PyroCluster: Shape

Function available in CINEMA 4D Visualize, Studio

Basic Globals Age Distance Cyl. Distance Shape Illumination Shadow Noise

Shape

PyroCluster uses volumetrics to calculate atmospheric effects. Several types of volumetrics are available to help you achieve the right effect.

A real-time preview window displays the look of the PyroCluster effect as you make changes, so you can get just the effect you want. What’s more, all of PyroCluster’s parameters are accessible through XPresso, Cinema 4D’s node editor, so you can use sliders or other objects in the scene to adjust the PyroCluster effect.

With this high degree of control, you can make everything from fire and snow to smoke trails look realistic and exciting.

Type

Puffs may have one of three shapes. The shape you choose will have a significant effect on the rendered result, as demonstrated here:

Sphere

Spherical volume in viewport

Spherical volume rendered

Cylinder

Cylindrical volume in viewport

Cylindrical volume rendered

Box

Cube volume in viewport

Cube volume rendered

Choose the shape of the puffs from Sphere, Cylinder, Box or Torus. Note that the preview in the viewport shows the maximum volume that the rendered effect will occupy. Often, the rendered effect will be smaller than the preview owing to the nature of the fractal noise that is applied during rendering.

Radius [0..+∞m]

Radius defines the size of the puffs. Their exact meaning depends on the shape of the puff.

Use Hemisphere

Activates the Hemisphere function.

Hemisphere [0..100%]

The Hemisphere parameters are only available when Type is set to Sphere.

If you have chosen a spherical shape for the puffs and you don’t want to use a whole sphere, enable the Use Hemisphere option and type the percentage of the sphere that you want removed into the Hemisphere box.

Use Particle TM

If you enable this option, PyroCluster will use the particle’s transformation matrix to calculate the rotation of any puff or atmospheric effect.

For this function to work, the particles must be rotating, i.e., have a non-zero Rotation value on the emitter’s Particle page.

Use Auto Rotation

Here, all information is based on the velocity vector only. A particle spinning in one place (no movement) will still result in a static, spherical puff. To match the PyroCluster puffs to the particle movement or rotation or both, ensure that the particles truly move through space. Rotation without movement makes no sense for cloud systems.

If you enable this option PyroCluster will analyze every particle and the velocity vector of every particle. The puffs will acquire the rotational change of every single particle in the attached particle system.

Rotation [XYZ ]

You can rotate puffs about any axis.

Rotation X = –90

Rotation Y = 90

Rotation Z = 90

These input boxes enable you to rotate puffs about any axis. If you are using spherical shapes for puffs, rotation will make no difference to them.

Scale [XYZ ]

These input boxes enable you to scale puffs along any axis. A value of 1 represents the normal size without any scaling applied to it.

Tip: Animate each of the scale values to create dramatic moving clouds.

Scaling along the X axis

Scaling along the Z axis

Scaling along the Y axis

Velocity Scale [XYZ ]

This option will stretch puffs in relation to their velocities. For example, a starship going into warp drive might visibly stretch just before it disappears into hyperspace.