Procedural block formations

[bdunaway]

I've been looking at some modern surrealism paintings such as artist Peter Gric, and was trying to re-create some block formations similar to those in his work in Houdini.

Originally I did some experimenting with copy sops using both box geometry with the base points as well as trying to get a more random effect with scatter, but I had a hard time primarily due to the blocks overlapping too much.

So next I tried using particles, by attracting them to a curve and putting in an interact so that they avoid each other. So far this has given the best effect (see image below), but I still can't get them quite as clumped as I want without a lot of overlapping geometry.

Any hints or tips on a better method to try?

[crunch]

I've been looking at some modern surrealism paintings such as artist Peter Gric, and was trying to re-create some block formations similar to those in his work in Houdini.

...

Any hints or tips on a better method to try?

There are some results here:

http://forums.odforce.net/index.php?/forum/53-odforce-vfx-challenge/

Perhaps something like:

?

[bdunaway]

Thanks, I will check out those threads.

[daniel.phillis]

ive got some similar results just using scatter and playing with the normals a bit

- randomising etc. instead of a copy sop though - ive used point instancing.

I was surprised at how fast it rendered !

Edited September 27, 2009 by daniel.phillis

[Aks]

Do any one know, what method can be used for creating something like this?

an unfolding structure piece by piece...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7V1LoJt7IZw

[mightcouldb1]

I've seen stuff like this done with MEL in Maya. I'll tell you the technique. It takes an object in a position, keyframes it in that position, then it adds a keyframe a few frames back that has an offset on scale, trans, rot. So when you play forward, you get the effect of it being built or falling into place. Doing this in Houdini shouldn't be too difficult.

[Aks]

I've seen stuff like this done with MEL in Maya. I'll tell you the technique. It takes an object in a position, keyframes it in that position, then it adds a keyframe a few frames back that has an offset on scale, trans, rot. So when you play forward, you get the effect of it being built or falling into place. Doing this in Houdini shouldn't be too difficult.

Hi jason,

my point is, constructing a geo in a blocks flipping, is interesting element for viewers, wanted to create something like that,

any other way (expressions?) to have control for constructing geo to give flipping effect as it expand?

thanks for your input,

-Aks

[Aks]

Hi jason,

my point is, constructing a geo in a blocks flipping, it is interesting element for viewers, wanted to create something like that,

any other way (expressions?) to have control for constructing geo to give flipping effect as it expand?

thanks for your input,

-Aks

somthing like this...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7V1LoJt7IZw

[cosku]

Take a look at the example file in this thread:

somthing like this...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7V1LoJt7IZw