Introduction to Maya - Rendering in Arnold
This course will look at the fundamentals of rendering in Arnold. We'll go through the different light types available, cameras, shaders, Arnold's render settings and finally how to split an image into render passes (AOV's), before we then reassemble it i
# 1 10-06-2014 , 02:00 PM
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Ring of Fire with Maya fluid

Hello all, I need some help again.

I've been looking around for how to use Maya fluids to create a ring of fire around my character. It's part of a scene where he stomps on the ground and then a ring of blue fire surrounds him. I've been able to use tutorials to get to know a bit of Maya fluids, and I have seen videos showing that it is possible to do a ring of fire thing using Maya fluids but I generally need help with getting the "ring" shape of the fire. One of my ideas was to use a round invisible plate of sorts to "direct" the flame around, but I have no idea how to make the fire collide with the plate.

So does anyone have a rough idea on how to go around doing this? Any tutorial that I possibly missed? Or is it just better to use particles (which I also am clueless in) to achieve this? Thanks.

user added image

Update: With some help from David, I managed to more or less make the fire achieve a circle-ish look, but I need the center of the ring to be empty.

This is the current state of progress I've made (it is blue fire when rendered), I just need to confine the fire more thoroughly to the circumference, because now its still occupying the center.
user added image


Last edited by Blocker226; 11-06-2014 at 10:25 AM.
# 2 10-06-2014 , 05:28 PM
EduSciVis-er
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Probably a simple solution is to create an image texture with a ring on it and use an emission map: google maya "Emit fluids using emission maps"

# 3 10-06-2014 , 06:52 PM
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you can also animate a piece of geometry and emit fluids form it, just hide it for the final animation.

Good luck


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# 4 11-06-2014 , 05:49 AM
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Thanks guys! I'll try them out and update the first post if its successful. user added image

Probably a simple solution is to create an image texture with a ring on it and use an emission map

How do I go around creating such a texture?


Last edited by Blocker226; 11-06-2014 at 07:05 AM.
# 5 11-06-2014 , 03:26 PM
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I think you can go with photoshop and draw the white circle in it in the size you need it, the other area should be black. Means finally you have a black sheet with a fat white circle in it ……THE RING…..(don't pick the phone if it is calling now, if you know what I mean heheh)
Then apply this picture file to the surface material you are going to use for the floor. I think you can then emit the particles from the white area, there are also tutorials in the net, how to do it. There is also a book….let me check….what describes exactly what you are looking for. Will come back!!!

# 6 11-06-2014 , 03:35 PM
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Checked out the book "Mastering Autodesk Maya 2011", they take an animated paint stroke which is converted into nurbs surface and let emit simply from the surface. They make a spiral out of it, but the ring should be much easier to realize. I think even a torus should do it, if you animate the torus a accordingly you should get a nice effect.
Would be nice to see the final result ;-)

# 7 11-06-2014 , 03:51 PM
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Now even more easy
Try with the "fire effect" under Dynamics, effects, create fire…
I did a torus and applied the effect, the middle was empty, the color can be changed and you even have the animation…..

# 8 11-06-2014 , 06:56 PM
EduSciVis-er
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You might need to increase the resolution of your simulation to see that the center is indeed empty. Also try playing with the spread and diffusion (can't remember exactly what the attributes are called) to tighten up the area that the fire spreads through.

# 9 12-06-2014 , 11:49 AM
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Thank you so much guys for all the replies! I've managed to achieve a nice tight ring to my liking! However, it doesn't really look firey.

user added image
The empty space in the middle is the main character. He's gonna be posing in the middle.

Any idea what settings I should change to make it look more like fire and not a glowing ring of light? The fluid panels are confusing . D:

# 10 12-06-2014 , 02:20 PM
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Nice work! This is an older blog post, but it might give you a helpful rundown of some of the more confusing parameters. https://thingsunasked.blogspot.ca/200...s-by-dale.html

Probably a good way is to look in the visor for fire examples, pull one into a fresh scene and look at the parameters they've used to get the effect.

If you want specifics, try increasing the turbulence, increase the density/intensity at the base, and add some noise texture?

# 11 13-06-2014 , 05:12 AM
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If you want specifics, try increasing the turbulence, increase the density/intensity at the base, and add some noise texture?

Is there a way to lessen the strength of the turbulence/allow it to only occur in a direction? Because no matter what I input into Turbulence frequency, speed or turbulence, the flames at some point or another fly out in an attempt to reach the corners of the container. ._.

I have no idea what I did but now the fire ring is trying to disfigure itself after about 4s of being a nice ring.
user added image


Last edited by Blocker226; 13-06-2014 at 05:30 AM.
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