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Particle Illusion: Basic CGI for dummies

Nate North

Nate North

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Qkj11IvaF0

using an inexpensive and easy program called "particle illusion 3" you can create basic CGI backdrops in minutes. This is the most basic demo, using 2 layers PI, and finished in AE in under 15 minutes.
 
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Ive been using PI for years and at first glance its really simple. Its easy to use but has its limitations (its 2D particles only). I'm still astounded by the art that comes from such a simple process. Once you start making custom emitters you'll realize how complex it can be.

I think Ive used that on all of the films Ive worked on, and chances are youve seen on TV and in movies without realizing it.

The new plugin for After Effects will link PI to your AE scene... Looking forward to that and Element 3D moreso than any other AE plugins....
 
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I love Particular and use it in one way or another in almost everything.

Have you used it as well Nate? I'm curious as to how they compare.

Particle generators are one of the best CG inventions ever. You do see it everywhere, 2D and 3D. The wave of monkeys at the top of Toy Story 3 was done using a special Monkey particle system Pixar wrote for it haha. I think they said something like 1.3 million of them!
 
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NickClapper said:
I'm no CGI whizz but my guess is that the effect will be several times harder if you have to get each of the birds to follow an independent motion path (?)
Click to expand...

As Anim8 was saying, when you start customizing the emitters a lot, it does get trickier.

However, you can get literally thousands of presets for it, so in general, it can be used very easily to create SFX layers that can later be integrated into film.
 
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PaulGriffith said:
I love Particular and use it in one way or another in almost everything.

Have you used it as well Nate? I'm curious as to how they compare.

Particle generators are one of the best CG inventions ever. You do see it everywhere, 2D and 3D. The wave of monkeys at the top of Toy Story 3 was done using a special Monkey particle system Pixar wrote for it haha. I think they said something like 1.3 million of them!
Click to expand...

I do use particular, and I agree that particle systems are a ton of fun!

Cool info on the particle monkeys.
 
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I do a lot of particle based effects in 3D Max, Maya and RealFlow as well. 3D particles are infinitely cooler than 2D... If you havent seen this, you should check it out: http://www.videocopilot.net/blog/2011/07/info-about-element-3d/

Its 3D particles inside After Effects... Rendered in real time (or close) with fog, DOF, reflections, displacement, etc.
Super stoked about this plugin.


See if you can spot the PI stuff.. :) http://www.pruittdigital.com/component/content/article/22-production-video
 
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The effect in blade was about 30 layers of different effects, most being in 3D space based off a wireframe of the actor.... but....... You can get something similar...

Go to the PI site and look through all the emitters.. Like Nate said, there are literally thousands of different effects you can download.
 
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