Curve based Tornado in UE5 Niagara Tutorial

Hi guys, I’m Ashif Ali, and you’re watching CGHOW!

Today, I’ll show you how I created a tornado effect using curves to control its shape. You can manipulate the tornado’s look and feel just by adjusting these curves—super cool, right? Let’s dive into this tutorial!

If you want to know how I created the material and the mesh, make sure to check out the tutorial I posted 20 hours ago—it’s about the stylized tornado using meshes and materials from scratch. Once you’ve watched that, you can proceed with this one, and by the end, you’ll have the same output.

To get started, you can download the exact same file from my last tutorial, and you’ll see the exact setup I’m using today. Now, let’s jump into the steps.

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Step 1: Duplicating the File

First, let’s duplicate the last file. Rename it to “Test” and open the duplicated version. Then, delete all elements except the one you want to work with.

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Step 2: Set Up the Tornado Base

Now, I’ll show you the base setup. I’m using a cylinder shape for the height, but we need to remove that location setting. All the particles are spawning at zero with random sizes.

There’s a Mesh Curve connected to the Execution Index. As you change the height, the radius adjusts accordingly. For example, if you use a cylinder, you’ll see that the particles at the top are larger and the ones at the bottom are smaller, based on the height.

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Step 3: Adjust Particle Count and Position

Next, let’s adjust the number of particles. I’ll increase it from 20 to 60 particles. Now, connect the position node and break it into X, Y, and Z components.

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Step 4: Apply Curve to X and Y Axes

We want to manipulate the particles using the curve. For the Z axis, multiply the value by the Execution Index. This will create variance across the particles. Next, we’re going to change the particle’s shape by adjusting the curve on the X and Y axes. Instead of using normalized edge, use Execution Index for the curve.

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Step 5: Fine-Tuning the Curve

To see the effect clearly, set the curve values to 100. You can smooth it out, but keep in mind that all particles are rotating on the same axis, so we’ll adjust the mesh orientation.

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Step 6: Adjusting the Mesh Orientation

Use the Update Mesh Orientation node and enable Orient to Position. Adjust the rotation so that the particles are slightly tilted toward the axis.

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Step 7: Final Adjustments and Tweaks

Now, decrease the speed a bit, and you’ll have a smooth tornado effect where you can control the height and shape through the curve. You can add as many points as you want to the curve to change the effect further.

You can also copy the X curve and paste it into the Y axis if you want the curve to affect the tornado in 3D space. This allows you to control both the height and the direction.

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Conclusion

That’s how you can control a tornado’s shape using curves! It’s a pretty cool trick that adds a lot of flexibility to your effects. Thanks for watching—keep learning and keep experimenting!

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