Post 13/30: VFX tutorial for Blender – Creating Fire with the Smoke Simulation

 

Goal:

Learn to create realistic fire using Blender’s smoke simulation tools.

What You'll Need:

• Blender (latest version recommended)
• Basic knowledge of Blender navigation and object manipulation

---

Step-by-Step Tutorial

Step 1: Set Up Your Scene

1. Open Blender: Start with a new project.
2. Delete the Default Cube:
• Select the cube and press X to delete it.

Step 2: Create a Domain for the Smoke Simulation

1. Add a Cube:
• Press Shift + A > Mesh > Cube.
• This cube will act as the domain for your smoke simulation.
2. Scale the Cube:
• Press S to scale it up, making it larger than the area where you want the fire to be.

Step 3: Set Up the Smoke Domain

1. Select the Cube (Domain):
• Go to the Physics Properties tab (the bouncing ball icon).
2. Add Smoke Simulation:
• Click on Fluid, then set Type to Domain.
• Under the Domain Type, select Gas.

Step 4: Create the Fire Source

1. Add a New Object for Fire:
• Press Shift + A > Mesh > UV Sphere.
• Scale it down to fit inside the smoke domain.
2. Position the Sphere:
• Move the sphere to the bottom of the cube (Z-axis).

Step 5: Configure the Fire Source

1. Select the Sphere:
• In the Physics Properties, click on Fluid and set Type to Flow.
• Under Flow Type, choose Fire.
2. Flow Behavior:
• Set the Flow Behavior to Inflow.
• Adjust the Flow Rate (start with around 1).

Step 6: Adjust Smoke Simulation Settings

1. Select the Domain Cube:
• In the Fluid settings, look for Cache.
• Set the cache type to All and specify the frame range (e.g., start at frame 1 and end at frame 250).
2. Adjust Smoke Settings:
• Under Smoke, you can tweak settings like density, temperature, and vorticity to refine the look of the fire.

Step 7: Bake the Simulation

1. Bake the Simulation:
• Go to the Cache section and click on Bake.
• This process may take a few moments depending on your settings and computer speed.

Step 8: Lighting and Material Setup

1. Add a Material to the Fire:
• Select the sphere (fire source).
• Go to the Material Properties tab and click New.
• Use a simple Emission shader for the fire. Set a bright color (like orange or yellow).
2. Adjust Lighting:
• You may want to add a light source (Shift + A > Light > Point) and position it near the fire to enhance the effect.

Step 9: Camera Setup

1. Add a Camera:
• Press Shift + A > Camera.
• Position the camera to frame the fire effect.
2. Set Camera View:
• Press 0 on the numpad to view through the camera.

Step 10: Rendering the Animation

1. Set Up Render Settings:
• Go to the Output Properties tab (the printer icon).
• Choose your resolution and output format (e.g., PNG or FFmpeg for video).
2. Render the Animation:
• Go to the top menu and select Render > Render Animation.

Step 11: Save Your Work

1. Export Your Animation:
• Once rendering is complete, navigate to your output directory to find the rendered frames or video.
2. Save Your Blender File:
• Go to File > Save As and save your project.

---

Shareable Visual:

You now have a fire simulation! Capture a still image or a short video of the fire effect and share it on social media or with your peers.

---

Tips:

• Experiment with different settings in the smoke simulation to see how they affect the fire’s appearance.
• Try adjusting the colors and strength of the emission shader to create different fire effects.

By the end of this session, you should feel more comfortable using Blender's smoke simulation tools, paving the way for more advanced effects in the coming days! Happy blending!

 

Source:
ChatGPT