Bridge Destruction
Schedule
Idea and reference
This is an experiment using AI-generated video as a reference.
Original plate
AI Gen
Link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0l3AkMJsJLM city destruction reels
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGAGYB72xxA building destruction reels
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCcFV2IkJlE building destruction reels references
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_EuEI32DJk&t=628s real buildings demolitions
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmeFRNyYppo real buildings demolitions 2
Pre-vis
I used a Vellum Solver for the cable simulation, treating it as hair and string constraints. All modeling was built procedurally.
I added more structural components and animated the bridge to sway and wave.
Dynamic Camera move is added
Modeling
Smoke
Dynamic Camera move is added
Lighting & Texturing
Procedurally generated and shaded textures.
Compositing
Feedback
I received feedback on the final shot and identified the following areas for improvement:
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Background integration: The current background lacks realism. Compositing a photorealistic background in Nuke would help create a more convincing environment.
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Road texture stability: The road texture appears to slide in world space rather than remain attached to the geometry. The texture mapping needs to be corrected.
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Chromatic aberration: The current effect looks unnatural and needs to be refined to better match realistic lens behavior.
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Smoke detail: The smoke appears too soft and cloud-like. Additional distortion would help break up the larger shapes and introduce more variation.
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Material refinement: Several materials need further development to achieve a more convincing result, particularly those on the bridge.
Renewal
I wanted to create this shot entirely in CG, so I decided to use one of the new features in Houdini 22, COPs Terrain Builder. After watching Dmitrii’s tutorial, I learned the workflow and used it to build my own environment.
Before moving the project to Houdini 22, however, I ran into a major licensing issue. My Education license had expired, and the project was not compatible with my new Houdini FX commercial license. As a result, I had to rebuild the scene in Houdini 22 rather than simply opening the original file.
This led me to experiment with Python scripting. I used an AI-generated Python script to extract the node structure, parameters, connections, and other scene information into files that could be used to reconstruct the setup in a new Houdini scene. The process worked successfully and allowed me to rebuild the project in Houdini 22.
Export
Import
Cops and Terrain
I also refined the concrete simulation and added more structural details to the bridge, including pipes, plates, and cable supports. I adjusted the overall scale as well.
High-Res
Once all the proxy geometry was cached, I used the Transform Pieces node to transfer the simulated motion from the low-resolution pieces to their high-resolution counterparts.
Vellum Solver
The metal mesh is made of numerous thin steel wires woven together, giving it a cable-like structure. To simulate its behavior, I used Vellum Hair constraints with high stiffness. I also wanted the upper and lower sections to detach irregularly, so I randomized the breakthreshold attribute to introduce variation in when the constraints break.
