Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
In this Top Tip Tuesday, we’re exploring advanced granular techniques to create sand blowing away in violent gusts of wind. With an xpEmitter already set up to emit from a text primitive, we jump in to the xpColor Shader settings, animating the Seed value using keyframes to create a controlled color change throughout the simulation.
With the color change dialled in, we introduce nxFluids in SPH Granular mode, increasing the Substeps for accuracy and adjusting the Friction, Stability and Cohesion. nxGravity is added next to create some initial particle movement before we dive in to the nxWind settings, changing the Mode to Von Karman and increasing the Strength value to create the basis of our gusty wind effect.
To complete the look, we harness the power of Data Mapping to map the wind strength to the color value, giving us realistic changing gusts of wind and keyframe the Strength value so it fades in over time. Full of useful techniques, this tutorial is great for adding extra flair to your granular simulations.
Trying out the free Blender Beta? Although this Top Tip is shown in Cinema 4D, many of the techniques and ideas still apply, though some steps may need adapting for Blender.
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Download the scene file here: media.insydium.uk/downloads/toptips/2026/TTT_Advanced_Granular_Sim.c4d
What is INSYDIUM Fused? https://insydium.ltd/products/fused/
Want to know every detail of every feature? Check out our Manuals: https://insydium.ltd/usermanuals
We’re active on Social Media too! So, if you haven’t already; give us a follow!
https://x.com/insydium_ltd
facebook.com/INSYDIUMLTD
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In this Top Tip Tuesday, we’re exploring advanced granular techniques to create sand blowing away in violent gusts of wind. With an xpEmitter already set up to emit from a text primitive, we jump in to the xpColor Shader settings, animating the Seed value using keyframes to create a controlled color change throughout the simulation.
With the color change dialled in, we introduce nxFluids in SPH Granular mode, increasing the Substeps for accuracy and adjusting the Friction, Stability and Cohesion. nxGravity is added next to create some initial particle movement before we dive in to the nxWind settings, changing the Mode to Von Karman and increasing the Strength value to create the basis of our gusty wind effect.
To complete the look, we harness the power of Data Mapping to map the wind strength to the color value, giving us realistic changing gusts of wind and keyframe the Strength value so it fades in over time. Full of useful techniques, this tutorial is great for adding extra flair to your granular simulations.
Trying out the free Blender Beta? Although this Top Tip is shown in Cinema 4D, many of the techniques and ideas still apply, though some steps may need adapting for Blender.
Want more? Like, subscribe, and stay connected with us!
Download the scene file here: media.insydium.uk/downloads/toptips/2026/TTT_Advanced_Granular_Sim.c4d
What is INSYDIUM Fused? https://insydium.ltd/products/fused/
Want to know every detail of every feature? Check out our Manuals: https://insydium.ltd/usermanuals
We’re active on Social Media too! So, if you haven’t already; give us a follow!
https://x.com/insydium_ltd
facebook.com/INSYDIUMLTD
instagram.com/insydium_ltd
linkedin.com/company/insydium
