Manual Linking
RealFlow | Maya's multi-physics solver is capable of calculating interactions between different fluids, materials, and rigid/elastic deformers:
A RealFlow node's "Linked Domains" field is of particular importance, because it defines which scene elements will be able to interact, react on daemons, or collide with objects.
In terms of linking, rigid and elastic deformer are treated in exactly the same way as fluids – and it is even possible to combine deformer and fluids.
There is a simple rule: Interacting scene elements have to be connected through their "Linked Domain" fields.
Example 1
In this example the two fluid containers, A and B, are able to interact with each other and both fluids are affected by a "Gravity" daemon:
Left: Fluid_A | Centre: Fluid B | Right: Gravity
Example 2
Let's keep the setup from above, but this time we add a "k Age" daemon that will only delete particles from "Fluid_B":
A "k_Age" daemon is connected to Fluid_B only.
Example 3
Of course, every fluid container needs its own emitter to create particles. "Fluid"_A" is attached to "Emitter_A", B to B. To attach an emitter right-click on the "Fluid" field and choose "Set Fluid".
Left: Emitter_A | Right: Emitter_B
Emitters can only be attached to one fluid container!
Example 4
Now we also add a collision object to catch the particles. Collision objects are defined through a "Collider", which has to be aware of the two fluid containers as well: