We are more than an asset library

Watch our Showreel
Search
Cart
Your cart - 0 items
Item added to your cart!
Checkout now
Sign in
  • offerCustomer zone
  • offerYour orders
  • offerEdit account
  • offerAdd project
  • offerLiked projects
  • offerView your artist profile
  • Dark mode
    ✔
Shop
Water Dripping

Water Dripping

streaker 2007-01-15 00:00 tutorial  > 3ds MAX  > particles

Water Dripping in 3ds max using Particle Flow

Hi, in this tutorial I'll show you how to create rain or water dripping effect in 3ds max using build in particle system Particle Flow.

This tutorial require basic skills of using 3ds max and Particle Flow. This isn't step by step tutorial, I just present you how my flow works.

You can easily create this effect using Lock/Bond operator whitch is part of 'Particle Flow Tools Box' plugin from Orbaz Technologies. I very like that operator - it's easy to use, fast, have many options. You can download demo from THIS SITE. If you installed it, go to Particle View, drop on desktop Preset Flow and chose Water Dripping. In your scene show simple example of using Lock/Bond operator - particle hit torus, sliding on it and then falling down to the ground.



Only disadvantage is that Box#1 cost 195$ and let say that you want spend this money to something else - if you do - just read this tutorial, where I create very similar effect without any plugins.

For this purpose I adopt sample scene from PF Box#1. Below is quick overview of my scene.



And this is my finished flow:



Don't be scary, it just look complicated :)

So, let we start analyzing that:

'Just for convenience'
This event I created just for convenience :) I needed connect Collision04 to the flow beginning, but I cant do this to 'first event' after 'Render event' (I don't know why, PF just don't allow to do this). So I used simplest test (Age test) to send particles to another event. Althought this you can use Send Out test.



'Water Source'
Force01 - just for give particles speed (As you see, I don't use speed operator) Collision01 - Particles that hit Torus are sending to another event (Set Speed: Stop, it doesn't going to look unnatural, because in next event we add proper speed to particles) Collisions05 - That for particles that miss Torus (see 'Spawned event' below)

'On Surface -> Drop'
In this event I sticking particles to surface using Speed By Surface operator combined with Gravity force (Gravity force particles to moving pointed down).

Two important things in Speed By Surface is set speed to 'Control Speed Continuously' and Direction to 'Parallel To Surface'



Here is very important thing that I have to mention. Order of Force (Gravity) and Speed By Surface Operator. As you probably aware, PF analyzing flow from up to down. So if 'Force' is on top of 'Speed by Surface' all is ok - first PF add Gravity force pointed downward, then correct this to surface, but if we change order of this two operator, PF first give particle speed parallel to surface and then apply Gravity force - particle go through the surface of Torus.

Ok, we have particles sticked to surface, but how they know when to stop moving on surface and fall down to the ground. For this I used deflectors (Deflector_drop01 and 02 - see scene overview). When particle hit Deflector_drop01 it is stopped (set Speed: Stop in Collision operator like before - because we add speed to particles in next event) and sending to another event (see 'Spawned event' below), but if they hit Deflector_drop02 they are sending to flow beginning (because they still can hit Torus).

'Spawned event'
This is just finish of animation - when particles ended moving on Torus or missing it - they falling down (Falling on the ground) hitting Deflector-Ground and spawning (Spawned) and when spawned particles hitting Deflector-Ground again they are killed.

And one more important thing at the end:
If your particles are a little above surface or behave weird try do decrease Integration steep (you find this in Command Panel under System Management rollout). I my case 1/8 frame look good.



This is just simple example, but if you understand how it works, you can easily use this technique in more complicated scenes.

If after finishing this tutorial you still have some problems to achieve satisfactory results WRITE TO ME and I will send you my finished scene (3ds max9 only)





 
 
Author: streaker
1 comments
Tags:
Arnold 7.5.4: Render Pausing, Faster Viewport, and Shader Compositing

Arnold 7.5.4: Render Pausing, Faster Viewport, and Shader Compositing

Arnold 7.5.4 adds true render pausing, expands viewport acceleration to 3ds Max and Cinema 4D, and introduces a Shader Imager for pixel-level compositing without full rerenders. GPU instance performance jumps 3x for large scene updates.
V-Ray 7, Update 5: AI Scene Building and AMD GPUs Meet Real-Time Ray Tracing

V-Ray 7, Update 5: AI Scene Building and AMD GPUs Meet Real-Time Ray Tracing

Chaos embeds AI assistants, MCP server integration with Claude and ChatGPT, 2D-to-3D asset generation, and AMD GPU support into V-Ray 7, Update 5. The update also bundles Vantage real-time ray tracing access for Collection license holders, targeting faster workflows without compromising offline render quality.
Mach9 brings aerial LiDAR and photogrammetry into web-based CAD workflow

Mach9 brings aerial LiDAR and photogrammetry into web-based CAD workflow

Mach9's web-based CAD software now processes drone and helicopter point clouds with automated feature extraction, cutting survey-to-model time by 40%. Export goes to DXF, DWG, LandXML and GIS formats.
Enscape 4.22.0 Launches AI Asset Search and 3D Model Generation

Enscape 4.22.0 Launches AI Asset Search and 3D Model Generation

Enscape's November 2026 release adds AI-driven content discovery, custom 3D model generation in beta, and expanded asset libraries to speed up visualization workflows. Over 1,500 new real-time assets, including Evermotion content, bring Cosmos to 13,000+ items.
Autom8Labs launches 22 free AI skills for 3ds Max, Revit, Grasshopper and more

Autom8Labs launches 22 free AI skills for 3ds Max, Revit, Grasshopper and more

Autom8Labs has released 22 free MCP Skills for AI agents across nine AEC applications, including tools to configure Corona and V-Ray in 3ds Max and build parametric definitions in Grasshopper. The skills pair with MCP Connectors linking Claude directly into design software to automate rendering setup and parametric workflows.
Blender 5.3 brings native Gaussian splatting: what archviz artists need to know

Blender 5.3 brings native Gaussian splatting: what archviz artists need to know

Blender 5.3 adds built-in support for importing and rendering 3D Gaussian splats, eliminating external add-ons and opening photogrammetry capture as a native workflow. The feature works across Cycles, EEVEE and Workbench, but carries current limitations around export, transforms and color space handling.
Client Clarity Is Not Approval: What AI Visualization Actually Changes in Your Workflow

Client Clarity Is Not Approval: What AI Visualization Actually Changes in Your Workflow

AI visualization tools accelerate early design exploration but introduce new risks in multi-view consistency, architectural accuracy, and revision control. Studios must anchor all work in a production 3D scene and implement structured approval gates before generation.
Substance 3D Painter 12.2: Adobe Rebuilds Baking with Direct Cage Painting

Substance 3D Painter 12.2: Adobe Rebuilds Baking with Direct Cage Painting

Adobe released Substance 3D Painter 12.2 on October 21, 2026, introducing cage painting that lets artists control baking offsets by painting directly on models. The release addresses workflow gaps that have pushed users toward external baking tools.
You may also like...
V-Ray 7, Update 5: AI Scene Building and AMD GPUs Meet Real-Time Ray Tracing

V-Ray 7, Update 5: AI Scene Building and AMD GPUs Meet Real-Time Ray Tracing

Chaos embeds AI assistants, MCP server integration with Claude and ChatGPT, 2D-to-3D asset generation, and AMD GPU support into V-Ray 7, Update 5. The update also bundles Vantage real-time ray tracing access for Collection license holders, targeting faster workflows without compromising offline render quality.
×

LEAVE A COMMENT

You need to be logged in to leave a comment. Don't have account? Register now.
user
caohan1988 08:18:33  |  19-11-2013
nice job! i hope that it will be creat a video tutors for us !
Featured articles
Evermotion: More Than an Asset Library

Evermotion: More Than an Asset Library

How Evermotion became a full-scale production partner for archviz, automotive and synthetic data.
Making Of: Interior Scene – Archmodels vol. 306 Table Sets

Making Of: Interior Scene – Archmodels vol. 306 Table Sets

In this walkthrough, we guide you through the process of building a polished 3D interior scene inspired by the cover of Archmodels vol. 306 – Table Sets.
Pro ArchViz Workflow: Materials, Lighting, AI + 36× Faster Renders

Pro ArchViz Workflow: Materials, Lighting, AI + 36× Faster Renders

See the full professional visualization workflow using Archinteriors Volume 71.
Evermotion Challenge 2025 Winners Announced!

Evermotion Challenge 2025 Winners Announced!

The finalists of Evermotion Challenge 2025 revealed!
Making of "Chopin's Dream" Corona Animation

Making of "Chopin's Dream" Corona Animation

Behind the scenes of architectural animation.
Window Glass Bending For Realistic Exteriors

Window Glass Bending For Realistic Exteriors

New tutorial by RenderRam.

Evermotion

ul. Przedzalniana 8, 15-688 Bialystok, POLAND
NIP: 542-291-02-99
REGON: 200003618
Open: from 8:00 to 16:00 (+1.00 GMT)
Phone: +48 881 024 364

Shop

User area

Hire us

We are making individual CG projects, including modeling, rendering, animations and realtime applications. See our work and contact our studio team at Cooperation section.
EVERMOTION. All rights reserved. Copying and publishing without permition is forbidden. Evermotion is a company that produces high-quality​ 3D models, scenes, textures and tutorials. Our main products are 3d models and scenes collections: Archmodels, Archinteriors and Archexteriors, HD cars and 3D people. On top of that we undertake orders for 3d projects, animations, V-Ray and Unreal Engine visualizations.