A Houdini VEX sim, the goal of which was to create believable fish movement. While the final result is currently a still, the system was built out for a future project focusing on their motion. For artistic flexibility in the still, a flow map can also be used to direct fish orientation.
The sim runs in real time and is sped up in the video above. It takes into account individual fish as they decide whether to swim with their neighbors, away from them, or down a level. The fish's current and previous position is stored on points and then used to deform each fish.
The image below is a quick model that didn't need to hold up under close observation, the plan for the final animated render will be a procedurally modeled Koi.
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©Daunish Irani 2024