RealFlow is a fluid and dynamics simulation tool for the 3D and visual effects industry, developed by
Next Limit Technologies
Next Limit Technologies is a computer software company headquartered in Madrid, Spain. Founded in 1998 by engineers Victor Gonzalez and Ignacio Vargas the firm develops technologies in the field of digital simulation and visualization. In Decem ...
in Madrid, Spain. This stand-alone application can be used in conjunction with other 3D programs to simulate fluids, water surfaces, fluid-solid interactions, rigid bodies, soft bodies and meshes. In 2008, Next Limit Technologies was awarded a Technical Achievement Award by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for their development of the RealFlow software and its contribution to the production of motion pictures. In 2015, Next Limit Technologies announced the release of RealFlow Core for Cinema 4D.
Overview
RealFlow technology uses particle based simulations. These particles can be influenced in various ways by point-based nodes (daemons) which can do various tasks such as simulate gravity or recreate the
vortex
In fluid dynamics, a vortex ( : vortices or vortexes) is a region in a fluid in which the flow revolves around an axis line, which may be straight or curved. Vortices form in stirred fluids, and may be observed in smoke rings, whirlpools in th ...
-like motion of a tornado. RealFlow can also simulate soft and rigid body collisions and interactions. The inclusion of
Python
Python may refer to:
Snakes
* Pythonidae, a family of nonvenomous snakes found in Africa, Asia, and Australia
** ''Python'' (genus), a genus of Pythonidae found in Africa and Asia
* Python (mythology), a mythical serpent
Computing
* Python (pro ...
scripting and
C++ plug-ins allows users to program their own tools to improve RealFlow capabilities, adding control to most aspects of the RealFlow workflow including batch runs, events, daemons, waves, and fluids.
The RealFlow Renderkit (RFRK) is a set of tools designed to facilitate the rendering of fluids. The RFRK enables the generation of procedural geometry at render time and the rendering of individual fluid particles. With this interface, fluids can also be rendered as foam and spray.
On July 30, 2015, RealFlow 2015 was released to the public. The main features in this major release include:
* An increase in the quality of simulations.
* New DYVERSO solvers and GPU acceleration.
* Direct-to-render feature using Maxwell Render.
* Enhanced User Interface
* More controllabitlity: new splines nodes, text tools, daemons falloff, crown daemon, and spreadsheets
* DYVERSO solvers and rapid OpenVDB meshing speed up simulation times by 10x.
Plug-ins
RFConnect
RFConnect is a connectivity plugin between standalone RealFlow and DCC applications. The plugin is a successor of RF Connectivity and RF RenderKit (RFRK). The plugin supports following DCC applications:
3ds Max
Autodesk 3ds Max, formerly 3D Studio and 3D Studio Max, is a professional 3D computer graphics program for making 3D animations, models, games and images. It is developed and produced by Autodesk Media and Entertainment. It has modeling capabil ...
,
Maya,
Cinema 4D
Cinema 4D is a 3D software suite developed by the German company Maxon.
Overview
As of R21, only one version of Cinema 4D is available. It replaces all previous variants, including BodyPaint 3D, and includes all features of the past 'Studio' ...
, and
Houdini
Harry Houdini (, born Erik Weisz; March 24, 1874 – October 31, 1926) was a Hungarian-American escape artist, magic man, and stunt performer, noted for his escape acts. His pseudonym is a reference to his spiritual master, French magician ...
. The plugin is also available for
Lightwave and
Softimage
Autodesk Softimage, or simply Softimage () was a 3D computer graphics application, for producing 3D computer graphics, 3D modeling, and computer animation. Now owned by Autodesk and formerly titled Softimage, XSI, the software has been predomi ...
but the development is currently not active.
RFCore
RFCore is a plugin for bringing RealFlow functionality to the DCC applications. The plugin supports following DCC applications:
3ds Max
Autodesk 3ds Max, formerly 3D Studio and 3D Studio Max, is a professional 3D computer graphics program for making 3D animations, models, games and images. It is developed and produced by Autodesk Media and Entertainment. It has modeling capabil ...
,
Maya, and
Cinema 4D
Cinema 4D is a 3D software suite developed by the German company Maxon.
Overview
As of R21, only one version of Cinema 4D is available. It replaces all previous variants, including BodyPaint 3D, and includes all features of the past 'Studio' ...
.
Third-party plug-in developers
Next Limit lists three 3rd party plugins fo
Wetwork IoSim, and V-Motion.
Version history
Features
RealFlow
* Particle based solver (liquid, gas, elastic and particles)
* Interaction bitmaps
* Custom particle behaviour
* UV data and weight maps
* UV texture mapping
* Automatic mesh generator
* Force fields
* Python / C++ plugins
* Direct-to-render feature
* OpenVDB meshing
Hybrido
* Hybrid fluid solver technology to simulate large bodies of water with secondary effects such as splashes, foam, and mist
Caronte
*
Rigid/
soft body dynamics solver
* Mix animation and dynamics
RealWave
* Physically accurate water surfaces
Python scripting / C++ plugins
* Daemons
* Waves
* Fluids
* Events
* Batch runs
Dyverso Solvers
* Drastic speed-up on simulations
* Smooth layered meshes,
Use in industry
Motion Pictures
* ''
Watchmen''
* ''
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button''
* ''
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street''
* ''
National Treasure: Book of Secrets''
* ''
City of Ember''
* ''
Meet the Robinsons''
* ''
300
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''
* ''
Primeval
Primeval may refer to:
* Primeval forest, an area of forest that has attained great age
* Primeval number, a positive integer satisfying certain conditions
* Primeval history, name given by biblical scholars to the first eleven chapters of the Bo ...
''
* ''
Poseidon
Poseidon (; grc-gre, Ποσειδῶν) was one of the Twelve Olympians in ancient Greek religion and myth, god of the sea, storms, earthquakes and horses.Burkert 1985pp. 136–139 In pre-Olympian Bronze Age Greece, he was venerated as a ch ...
''
* ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
''
* ''
Ice Age: The Meltdown''
* ''
X-Men: The Last Stand''
* ''
Slither
Slither may refer to:
* Slithering, a form of limbless terrestrial locomotion
Film and television
* ''Slither'' (1973 film), a comedy directed by Howard Zieff
* ''Slither'' (2006 film), a comedy horror film directed by James Gunn
* "Slither" ...
''
* ''
The Da Vinci Code''
* ''
Chicken Little
"Henny Penny", more commonly known in the United States as "Chicken Little" and sometimes as "Chicken Licken", is a European folk tale with a moral in the form of a cumulative tale about a chicken who believes that the world is coming to an end ...
''
* ''
Robots''
* ''
The Incredibles
''The Incredibles'' is a 2004 American computer-animated superhero film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. Written and directed by Brad Bird, it stars the voices of Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Sarah V ...
''
* ''
Constantine
Constantine most often refers to:
* Constantine the Great, Roman emperor from 306 to 337, also known as Constantine I
* Constantine, Algeria, a city in Algeria
Constantine may also refer to:
People
* Constantine (name), a masculine given na ...
''
* ''
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory''
* ''
The Matrix Reloaded
''The Matrix Reloaded'' is a 2003 American science-fiction action film written and directed by the Wachowskis. It is a sequel to ''The Matrix'' (1999) and the second installment in the ''Matrix'' film series. The film stars Keanu Reeves, Laure ...
''
* ''
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen''
* ''
Spy Kids 3D
''Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over'' (also known as ''Spy Kids 3: Game Over'') is a 2003 American spy film, spy action film, action comedy film, the sequel to ''Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams'', and the third installment overall in the ''Spy Kids ...
''
* ''
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King''
* ''
Freddy vs. Jason
''Freddy vs. Jason'' is a 2003 American slasher film directed by Ronny Yu and written by Mark Swift and Damian Shannon, Damian Shannon and Mark Swift. It is a Crossover (fiction), crossover between the A Nightmare on Elm Street (franchise), ''A ...
''
* ''
Minority Report
Minority Report may refer to:
* Minority report (Poor Law), published by the UK Royal Commission on the Poor Laws and Relief of Distress 1905–09
* "Minority Report", a 1949 science fiction short story by Theodore Sturgeon
* "The Minority Report ...
''
* ''
Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within''
* ''
Ice Age
An ice age is a long period of reduction in the temperature of Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental and polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers. Earth's climate alternates between ice ages and gree ...
''
* ''
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider''
* ''
Lost in Space
''Lost in Space'' is an American science fiction television series, created and produced by Irwin Allen, which originally aired between 1965 and 1968 on CBS. The series was inspired by the 1812 novel ''The Swiss Family Robinson.'' The series fo ...
''
* ''
Pompeii (film)''
* ''
Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit''
* ''
The Great Gatsby''
* ''
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo''
* ''
The Avengers
Avenger, Avengers, The Avenger, or The Avengers may refer to:
Arts and entertainment In the Marvel Comics universe
* Avengers (comics), a team of superheroes
** Avengers (Marvel Cinematic Universe), a central team of protagonist superheroes o ...
''
* ''
Looper (film)
''Looper'' is a 2012 American science fiction action-thriller film written and directed by Rian Johnson, and produced by Ram Bergman and James D. Stern. It stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Emily Blunt, Jeff Daniels and Bruce Willis. It revolves aroun ...
''
* ''
The Impossible (2012 film)
''The Impossible'' ( es, link=no, Lo imposible) is a 2012 English-language Spanish disaster drama film directed by J. A. Bayona and written by Sergio G. Sánchez. It is based on the experience of María Belón and her family in the 2004 Indian ...
''
* ''
Resident Evil: Retribution''
* ''
Dredd''
* ''
Ice Age 4: Continental Drift''
* ''
The Pirates! Band of Misfits
''The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists!'' (released in North America, Australia and New Zealand as ''The Pirates! Band of Misfits'') is a 2012 3D stop-motion animated swashbuckler comedy film produced by the British studio Aardman ...
''
* ''
The Lorax
''The Lorax'' is a children's book written by Dr. Seuss and published in 1971. It chronicles the plight of the environment and the Lorax, the titular character, who "speaks for the trees" and confronts the Once-ler, a business magnate who cause ...
''
Television series
* ''
Lost
Lost may refer to getting lost, or to:
Geography
*Lost, Aberdeenshire, a hamlet in Scotland
* Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail, or LOST, a hiking and cycling trail in Florida, US
History
*Abbreviation of lost work, any work which is known to have bee ...
''
* ''
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
''CSI: Crime Scene Investigation'', also referred to as ''CSI'' and ''CSI: Las Vegas'', is an American procedural forensics crime drama television series that ran on CBS from October 6, 2000, to September 27, 2015, spanning 15 seasons. This wa ...
''
* ''
Get Ed
''Get Ed'' is a computer-animated television series about a genetically engineered teenage delivery boy who fights industrial crime in Progress City.
The show aired as a part of the Jetix programming block on the United States cable television ...
''
* ''
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
''
* ''
U2/
Green Day
Green Day is an American rock band formed in the East Bay of California in 1987 by lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, together with bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt. For most of the band's career, they have been a powe ...
video clip: "
The Saints are Coming"
Commercials
*
Kraft Macaroni & Cheese
*
Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel (known as The Discovery Channel from 1985 to 1995, and often referred to as simply Discovery) is an American cable channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav. , Discovery Channe ...
*
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. Originally marketed as a temperance drink and intended as a patent medicine, it was invented in the late 19th century by John Stith Pemberton in Atlanta ...
*
Harpic
Harpic is the brand name of a toilet cleaner launched in the United Kingdom in 1932 by Reckitt and Sons (now Reckitt). It is currently available in Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, the Asia-Pacific, Europe, and the Americas. The toilet clean ...
*
Amp'd Mobile
Amp'd Mobile was a cellular phone service launched in the United States in late 2005, and in Canada in early 2007. The company was a Mobile Virtual Network Operator offering 3G voice and data services over the Verizon Wireless EV-DO network, incl ...
*
Strathmore Water
*
Cinnamon Toast Crunch
Cinnamon Toast Crunch (CTC), known as Croque-Cannelle in French Canada and Curiously Cinnamon in the UK (previously Cinnamon Grahams), and as a variant called Cini Minis in other European and Latin American countries, is a breakfast cereal produc ...
*
Nissan GT-R
*
Bacardi
Bacardi Limited (; ) is one of the largest privately held, family-owned spirits companies in the world. Originally known for its Bacardi brand of white rum, it now has a portfolio of more than 200 brands and labels. Founded in Cuba in 1862 an ...
*
Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (often shortened to Nick) is an American pay television television channel, channel which launched on April 1, 1979, as the first cable channel for children. It is run by Paramount Global through its List of assets owned by Param ...
*
Mercedes
Mercedes may refer to:
People
* Mercedes (name), a Spanish feminine name, including a list of people and fictional characters with the given name or last name
Automobile-related
* Mercedes (marque), the pre-1926 brand name of German automobile m ...
*
Sony Ericsson
*
Renault Laguna
The Renault Laguna is a large family car that was manufactured and marketed by Renault for 21 years in three body styles: hatchback, coupé, and estate. The first generation Laguna was launched in 1994, the second generation was introduced in 200 ...
*
Nescafe Nespresso
*
Kellogg's Frosties
*
Chase Bank
*
Guinness
Guinness () is an Irish dry stout that originated in the brewery of Arthur Guinness at St. James's Gate, Dublin, Ireland, in 1759. It is one of the most successful alcohol brands worldwide, brewed in almost 50 countries, and available in ove ...
*
Heineken
*
Grand Marnier
*
Ariel Washing Powder
*
Biotherm
Biotherm is a French skin care company owned by L'Oréal under the Luxury Products division. Biotherm was acquired by L'Oréal in 1970.
Biotherm originated from mineral water. In the early 20th century, the French doctor Jos Jullien discovered mi ...
*
Vichy
Vichy (, ; ; oc, Vichèi, link=no, ) is a city in the Allier Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of central France, in the historic province of Bourbonnais.
It is a Spa town, spa and resort town and in World ...
*
Nescafe
*
Pontiac Pontiac may refer to:
*Pontiac (automobile), a car brand
*Pontiac (Ottawa leader) ( – 1769), a Native American war chief
Places and jurisdictions Canada
* Pontiac, Quebec, a municipality
**Apostolic Vicariate of Pontiac, now the Roman Catholic D ...
*
Gatorade
Gatorade is an American brand of sports-themed beverage and food products, built around its signature line of sports drinks. Gatorade is currently manufactured by PepsiCo and is distributed in over 80 countries. The beverage was first develop ...
*
Carlsberg Carlsberg may refer to:
Places
* Carlsberg (district), a district in Copenhagen, Denmark
** Carlsberg station, its train station
* Carlsberg, Germany, a municipality in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany
* Carlsberg Fjord, Greenland Other uses
* Carlsbe ...
*
Telia Xpress Telia may refer to:
* Telium, plural Telia, structure of the reproductive cycle of rusts (plant diseases)
*Telia Company, Swedish telecommunications company
** Telia Digital-tv, Swedish TV platform
** Telia Norge, Norwegian telecommucations company
...
/
Motorola
Motorola, Inc. () was an American Multinational corporation, multinational telecommunications company based in Schaumburg, Illinois, United States. After having lost $4.3 billion from 2007 to 2009, the company split into two independent p ...
*
Martini
*
BMW
*
Land Rover
Land Rover is a British brand of predominantly four-wheel drive, off-road capable vehicles, owned by multinational car manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), since 2008 a subsidiary of India's Tata Motors. JLR currently builds Land Rovers ...
* ''
World of Color''
Video games
* ''
Ryse: Son of Rome''
* ''
Crysis 2''
* ''
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception''
* ''
God of War: Ascension''
* ''
X-Men Origins: Wolverine (video game)''
* ''
Mass Effect 3''
See also
*
Particle system
*
Smoothed particle hydrodynamics
Smoothed-particle hydrodynamics (SPH) is a computational method used for simulating the mechanics of continuum media, such as solid mechanics and fluid flows. It was developed by Gingold and Monaghan and Lucy in 1977, initially for astrophysica ...
*
Computer simulation
Computer simulation is the process of mathematical modelling, performed on a computer, which is designed to predict the behaviour of, or the outcome of, a real-world or physical system. The reliability of some mathematical models can be dete ...
*
3D computer graphics
3D computer graphics, or “3D graphics,” sometimes called CGI, 3D-CGI or three-dimensional computer graphics are graphics that use a three-dimensional representation of geometric data (often Cartesian) that is stored in the computer for th ...
References
External links
* {{official website, realflow.com
Realflow TutorialsRealflow 2013 - New Features & VideosRealflow Templates
3D graphics software
Computer physics engines
Software that uses Qt