reconstructing geometry?

[Dee]

I see this effect done often in commercials and sometimes in movies, but I don't know how to do it myself. I am curious if anyone knows how to do it in houdini.

The effect is a building or bridge or something being constructed. The parts fly over from the sides. Sometimes they follow a path like a flock of birds and then just float to their respective places in the final object to construct it. I know I could do a DOPS sim and play it backwards, but that wouldn't really give me what I need, would it? Especially if I have the stuff follow a path through the clouds or something. Is there a way to set a sort-of "final state" for geometry, break it apart and have it fly back together with randomized motion or using particles as a base for it? The only way I know to do it is animate each piece and that would take far too long. I did a search for videos with that effect on the internet. This video has that effect done over and over again throughout to several different buildings and things:

http://vimeo.com/1810326?pg=embed&sec=1810326

52 seconds into it is one type of building effect. Another at 1:25. Again 1:30 and continuing to about 1:40. One of the biggest examples is 2:05-2:25-ish. I know some of that is deconstruction and would be fairly easy to do. It's not getting pieces to move like that which is the problem for me...it's getting them to move to a very specific spot. I'm not incredibly experienced with particle systems. Apologies if that is a simple question!

[kubabuk]

Hi

Often the method you choose is based on your deadline . Sometimes manual approach is the fastest, especially when number of elements to control is not overwhelming (52 sec.). I think that the reverse explosion done with simple particles and (tweaked in SOPs) gives you fastest result with the very flexible control over the final look and timing (1:32-1:35). Always it is the trade-off between complex realistic behavior and computation time. Inter penetrations might be an issue at some point (using SOPs) especially on closeups. At this point my approach to reconstructible animation would be to store the position (and direction) of the final shape in attributes. Explode the object and bake desired (initial position) to disc. Put that floating chunks into motion and gradually blend between their current position and final one stored in attributes.

hope it helps a little.

kuba

[Schotty]

Is this also the kind of thing you meant?

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=lOk0KBuwKc4

[Dee]

Is this also the kind of thing you meant?

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=lOk0KBuwKc4

Yes, that's not exactly it but that fits very well into the category since everything would move to a specific place to fill the space. This would make a good challenge. hahaha

[old school]

Here's a quick example file of a simple setup of constructing a building.

Absolutely no finesse in the blending of the v and up but hey you get the right alignment at the end.

build_building_v01.hip

There a so many ways to do this kind of effect.

[Dee]

Here's a quick example file of a simple setup of constructing a building.

Absolutely no finesse in the blending of the v and up but hey you get the right alignment at the end.

build_building_v01.hip

There a so many ways to do this kind of effect.

Awesome! Thank you! I didn't know you could do that with an attractor pop!