Creating Fluid Trails in UE 5.3 Niagara – Tutorial
Intro: Hi guys, I’m Ashif Ali and you’re watching CGHOW. Today, I’ll show you how to create fluid trails in Unreal Engine 5.3 using Niagara. Let’s get started! As usual, you can find this file on my Patreon.
Step-by-Step Process:
Initial Setup:
Right-click and create a Niagara system, then select Fountain for the base effect.
Adjust the background color to something more neutral, like gray, to better see the effects.
Modify the particle color by making it red and randomize the color slightly for variation.
Creating Lens Flare:
Duplicate the sprite and set a uniform size (e.g., 10).
Bind the size to a new parameter (e.g., Size 2) for variation between the sprites.
For better lighting, create a M Glow material.
In the material, adjust it to have a radial glow and invert it with a small divisor (e.g., 0.01) to enhance the light effect.
Mask out the edges for a smooth lighting effect.
Add particle color and set it to additive blending for a more glowing look.
Setting Up Fluid Trails:
Create a new 3D Gas Emitter (introduced in UE 5.3).
In the emitter settings, change the source to GPU-based and link it to the particle source.
Use the Set Fluid Attribute to ensure the fluid particles take the same color as the emitter particles.
Increase the size of the container and adjust the velocity to give the fluid a nice flow.
Adjusting Simulation Settings:
In the emitter’s summary, decrease the density to make the fluid dissipate more quickly.
Set the pressure to 0 to ensure the smoke trail remains straight.
Optionally, apply a little force and decrease the buoyancy for more controlled motion.
Add temperature and adjust the simulation to make the fluid behave more like a smoke trail.
Lower the opacity of the temperature for a smoother appearance.
Final Tweaks:
Increase the pressure slightly to give the smoke some body and adjust the velocity to 1000 for more movement.
If needed, adjust the container size and use kill volumes to ensure particles clean up when they leave the container.
Fine-tune the particle size and velocity to your liking.
Conclusion:
After adjusting all these settings, you’ll have a fluid trail effect with a glowing lens flare, making it look like a light trail in the scene.
As always, you can download the project file from my Patreon.
Outro: That’s it for today’s tutorial. I hope you found it helpful. Keep learning and stay tuned for more. Thanks for watching, and see you in the next video!
I am Ashif Ali, Real-Time VFX Artist, I make Unreal Engine Niagara Tutorial on this channel. I've made it my mission to share my knowledge and expertise with the world through my YouTube channel. So why not join me on this exciting adventure? Follow me on my social links, subscribe to my channel, and support my growth as a creator. Together, we can create amazing things and take our skills to new heights. And who knows, you might even get access to some of my exclusive files for free!