1. Particle Flow Setup
Step 1
First,
create a Particle Flow system. Go to Create > Particle Systems
> PF Source and draw out a PF Source icon in the Perspective
viewport, and position it on the ground grid.
Step 2
Now press 6 (or click on Particle View) to open the Particle View window.
Step 3
Delete
the Rotation and Shape operators from the event.
Step 4
With
the Birth Operator selected, enter a value of 0 for Emit Start,
and 8 for Emit Stop and set the Amount to 900.
This means the particles will start from frame 0 and stop at frame 8
and the total amount of the particles/ frame will be 900.
Step 5
With
the Speed operator selected, enter a value of 415 for Speed, and 400 for Variation and set the
Divergence to 90. Turn on the Reverse option.
Step 6
Insert the Delete operator in the event. Turn on By Particle Age option under Remove section. Set the values of Life Span as 30 and Variation as 15.
Step 7
Go to Create > FumeFX. Click on FumeFX tab and draw a rectangular shape around the PF source icon. This is called the simulation area of FumeFX.
Step 8
Go
to Helpers > FumeFX. Click on Particle Src tab and draw a small icon
of it inside the FumeFX simulation area.
Step 9
With the Particle Scr icon selected, click on Pick Object button and then select the PF source icon in the viewport to add the PF source in the particle source list.
Step 10
Increase
the Radius value of the FumeFX
particles. In my case, I have set it to 10.
Step 11
You
can animate the radius value also, if needed.
2. FumeFX Setup
Step 1
With the FumeFX simulation area selected, click on FumeFX Output Preview and Open FumeFX UI icons.
Step 2
It opens FumeFX Output Preview and Open FumeFX UI windows.
Step 3
Click on obj/src tab. First click on Pick Object icon and select the FumeFX particle source in the viewport.
Step 4
Click on Start Simulation button. You will see the preview of the explosion simulation in the output preview window.
Step 5
The simulation quality is a bit low. Go to gen tab and lower the Spacing value to 3.
Lowering the spacing value makes the simulation quality better. You can lower the spacing value as per your requirement. But it also consumes more RAM and makes the simulation slower. In my case, I have set it to 3.
Step 6
Go to sim tab and set the Maximum Iterations value to 60.
Step 7
Go to rend tab. Right click on the fire color and choose key mode.
Step 8
Set the Fire Gradient color as shown in the following image. Start with orange color and fade it with black color.
Step 9
Now simulate again and see the rendered frame. It looks better than before.
Step 10
Set the Opacity value to 0.7.
Step 11
Go to sim tab and set the Burn Rate value to 10.
Step 12
You can animate the Burn Rate value also, if needed.
Step 13
Set the values of Heat Production as 15 and Heat Expansion as 3.
Step 14
Enable Fire Creates Smoke option. Set the Smoke Density to 15 and Temperature Threshold to 45.
Step 15
Set the X Turbulence value to 1. Inside the Turbulence Noise option, set the values of Scale to 10 and Detail to 5.
Step 16
Set the Temperature Buoyancy value to 0.2.
Step 17
I have added several lights in the scene. Remember, the lights play a pivotal role in the overall look of the scene. So placement of the lights must be done carefully.
Step 18
Turn on Atmospheric Shadows option for the each light.
Step 19
Go to illum tab and pick all omni lights. Turn on Multiple Scattering option. Set the values of the Multiple Scattering parameters as shown in the following image.
Step 20
Run simulation once again and do a test render. You will see something like this.
Step 21
See the test render of the explosion at some different frame.
Step 22
NB:- Don’t forget to turn on Atmospheric Shadows for the lights as stated in the Step 18. If you don't do it, you wont get the realistic result.
Conclusion
In the next part of the tutorial, I will show you how to make smoke trails, debris and the final compositing of the scene in After Effects.
