I am excited to share a video tutorial to show a method for dynamic simulation of blood flow, which is commonly shown in medical animation.
I am using a slightly different approach based on my background as an engineer. When objects in a fluid move through a tube or a pipe, objects at the centre are pushed along faster than those at the edges. This is called the no-slip boundary condition, and can be applied to many other situations, including wind blowing dust or leaves through a tunnel, or molecules flowing down a pipe.
[pullquote]When objects in a fluid move through a tube or a pipe, objects at the centre are pushed along faster than those at the edges[/pullquote]
Simulating Blood flow in Maya
To achieve this motion, we will use nParticles and Volume Curve fields in Maya to create a velocity profile.
We will also look at some quick ways to model and instance simple blood cell geometry. To achieve a more fluid look, we will enable a powerful function in Maya to calculate rotational/directional responsiveness to collisions. We will also use the same curves that we used to generate the fields to create branching tube geometry so that we are not limited to a single path for flow.
Finally, we will look at some options in the Hypershade to generate a material with a semi-transparent front and opaque back using the Sampler Info node.
To help you follow along, you can download the PDF handout version on my website, here.
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About The Author, Karyn Ho
Karyn Ho is a Biomedical Communicator, specializing in Biomedical and scientific illustration and animation. Karyn holds a Ph.D. in biomedical engineering, where she focused on finding better ways to deliver anti-cancer drugs. Karyn has researched biomaterials and self-assembly of nanostructures, and used these tools to study molecular targeting and pharmacokinetics.
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