New user…*Particle Mesh Questions

New user…*Particle Mesh Questions

Hi, I'm new to Cheetah 3D and, of course, want to learn it all at once.

I need to create convincing gravel (including edges along railroad ties) and thought perhaps "particle mesh" would be an answer. Has anyone created a tutorial on this feature? I have view the tutorial on "Particle Array", but cannot seem to figure out "Particle Mesh" on my own. When a drag a "stone" into the "Particle Mesh" everything disappears. I'm sure I'm missing the obvious.

Thanks,
Ray
 
Hi and Welcome!
What you need in essence is one stone and one surface mesh (i.e. plane).
Grab Particle Mesh from the Particle menu.
Now drag the surface onto the Mesh: entry field and drag the stone mesh onto the Particle Mesh object in the object bowser. Make propertiy-adjustments in the Particle Mesh like
Type: Surface
Number of particles
Particle order: and
Random seed:

I attached a simple example file that hopefully lets get you started.

Cheers
Frank
 

Attachments

  • ParticleMeshSTones.png
    ParticleMeshSTones.png
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  • ParticleMeshStones.jas.zip
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Frank,

This is a HUGE helps! Thank you.

I was missing the need to drag the "Plane" into the "Particle Mesh" "Properties" field.

I am still missing how to "randomize" the stone size and rotation for each instance. What parameter controls that?

Edit: Aah! Particle Tag is what I'm missing.

Thanks.
 
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Related question:

When I clicked the "Particle Mesh" icon in the "Object Browser" the icon changed. Now I cannot get back to the "Parameters". How do I revert it back? I've tried right clicking, etc.

Thanks.
 
Lots of wording while you just can go back a hundred times if needed. :mrgreen:

Cheers
Frank
 

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Frank, my dear, I don´t give a damn

* I have deleted the posts you consider to be unsuitable.
* Under the circumstances, I will terminate my contributions to this forum.
G´day, mate
 
I didn´t considered anything - especially not as "unsuitable" - as you still can check. :redface: No bad intentions!
Now I´m worried.

Cheers from the Waterkant
Frank
 
Thanks for your help. What, exactly did I do when I double-clicked the Particle Mesh icon?

BTW, I did buy the "Beginner Video" and will view it before asking other dumb questions.

Thanks,
Ray
 
Thanks.

Can I control the "collision" attribute (not sure what it would be called) of a Particle Mesh child object? I realize the stones are overlapping in 3D space. It would be more realistic if they did not.
 
I realize the stones are overlapping in 3D space. It would be more realistic if they did not.
We don´t have colliders in this workflow - you have to simulate it via dynamics; place a particle array of stones above the plane and let it fall to ground:
SimulatedQuarry.jpeg

Cheers
Frank
 
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...place a particle array of stones above the plane and let it fall to ground:

I fired up C3D for the first time in a long while, as I need to do precisely this to create a pile of [non-intersecting] coins. Not having used dynamics before, however, I’m a little unclear as to how exactly to initiate the drop. When you say “let it fall to the ground”, how is that action initiated?

Thanks for any help or insight,

-Steve
 
I’m a little unclear as to how exactly to initiate the drop.

Once you've set up the coin array (double-click on the particle array to make it dynamics compatible) and have assigned the proper rigid body tags, just hit the play button in the timeline and the dynamics will start to animate.
 
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