Help with concept: Roiling Fireball

Complex UV Layout in Maya

Over the last couple of years UV layout in Maya has changed for the better. In this course we're going to be taking a look at some of those changes as we UV map an entire character

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# 1 19-02-2008 , 10:32 PM

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Join Date: Oct 2007

Posts: 1

I'm working on an animation project that consists of cavemen discovering fire. The characters are very stylized, so I don't want to fall back on a simple/realistic fire. The style is very cartoon like so, what I'm envisioning is sort of a ball-ish shape of fire with flames rolling up the sides. As the flames roll up, they stretch the surface of the sphere outward.

I've been having a hard time explaining this to people, so imagine running a finger up the inside of a shirt while pressing outward, as you move upward, the cloth stretches around the finger and returned to it original places after the finger passes. Another way that I've tried to explain it is as though the flames were boiling out of the bottom of the ball, and dripping upward.

I've created a rough(very rough) example of what I'm talking about, and I'll upload that.

But the stumbling block in my way is that I have no idea how to model what I'm looking to do. Anyone have any ideas?

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# 2 20-02-2008 , 08:18 AM

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Join Date: Feb 2006

Location: Australia

Posts: 2,752

looks like you are 90% there, you are already emitting from a surface, in this case a sphere.., all you need do is use the correct particle with this set up.

use the correct ramp and get the colours right, not that solid default shader colour, add PP opacity, maybe blobby particles, ???

gravity at positive Y, or use a drag fild..,

add turbulence

look at the free tut, ring of fire.., you will get there

or the easy way.., select your object.., go to the menu with FIRE written in it.., go click.., and hey presto.., instant fire.., good starting point for what you need, remember.., its hardware particles if you use the default fire.

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