Spontaneous Character Inflation Effect Made in 3ds Max With tyFlow

3D/VFX Artist J. A. Duran, known to many for his mesmerizing and unusual-looking artworks, has recently revisited his series of experiments involving CG character inflation and cloth fragmentation in tyFlow, initially presented a couple of years ago.

For those unaware, tyFlow is a robust particle simulation plug-in for 3ds Max, created by Developer and VFX Artist Tyson Ibele. Acting as a replacement for the software’s built-in Particle Flow system, tyFlow can handle rigidbodies, crowds, grains, cloth, ropes, and more, allowing its user to set up all sorts of visual effects. What’s more, the plug-in can also interface directly with PhoenixFD, FumeFX, and Ornatrix, allowing for advanced interactions between complex, simulated phenomena.

Leveraging tyFlow in combination with Redshift, a GPU-accelerated 3D renderer by Maxon, the artist set up several captivating demos by employing tyFlow’s multilayer cloth capabilities. “In this case, a gizmo selectively inflates parts of the character’s body causing an unexpected collapse, while the cloth reacts to this extreme motion,” commented Duran.