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Houdini FX | Unreal Engine | After Effects

Neuron Cell – Scientific Visualization

Scientific 3D Visualization – Neuron Cell Render

This project is my take on a scientific 3D visualization, focused on building a detailed neuron cell render with a cinematic feel.

Software: Houdini with Arnold Renderer, After Effects
Category: Simulation, Procedural Modeling, Lighting & Rendering
Tools: Modeling, Particles, For-Loops (a lot)

Houdini is perfectly suited for intricate medical setups like this example of a pulsing neuron cell. At first glance, procedural modeling seems inconvenient and protracted, but once completed, it opens almost unlimited variations. While this example of a neuron cell might seem complex with its nested for-loops, there are also much simpler approaches where it can make sense to take the Houdini approach, atleast partially.

This setup is based on a voronoi fractured sphere, and one can easily change the initial seed to get a completely different result. But I also can handpick my starting points (cells) and build the strands around it for granular and precise art direction. In Houdini the choice is always yours 😉

Houdini neuron cell setup