Motion - Track of Flames

A

armadillo

Well-known member
Hi,

As a train goes by, I am trying to create an effect where the tracks catch on fire as the train passes by the camera.

I have achieved "satisfactory" results with the "flame line" particle generator, but I basically have to add a separate instance of the generator almost every frame, precisely where the train is at every given moment. The result is the creation of 20+ layers and an overlapping of the layers that creates somewhat unrealistic edges between them...

I just wanted to know if anyone had any suggestions for a particle and/or generator / behavior combo that would be ideal for this effect?

Thanks
 
if the camera is stationary, then I'd create flames over the whole track and then create a mask over the train and motion track that mask to the train.
 
Good thinking.

I'll try it and see if my results improve.

In order to cover the whole track, I believe I will still have to apply many instances of the 'flam line' in order to cover the whole track (just stretching or increasing scale makes it a meaningless big orange blur), which will be painstaking but I should indeed have better control over blending the whole track of flame into one realistic line...

A couple concerns I have with this suggested method that I will be trying to solve are:

- Having the flames already all there and revealed by the mask means I will probably lose the effect of the flame "springing up from nothing" that you get in the first few frames of the "flame line particle". Though my results were not perfect, I did get my flames gradually springing up along the track with my old method.

- I will also be working to make the flames being revealed by the traveling mask look realistic. I am hoping an edge feathered mask on the train will be a good start.
 
Just to let you know, your idea is working great... The only limitation is my own ability to make the flames themselves look realistic because, again, I have to make 20-30 layers to fill the track...
 
another step would be to make the streak slightly smaller. add a larger flame element and attach that to the end of the train. this will emphasize the intersection of the train and rails and be a smoother transition for the mask movement.
 
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