RealFlow and Cinema 4D – Fluid Dynamics Simulation

I’ve been curious to try out fluid dynamics simulations in a 3D package for a while now. The image above is my first test using RealFlow together with Cinema 4D. It’s a very powerful tool, but also one that is very demanding on hardware. RealFlow works as a standalone program, but I started inside of C4D, to create my name as a 3d object, which I imported to RealFlow to serve as my “container,” so to speak.

I’d like to show you the full animation, but with Global Illumination and Ambient Occlusion on (for the uninitiated, basically settings that help renders look richer, and more realistic), outputting this single frame on my laptop (never the ideal setup for 3D) took long enough. I likely would have had better luck with my trusty old Mac Pro tower, but really, this served as a reminder that it’s probably a good time for an upgrade! Long render times have never stopped me from trying things in the past though, so even if I have to leave my system running over night, I plan to explore this tool further.

Here is another pass of the same simulation, textured more to resemble clear, natural H2O: