Mesh : Channels

Owned by thomas (Unlicensed)
Last updated: 18 Oct, 2018 by Alex Ribao

A channel is a fluid property, for example velocity. The fluid's channels can be used to visualize differences in the property's values and achieve realistic shading effects.

 

 

Smoothing Length Scale

This parameter smooths the values and can be used to avoid flicker, and control the mixing effect with differently coloured fluids and weight maps:

  • The parameter's range is from 0 to 10, while 10 represents the strongest smoothing effect.
  • Meshes have to be recreated when this parameter has been altered.
Speed

Speed represents and visualizes the different zones of velocities in the fluid.

Vorticity

Vorticity is used to show the fluid's swirls and vortices.

Age

This channel shows the particles' age distribution. If all particles share the same age the fluid will have a uniform colour.

Weights

If the mesh contains multiple fluids or emitters you can create blending and mixing effects with differently coloured fluids.

  • From the "Type" menu you can choose whether the maps should be created from fluids or emitters.
  • For fluids, all containers have to be linked to one single mesh in order to make the maps work.

Common parameters

Used channel(s)

The number after the "Used channel(s)" label represents the Map Channel index where the channel information has been encoded. It is important to use that Map Channel number when you are editing your material.

Left: Material Editor Map Channel selection | Right: The channel reported by the RFMesher node
Min

"Speed", "Vorticity", and "Age" have a "Min" parameter. All mesh areas with channel values smaller than "Min" will be rendered with the same material colour:

  • Mesh areas with channel values between "Min" and "Max" will be rendered with shades.
  • If you don't know where to start check "Auto", and you will see the lowest current value that can be used as reference.
  • The mesh has to be → rebuild when you change the "Min" parameter.
Max

"Speed", "Vorticity", and "Age" have a "Max" parameter. All mesh areas with channel values greater than "Max" will be rendered with the same material colour.

  • Mesh areas with channel values between "Min" and "Max" will be rendered with shades.
  • If you don't know where to start check "Auto", and you will see the highest current value that can be used as a reference.
Auto

"Speed", "Vorticity", and "Age" have an "Auto" parameter. When active, RealFlow | 3ds Max calculates the "Min" and "Max" values of a channel automatically and uses them to create the vertex maps.

  • Mesh areas with channel values between "Min" and "Max" will be rendered with shades.
  • If you don't know where to start check "Auto", and you will see the highest current value that can be used as a reference.