Particle grief

cobuspcobusp Posts: 303
edited December 1969 in Carrara Discussion

I've now tried everything: The built-in particle physics, Carrara's physics engine, as well as forces.

A word was used as the object particle, and it is emitted by the red box. Then they are supposed to fall down and fall over flat to the ground. But no go!. They fall, but when hitting the ground plane, most of them remain perpendicular and stick half-way through!

The ground plane was converted to a high count polymesh -- no go! Those particle words sticking halfway though, swirl around crazily as if they're trying to get unstuck.

I even used a rectilinear polymeshes instead, but they show similar behavior.

Advice will be much appreciated.

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Comments

  • JoeMamma2000JoeMamma2000 Posts: 2,615
    edited December 1969

    Well I just tried it with a simple text object dropping under gravity with Bullet physics and it works fine. Why not just use that with a bunch of duplicate text objects falling to the floor?

    http://youtu.be/0W3awBV4d5g

  • cobuspcobusp Posts: 303
    edited December 1969

    I need to use particles, because I need to intitially cover the whole box with the text.

  • JoeMamma2000JoeMamma2000 Posts: 2,615
    edited December 1969

    Can't you just do a surface replicator? Sorry to be annoying, but Bullet is really designed for collisions like this and it's so much easier than trying to monkey with the particle dynamics. Then again I'm not an ace with the particle system cuz I use other apps for serious particle stuff, so maybe I should defer to someone who knows... :)

  • cobuspcobusp Posts: 303
    edited December 1969

    I appreciate your input. I could try that, that's a good Plan B.

  • McGuiverMcGuiver Posts: 219
    edited January 2015

    Particles use the objects hot point as the collision point.....so you would need the text hot point at the floor end of the text.

    In my experience with particles, I have found that they tend to fall through objects unexpectedly, and since they will use the text hot point "AS THE OBJECT", they will go through the floor and no lat flat....(they have no volume)

    Particles have been on my wish list for improvement for a looooong time.

    Post edited by McGuiver on
  • cobuspcobusp Posts: 303
    edited December 1969

    McGuiver said:
    Particles use the objects hot point as the collision point.....so you would need the text hot point at the floor end of the text.

    In my experience with particles, I have found that they tend to fall through objects unexpectedly, and since they will use the text hot point "AS THE OBJECT", they will go through the floor and no lat flat....(they have no volume)

    Particles have been on my wish list for improvement for a looooong time.

    Ahh...but thanks this mention about the hot point makes sense! I'll try it.

  • Philemo_CarraraPhilemo_Carrara Posts: 1,175
    edited December 1969

    If you're on on Windows system, you can also try the Pycloid plugin from Fredéric Rible .
    It should handle ground collision better (volumetric collision instead of hot point)

  • DUDUDUDU Posts: 1,945
    edited December 1969

    Ah Phil, I dreams to use Pycloïd plugin since several years but, it crashe Carrara all the time.
    I had tested it when I had Windows XP and now W7, impossible to use it !
    If you have some tricks, they are welcome…
    For the objects which remain vertical, if it would be me, I would pass directly to the Plan B... ;-)

  • McGuiverMcGuiver Posts: 219
    edited January 2015

    Just checked Pycloid, and it can only use facet, sand gross, and sand fine as the particles....so the text is out of the question since you can't enter your own geometry. :long:

    Plan B sounds like the way to turn. :)

    Post edited by McGuiver on
  • Philemo_CarraraPhilemo_Carrara Posts: 1,175
    edited December 1969

    McGuiver said:
    Just checked Pycloid, and it can only use facet, sand gross, and sand fine as the particles....so the text is out of the question since you can't enter your own geometry. :long:

    Plan B sounds like the way to turn. :)


    What version are you using ? Beta 2 as object as shape in the geometry part.
    You just drag your text as child of the pycloid primitive and it works.
  • Philemo_CarraraPhilemo_Carrara Posts: 1,175
    edited December 1969

    Ah Phil, I dreams to use Pycloïd plugin since several years but, it crashe Carrara all the time.
    I had tested it when I had Windows XP and now W7, impossible to use it !
    If you have some tricks, they are welcome…
    For the objects which remain vertical, if it would be me, I would pass directly to the Plan B... ;-)

    I don't know. It works just fine for me, both in 32 bits in win xp and in 64 bits in windows 8.
    What kind of crash do you face ?
  • cobuspcobusp Posts: 303
    edited December 1969

    Hmmm ... pity that Pycloid cannot use objects.

    Do particles behave the same in Carrara 8.5 (one would have hoped for an improvement)

  • Philemo_CarraraPhilemo_Carrara Posts: 1,175
    edited December 1969

    cobusp said:
    Hmmm ... pity that Pycloid cannot use objects.


    I don't understand. It must be my bad English (this is not my native language.
    It can use object. Se below:
    pycloid2.PNG
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    Pycloid1.PNG
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  • cobuspcobusp Posts: 303
    edited December 1969

    Philemo said:
    cobusp said:
    Hmmm ... pity that Pycloid cannot use objects.


    I don't understand. It must be my bad English (this is not my native language.
    It can use object. Se below:

    Hahaha -- it must be you bad english. Thanks!

  • cobuspcobusp Posts: 303
    edited December 1969

    I've installed Pycloid and boy, I am impressed!

    There are a few things that I can't figure out:

    I don't know how an object is turned into a magnet to attract the particles.

    Also, Next to the Shape (first column), I don;t see an option for size variation. Is that right?

    Under Simulation parameters - what makes the "Number of particles" different from the Rate in Column 1?

    I appreciate your input.

  • cobuspcobusp Posts: 303
    edited December 1969

    There are several things in the Properties panel that just don't correlate with what I see in the sample scene animations:

    The sphere emission sample: the particle behavior is clearly that of an explosion, and yet there is no variation in any of the particle properties' velocity. ANd there is no parameter that drives particle mass.

    I notice a "Presence" parameter under "Pycloid properties" – Carrara's Effects tab. Can anyone enlighten me to its purpose??

    Thanks everyone.

  • DUDUDUDU Posts: 1,945
    edited December 1969

    You can make screen shots of the DOC' s on the site.
    I still tested this plugin, it works well if I load the samples projects, but if I play with the parameters, there is no more particules emission…
    If I start from scratch, nothing occurs and the moved objects return automatically to their original position.
    Is there a tuto somewhere ?

  • Philemo_CarraraPhilemo_Carrara Posts: 1,175
    edited December 1969

    cobusp said:
    I've installed Pycloid and boy, I am impressed!

    There are a few things that I can't figure out:

    I don't know how an object is turned into a magnet to attract the particles.

    It's a modifier you have to add to the generator

    cobusp said:

    Also, Next to the Shape (first column), I don;t see an option for size variation. Is that right?

    Which version did you download ?

    Under Simulation parameters - what makes the "Number of particles" different from the Rate in Column 1?


    number of perticule is filled during the simulation by the actual number of particles present during that particular frame. It contains the number of particules created and not yet destroyed.

    I appreciate your input.
  • Philemo_CarraraPhilemo_Carrara Posts: 1,175
    edited December 1969

    cobusp said:
    There are several things in the Properties panel that just don't correlate with what I see in the sample scene animations:

    The sphere emission sample: the particle behavior is clearly that of an explosion, and yet there is no variation in any of the particle properties' velocity.

    The slider has two knobs, one for min velocity and one for max velocity. The velocity will be randomly chosen between those two values.

    cobusp said:

    ANd there is no parameter that drives particle mass.

    That one, I don't know. Have you tried "density" in the "physical" effect ?

    I notice a "Presence" parameter under "Pycloid properties" – Carrara's Effects tab. Can anyone enlighten me to its purpose??


    Yes, if set to 1 (default), this instance will be used as a particle If set to 0, it will not be used..

    Thanks everyone.
  • cobuspcobusp Posts: 303
    edited December 1969

    Philo, thank you very much. I realize now that some of Pycloid's parameters are located at different locations in Carrara. It may be useful if that is mentioned on the Pycloid site.

    Lastly (and I promise) – what is the purpose of the Pycloid: Engine? I notice in the magnet sample that it was added (and is greyed out. But if I delete it, everything still seems to work like before!

  • Philemo_CarraraPhilemo_Carrara Posts: 1,175
    edited December 1969

    cobusp said:
    Philo, thank you very much. I realize now that some of Pycloid's parameters are located at different locations in Carrara. It may be useful if that is mentioned on the Pycloid site.

    Lastly (and I promise) – what is the purpose of the Pycloid: Engine? I notice in the magnet sample that it was added (and is greyed out. But if I delete it, everything still seems to work like before!

    Actually, it's partly done. There is a doc tab (between gallery and download). It's dated (it's from beta 1) but still useful.

    BTW, if you end up using it for real (I haven't yet, just done some tests, but haven't had a project needing it), please remember to donate. Frederic put in a tremendous amount of work into this plugin and he should be rewarded somehow.

  • cobuspcobusp Posts: 303
    edited December 1969

    Ok thanks -- In see what you mean. Just a pity nothing is said about the Pycloid: Engine. It is present in the magnet sample scene, but deosn't seem to make any difference.

    And I agree -- this fantastic work is definitely worth a generous donation! Perhaps, he should consider selling the plugin on Daz's site?

  • cobuspcobusp Posts: 303
    edited December 1969

    You can make screen shots of the DOC' s on the site.
    I still tested this plugin, it works well if I load the samples projects, but if I play with the parameters, there is no more particules emission…
    If I start from scratch, nothing occurs and the moved objects return automatically to their original position.
    Is there a tuto somewhere ?

    Dudu - can you send screen shots?

  • DUDUDUDU Posts: 1,945
    edited December 1969
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