Grass in the wind

MattVG · Post by **MattVG** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 2:51 am

I'd like to create a field of grass that ripples in waves in the wind. Has anyone come up with a nice looking technique for this sort of problem? My attempts thus far have been miserable.

heyvern · Post by **heyvern** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 4:36 am

It would be nice to see your attempts so far no matter how miserable. Might give a clue to the precise effect you are looking for.

For instance it could be as simple as a band of changing color sweeping across a field of green that suggests rippling grass. Or is the camera closer requiring individual distinct blades of grass?

One animated film that jumps to mind as an example would be "Spirited Away". As I recall there are a few scenes in that film that have wind blowing across a field of grass that is simplistic but the result is beautiful.

Hmm... I may pop in that DVD and take a look again to see how that might be interpreted for AS.

-vern

MattVG · Post by **MattVG** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 5:28 am

The scene is a tree swaying in the wind with grass below it also swaying in the wind. The camera is close so I'd like each individual blade, but I like your idea of going for a more simplistic approach. I'll go check out Spirited Away and see if I can't come up with a decently simple style that will work.

This is for a screensaver project I'm putting together using Quartz Composer (for those of you who know OS X).

Previous animated version using image warping

Current static version using particles:

human · Post by **human** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 5:29 am

Nice!

Touched · Post by **Touched** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 7:12 am

Tutorial 6.2 has grass waving in the wind very similar to your picture example using particles. Have you seen that?

MattVG · Post by **MattVG** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 1:15 pm

Yes, I have seen and gone through that tutorial but the grass all waves randomly and not as a ripple across the whole particle field. If I can't figure something better out I may just go for that but not until I've exhausted all other options. I'd really like the grass to wave as normal grass does.

Post by **Víctor Paredes** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 3:08 pm

i have two ideas.
maybe if you use several png images and move them with different bone layers it could give a better effect.

the other idea is using bones and particles
here is an example:
http://www.freewebs.com/tazatriste/mohos/grass.anme (right clic, save as)
i made one leaf with their bones, move it and then put it inside a particle layer. i think that using several boned leaves with little differences in their movements, you can get a great effect.

i really like the style so far. and i hope to be useful and see the result soon.

MattVG · Post by **MattVG** » Thu Mar 08, 2007 5:08 am

Selgin, you're a genius! Your example caused a brilliant(or maybe not) idea to pop into my head: I could make rows of particle grass which would each animate slightly offset. Thus, a wave of grass. I shall attempt this at the earliest possible time and return here with my results. Thank you everyone for all the helpful ideas.

Post by **Víctor Paredes** » Thu Mar 08, 2007 12:39 pm

i'm glad to help you.
i don't know if what i said is the same you wrote (my english isn't good), but my idea is put several bone layers of individual grass leaves (each one with different movements) inside a particle layer.