Fabricio Chamon Shows How Best to Simulate a Dynamic Chain Using Sphere Collisions and the Bullet Solver.

Houdini is a dynamics powerhouse. Still, with a wide range of tools at your disposal, simulating dynamic elements isn’t always easy. Especially challenging is simulating a dynamic chain. That type of dynamics can bog down your computer with calculations. The interlocking chain links also pose an issue also pose a problem for dynamic systems by merely having such proximity to each other, and calculating those collisions.

FX TD Fabricio Chamon shows a much more efficient way to create and simulate a dynamic chain in Houdini. His technique uses VDB Sphere collisions along with the bullet solver that offers one of the most efficient and stable ways for this type of work. Chamon also covers how to model the chain links procedurally, using curves to build and place the chain freely in the viewport.

Fabricio Chamon has a handful of Houdini tutorials that cover all types of topics in the realm of effects.