Next Limit ships RealFlow 2014
Next Limit has released RealFlow 2014, the latest update to its fluid simulation software, adding features including viscous fluid simulation (above), and introducing a new lower-priced node-locked licence.
New Hybrido features, new daemons, new meshing workflow
If you visit CG news sites regularly, there won’t be a lot in RealFlow 2014 to surprise you: Next Limit has been revealing the new features in a steady drip-feed of teaser videos for the last five months.
The software’s Hybrido fluid solver sees the most changes, with support for time-variable viscosity, improved collision detection with objects, a new bubbles emitter, and a new fluid type for liquid splashes.
The Sheeter daemon has been revamped, improving fluid collision with objects and adding the option to create ‘tendrils’ of liquid; and a new Ocean Force daemon simulates ocean surfaces.
Meshing workflow has also been significantly improved, including the option to see the effects of parameter changes automatically in the viewport, without having to remesh manually each time.
Revamped UI, support for the Arnold renderer
Two other changes that have received less coverage are the revamped UI – which includes a new shelf-based arrangement, and some rather nice-looking new icons – and support for Solid Angle’s Arnold renderer.
The latter has been a common request from artists using RealFlow in commercial production, although there are a few features of a RealFlow scene that can’t currently be exported in Arnold’s .ass format.
Pricing and availability
RealFlow 2015 is available now for Windows, Linux and Mac OS X. As we reported in April, Next Limit has introduced a new $2,500 node-locked licence type in addition to the existing $3,495 floating licence.
Both licence types are available at an introductory discount until July. The RealFlow RenderKit, which exports simulations for rendering without meshing the particles first, has also been made free to use.