3 replies to this topic

[jmgk]

Hi,

I coded a very simple particle engine, and did a usual fireworks demo using it.

Now, i want to use this lil engine to draw a stormy night... i already using it to make the rainfall, but i dont know how to make the storm lightnings?

Anybody know the formula to create realistic lightnings?

If somebody still remember it, I want to do lightnings like the ones that where in old AfterDark screensavers for w31

Any help is welcome,
jmgk

ps: to the ones that dont know AfterDark, i want to do something like these ones: http://www.chaseday.com/lightning.htm

[roel]

You can make a kind of tree. Something like this might work: you start with a point, up in the sky, and you draw lines between points. You have several probabilities: p0, for terminating the the line segment; p1, for creating a branch and p2 for direction changes. Use your imagination for more details (like varying the probabilities with respect to the age/length/strength/thickness of the line segment). Next, you triangulate the lightning-tree and draw it, and use blooming to make it look cooler :)

[Mark]

You should read up on how lightning works;

http://www.howstuffw...m/lightning.htm

Apply what you find toward creating your own model based on the physics involved. This could be a really interesting project. Good luck.

[monjardin]

I believe lightning strikes are fractals.
A quick google search turned up this: http://www.krazydad...._lightning.html
They use a midpoint displacement method.