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Tutorials....57

Gradient Animation..... 57 Keyframe Animation.... 61

Index....67

PYROCLUSTER

INTRODUCTION 1

Introduction
From fire to water, from hot rocks to cool mists, PyroCluster puts you in control of countless volume effects that will add realism to your stills and your animations.
PyroCluster is a module for CINEMA 4D that provides a powerful toolset for creating such effects as realistic clouds, haze, fire and smoke. With PyroCluster, in a single module you have literally an unlimited number of volume effects. PyroCluster effects are real 3D effects that will work with any CINEMA 4D-compatible particle system. Spectacular PyroCluster effects can be combined with, for example, the powerful animation features of the optional Thinking Particles module.
PyroCluster is fully compatible with the optional Thinking Particles module; see your Thinking Particles manual for an example of how to combine these two particle modules. For more information on Thinking Particles, please contact your local MAXON dealer or visit www.maxon.net.
All effects are based on particles; each particle becomes a puff and is rendered as a real volumetric effect. A particles color can be determined by its age and a gradient controller. This makes it easy, for example, to create white smoke at the beginning and a dark oily smoke at the end of the particles life span.
An unlimited number of spectacular volume effects are possible with PyroCluster, including (but not limited to) vapory effects, solid rock effects and pyroclastic effects.
To guarantee a flawless integration into CINEMA 4D, many new programming techniques have been developed. One of the amazing new technologies, developed exclusively for the CINEMA 4D PyroCluster module, is the centralized atmospheric tracer engine. This technology makes it possible to mix multiple volumetric effects in a scene. Volume lights and PyroCluster effects will automatically combine correctly, even casting volumetric shadows indeed, PyroCluster supports shadow casting with any light source.

Registration

Registering your PyroCluster module is extremely important. The serial number included with your PyroCluster package is temporary and it will expire three months after the modules installation. To receive your final serial number, you must register. So please fill in and return the registration form at the earliest opportunity. Registering your PyroCluster module will also entitle you to technical support via telephone, fax and email. By checking the appropriate box on the registration form, MAXON will keep you informed of the latest product information and updates. You can also register online at register.maxon.net.

2 INTRODUCTION

Installation
To install PyroCluster, run the installation program and follow the on-screen instructions. The installation program will create a PyroCluster folder in your CINEMA 4D Modules folder. The installation program will place all the CINEMA 4D PyroCluster files into this PyroCluster folder.

Training

Training is available for PyroCluster and other MAXON products. For details, please contact MAXON or your local MAXON distributor.

Web Resources

Thousands of powerful resources are available on the web, including online tutorials, discussion lists, textures, models, galleries and information on 3D books. You will find links to a rich selection of these sites at www.maxon.net. One website that you may wish to bookmark is www.plugincafe.com, the home of CINEMA 4D plugins. Here you will find dozens of useful plugins, both free and commercial. For plugin developers, there are resources, including the SDK, tutorials and a free support forum. Lastly, there is the MAXON website itself, www.maxon.net. In addition to the links mentioned above, it is from here that you can register your MAXON product, download updates, send MAXON a suggestion, check out the gallery, learn from online tutorials and much more.

Technical Support

Your local MAXON distributor will be delighted to assist you with your technical queries for PyroCluster. You are also welcome to contact MAXON directly. Please note that you will be entitled to technical support provided you have registered your PyroCluster module (see Registration, above).

1 Reference

REFERENCE 5

Overview

Driven by a high quality, volumetric render engine, PyroCluster enables you to produce truly spectacular realistic effects.
Volumetric effects are among the most spectacular of all 3D effects, especially when animated. PyroCluster can not only be used to create regular volumetric effects such as smoke and haze, but it is also perfect for fiery or solid liquid effects. The name PyroCluster is borrowed from a natural phenomenon called a pyroclastic cloud. Pyroclastic clouds, a mixture of superheated gases and small dust particles, are often the cause of an erupting volcano and they may end up killing more people than the actual eruption. A seriously powerful phenomenon, and PyroCluster is a seriously powerful addition to your 3D toolkit. PyroCluster works in conjunction with particle systems by adding a procedural volume around each particle. Particles can be generated using CINEMA 4Ds default particle system, the optional Thinking Particles module or any other particle system that is compatible, and the particles can be manipulated using any of the controls for that system, including such forces as gravity, wind, friction and collision.

6 REFERENCE

PyroCluster employs a unique interface that utilizes gradients to control the effect. Gradients control the color, age, scale animation and variation of each PyroCluster volume. By simply sliding or editing color boxes you can change the PyroCluster effect dramatically. Presets for fire, smoke, clouds, steam and volcanic ash can be used as is, or edited further to achieve the look you desire.

REFERENCE 13

Trans. Limit settings
The Trans. Limit settings are available only when Render Mode is set to User. See also How are PyroCluster effects created? earlier in this chapter.
These parameters offer another way to speed up render times. They determine the cut-off value for the Volume Tracer engine. Usually the volume is traced deeply until the transparency of a point is 0, i.e. it is 100% opaque. However, most of the time you wont see any change in the result if the Volume Tracer stops some way before this 100% opaque cut-off value. Numbers between 1% and 10% are normally fine and help greatly in speeding up render time. RayTrans. Correction
RayTrans. Correction enabled (left) and disabled (right).
As explained in the previous section, if you increase the transparency cut-off value used by the Volume Tracer (the Ray Trans. Limit value) you gain render speed. However, some artefacts may appear when using Ray Trans. Limit to the extreme. In these cases you should enable the RayTrans. Correction, which will attempt to correct these problems see the images above. Disabling RayTrans. Correction means that the volume effects will render more transparently as you increase the Ray Trans. Limit This happens because the rays traveling into the volume are stopped before they become 100% opaque. PyroCluster uses the transparency value as it is set in the Limit box. To prevent this, enable the RayTrans. Correction parameter.

14 REFERENCE

Volume Light
Volume light with Shadow Color Filter turned on (left) and with an inverted light effect (right).
By default, PyroCluster supports volume light effects. You may use any CINEMA 4D light and effect to illuminate PyroCluster atmospherics, including Inverse Volumetric lights. To obtain colored volume light shadows, enable the Shadow Color Filter option on the Shadow page for PyroCluster.

REFERENCE 15

Gradients
Understanding how the gradients work is key to getting the most out of PyroCluster.
Certain parts of PyroCluster, such as age and distance effects, can be controlled via gradients; an example of a gradient can be seen to the right of Color, above. Gradients work the same way in all parts of PyroCluster.

The power of life and death
Animating the size of the cloud or smoke is a straightforward task. On the Globals page of the PyroCluster shader, you can set the radius of the particle when its born this will be the radius of the smoke puff rendered in place of every particle at the start of its life. On the Age page you can then set the radius of the particle when it dies. PyroCluster will interpolate between these values (birth and death radius) over the lifetime of the particle. The speed or depth of this interpolation is controlled by the Color Mix gradient that is defined on the Age page of the PyroCluster shader.

REFERENCE 19

Animating colors
To control the particle radius by age (so that older particles grow larger, say) is a straightforward concept, but what about changing the color of each particle over time? At first glance, the color gradients in PyroCluster can be a little daunting, so well give an overview here. See the relevant descriptions of the various options for more detail. The Color gradient on the Globals page controls the particle color and the Color gradient on the Age page controls the color change over the particles lifetime. So, when Age effects are enabled, the color of the particle at any time is taken from the Age Color gradient and mixed with the color defined by the Color gradient on the Globals page. The color mix between these two colors is controlled by the Color Mix gradient on the Age page. Lets take a look at an example Age Color gradient, below.
An example of the Color gradient on the Age page. Frame 0 Frame 50 Frame 100
This Age Color gradient assumes a particle system with a particle life of 100 frames and with all of the particles born at frame zero. After 100 frames the particles die. If, on the other hand, the particle life had been set to 60 the right-hand edge of the gradient would define the particle color at frame 60.
Usually, particle life varies for each particle (set using a lifetime variation parameter in the emitter) which is why you cant always know the exact frame numbers in a gradientthey change with every particle.
In the example above, the newly-born particle is colored yellow at frame 0, then between frames 0 and 50 it gradually becomes red; finally, at frame 100, the particle dies with a blue color. This example assumes a changing Age Color with no global color mixed in. The color gradient you set on the Globals page of the PyroCluster shader acts as a base color that can be mixed with the Age Color. The mixture between the Globals Color and the color calculated as the particle ages is controlled by the Color Mix gradient on the Age page. A plain white in the Color Mix gradient will not mix and of the global color at that particular position on the gradient (i.e. at that age of the puff or particle). Increasing shades of gray will mix in more of the Globals Color. You can easily use the Mix gradient to make clouds flicker or pulse like burning oil.

20 REFERENCE

Here is an example of using the color mix feature. First, lets assume that you have defined a gradient for Color on the Globals page, as shown below. So each puff consists of a yellow core, turning through red to blue at its edge.
The gradient controls the base color of the particle cloud.
Youve then created a gradient for Color on the Age page that looks like the gradient in the second picture below: red at the particles birth, turning green as the particle dies. The following results would be rendered for a Color Mix gradient that started at white, turned gray in the middle and ended at black. Red is mixed in at birth, turning the whole particle red. As the particle ages, dark yellow is mixed in, allowing the yellow core to show through. Then darker colors predominate as the particle dies. The particle is also becoming more transparent as it dies out because of the Alpha set on the Age page.
The Color gradient on the Globals page, set up to give each particle a yellow core, spreading out to red and then blue at its edges; the gradient has three knots (yellow, red, blue from left to right). No Age effect has yet been added.

REFERENCE 21

Mix in some red, turning to green over time, with mixing mainly happening towards the end of the particles life. The Age pages Color gradient has two knots (red at the left, green at the right) and the Color Mix gradient goes from white to black.
Finally, add some transparency as the particle dies by defining, on the Age page, an alpha gradient for the Color that goes from white to black. Enable Edit Alpha to edit the alpha gradient.

22 REFERENCE

Settings for the PyroCluster Shader
You create a PyroCluster shader in the Material manager. You can edit the shaders settings in the Attribute manager or in the Material Editor.
You can use all of PyroClusters effects together. However the result may not always be what you would expect. Depending on the settings, for example, the Distance effects may carry more weight than the Age effects. Keep in mind that some parameters also affect the fractal look of the rendered atmospheric effect. Always be prepared to experiment!

24 REFERENCE

Volume
The Volume value controls how accurately a ray is sub-sampled within the PyroCluster volume.
When using high World Step Size values, keep Volume at its default value of 100%
Volume controls how accurately a ray is sub-sampled in the PyroCluster volume; it determines how far a ray penetrates into the volume and thus how many points are sampled. A Volume of 50% would consider only half of the points in a volume when creating the fractal noise. Lower values for Volume result in a faster calculation but give an uglier, more blocky look to the smoke or cloud effect. Volume is one of the most critical parameters in PyroCluster; it has a great impact on the look of the effect and the render speed. Luminosity
Particles with Luminosity set to 0% (left) and 100% (right).
When, and how strongly, this additive calculation should occur is set using the Luminosity gradients on the other pages of the PyroCluster settings.
Usually PyroCluster uses a weighted calculation algorithm to add the atmospheric effects to the scene. The particular calculation used means that, in general, dense clouds are rendered darker and more opaque than think clouds. This Luminosity setting gives you control over the amount of additive pixel calculation, expressed as a percentage of the total effect. This is the opposite of weighted pixel blending because, in this case, as you increase the Luminosity value more particles in an area result in a brighter overall appearance. As you increase the value to 100%, Luminosity smoothly turns the calculation into an additive pixel color blend; pixel intensities will be added and you will get bright areas instead of dark ones in the cloud.

REFERENCE 25

Density
To obtain dark smoke effects, increase this value.
This value controls the overall transparency of the atmospheric effect. A value of 0 means that every single puff will be 100% transparent. Higher values will make the volumetric effect more dense. Keep in mind that low density values may have a huge impact on render time. The puffs density is calculated according to several aspects of the effect. Each particle in the particle system generates a puff and each puff adds to the opacity of the overall effect. You can imagine the Density value as a global transparency controller for the puffs. However, keep in mind that when you have just 100 particles with a high density, say 50%, you may well be able to see through this cloud. Increasing the particle count, while keeping them in the same-sized volume, would result in a denser cloud. Color

World Radius mode uses a non-normalized color gradient and the Min and Max values represent the radius measured in World coordinates. For example, suppose the puffs have a radius of 50, the Max value is set to 25 and the color gradient is yellow to blue: only the right-hand side color of the gradient (blue, in this case) will be used to draw the puffs at distances more than 25 units from the center. Density, Min, Max
Density gradients with Max set to 200 (left) and 80 (right), again using the gradient defined in the Flat Radius example above.
Use the Density mode to draw the puffs based on the individual density values of each point in the volume. The left-hand color in the color gradient is used for areas of minimum (Min) density; the right-hand color of the gradient is used for the areas of maximum (Max) density.

28 REFERENCE

Use Intersection, Ray Bias
A wooden box filled with smoke, with Use Intersection disabled (left) and enabled (right). The enabled option keeps the smoke in the box.
Intersection tests are normally used to detect collisions in dynamic simulations. However, intersection testing also helps to constrain gas or smoke, so enable this option if you want to, for example, send a gas stream through a pipe. As you might expect, intersections can take quite some time to calculate for gaseous objects and a fast processor is recommended. The Ray Bias value enables you to move the intersection point along the intersection ray to fine-tune the result. A value of 0 represents the originally calculated point of intersection; higher values will move the point away from there. Settings
Six of the most commonly used effects are available as presets on the Settings drop-down list.

Cloud.

Fireball.

Smoke.

Steam.

Volcano.

Here youll find six common set-ups for PyroCluster; select one of these presets and fine-tune it to create the effect youre looking for. The User entry will be automatically selected when you edit a preset.

REFERENCE 29

REFERENCE 33

Cylindrical Distance page
These settings are almost identical to those on the Distance page. To switch on the cylindrical effect, enable the Use Cyl.Distance Effects option.
If you want to preview puffs while making changes to parameters, enable the Preview option on the Shape page.
With these settings, two invisible concentric cylinders are notionally positioned on top of the emitter, facing in the direction that particles are being emitted. Puffs in the cavity between the inner and outer cylinders may have their color, radius and luminosity adjusted according to how far away they are from the inner cylinder. This enables you to create effects that are more or less cylindrical in shape, such as smoke forming around a column of fire. This is contrast to the sphere used on the Distance page. Use Cyl. Distance Effects If you want puffs that are in the cavity to change in color, radius or luminosity depending on how far away they are from the inner cylinder wall, enable this option and set the parameters on this page as desired. Emitter Direction Set this option to the direction in which the emitter emits particles. Near Range, Far Range
The cylindrical cavity inside which distance effects take place is defined by the Near Range and Far Range values.
These two values define the size of the cylindrical cavity in which puffs will be influenced. Puffs in this cavity may have their color, radius and luminosity adjusted using the gradients on this page. If you want the gradients to control puffs the moment they are emitted, set Near Range to 0.

34 REFERENCE

These gradients control the radius and luminosity of puffs depending on their distance from the inner cylinder wall. The left edge of the gradient represents the Near Range value, the right edge represents the Far Range value. A white color on the gradient means the puffs will stay the same size or luminosity. A black color means zero radius or no luminosity, while gray values are intermediate values. Color Mix, Color

REFERENCE 35

Shape page
PyroCluster puffs dont have to be spherical. They can also be cylindrical, cuboid or shaped like donuts.
Puffs may have one of four shapes: Sphere, Cylinder, Box or Torus The shape you choose will have a significant effect on the rendered result, as demonstrated here.
Spherical volume in viewport and rendered.
Cylindrical volume in viewport and rendered.
Box volume in viewport and rendered.
Torus volume in viewport and 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.

36 REFERENCE

Radius, Radius 2
Radius and Radius 2 define the size of the puffs. Their exact meaning depends on the shape of the puffs.
The Radius 2 parameter is only available when Type is set to Torus.
Radius Radius Radius Radius

Radius 2

Radius

Sphere

Cylinder
These parameters set the maximum size of the puffs. The meaning of the values depends on the shape chosen using the Type drop-down list. The puffs will usually be smaller than this size when rendered because fractal noise is applied during rendering that removes parts of the puffs to literally carve out a realistic, complex shape. Use Hemisphere, Hemisphere
The Hemisphere parameters are only available when Type is set to Sphere.
If you have chosen a spherical shape for the puffs and you dont 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
For this function to work, the particles must be rotating, i.e. have a non-zero Rotation value on the emitters Particle page.
If you enable this option, PyroCluster will use the particles transformation matrix to calculate the rotation of any puff or atmospheric effect. 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.

REFERENCE 37

Rotation
You can rotate puffs about any axis.

Rotate X = -90.

Rotate Y = 90.

Rotate 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
Puffs can be scaled along any axis.
Animate each of the scale values to create dramatic moving clouds.
Scaling along the X-axis.
Scaling along the Y-axis.
Scaling along the Z-axis.
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. Velocity Scale
See also Use Auto Rotation above.
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. Preview, Max. Visible Enable this option if you are previewing the puffs in the viewport while you are making changes to parameters. The Max. Visible value controls the maximum number of puffs previewed on-screen at any one time.

Shininess set to 0% (left), 33% (center) and 100% (right).
If you use very transparent effects, strange highlights may appear due to the volumetric nature of the volume tracer.
The Shininess value controls the amount of glaze on the volumes surface. Increasing the Shininess value will reduce the size of the specular highlights. Strength
Strength set to 0% (left), 33% (center) and 100% (right).
Strength controls the intensity of the specular highlight. Higher values will result in brighter (whiter) specular highlights.

REFERENCE 41

Soften
Soften set to 0% (left), 50% (center) and 100% (right).
This effect will be visible only when using more than one light.
When Strength is high and Shininess is low you might see harsh backlight effects. Increasing the Soften value will smooth out the regions affected. Bump
Bump set to 0% (left), 33% (center) and 100% (right).
The Bump value has the most impact on the overall look of the final effect. Higher values will result in more surface deformation. This value can also be set negative to invert the effect.

42 REFERENCE

Shadow page
PyroCluster effects have a unique range of options to provide control over shadows.
PyroCluster creates 3D volumetric effects using both shadow casting and transparency information. PyroCluster effects can receive shadows, can cast shadows of any color, can have self shadows and shadows that have their own ambience.
PyroCluster puffs can not only receive and cast shadows, but they can also have self shadows of any color and transparency, and even cast colored shadows.

Receive Shadows on.

Receive Shadows off.

Cast Shadows on.

Cast shadows off.

Self Shadows on.

Self Shadows off.

Transparency = 0%.

Transparency = 70%.

Ambient color blue.

Ambient color red.
Shadow Color Filter enabled.

REFERENCE 43

Receive Shadows Enable this option if you want other objects in the scene to be able to cast shadows onto PyroCluster puffs. Cast Shadows Enable this option if you want puffs to cast shadows onto other objects. Self Shadows Enable this option if you want the PyroCluster effect to cast shadows onto itself. Raytraced Samples (see below) create the most realistic effects, but keep in mind that they also take the longest time to render. Transparency Normally the base color for shadows is black. Sometimes, depending on global illumination or other diffuse lighting effects, these shadows may look too dark for your scene. The Transparency value allows you to adjust the intensity of shadows, where 0% is opaque and 100% is completely transparent (i.e. invisible shadows). Ambient

Self Shadow Options disabled (left) and enabled (right) with Bias set to 1.0 and Smp. Range set to 1.0.
A soft shadow map always creates a soft self shadow. Sometimes you may not want this, hence PyroCluster provides control over a volume effects shadow map. Enable Self Shadow Options to make available the Bias and Smp. Range controls. These controls affect self shadows only, i.e. they dont affect cast shadows. Bias Controls the distance between the shadow and the object. Smp. Range Defines the softness of the shadow, from 0 (hardest and quickest to render) to 20 (softest and longest to render).

46 REFERENCE

Noise page
On this page you can create true volumetric noise effects effects that will change as a camera moves through a volume.
Here you can create real 3D volumetric noise effects where the effect will change as you move into the volume. Use Noise This switches the noise engine on and off. Noise Type
Eight noise effects provide plenty of versatility.

Gaseous.

Electric.

Regular.

Fractal.

Turbulence.

fBm Fractal.

fBm Turbulence.

REFERENCE 47

Regularity

Regularity set to 0% (left), 50% (center) and 100% (right).
Regularity controls the feathering of the rendered puffs. By default PyroCluster uses primitive volumes to render the smoke or cloud effect. To remove visible edges, use the Regularity value. A value of 100% will create sharp volume edges while a value of 0% will create feathered volumes. Grow Radius
Grow Radius set to 0% (left) and 100% (right).
Most of the time youll probably want the noise to grow with the volume tiny little wisps just wouldnt do for a huge volcano cloud. Grow Radius controls the amount of scaling used for the effect. A value of 100% means that the noise structure grows at about the same rate as the volume itself. For best results, and for a more turbulent life, use values between 65% and 80%. Scale
Scale set to 50% (left), 200% (center) and 1000% (right).
The Scale value controls the size of the noise pattern. Smaller values result in finer patterns. Experiment with each scene to find the best value for Scale, which could be anything ranging from 0% to 10,000,000%! It just depends on the scene.