how to animate lots of small particles like sand or pellets without bogging down computer

[joseph.duncan34G89]

Is there a way to animate lots of particles such as sand or pellets flowing through equipment processes (conveyors, etc) without animate each and every single particle? In many cases, this would be hundreds or thousands or tweaks in the animation and makes the file extremely slow and heavy. Is there a work around or shortcut for something like this?

[blandb]

Would Autodesk CFD work?

https://www.autodesk.com/products/cfd/overview 

[mcgyvr]

Animate a solid that looks like a mass of sand and apply a sand like texture/appearance applied to it.. Inventor would NEVER handle an animation of sand grains.. 

Or use a different software like 3dsmax which has particulate addins,etc... and can handle that stuff..

[brad]

Here's a way to potentially "fake it".

1. Make a dummy part(s) that will sit on top of your conveyor belt.

2. Take a photo that represents your particles as seen from above

3. Use "decal" to stick that photo on your dummy part

4. Constrain that dummy part to your conveyor so that it moves the way it should

Now you have one part instead of millions.

You might have to get creative with your views so the viewer can't see the ends of the dummy part sliding on and off the conveyor ends. This will be easier if you are zoomed in and not seeing the conveyor ends.

If your conveyor has curves, you will need even more tricks. 

If you are trying for something that effectively communicates sand moving along a conveyor (and not a Pixar level production) I think you can get an effective result with minimal effort. 

I believe in you.

Try it out and show us the results.  :^)

[joseph.duncan34G89]

I need to show the pile of pellets falling off a conveyor into a hopper like it would naturally, so the decal idea wouldn't help me there. It would go from a random large mass to being spread out and flowing down the chute into the hopper.

[joseph.duncan34G89]

I need to show the pile of pellets falling off a conveyor into a hopper like it would naturally, so the decal idea wouldn't help me there. It would go from a random large mass to being spread out and flowing down the chute into the hopper.

[swalton]

ANSYS Rocky or other DEM software if you want to create engineering simulations.  https://www.ansys.com/products/fluids/ansys-rocky

Maybe 3DS Max particle flow: https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/3ds-max/learn-explore/caas/CloudHelp/cloudhelp/2022/ENU/3DSMa...

Blender is another option: https://docs.blender.org/manual/en/latest/physics/particles/introduction.html

[cadman777]

For marketing purposes, I've seen fine grain bulk materials simulated like large marbles. It gets the point across to the 'dumdum' viewer. But if you need to do a flow analysis, then @swalton has the right idea.

[AIR_123]

Just animate dummy/bulky part as suggested above and then use aftereffects/FX animation software (ex Blender) to add layer representing sand or pellets. This kind of animations is not purpose of CAD softwares. Most of them will fail in this task.

[WHolzwarth]

3dsMax can do something.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGLPtGbOKgw

Here's an Inventor thread

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/inventor-forum/3d-array-of-spheres/m-p/8054413