Layers - Icon Bar

Please note that some functions need at least one existing and selected layer. A layer can be selected with a single click on its name. Some functions also accept multi-selections of layers. With this feature it is possible to change properties for a very large number of nodes with just a few clicks. Inactive buttons are greyed out.

Common Icons

Both windows and the toolbar show a variety of different icons belonging to RealFlow's layer system. Some icons are identical for “Visibility” and “Simulation”. Let's start with these:

Show/Edit layer members (A)

This function opens the well-known node picker. It contains the entire list of items from the "Nodes" panel and highlights the members of the layer. You can multi-select or deselect nodes and click on "OK" to add them to the current layer. If these nodes have different attributes, for example different visibility states, then “Visible” will be changed to “Multiple”. Under “Simulation” the principle is exactly the same: when the layer members have different “Export Data” or “Simulation status” settings, you will see “Multiple”.

Select layer members (B)

If you want to select the members of a layer in the "Nodes" window, you do not have to do it manually - simply click on this icon.

Add selected nodes to selected layers (C)

You can, of course, also make a custom selection of items inside the "Nodes" window. When you click on this icon, the highlighted nodes will be added to the currently activated layer.

Add new layer (D)

Here you can create a new empty layer. Names will be assigned automatically, such as “VisibilityLayer0X” and “SimulationLayer0X”. “X” is a consecutive number.

Add new layer with selected nodes (E)

In the nodes window you can make a selection and add them to a newly created layer. The nodes do not have to be of the same type or group. You can combine emitters with objects, daemons with grid fluid elements,RealWave nodes with IDOCs and so on. It is also possible to select and drag the nodes from the “Nodes” panel to the layer window to create a new group from your selection. Another feature is to drag layers inside the layer panel onto an empty area of the canvas. This action will create new layer that contains all the nodes in the selection.

Delete layer (F)

If you do not need a layer any more it can be removed with this icon.

Move selected layer up (G) / Move selected layer down (H)

The layer tool arranges the layers according to their number and order of creation, but this is not always wanted. To move a layer up and down in the canvas, click on this button until the selected layer has reached the desired position in the list.

Visibility Icons

This panel also has some specific icons which can be used to manage shading modes and, of course, visibility.

Set selected Visible/Set selected Hidden

You can show and hide the members of a layer in the viewport with a single mouse click. The current state is always indicated in the “Visible” tab. If the “Visible” flag is “Multiple”, the nodes have different settings. To unify the layer member state again, simply click on the appropriate icon. This function supports multi-layer selections.

Set selected Bounding Box

This feature works exactly like “Set selected Visible” and “Set selected Hidden”; with a single click it is possible to change the shading mode for all members of the layer at once.

Set selected Wireframe / Set selected Flat Shaded / Set selected Smooth Shaded

Please have a look at “Set selected Bounding Box” for the mode of operation of these functions.

Set Selected Render with Maxwell Render / Set Selected Hidden from Maxwell Render

These buttons are used to make a layer's nodes visible to the Maxwell Render engine, or hide them.

Simulation Icons

The tools for the “Simulation” panel can be used to change the current simulation state and the export options.

Set selected Active

Each node can be excluded from a simulation (or included) with the "Simulation" option from the "Node" panel under "Node Params". There you can see three states: “Inactive”, “Active” and “Cache”. This button represents the “Active” state.

Set selected Cache / Set selected Inactive

Both buttons work exactly like the “Set selected Active” function and represent the appropriate simulation states.

Export data of selected

Each RealFlow node has its own data file formats and export resources. These attributes can be easily controlled under “Export Central”, but with hundreds of nodes this can be a very time-consuming task. One solution to manage these resources is scripting; the other is RealFlow's layer system. You can activate the default resources of a layer's members with a single click. This feature also supports multi-layer selections so you can manage even more resources on the fly.

Do not export data of selected

This functions works exactly like “Export data of selected”, but is used to deactivate all export resources of the layer's members.