# RealFlow

RealFlow is a fluid and dynamics simulation tool for the 3D and visual effects industry, developed by Next Limit Technologies in Madrid, Spain. This stand-alone application can be used in conjunction with other 3D programs to simulate fluids, water surfaces, fluid-solid interactions, rigid bodies, soft bodies and meshes. In 2008, Next Limit Technologies was awarded a Technical Achievement Award by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for their development of the RealFlow software and its contribution to the production of motion pictures. In 2015, Next Limit Technologies announced the release of RealFlow Core for Cinema 4D.

## Overview

RealFlow technology uses particle based simulations. These particles can be influenced in various ways by point-based nodes (daemons) which can do various tasks such as simulate gravity or recreate the vortex-like motion of a tornado. RealFlow can also simulate soft and rigid body collisions and interactions. The inclusion of Python scripting and C++ plug-ins allows users to program their own tools to improve RealFlow capabilities, adding control to most aspects of the RealFlow workflow including batch runs, events, daemons, waves, and fluids.
The RealFlow Renderkit (RFRK) is a set of tools designed to facilitate the rendering of fluids. The RFRK enables the generation of procedural geometry at render time and the rendering of individual fluid particles. With this interface, fluids can also be rendered as foam and spray.
On July 30, 2015, RealFlow 2015 was released to the public. The main features in this major release include:
* An increase in the quality of simulations.
* New DYVERSO solvers and GPU acceleration.
* Direct-to-render feature using Maxwell Render.
* Enhanced User Interface
* More controllabitlity: new splines nodes, text tools, daemons falloff, crown daemon, and spreadsheets
* DYVERSO solvers and rapid OpenVDB meshing speed up simulation times by 10x.

## Plug-ins
### RFConnect

RFConnect is a connectivity plugin between standalone RealFlow and DCC applications. The plugin is a successor of RF Connectivity and RF RenderKit (RFRK). The plugin supports following DCC applications: 3ds Max, Maya, Cinema 4D, and Houdini. The plugin is also available for Lightwave and Softimage but the development is currently not active.

### RFCore

RFCore is a plugin for bringing RealFlow functionality to the DCC applications. The plugin supports following DCC applications: 3ds Max, Maya, and Cinema 4D.

### Third-party plug-in developers

Next Limit lists three 3rd party plugins for Wetwork, IoSim, and V-Motion.

## Version history

| 1998 | RealFlow 1.0 RealWave 1.0 RealFlow 1.2 |
| 1999 | RealFlow 1.3 |
| 2000 | RealWave 2.0 |
| 2001 | RealFlow 2.0 |
| 2002 | RealFlow 2.5 |
| 2004 | RealFlow 3.0 |
| 2006 | RealFlow 4.0 |
| 2010 | RealFlow 5.0 |
| 2012 | RealFlow 2012 |
| 2013 | RealFlow 2013 |
| 2014 | RealFlow 2014 |
| 2015 | RealFlow 2015 |
| 2016 | Cinema4D |
| 2017 | Cinema4D 2.0 |
| 2018 | Cinema4D 2.5 RealFlow | Maya RealFlow | 3ds Max |
| 2019 | Cinema 4D 3.0 RealFlow 10.5 |

## Features
### RealFlow

* Particle based solver (liquid, gas, elastic and particles)
* Interaction bitmaps
* Custom particle behaviour
* UV data and weight maps
* UV texture mapping
* Automatic mesh generator
* Force fields
* Python / C++ plugins
* Direct-to-render feature
* OpenVDB meshing

### Hybrido

* Hybrid fluid solver technology to simulate large bodies of water with secondary effects such as splashes, foam, and mist

### Caronte

* Rigid/soft body dynamics solver
* Mix animation and dynamics

### RealWave

* Physically accurate water surfaces

### Python scripting / C++ plugins

* Daemons
* Waves
* Fluids
* Events
* Batch runs

### Dyverso Solvers

* Drastic speed-up on simulations
* Smooth layered meshes,

## Use in industry

Motion pictures
* Watchmen
* The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
* Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
* National Treasure: Book of Secrets
* City of Ember
* Meet the Robinsons
* 300
* Primeval
* Poseidon
* The Guardian
* Ice Age: The Meltdown
* X-Men: The Last Stand
* Slither
* The Da Vinci Code
* Chicken Little
* Robots
* The Incredibles
* Constantine
* Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
* The Matrix Reloaded
* The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
* Spy Kids 3D
* The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
* Freddy vs. Jason
* Minority Report
* Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within
* Ice Age
* Lara Croft: Tomb Raider
* Lost in Space
* Pompeii
* Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit
* The Great Gatsby
* The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
* The Avengers
* Looper
* The Impossible
* Resident Evil: Retribution
* Dredd
* Ice Age 4: Continental Drift
* The Pirates! Band of Misfits
* The Lorax
Television series
* Lost
* CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
* Get Ed
* Rome
* U2/Green Day video clip: "The Saints are Coming"
Commercials
* Kraft Macaroni & Cheese
* Discovery Channel
* Coca-Cola
* Harpic
* Amp'd Mobile
* Strathmore Water
* Cinnamon Toast Crunch
* Nissan GT-R
* Bacardi
* Nickelodeon
* Mercedes
* Sony Ericsson
* Renault Laguna
* Nescafe Nespresso
* Kellogg's Frosties
* Chase Bank
* Guinness
* Heineken
* Grand Marnier
* Ariel Washing Powder
* Biotherm
* Vichy
* Nescafe
* Pontiac
* Gatorade
* Carlsberg
* Telia Xpress/Motorola
* Martini
* BMW
* Land Rover
* World of Color
Video games
* Ryse: Son of Rome
* Crysis 2
* Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception
* God of War: Ascension
* X-Men Origins: Wolverine (video game)
* Mass Effect 3