This scene contains two primitive geometry objects, a box and a teapot, along with a second copy of each. You will be shattering these objects with the help of Particle Flow Box#2 and the Particle Skinner Modifier.
Hide the objects "Teapot_Emit" & "Teapot_PSkinner" - we will use these in part 2
Open Particle View (Keyboard Shortcut 6) to create a new particle flow system.
Create a new Empty Flow - this flow will be used to create our base emitter object
Right-Click the Container and Rename to "PF Emitter - Box"
Set the Viewport Quantity Multiplier to 100%
Set the Viewport Integration Step to Half Frame
Add a standard Birth operator
Set the End Time to 0
Amount 50 - this will be the total number of fragment control particles
Add a Position Object operator
Add the object "Box_Emit" to the Emitter Objects list
Set the Location to surface
Enable Separation, set the distance to 20.0 - we want to keep our control particles at a nice distance from each other
Set the Display operator to Dots - this will give you an idea where your control particles will be. Your control particles are what the Particle Skinner modifier uses to define control points
This completes your Particle Skinner control particles setup
We now need to set up the Particle Skinner object for the Box
Select the scene object "Box_PSkinner"
Add a Subdivide modifier and set to 6.8 - we need more faces on the geometry
Add a Particle Skinner modifier
Add the "PF Emitter - Box" to the Particle Flow Systems list
Set the Distance Influence to Absolute - 50.0
Set the Rip Surface Apart Type to Binding Break
Set the Edge Split Precision to Relative% with a value of 100.0
Add a Shell modifier
Inner Amount - 1.0
Outer Amount - 0.0
Go back the the Particle Skinner modifier and Activate Skinning
In order to get more consistent timeline playback with Box#2 we will adjust the Playback Settings. It is recommended that you always use this setting when using Box#2 dynamics
Open the Configure Time Dialog, either press the Time Configure button or right-click the play button
Disable Realtime in the Playback group
Setting up the Particle Skinner fragment dynamics is a breeze
Open Particle View (Keyboard Shortcut 6) and select the "PF Emitter - Box" source node and shift+drag copy it
Rename the source node "PF Break - Box" - or something similar so you know what the flow is for
Add a new Birth Group birth event
Add the "Box_PSkinner" scene object to the Particle Objects list
Enable Object Elements in the Separate Particles for: group box
Press the Update Particles From Objects button - this refreshes the operator
Add a PhysX Shape modifier
Set the Collide As: type to Convex Hull - this is best for odd non-uniform shapes
Make sure the the Weld Threshold and Inflate Width are set to 0.01 - we want to minimize the shape creation
Check that the Shape Interpenetration Tolerance is set to 0.01
Add a new PhysX World operator, create a new Driver, and hit the Access Driver Parameters button to bring the driver up in the modify panel
Enable Gravity
Set the Acceleration to 980.665 - if it isn't already - this is the default "real" world gravity value
Enable the Ground Collision Plane
Set the Subframe Factor to 8 - we want a little more accuracy than the default of 2
Set the Display operator to Geometry
Hide the Box_emit and the Box_PSkinner objects
Play the Animation
Part 2 - Breaking the Teapot
Unhide the Teapot_Emit and Teapot_PSkinner objects
You may now either repeat the above steps using the Teapot instead of the Box or...let's take a shortcut
Select both flow in the Particle View
Shift+drag to copy the selected flows
Rename "PF Emitter - Box01" to "PF Emitter - Teapot"
Do the same for "PF Break - Box01" to "PF Break - Teapot"
In event03 of the "PF Emitter - Teapot" flow Position Object operator replace the Box_Emit with the scene object Teapot_Emit
In event04 of the "PF Break - Teapot" flow Birth Group operator replace the Box_PSkinner object with the Teapot_Pskinner object and refresh the particle shape with the Update Particles From Objects button
Next we will setup the Particle Skinner system for the Teapot
Select the scene object "Teapot_PSkinner"
Add a Subdivide modifier and set to 4.0
Add a Particle Skinner modifier
Add the "PF Emitter - Teapot" to the Particle Flow Systems list
Set the Distance Influence to Absolute - 40.0
Set the Rip Surface Apart Type to Binding Break
Set the Edge Split Precision to Relative% with a value of 100.0
Add a Shell modifier
Inner Amount - 1.0
Outer Amount - 0.0
Go back the the Particle Skinner modifier and Activate Skinning
