#Realflow 2013 software#

Hybrido 2 is a new FLIP-based algorithm that allows an amount of detail within sensible simulation times not previously possible in RealFlowĮven more important than those new scene nodes – and probably the killer feature in RealFlow 2013 – are script nodes, which allow you to control virtually anything in the scene. However, it only took a few scenes for me to realise that the node-based workflow was much more preferable to the previous system: it’s faster and more intuitive. At first glance, the new way of working may be confusing – the interface, with its large icons, worked well on a dual-monitor setup but was harder to use on a 15-inch laptop. SCENE NODESĪfter loading RealFlow, you will see that the old Exclusive and Global Links have gone, replaced by the new node-based interface.

But cutting simulation time by half is certainly handy.

#Realflow 2013 software#

Due to the limitations of current graphics hardware, there are still bottlenecks for software like RealFlow: caches of more than 5GB per frame are not uncommon when it gets to real-world quality liquid simulations, so the majority of operations still have to be calculated on the CPU. Some steps of the FLIP algorithm’s implementation are calculated on the graphics card, resulting in simulations up to 50 per cent faster. Hybrido 2 also supports OpenCL GPU acceleration to speed up simulations. A new meshing algorithm has also been introduced, so now one can get the detail of the base simulation into the final mesh. The base simulation alone gives the user quality and detail that wasn’t possible with the old system, even adding tonnes of additional layers of particles on top. The simulation took its time, but the amount of detail was very high this wouldn’t have been possible with the old Hybrido system. Scene nodes are the new node-based way to work in RealFlow 2013 Hybrido 2 integrates extremely well with Caronte RBD.

While testing, I was able to simulate a waterfall consisting of more than 200 million particles (base simulation, without additional layers) on an i7-3930K Intel-based workstation with 16GB RAM. However, Next Limit has addressed the issue by introducing a FLIP solver to Hybrido 2 and renovating the secondary systems for the creation of more detail, foam or other additional elements for simulations. This worked fine in many situations, but Hybrido was limited: it was hard to get an acceptable amount of detail out of the base simulations, and one often needed lots of additional layers of SPH on top in order to get the desired quality. Hybrido offered a simplified method for simulating the base liquid, so SPH was only needed for certain high-detailed areas. SPH enables you to simulate virtually anything that takes a whole lot of detail, but those highly detailed simulations take their time.

Until then, this had been hard to do with RealFlow, as its standard SPH-based particle solver is more targeted towards splashes or tabletop-scale phenomena. Hybrido was first introduced in 2010 with RealFlow 5, as a system for simulating medium and large bodies of water. In comparison with the previous Hybrido system in RealFlow, the new FLIP solver feels like a quantum leap – faster, more reliable and allowing much more detailed simulations. Now, a FLIP solver (FLuid Implicit Particle, a method originally invented in 1986) is the base for the liquid calculations – basically the same technology that is used in other packages such as Naiad or Houdini. In RealFlow 2013, the Hybrido 2 system for simulating large bodies of water like rivers or oceans has been completely revamped. The ability to preview simulations using Maxwell offers new workflows to the artists