Popping Popcorn in Cinema 4D and Redshift

A popping popcorn effect using particles, mograph and rigid body dynamics in Cinema 4D rendered with Redshift.

Also includes a separate steam project file with a pyro simulation used to create the steam from the heat.

This Project File was requested by Anthony (one of our awesome Members) who wanted to recreate something like this epic original artwork by Antirannus who originaly used C4D and Octane. See more of Antirannus’s work here.

NOTE: This post was originally a project file only but members voted for a tutorial.

Here’s how to set it up:

Set Up the Scene:

• Start with a basic scene: a pan, a corn kernel, and a piece of popped popcorn.

Fill the Pan with Corn Kernels:

• Add a DISC and scale it to fit inside the pan.
• Use a CLONER to clone the corn kernel onto the DISC.
• Set the Cloner mode to OBJECT and assign the DISC as the cloning object.
• Increase the kernel count to fill the pan and hide the DISC.
• Add a RANDOM EFFECTOR to randomize rotation and avoid overlap using a PUSH APART EFFECTOR.

Transition Kernels from Unpopped to Popped:

• Use a PLAIN EFFECTOR with the MODIFY CLONE parameter to switch between kernels and popped corn.
• Control the transition with a RANDOM FIELD, adjusting noise patterns to create a popping sequence.
• Animate the popping effect by keyframing the MODIFY CLONE value over time.

Make the Kernels Dynamic:

• Add a RIGID BODY tag to the Cloner so the kernels fall into the pan and interact with it.
• Make the pan a COLLIDER object to contain the kernels.
• Adjust dynamics settings to fine-tune the simulation.

Enhance Realism:

• Add a TURBULENCE force to simulate kernels sizzling and moving around in the pan.
• Fine-tune settings in dynamics tags, the Collider, and scene simulation parameters.

Optional Tweaks:

• Use the INITIAL STATE setting in the RIGID BODY tag to start the simulation with kernels already in the pan.
• Experiment with additional forces or settings for further realism.

Final Steps:

• Render and export the animation.