PHYSICS FOR ANIMATION

SECOND TERM EXAM

Integrantes:
- Stephanie Gabriela Rodríguez Medina
- Ana Carolina Tec Reyes
- Dulce Mariana Wilson López

Teacher: Cristóbal Martínez García

Date: 04/12/2024

Link to the presentation:

https://www.canva.com/design/DAGYWrORZrk/Gj6FMOU6eRe5Qg7dS5Dfn
w/view?utm_content=DAGYWrORZrk&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_me
dium=link&utm_source=editor
For this final destruction project inspired by the anime Evangelion, the team consists of three
members: Ana Tec, Stephanie Rodriguez, and Dulce Wilson, students of Animation
Engineering currently taking the course Applied Physics in Animation II.

Recapping the concept. We chose to create an apocalyptic scene where the angel Sachiel is
in a ruined city, walking and finding the last standing house. This house is very significant as
it represents the last sign of humanity. Sachiel, without wasting time, destroys this oriental
wooden house with his laser, suggesting the angels’ current triumph.

Not everything went as planned; some things had to be added, and other ideas discarded to
make this project possible. But without a doubt, every step, setback, and success in the
process gave us a lot of learning that we will use in the future, as each of us dedicated much
love and time to this project. Next, we will explain our process in more detail.

Scene Composition

We started by organizing the project into different scenes to improve the performance of our
computers. For this, we searched for low-polygon assets that maintained aesthetic quality
and arranged them in our scene. Multiple lighting and composition tests were also conducted
to achieve the final result.
Sachiel model from sketchab:
https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/sachiel-evangelion-3d-model-free-1c4e31e806ca494e82f4
1c95d4d13ebd

When we attempted to animate our main character, Sachiel, we encountered our first
obstacle:
This was resolved thanks to this tutorial, which explains it very well:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9d6YEy3LPg&ab_channel=BlenderOK. There was an
issue with the texture that prevented the model from being uploaded to Mixamo, so we had
to add the animations without the texture and apply it afterward.

To have a more customized animation, we

used animation strips to add frames to the
prefabricated Mixamo animation and achieve
better control over its movements.

As the final step for this scene, the cameras

were positioned to add dynamism to the scene.
For the final shot, we used an effect called Dolly Zoom, where we reduced the focal length
while moving closer to the character's face. This was accompanied by motion blur, which
added more intensity to the effect.

Explosion

For our explosion, after analyzing the behavior of explosions in the previous assignment and
deciding on the shape we wanted, we referred to the video The Art of Directing Explosions
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZsMf1jQNzek&ab_channel=Houdini). We practiced to
find a way to achieve a result closer to our original concept.

We experimented with different emitters and values to achieve various outcomes. The main
values we used were:
The explosion we selected was the one on the far right, as we felt it had the most dynamism.
To texture it, we decided to bake the simulation and import its OpenVDB to streamline the
workflow.
For the texture, we used various attributes to highlight the areas we wanted to stand out,
focusing on values like density and temperature. These were accompanied by a noise
element since we were working with an OpenVDB file.

Laser

After evaluating our previous idea of creating the laser with a cylinder, we decided it
was not the best option aesthetically or functionally. Leveraging the knowledge
gained in class, we opted to use Geometry Nodes, recognizing the variety of effects
and shapes we could create, as well as the impactful results they could achieve.

We began by creating multiple Curve Spirals, choosing the "Spheric" type as it

provided the shape we aimed for. We selected different measurements for the X and
Y axes to introduce variety, while keeping the Z-axis consistent so that all origins and
endpoints aligned at the same coordinates.

Next, we created an equal number of Plain Axes. For each one, we went to
"Constraints" and used the "Follow Path" tool to attach them to the corresponding
curves we had created. Finally, to animate them, we clicked "Animate Path," as we
wanted each axis to follow its respective path.
However, there was a possibility that not all Plain Axes would move at the same
speed along their respective Curve Spirals. To address this timing issue, we selected
each curve and went to "Data," where "Path Animation" is located. There, we
adjusted the "Frames" setting, which controls the duration of each path traversal.
This option was especially useful when making the laser move faster.

Once the paths were ready, we created a Plane and added a Geometry Node to start
working on the particles and the trail, as we were already familiar with this method.
We began with the particles. Before proceeding, it was essential to add an Object
Info node and a Plain Axes so that the particles would follow it regardless of the
plane’s position.
Una vez creadas las partículas, se duplicó el “Geometry Nodes” para quitar y
agregar diferentes nodos con el fin de crear el Trail.

With the particles and trail created, we duplicated the Geometry Nodes for each
curve. For each duplicate, we added a different Plain Axes in the Object Info node to
ensure that not all particles followed the same target. This approach allowed us to
save time effectively.
Finally, we created the textures for the particles and the trail, focusing particularly on
the main elements. Unlike the others, which are red, the main ones were given an
orange color to make them stand out.

Shockwave

Now, let me tell you a bit about how we created the Shadoweave effect. The first
step was to ensure the Add-on was activated. Since it may not be included in
Blender by default, it was necessary to download and install it.
Once activated, a "Shockwave" tab appeared in the right-hand panel. We clicked on
it, which opened a menu where we could adjust and experiment with the shapes and
colors of the shockwave.

With this, we worked on the forces and the particle emitter, using a smaller circle as
the base.

To complete and enhance the effect, we duplicated the emitter and enlarged it,
achieving a more realistic and visually appealing result.
Cell Fracture

Thanks to the feedback we received during our second presentation, we realized that
fracturing a concrete house is not the same as fracturing an oriental wooden house, as the
latter reacts differently to impact. It wasn’t easy—there was little information available, and
the process was very time-consuming since each piece of wood had to be individually cut.
Now imagine having to break an entire house! To achieve the best result, we decided to use
the RBD Lab add-on, which significantly streamlined the process. Let me explain how we
integrated it into the project in more detail.

For everything to work properly, we needed to select a simpler house model and recreate its
components, as cell fracture works better with simple meshes. We separated the house into
individual parts, making the roof a collection of distinct pieces.

Let me walk you through what we did with some objects since the process followed the
same logic. First, we needed the fractured pieces to be elongated, resembling wood. We
began by performing a standard scatter on the geometry to determine the distribution of the
pieces. Once we were satisfied with the quantity, size, and arrangement, we proceeded to
fracture the piece, reducing the Z value to achieve the desired elongation. We worked within
a range of 0.02 to 0.05. All the generated pieces were saved in a dedicated collection to
maintain organization.
With all the pieces selected, we added physics properties. One key aspect was choosing the
type of mass—in this case, we worked with wood. We kept the shape as a convex hull since
it is the simplest and most accurate contour, helping to prevent the mesh from colliding with
other pieces and creating unwanted effects. Finally, we adjusted the friction settings for the
wood and tested the physics to ensure everything was working correctly.

The simulation started several frames later, so to prevent the pieces from falling prematurely
due to gravity, we used constraints to hold everything together like a type of glue. It was
essential to select the "breakable" option; without it, the pieces wouldn’t break at the right
moment. For the strength, we maintained values between 3 and 10, as we wanted the glue
to act like a Post-it note—holding the pieces in place until the impact occurred.

To make the effect more realistic, we ensured some wooden pieces remained on the ground,
leaving traces of the house's foundation. These selected pieces were assigned passive
physics.
All parts followed the same logic. With all the fractures completed and a proper floor set up,
we simulated the explosion. To optimize the process, spheres acted as the fire’s source. We
added various geometries with active physics across different parts of the house, aligning
them with the planned fire’s shape. These were animated to create a rapid expansion, and
we let the physics simulation handle the rest.

Once the primary simulation was complete, we moved on to final details. Initially, we
considered adding dust and debris in post-production, but using the add-on, we found it
better to handle this directly in Blender. A crucial step before proceeding was baking
everything.

We selected the pieces we wanted to emit debris and positioned ourselves at the exact
frame of the explosion. Debris was added using the "broken" option to ensure the pieces
scattered and exploded dynamically. We adjusted the size and quantity, and for added
realism, we created a collection of splinter models and assigned the emitter to use these
shapes. For the dust, the process was similar, except we skipped the collection and focused
on adjusting the size to differentiate it from small debris. Finally, we baked the simulation.
Lastly, but just as importantly, we added textures. First, we textured the intact house pieces
since they appeared in the initial frames before transitioning into the simulation. Texturing the
fractured pieces was more challenging due to the difficulty of managing UVs. To simplify, we
used materials that didn’t require UVs. Each piece was assigned a material for both its
exterior and interior.
Challenges

One of the main challenges was figuring out how to cut wood for the cell fracture.
With limited information available online and our lack of experience, it took us a long
time to decide which method to use and even whether we wanted to use wood as a
material. Additionally, setting up the physics for the entire house and ensuring that
none of the pieces collided or exploded prematurely took significant time and effort,
as well as a toll on system performance.

Texturing the fractured pieces was another considerable challenge, but we are
satisfied with the effective solution we found.

However, our greatest challenge by far was handling the Blender files generated by
the physics simulations. Due to their large file size, our computers struggled to
process them efficiently, causing frequent crashes and slowdowns in the workflow.
Additionally, the time required to export the simulations was significantly long,
directly affecting our productivity and costing us valuable time during the production
stage.

Render

The scenes featuring Sachiel were rendered in Eevee, as the fog looked better in
this engine and the beauty of the laser was not compromised. This choice also
helped improve the performance of our computers.

For the explosion scene, we used Cycles. Although it was the heaviest and most
time-consuming scene, we prioritized image quality and the intricate details offered
by this rendering option, given the complexity of the scene. To speed up the process,
we enabled denoise and exported the results in EXR format.