Particle system for TankWars prototype

Rigging
1

I have to make a prototype video for a TankWars remake, but I’m not sure how.

The goal of the game is pretty much the same but I’d like to show how a 2D
particle system would enhance the gameplay, where every pixel on screen
would be a particle driven by physics.
Shell impacts would spray the sand all over the place, splash lava from lava
pools, send shockwaves through the landscape and so on.

Full interactivity is the goal, like in these “powder games”:
http://chir.ag/stuff/sand/

So, I’m seeking advice on what kind of a particle system I could use to make
a pre-vis video of the stuff.

I guess the requirements are something like this:

  • 2D constrained.
  • Able to handle 1280x360 particles.
  • Inter-particle collisions, attraction.
  • Outside forces, like explosions, can affect the system.

Offline/realtime, doesn’t matter that much.

Thanks. :slight_smile:

2

you could probably do this by simply animating attractors/winds on a super spray or something… for previs at least.

particle flow could be used to script sexier things like shockwaves

3

If it could be done offline, I would definitely use Pflow.

4

as far as making it look like those “Powder” games, it looks like even an extremely simple Spray would work.
check out this tutorial, its old, but its still valid: 3DLuVr.com

5

SSpray doesn’t seem to handle particle stacking. They push each other
around, but gravity forces them into a one particle high line. :
PFlow doesn’t have interparticle collisions at all.
(I might do something wrong however…)

But this approach might not be a viable option as constant collisions on this
scale might be way too slow to work with.

GPU Gems has a GPU friendly cell based solution. I wonder if it got implemented in a
game/app.

As I was researching, I found two very interesting realtime application:

PowderToy:
Very well done simulator. The retarded “MEGAEXPLOSIONOMG!!1” kind of
youtube videos make no justice to this great software. It can simulate much
more than some sand and gunpowder: nuclear fission, electricity…

Official site: http://powder.unaligned.org/ (Not available for some
reason.)
Random forum: http://www.facepunch.com/showthread.php?t=676617
Download: I guess from the official site, but while its down, try this link:
http://www.sparkingspot.com/temp/PowderToy.zip

OECake:
Another fun simulator. It has rigid bodies, and a way to mix different
materials.
Its development had stopped, so you have to go underground to get it.

I might end up using these simulators to make my video… dunno. I keep
looking.