Fluid simulation software is based on real-world parameters to simulate the behaviour of the individual particles, and it is possible to store these properties. In RealFlow and the RFRK they are called “channels”. Of course you know the most important channels position and velocity. These channels can be seen in RealFlow's viewport: there are particles at specific positions and the colour gradient indicates their velocities. But, there are many more parameters which are invisible at first glance – for example pressure, density or viscosity. All this information is stored with each particle, then read out by the mesh engine, and finally used to extract vertex maps. The result is a representation of the channel's distribution over the entire fluid cloud and, of course, it changes over time.
Please do not forget to activate the “Texture” channel in RealFlow's → “Export Central” dialogue for the appropriate emitter if you want to make use of the channels.
3DS | C4D | HOU | LWV | MYA | XSI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Channels | Channels | Channels | Channels | Channels | Channels |
Precise | Precise |
|
|
|
|
Weights | Weights | Weights | Weights | Weights | Weights |
| Scale |
|
|
|
|
| Create Vertex Maps |
|
|
|
|
| […] as Magnitude |
|
|
|
...
If you have loaded two or more particle sequences the RFRK is capable of calculating the amount of interaction between the different fluids. This is of particular interest with mixing fluids, because with the “Weights” channel you will be able to create blending colours when the fluids are mixing. Under → “How to... Use Weight Maps?” you will find a complete workflow description of how to achieve this effecteffect (Cinema 4D only by now).
Scale (C4D)
In order to visualize a channel's information two materials are required. The vertex map controls how they are blended, but in many cases the result is not satisfying. With “Scale” you have an effective method of controlling the vertex map's transparency. This means that you change the ratio of both materials.
...