Research Summary



When satellites and space stations break in orbit, they create dangerous debris fields that stay in orbit. This is an issue because the debris moves extremely quickly, and can damage other satellites and space stations when it collides with them. A current conflict regarding this issue is that Russia's anti-satellite missile testing has created these type of debris fields around earth.

Process Diagram



Object Speeds by a planet with a lot of momentum

Gravity attracts the objects to the planet and vice versa

Object continues to try to move forward, but is pulled down by gravity

The result is a balance of forces pushing the object out and pulling it in, making a circular orbit

Houdini Algorithm



Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

Step 5

Create satellite and planet and texture them

Animate satellite rotating around the planet using keyframes

Fracture the satellite geometry to create pieces of debris

Assign pieces of debris to a particle network, created using the initial positions of the debris

Transfer momentum from satellite Attract particles to the planet to create orbits

Final Renderings



Research Summary



Hematite can form in many different ways since it is a kind of Iron Oxide. The rust colored splotches found on Hematite are due to the iron in the hematite not crystalizing and then rusting. The formation of the bulb like forms we were modeling are formed from layers of solidifying molten iron, in an igneous process.

Houdini Algorithm



Final Renderings



Animation



Research Summary



Lightning is a spark of electricity between clouds, the air, or the ground forming from opposite charges building up in the atmosphere. This is caused by the cold ice crystals in cool air rubbing against warmer water droplets and creating friction that eventually builds up. Lighting heats the surrounding air creating the sound of thunder.

Process Diagram



Houdini Algorithm



Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

Step 5

Final Renderings



Animation



Geode

Forming

The life of a Geode starts humble, as a pocket of air in magma not to deep beneath the earths crust. As the magma begins to cool, minerals get trapped in a gel like state around this air pocket, in regions with amethyst formation, that gel contains a mix of silica and iron. Over time, this mineral gel pools in air pockets and it starts to crystalize. The crystals grow and grow until they seal the walls of the geode, stopping the process. The process of the silica crystalizing arranges the iron into a refracting structure, which gives amethyst its purple glow.

Houdini Algorithm



Sphere

Deform

Gem

Copy to inside

Merge & Cut

Final Renderings

Final Renderings



Research Summary



Schools of fish are coordinated and social at the same time. They travel in schools of 50s and 60s and sometimes in the hundreds. It takes a school 4-6 fish to make it a comfortable school of fish. Fish swim in these schools for a few reasons. most of the time they are swimming in schools to protect themselves from prey and other creatures hunting them. Normally the bigger the school, the less likely they are to be eaten. When a school is larger, it creates a giant blob of shiny things much larger than the -prey and that scares them off.

Process Diagram



Houdini Algorithm



Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

Step 5

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Blender Modeling



Step 4

Final Renderings



Research Summary



An eye agate is an agate that displays round circle markings known as the eyes. Eye agates are rare although, some areas are known for making them. Eye agates are normally found in agate nodules. The "eye" is formed by a cavity and then it expands and creates a gas bubble that was trapped in a solidified lava flow. The reason why the Eye agate is different from geodes is because the gas bubble is formed from the middle outword, That's also why they make perfect circles.

Houdini Algorithm



Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

Step 5

Final Renderings



The End

Research Summary



Bismuth is a crystal with a square latticework. Bismuth crystals form when molten bismuth solidifies to form intriguing stair-shaped crystals. Due to the molecular properties of bismuth, the edges of the crystal grow faster than the center. causing the fractal patterns.

Houdini Algorithm



Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

Final Renderings



Animation



Part 2: Procedural layouts

Houdini Algorithm

Research Summary



An eye agate is an agate that displays round circle markings known as the eyes. Eye agates are rare although, some areas are known for making them. Eye agates are normally found in agate nodules. The "eye" is formed by a cavity and then it expands and creates a gas bubble that was trapped in a solidified lava flow. The reason why the Eye agate is different from geodes is because the gas bubble is formed from the middle outword, That's also why they make perfect circles.

Houdini Algorithm



Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

Step 5

Final Renderings



The End

Research Summary

I started my research looking at fractals in general and then decided to make a fractal structure using L-Systems. L-System or Lindenmayer System was introduced by Aristid Lindenmayer a Hungarian Biologist. The aim of this project was using this method to model the growth of a plant.

Houdini Algorithm



Axiom

Step 2 - 1st Recursion

Step 3 - 2nd Recursion

Many (13) Recursions

Rules Snippet

Premise (Step 1) - FFFA

Rule 1 - A = ! "[B]////[B]////B

Rule 2 - B = &FFFA

F creates segments

A and B are used to create the branches

Animation



Final Rendering

Thank you Ryan and Robert!