by Didik Wijaya
This tutorial needs you to understand basic use of 3dsmax.

At last, this is the last installment of Desert Chase tutorial. Now, we are going to create sand burst pillar effect. Whenever a bullet hitting the sand, ground, water or any other soft surface, there are always bursting effect. A little bit of sand thrown to the air creating a sand pillar. Like tutorial in previous part, this effect is also created using Particle Flow.

1. If you have followed previous Desert Chase Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 tutorial, you can continue to this tutorial. If not, it's okay. You can download finished part 3 file (72kb, zipped, 3dsmax 8 format) and material (25kb, zipped, jpg) here. Let's begin by go to Command Panel. With Create tab opened, click Space Warps button. Choose Deflectors from drop-down list and then click UDeflector. Click and drag anywhere in Top viewport to create UDeflector icon. Any size or location is okay. While UDeflector is selected, click Modify tab in Command Panel. Click Pick Object button under Basic Parameters rollout, click large plane on viewport ('Ground' object). Deflector usually is used to detect collision in Particle Flow and UDeflector is unique deflector type which can use other object as deflector. In this case, 'Ground' object..

2. Open Particle View window (press '6' in keyboard). From bottom pane, click and drag Collision Spawn operator into Event 01. Add this operator at the most bottom row. What this operator used for? You will find out later.

3. In Collision Spawn rollout, click By List Button and choose UDeflector01. Next, make sure Delete Parent and Restart Particle Age is active. Don't forget to set Inherited speed of spawned particle to 0.0%

4. In Particle View window, drag Shape Instance operator. Place it outside Event 01. Automaticly Event 02 created with Display operator included. Select Shape Instance row in Event 02. In right rollout, click button under Particle Geometry Object. Press 'H' in keyboard to open Select Objects window, and choose 'SandBurst' object. Click Pick button. 'SandBurst' is an object I provided to create sand burst effect. This object has 10 frame animation created using 2 cylinder and animated keyframe by keyframe. This object also has a material applied using Unwrap UVW. After you picked this object, don't forget to activate Animated Shape and Animation Offset Keying Sync By: Particle Age. This two options are used to make each sand burst has its own animation. Also connect Collision Spawn operator in Event 01 to Event 02.

5. Select Display row in Event 02. Change particle display type to Geometry. Now, scrub slider and watch how sand burst pillar is created each time a bullet hitting ground.

6. This is an explanation on how sand burst pillar is created. When bullet or particle hitting the ground, Collision Spawn operator create new particle and delete old particle (bullet). Shape Instance operator change each new particle into 'SandBurst' object. Isn't that simple? The image below shows rendered final image. Render your own animation. It rocks!

7. Desert Chase Part 4 finished file is available here (74kb, zipped, 3dsmax 8 format).

Any question or comments regarding this tutorial should be sent to:
Didik Wijaya, email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

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