Sam Brimlow

I wanted to do a quick test to see if I could take VFX from Embergen and use it in Houdini to drive a destruction sim.

To keep it simple, I made a tornado VDB in Embergen and imported it into Houdini.

In Houdini, I set up a POP solver with a spiral curve running up the middle of the tornado to drive movement. I initially tried using a velocity field to affect RBD objects, but it didn’t quite work, I was hoping for that Twister cow moment!

Instead, the POP solver gave me more control, letting me fine-tune debris movement. Adjusting force strength and density made it feel more natural.

This test was a good proof of concept for bringing Embergen sims into Houdini. With more refinement, this could be useful for larger-scale destruction and VFX work.