Introduction to Smoke Simulation

Unless you've been living under a rock the last few months, you've probably heard about this new feature called the smoke simulator. But what is it? Why is everyone getting so excited over it? This tutorial will answer all your questions from a beginners perspective.

I originally gave this presentation at the 2009 Blender Conference. The presentation included creations from other users, a short demonstration of smoke in action and a slideshow. Since that time there have been massive developements in smoke simulation so consider my post a revised edition.

Do you have any tips or tricks for using the smoke simulator? Share your experiences in the comments below!