STYLISED SMOKE
For "The Last Shanty" I have created various Stylised VFX to make the environment feel alive and interactive
one of them being a Stylised Smoke
Smoke and the Mesh
Mesh for the Smoke
Shader for Smoke
To create this smoke effect I first started by creating the static mesh in a cloud like shape to match the stylisation for our project. The next thing I did was reuse the distortion function I have created and used earlier to get erosion working. Then I have made I made a dynamic erosion parameter which allowed me to control it inside of the Niagara system which let me get a nice eroding effect as if the smoke is dying off over time.
Smoke and the Mesh
Smoke Niagara System
Smoke Exposed User Params
For the Smokes Niagara system I initially randomly rotate the mesh which makes each smoke particle randomised and unrepetitive. Next my adding velocity in cone I can get that burst like feel, adding curl noise also helped me break up repetition and break the direction that smoke moves in. To create that erosion effect I have used the dynamic parameter I exposed and put it on a curve from 1 to 0. 1 being full shape and 0 fully eroded shape, this made the effect of smoke dispersing over time. Also to help with art direction and to randomise a little each smoke system I exposed all important parameters like the radius and amount of erosion.