Question about particles attracting to geometry.

[Rico]

So, I figured I'd try out a new technique for creating a tornado.

I have created a geometry shaped into a tornado and rigged quite nicely. Now, what I want to do is to have a plane above the tornado that emits particles. Ok, well that's easy enough, I understand. Ideally what I want to happen if for the particles to be attracted to the mesh. I can't get this effect to work. I've tried the 'attractor' tool but the particles just fly right through the mesh, turn around and fly through it again. Can't seem to get it to work. Any other ideas?

Edited October 4, 2009 by Rico

[MENOZ]

So, I figured I'd try this new technique for creating a tornado. I have created a geometry shaped into a tornado and rigged quite nicely. Now, what I want to do is to have a plane above the tornado that emits particles. Ok, well that's enough enough, I understand. Ideally what I want to happen if for the particles to be attracted to the mesh. I can't get this effect to work. I've tried the 'attractor' tool but the particles just fly right through the mesh, turn around and fly through it again. Can't seem to get it to work. Any other ideas?

you could make a spiral curve that fits the tornado mesh. the mesh will deform the curve.

Then use the curve to attract your particles.

did you tried this?

[Rico]

hmmm. I don't think it's quite what I'm looking for but I'll give this a try just to see what it looks like. See, when a tornado forms it doesn't spiral down (like the spiral curve that you're talking about). That would just look too uniform. I'm looking to do this specific effect because I want certain objects in my scene to turn into particles and get sucked it by the tornado. So, by having the tornado mesh attract particles it would make things easier.