Dynamic Parting R&D

When I worked at MPC and Framestore there was a phenomenon that both studios added to their groom / cfx pipelines as seen in films like Lion King, Lady & the Tramp and on shows like His Dark Materials.

Everyone has a different name for it but lets call it Dynamic Parting.

This is the phenomenon of parting the hair in a unique way only when the geometry is deforming. It adds a very believable level of detail rather than just having the hair stick to the skin.

You tend to see it on animals with usually short fur, like a cat, particularly on its neck.

My first initial tests like all Houdini tests were a mess…. the logic is quite involved for my level. But i think I’ve got it optimised to a point so its all contained within 4 small networks and a final scene level network to tie everything together.