A highly art directable Asset for creating a Aurora Borealis as a digital Effect.
The effect presented here will be available as a Houdini Digital Asset at Orbolt Store by the end of March 2021 (currently in review). I also explain how to recreate this asset (If you have the time or lack the budget to buy it) in the Youtube video linked below.
A Aurora borealis, also known as northern light, is a highly dynamic phaeonmenon that has amazed people for centurys and probably since the dawn of mankind. It is also something that can be hard to handle and reproduce as a effect beceause of its high diversity in shapes and forms.
The approach I took allows for a highly detailed control and art direction. This not only allows the effect to seem realistic but also to art direct it towards a being hero effect if necessary.
To quote Joseph Gilland (Author of Elemental Magic) here: “If you take something that follows natural laws and make it seem like it has a intention, you create magic”.
Below is a tutorial on how to use the asset and how to create it yourself, along with a short demo. Unfortunately the original Footage I created with falls under a NDA, fortunately the Asset does not, so this is only a short demo I put together and more elaborated examples will follow once I find the time and oportunity.
Future developement: The Asset is currently Version 4. I have other features that I´ll implement troughout the year.
Besides the Asset itsself, I´m also available for any related Effect work, or as a Technical Director in general. if you want additional features or get the asset for a larger production, feel free to write me.
If you use the asset, I´d be very glad to see what you create with it, and I also offer to feature your results on this page, with a link and captition.
Features
The Asset creates the Effect in several stages that allow for fast, in most cases realtime interaction and help to focus at one aspects at a time. Several auroras can that way be orchestrated without getting lost in the many optional detailed controls.
Almost any global Feature can also be controlled by a optional ramp, making it highly art directable.
Several Noise functions are carefully balanced to create a vivid effect, that can be costumised to your needs.
The Aurora is rendered as a Volume, removing problems with overlapping typically found in polybased approaches.
Other features: Banding effect, creating broken up or parallel Auroras
Blur: Global, with height, length etc.
Caching features for buidling of Librarys or use with PDG.
![](http://cgriese.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Stages-792x1024.jpg)
The comparison below shows clearly the advatages of my Volumetric approach compared to the more widely used extruded curve.
![](http://cgriese.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Compare-1024x298.jpg)