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Introducing organic movement into our artwork not only makes it more realistic but also brings in an element of warmth, preventing any computerized sterility. Using TouchDesigner's particle systems, we can create shapes that exhibit life cycles, from birth to death, and engage in collective behaviors such as flocking and attraction to other objects. Through this interplay, our artwork goes beyond the boundaries of artificiality, with a natural feel that will resonate with your viewers.

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Organic, dynamic movement? Yes please. Lodestone is named after the mineral pieces which were used as the first magnetic compasses!

Lesson 01

Welcome to Lodestone

Organic, dynamic movement? Yes please. Lodestone is named after the mineral pieces which were used as the first magnetic compasses!

You might have guessed it, but the first thing we're going to do is make a 3D shape and render it to a 2D texture.

Lesson 02

Adding a 3D to 2D render

You might have guessed it, but the first thing we're going to do is make a 3D shape and render it to a 2D texture.

Next, let's replicate our 3D shapes to a lot of different places using our geometry's instancing options.

Lesson 03

Copy and pasting our geometry using instancing

Next, let's replicate our 3D shapes to a lot of different places using our geometry's instancing options.

In previous projects, we use a points-based system in our artwork, however, we want more from our shapes! We want them to be born and to die! We want them to live their lives blowing in the wind! We want to make them particles.

Lesson 04

Making a particle system

In previous projects, we use a points-based system in our artwork, however, we want more from our shapes! We want them to be born and to die! We want them to live their lives blowing in the wind! We want to make them particles.

We can use CHOPs to control our particle system to make the individual particles experience different forces such as wind and turbulence.

Lesson 05

Adding Noise CHOPs to control turbulence

We can use CHOPs to control our particle system to make the individual particles experience different forces such as wind and turbulence.

Sometimes, we want to smash that 1 key to reset everything in our system. Just like with feedback loops, we are going to use a Keyboard In to reset our particle system for times when we want to refresh.

Lesson 06

Adding a Keyboard In CHOP to reset particles

Sometimes, we want to smash that 1 key to reset everything in our system. Just like with feedback loops, we are going to use a Keyboard In to reset our particle system for times when we want to refresh.

Our particle systems arrive with lots of extra features that we can use across our artwork. In this case, we want to use the particle's velocity, or speed, to work out which direction it should be headed.

Lesson 07

Using velocity to rotate shapes

Our particle systems arrive with lots of extra features that we can use across our artwork. In this case, we want to use the particle's velocity, or speed, to work out which direction it should be headed.

Our particle systems can also be attracted to other surface operators (SOPs) as if they have some kind of magnetism to them. Here we add a moon-like sphere to make our particles move towards it.

Lesson 08

Adding a surface attractor

Our particle systems can also be attracted to other surface operators (SOPs) as if they have some kind of magnetism to them. Here we add a moon-like sphere to make our particles move towards it.

By adding CHOPs to control the geometry, we can transform the whole scene by spinning it around while all the particles move too.

Lesson 09

Rotating the whole geometry

By adding CHOPs to control the geometry, we can transform the whole scene by spinning it around while all the particles move too.

With SOPs, it's good practice to have a material with it to give it extra information about its surface. We then can pass the rendered texture to a lookup and ramp to give it some color.

Lesson 10

Adding a material and ramp

With SOPs, it's good practice to have a material with it to give it extra information about its surface. We then can pass the rendered texture to a lookup and ramp to give it some color.

We can use several of the previously-used TOPs to alter and distort the final texture. Here we try the Blur and Displace TOPs over our rendered TOP to make it more psychedelic.

Lesson 11

Adding blur and displacement

We can use several of the previously-used TOPs to alter and distort the final texture. Here we try the Blur and Displace TOPs over our rendered TOP to make it more psychedelic.

With a Depth TOP, we can process the original rendered texture and calculate how far away things are from the camera. We can then use this information to add some fog to the scene.

Lesson 12

Variation: Depth maps

With a Depth TOP, we can process the original rendered texture and calculate how far away things are from the camera. We can then use this information to add some fog to the scene.

What would this project look like with different shapes? The answer? Very different!

Lesson 13

Variation: Shape changes

What would this project look like with different shapes? The answer? Very different!

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