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Automatic Linking

Automatic Linking

11 May, 2018

Connecting and linking simulation nodes is a core concept in RealFlow | Cinema 4D, because it lets you define which daemons act on which fluids, or which fluids will be able to interact, for example. To ease this process, RealFlow | Cinema 4D has a semi-automatic system for linking nodes.

Linking to the "Scene" Object

A project with one → "Scene" is the default setup:

  • All new simulation nodes will be connected to this "Scene" object automatically

  • If you add a simulation node to an empty project, a "Scene" object will be created, and this and the following nodes will connected to this "Scene".

In projects with two or more "Scene" objects things work differently:

  • All new simulation nodes will be connected to the "Scene" object(s) which are selected in Cinema 4D's "Object" manager.

  • If there is no selected "Scene" object all new nodes have to be linked to the "Scene" object(s) manually.

Objects with a → "Collider" tag have to be linked to the "Scene" object(s) as well. Each tag has its own "RealFlow Scene" field:

  • If there is a "Scene" object in the scene already all "Collider" tags will be connected to this "Scene".

  • In projects with two or more "Scene" objects new "Collider" tags will be connected to the "Scene" object(s) which are selected in Cinema 4D's "Object" manager.

  • If there is no (or no selected) "Scene" object the "Collider" tags have to be linked manually.

Linking Simulation Nodes

In scenes with a fluid, rigid or elastic container

  • additonal containers will be linked automatically to the ones which are currently selected in Cinema 4D's "Object" manager

  • additonal containers have to be linked maunally if no container is selected.

Daemons

  • will be linked automatically if the project has only one fluid, rigid or elastic container

  • will be linked automatically to selected containers

  • have to be linked manually if the project does not contain any fluid, rigid or elastic containers at the time of creation of the daemon.

Linking Objects to Fluids, Rigids, Elastics

In order to connect objects with fluids, rigids, and elastics it is necessary to add a → "Collider" tag. Each object requires its own tag, and each tag has its own "Links" field. Tags

  • will be linked automatically if the project has only one fluid, rigid, or elastic container

  • will be linked automatcially to selected containers

  • have to be linked manually if the project does not contain any fluid, rigid or elastic containers at the time of creation of the tag.

Meshes

There are two fundamental states. When the project contains

  • a single fluid container the container will be linked to mesh automatically

  • two or more fluids all connections have to be established manually.