,"60<15,0,8>)box{-99(x+
z)*99pigment{rgb 1}}fog{distance 11}camera{location(y-z)*25look_at 0}A(8"6hiAG=6
"-60x*-10)A(16"/.@VZno=<PLA89/"0x*5) // MJL

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Tek wrote:

> BTW, if you want to get shadows you could get a second set of discs facing the
> light source and use the no_image tag :)

I am too slow today... (see my 2nd reply to Rune)

--
light_source{9*(y#macro A(H,B,R,T)prism{0,1H+4,0u*9,9v*9,0#local I=1;#while(I<H)
#local V=asc(substr(B,I,1))-33;<div(V,10)mod(V,10)>#local I=I+1;#end pigment{rgb
y}rotate-<90,R>translate-T}#end-z)rgb 9}A(14",6;MWmhryXN3,"60<15,0,8>)box{-99(x+
z)*99pigment{rgb 1}}fog{distance 11}camera{location(y-z)*25look_at 0}A(8"6hiAG=6
"-60x*-10)A(16"/.@VZno=<PLA89/"0x*5) // MJL

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