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My goal is create realistic foam. I mean really realistic foam with bubbles, no only SSS shader and done :-).

Use particle system's is not enough, because bubbles overlaps and black artifact's appear.

Any ideas? Some reference images and something about bubbles:

http://www.exploratorium.edu/ronh/bubbles/bubble_meets_bubble.html

EDIT: I want this for 360° turntable animation. Bubbles and foam does not to be animated, but should be good keep reasonable render time.

Of course, if someone know how to make it animated I glad to learn it and I'm sure I'm not only one. But my priority is realistic look, not animation.

Only for clarification: I don't need to know how to make bubbles in beer (there is very good tutorial by Andy Price), please focus only on foam. Beer is not important.

enter image description here

enter image description here

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    $\begingroup$ this could be very useful for cappuccino and similar drinks $\endgroup$
    – ideorium
    Commented Sep 27, 2016 at 12:59
  • $\begingroup$ Here are some starting points for research: The Blender Guru beer tutorial, and Creating an Ocean with Foam in Cycles. I don't know if these will give you the answer, but they will probably at least give you some ideas. Also, is this for a still render or an animation? An animation would be more challenging. $\endgroup$
    – Mentalist
    Commented Sep 27, 2016 at 13:41
  • $\begingroup$ @Mentalist 27 - Thank's for answer. I found this tutorials. Andy Price tutorial focusing on beer and he use simple sss + diffuse shader for foam. That's the reason I wrote "no only SSS shader and done" :D Also look at ocean foam and foam I want to make. Ocean foam is total different situation with total different look. BTW: I know Google and there are no tutorials with satisfied result. This need fresh idea :D Animation should be awesome, but as first we need find way how to do it :D Anyway, thanks for answer $\endgroup$
    – Shubol3D
    Commented Sep 27, 2016 at 14:32
  • $\begingroup$ Only one question, still render or animation? I'll certainly dig into this topic as soon as I finish other answer here. $\endgroup$
    – cgslav
    Commented Sep 27, 2016 at 18:12
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    $\begingroup$ The best would be bubble/foam shader to apply on sculpted forms. It can be done fully procedurally. This is how to do it: iaian7.com/lightwave/SoapFoamSurfacing, but you will need to implement it inside Cycles. The ultimate would be a procedural volumetric shader. $\endgroup$
    – Jaroslav Jerryno Novotny
    Commented Sep 28, 2016 at 6:48

1 Answer 1

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You can try making a bunch of low-poly icospheres and throwing them into a giant glass using Rigid Body physics.

Spheres being dropped in a glass-shaped container

This way they collide with one another, and unlike particles do not overlap.

various_sizes_of_bubbles

Join those into one object and use a Shrinkwrap Modifier to make an outer mesh conforming to the shape of all the joined bubbles. Apply the Shrinkwrap Modifier and join this outer mesh object to the bubble object. In Edit Mode set the normals of the bubbles to be facing inward, while leaving those of the outer part facing outward.

foam_outer_shape

Then with the bubble geometry made it's just a matter of getting the right material. I played with several setups and I'm still not satisfied. But I'll post the .blend and hopefully the community can make suggestions for improving the material.

[Edit: I can't seem to post the file to Blend Exchange. Is 28MB too large? Bubble troubles...]

Example:

Example material node setup

Beer foam / bubble example

I think this technique has potential.

If we want to animate bubbles through their complex stages of forming, foaming, growing, bursting, and flowing, that will require some very custom coding... hoping for a beer simulator in Blender one day! Until then, this method should work alright for stills. Cheers.

To see just how complex bubble simulation can be, and some of the recent progress made in this area of research, check out this video by Two Minute Papers.

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  • $\begingroup$ This look as good way. Can't wait for try it. Unfortunately, now I have no time :-( BTW: Also hoping for youtu.be/Kc3VxiYkZmk?t=13 in Blender :-D $\endgroup$
    – Shubol3D
    Commented Sep 28, 2016 at 11:54

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