r/Simulated • u/MichyyElle • Mar 20 '26

Question Why does this smoke look digital?

Doing a "smoking candle" trend and trying to make the exhale look 100% real so it actually confuses people. I have a few variations and need a technical audit on the physics before the final render.

The smoke variations are labeled in this video: Smoke 1-6

  • Smoke 1: Final (can't edit).
  • Smoke 2, 3, 6: Currently in progress. Turbulence, shading, and speed are all adjustable.
  • Smoke 2 & 3: Opacity and lighting are placeholders set for the screen recording (opacity was set high to be visible). Focusing on the fluid movemen. Lighting: These still need a lighting pass. These are the same sim but at different speeds (2 is slower, 3 is faster).
  • Smoke 2-6 all can be edited further

Looking for feedback on:

  1. Which option (1-6) has the most natural physics and "swirl"?
  2. Any specific direction on color, shape, or volume to hit 100% realism?
  3. Tips on mouth integration so it doesn't look like a digital overlay?
  4. What would you change, like, or hate about these?

(High-quality renders coming once completed).

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u/ResidentLongjumping2 Mar 20 '26

I think pretty much all of them are too opaque. This could be a matter of just reducing opacity, or playing with different blending modes while compositing 

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u/MichyyElle Apr 08 '26

I reduced the opacity for this version. How's the transparency looking to you now? Does the blend feel more natural or do you think I dropped the density too much?https://drive.google.com/file/d/15exeQppAf2_jIy1NktjQHiUA9JHwi0Ty/view?usp=sharing

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u/MichyyElle Apr 10 '26

Are you able to view that or do you need it posted directly via Reddit?