Author: liquefusion

Fires are found everywhere, this tutorial gives guidelines on how to create realistic fires.

Create your scene, dark scenes contrast with the fire better.

We want to build a fire so we need some logs. You can create your own using cylinders, symmetrical lattices or model your own. Lean them together so that they create your basic shape and then apply your log material (I used logs created in Amorphium and applied Bryce's Simple and Fast - Weathered Wood material).

Now we need something to contain the fire so make a number of rocks and arrange them up on the ground in a circle. It doesn't matter what size or shape they are, nature isn't perfect. Apply whatever rock texture you like, remember to set the bump height high to show up the firelight (I used Weathered Granite).

Now, create a sphere and place it in the center of your rock circle, over your logs. This will be the flames so you will need the correct volumetric material. You can use Bryce's Voluminous Fire however I used a material created by Clay Hagenbusch, a master of Bryce art. You may need to create a number of spheres to get the right look. If your using only Bryce preset materials then you should place a sphere with the Complex FX – Fire material in the middle of the volumetric flames which should use Bryce Volumetric Fire.

Fire casts light so you should position a number of small radial lights within the flames, remember, the burning logs will be lit up and glowing as well as light being cast outward. Caustic light gels can be applied to these radial lights to simulate the dancing, flickering light.

The smoke is just another sphere with either a volume material or cloud and fog material applied and adjusted as required.

This method of fire building also works in fireplaces, on torches etc.