How to create animate tire tracks in sand?

[zazz]

I'm animating a vehicle driving around a desert, and would like it leaving tracks in sand

 

Don't really know how to approach it though. Using particles somehow? Or with the help of a plugin of some sorts? Or some other sort of approach that doesn't come to mind?

[Gus_Rayvus]

You could use Ghost Trails a plugin, or a partical system. The easiest and cheapest way I can think of would be to convert you animation path to a spline, copy that for each of the tires, make is square and renderable and have texture coordinates, put you tire print texture on that, and animate a gradient ramp in the opacity, to revel it after the tire goes over it. Sounds like a cool project, would be great if you posted after it was done.

[BobM]

Hi Zazz

 

Have a look at this tutorial

 

http://www.escalight.com/tutorials/3dsmax-tutorials/tire-tread-marks-animation-using-particle-flow.html

 

Regards

[zazz]

You guys rock, thanks a million