CREATING AN EXPLOSION
Now it’s time to learn creating an explosion.
No fancy plugins needed.
This tutorial uses only LensFX Glow.
Basics of Max required to follow this tutorial.
First create 4 SuperSpray particle systems.
SuperSpray01 is the biggest and the others are inside each other.Right click on a particle system and select properties now enter an Object ID.(use different Object ID’s)
“Particle Formation” is same to all SuperSprays: 180 deg
“Particle Generation”.
This makes the explosion to start at frame 4.
“Display Until” is 80 because my animation is 80 frames long.
Max changed it to 80 (from 100) when I changed my frame rate to 24 (fps).
Now go to Video Post.
Add 4 Lens Effect Glows (rename them to SuperSpray 1, 2 etc..)
Here are the settings for the Glows.
SuperSpray 1:
Preferences:
Size: 5 (SuperSpray 4: 12)
Color: Gradient
Same settings for others.
Gradient color
Use these for SP’s 1,2,3. Use different “Reseed” value.
SuperSpray 2:
SuperSpray 3:
SuperSpray 4:
Now it looks something like this.
Now it’s time to play with “Track View”
Open Track View
Click on Video Post
You should see something like this (don’t mind with the extra stuff showing).
outerglow is SuperSpray 4.
Press on Superspray 1
Now you should see following
Find this button
.
Now click on frame 15 (you can move the spot afterwards) and frame 30
At frames 0-15 the size value is 5. Right click on frame 30 and set a value 0.5.
Also “Radial Transparency” is animated to fade black
Only Flag 1 must be animated, because Flag 2 is already black (0,0,0)
Frames 0-15 the color is white. After 15th frame it starts fading to black.
Right click to change the keys value.
Next we create some sparks flying around.
Create 2 Sprays (particle systems).
Maybe 1 would do it, but I like to use more with a little different color.
I suggest you rotate these to face at your camera.
Use these settings for both
Also enter an “Object ID” for both.
I used a “gradient material” for both sprays (red and yellow tones).
Now it’s back to Video Post.
Lens Effects Glow:
At preferences
size: 0.2
color: pixel (it takes the color from the material).
Still doesn’t look good.
Let’s add some flying debris with fire trail on them.
We’re going to use Particle Array for this.
After you’ve created the Parray gizmo create 2 spheres (lot of segments).
Now at Parray parameters
“Object Based Emitter”: select the first sphere you made. Now the selected sphere emits particles.
Adjust “number of chunks” and “thickness” for your needs.
Now make a copy of this Parray.
We have to make some changes to this.
This Parray uses the other sphere as an emitter.
Also give this Parray an “Object ID”.
Change “speed” setting a little and “number of chunks”.
Again, open up Video Post.
Once Lens Effect Glow options window is opened
tick “Perimeter Alpha” and “Perimeter” (default is “All”).
This makes the object glow on the edges.
Set the glow size to 1.
Use gradient color: red to yellow.
That’s it. Well Almost. You see that when the sphere explodes the original sphere is still there in one piece.
You must hide it at the same time when the Parray starts emitting particles (frame 8 in this case).
Open up Track View.
After you’ve located your objects you must add a “visibily track” for them.
(Eye icon)
Press on fourth icon (green triangle with a black arrow).
And select “on/off”. Now blue line shows up.
Now just add key to frame 8. Now the sphere disappears after frame 8.
Do this to the other sphere too.
Now it’s time to make final render.
