HySPH - Node

The secondary element's domain scale, initial rotation and position can be changed here, together with some other node-related settings. Please bear in mind that many parameters do not have any effect on the nodes and changes will only affect the viewport representation, not the point of emission.

Simulation

The first entry is used to specify how a node contributes to a scene. The default option is “Active” and tells RealFlow that the currently selected node will be considered during simulation. “Inactive” disables it and the node is greyed out. “Cache” is of special importance, because with this method it is possible to read already simulated data from disk and reuse them in a new simulation pass. The cached item will not be affected by forces or other nodes anymore. On the other hand, a cached node is still able to influence other bodies or fluids. In the "Nodes" panel, cached nodes are displayed with a yellow font.

Position

To specify a node’s position in 3D space, RealFlow expects 3 values for X, Y and Z. You can enter any negative or positive value, including 0.0. By default, objects are always drawn to the origin at [ 0, 0, 0 ]. “Position” is closely related to the viewport’s grid: the distance between two grid lines exactly represents one unit, respectively 1 m. "Position" values are given in metres [m].

Rotation

“Rotation” actually works the same way as “Position”, but here angles are needed. RealFlow accepts any positive or negative angle in degrees – 0.0 is, of course, also supported. "Rotation" values are given in degrees [deg].

Scale

This parameter determines a node’s dimensions and again consists of 3 values. Like “Position”, “Scale” relates to RealFlow’s viewport grid and the values are given in metres [m].

Shear

With this parameter it is possible to create a spatial distortion of a node. Please note that the influence of “Shear” is very limited with emitter nodes and in many cases you will not see any effect, except a graphical deformation in the viewport. "Shear" values are given in metres [m].

Parent to

Nodes can be bounded to other objects, forcing them to follow their motions and rotations. By parenting a node to another object, it is possible to transfer already animated attributes (for example position changes) to the desired item.

Color

In many cases it is required to differentiate nodes in the viewport to avoid confusion. By simply applying a colour you can separate similar or equal nodes from each other visually. In Python, "Color" values are defined from RGB values between 9 and 255; RealFlow Graphs and C++ use a 16-bit notation with values between 0 and 65535 plus a 8-bit Alpha channel ranging between 0 and 255.