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In this tutorial, we will be creating a Tornado simulation inside Unity 3D.

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Unity version used in this tutorial: Unity 2018.3.0f2 (64-bit) Unity How to Create a Script
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Step 1: Create all the necessary scripts GameObject
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This tutorial requires 2 scripts:
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SC_Caught.cs
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//This script is attached automatically to each Object caught in Tornado
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Unity 3D Tornado Physics | Sharp Coder Blog https://sharpcoderblog.com/blog/unity-3d-tornado-physics
Third-Person Camera in Unity
using UnityEngine;
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public class SC_Caught : MonoBehaviour Make a Multiplayer Game in Unity Using PUN 2
{
Unity Openable Classic and Sliding Doors
private SC_Tornado tornadoReference;
private SpringJoint spring; Endless Runner in Unity
[HideInInspector]
public Rigidbody rigid;

// Use this for initialization

void Start()
{
rigid = GetComponent<Rigidbody>();
}

// Update is called once per frame

void Update()
{
//Lift spring so objects are pulled upwards
Vector3 newPosition = spring.connectedAnchor;
newPosition.y = transform.position.y;
spring.connectedAnchor = newPosition;
}

void FixedUpdate()
{
//Rotate object around tornado center
Vector3 direction = transform.position - tornadoReference.transform.position;
//Project
Vector3 projection = Vector3.ProjectOnPlane(direction, tornadoReference.GetRotationAxis());
projection.Normalize();
Vector3 normal = Quaternion.AngleAxis(130, tornadoReference.GetRotationAxis()) * projection;
normal = Quaternion.AngleAxis(tornadoReference.lift, projection) * normal;
rigid.AddForce(normal * tornadoReference.GetStrength(), ForceMode.Force);

Debug.DrawRay(transform.position, normal * 10, Color.red);

}

//Call this when tornadoReference already exists

public void Init(SC_Tornado tornadoRef, Rigidbody tornadoRigidbody, float springForce)
{
YOU DO NOT HAVE TO DO //Make sure this is enabled (for reentrance)
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//Save tornado reference
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//Initialize the spring
spring = gameObject.AddComponent<SpringJoint>();
spring.spring = springForce;
spring.connectedBody = tornadoRigidbody;

spring.autoConfigureConnectedAnchor = false;

//Set initial position of the caught object relative to its position and the tornado
Vector3 initialPosition = Vector3.zero;
initialPosition.y = transform.position.y;
spring.connectedAnchor = initialPosition;
}

public void Release()

{
enabled = false;
Destroy(spring);
}
}

SC_Tornado.cs

//Tornado script controls tornado physics

using System.Collections.Generic;
using UnityEngine;

public class SC_Tornado : MonoBehaviour

{
[Tooltip("Distance after which the rotation physics starts")]
public float maxDistance = 20;

[Tooltip("The axis that the caught objects will rotate around")]

public Vector3 rotationAxis = new Vector3(0, 1, 0);

[Tooltip("Angle that is added to the object's velocity (higher lift -> quicker on top)")]
[Range(0, 90)]
public float lift = 45;

[Tooltip("The force that will drive the caught objects around the tornado's center")]

YOU DO NOT HAVE TO DO public float rotationStrength = 50;

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[Tooltip("Tornado pull force")]
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Unity assets. public float tornadoStrength = 2;

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Rigidbody r;

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List<SC_Caught> caughtObject = new List<SC_Caught>();

// Start is called before the first frame update

void Start()
{
//Normalize the rotation axis given by the user
rotationAxis.Normalize();

r = GetComponent<Rigidbody>();
r.isKinematic = true;
}

void FixedUpdate()
{
//Apply force to caught objects
for (int i = 0; i < caughtObject.Count; i++)
{
if(caughtObject[i] != null)
{
Vector3 pull = transform.position - caughtObject[i].transform.position;
if (pull.magnitude > maxDistance)
{
caughtObject[i].rigid.AddForce(pull.normalized * pull.magnitude, ForceMode.Force);
caughtObject[i].enabled = false;
}
else
{
caughtObject[i].enabled = true;
}
}
}
}

void OnTriggerEnter(Collider other)

{
if (!other.attachedRigidbody) return;
if (other.attachedRigidbody.isKinematic) return;

//Add caught object to the list

SC_Caught caught = other.GetComponent<SC_Caught>();
if (!caught)
{
YOU DO NOT HAVE TO DO caught = other.gameObject.AddComponent<SC_Caught>();
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caught.Init(this, r, tornadoStrength);
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if (!caughtObject.Contains(caught))

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{
caughtObject.Add(caught);
}
}

void OnTriggerExit(Collider other)

{
//Release caught object
SC_Caught caught = other.GetComponent<SC_Caught>();
if (caught)
{
caught.Release();

if (caughtObject.Contains(caught))
{
caughtObject.Remove(caught);
}
}
}

public float GetStrength()

{
return rotationStrength;
}

//The axis the caught objects rotate around

public Vector3 GetRotationAxis()
{
return rotationAxis;
}

//Draw tornado radius circle in Editor

void OnDrawGizmosSelected()
{
Vector3[] positions = new Vector3[30];
Vector3 centrePos = transform.position;
for (int pointNum = 0; pointNum < positions.Length; pointNum++)
{
// "i" now represents the progress around the circle from 0-1
// we multiply by 1.0 to ensure we get a fraction as a result.
float i = (float)(pointNum * 2) / positions.Length;

YOU DO NOT HAVE TO DO // get the angle for this step (in radians, not degrees)
EVERYTHING YOURSELF float angle = i * Mathf.PI * 2;
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// the X & Y position for this angle are calculated using Sin & Cos
Visit Asset Store float x = Mathf.Sin(angle) * maxDistance;
float z = Mathf.Cos(angle) * maxDistance;

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Vector3 pos = new Vector3(x, 0, z) + centrePos;

positions[pointNum] = pos;
}

Gizmos.color = Color.cyan;
for (int i = 0; i < positions.Length; i++)
{
if (i == positions.Length - 1)
{
Gizmos.DrawLine(positions[0], positions[positions.Length - 1]);
}
else
{
Gizmos.DrawLine(positions[i], positions[i + 1]);
}
}
}
}

Step 2: Creating a Tornado

1. Create Tornado particles:

• Create a new GameObject (GameObject -> Create Empty) and name it "Tornado"
• Create another GameObject and name it "Particles", move it inside "Tornado" and change its position to (0, 0, 0)
• Add ParticleSystem component to "Particles" GameObject
• In Particle System enable these modules: Emission, Shape, Velocity over Lifetime, Color over Lifetime, Size
over Lifetime, Rotation over Lifetime, External Forces, Renderer.

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2. Assign the values for each Particle System module (Check Screenshots below):

Main (Particles) module:

Emission module:

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Shape module:

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Velocity over Lifetime module:

Color over Lifetime module:

(2DO
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Size over Lifetime module:

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(Size over Lifetime uses curve which looks like this)

(Size slightly goes down then goes up)

Rotation over Lifetime:

External Forces module:

This module does not need any changes, just leave the default values.

Renderer module:

For this module we only need to assign the material:

• Create a new material and call it "tornado_material"

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• Change
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Assign the texture below to it (or click here):
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• Assign the tornado_material to a Renderer module:

Now Tornado particles should look something like this:

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Unity 3D Tornado Physics | Sharp Coder Blog https://sharpcoderblog.com/blog/unity-3d-tornado-physics

But as you can see it does not look like Tornado at all, that's because we have one more component to add,
which is Particle System Force Field, this component is needed to simulate the circular wind:

• Create a new GameObject and name it "ForceField"

• Move "ForceField" inside "Tornado" GameObject and change it's position to (0, 0, 0)

• Add Particle System Force Field component to "ForceField"

• Change the values of the Force Field component to the same as on the screenshot below:

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Now the particles should look something like this, which is much better:
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3. Setting Up Tornado Physics

• Add Rigidbody and SC_Tornado components to "Tornado" GameObject

• Create a new GameObject and name it "Trigger"

• Move "Trigger" inside "Tornado" GameObject and change its position to (0, 10, 0) and change its scale to (60, 10,
60)
• Add MeshCollider component to "Trigger" GameObject, check the Convex and IsTrigger checkboxes, and change
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Mesh to default Cylinder
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Unity 3D Tornado Physics | Sharp Coder Blog https://sharpcoderblog.com/blog/unity-3d-tornado-physics

The tornado is now ready!

To test it simply create a Cube and add a Rigidbody component to it, then place it somewhere inside the Trigger area.

Once you press Play the Cube should be pulled in by the Tornado:

unity3d unity physics physx tutorial rigidbody tornado simulation

Source

� TornadoSystem.unitypackage 239.71 KB

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