Cherries and Milk – Houdini FLIP Fluids
Personal project, 2024 – simulated with Houdini FLIP, rendered with Octane Render in Cinema 4D, compositing in After Effects.
About the project
This personal project from 2024 shows a splash of the kind familiar from food and beverage advertising: halved cherries fly through a creamy, milky liquid, surrounded by clear water splashes, against a dark red background.
The goal was to show my skills with Houdini FLIP Fluids. What makes this subject appealing is the contrast: a thick, opaque liquid and clear water behave completely differently, yet have to interact convincingly in one scene – with the cherries as solid objects right in the middle. The water pass on its own can be seen in Cherries in Water.
Technique
The simulation was done with Houdini's FLIP solver. The cherries act as collision objects that displace the liquid, drag it along and make it break apart. The creamy liquid and the water differ mainly in viscosity and surface behaviour: thick, cohesive sheets on one side, fine splashes and droplets on the other.
Simulation, cherries and lighting were assembled in Cinema 4D and rendered with Octane Render. Compositing and colour grading in After Effects completed the look, bringing out the rich red of the background and the bright, soft surface of the liquid.
More stills
