To make water fill a cup in the 3D software Blender, you simulate the fluid dynamics by setting up specific objects within your scene to act as the simulation boundary, the fluid source, and the container.
Creating a realistic fluid simulation involves defining the space where the simulation occurs, identifying objects that interact with the fluid, and specifying the origin of the fluid itself. This process is commonly done using Blender's built-in fluid simulation features or dedicated add-ons like Flip Fluids.
Steps for Simulating Water in a Cup
Based on common practices for fluid simulation in Blender, particularly with tools designed for realistic liquid behavior, here is the typical workflow:
- Create the Domain:
- You need a container object, often a cube, that completely surrounds all the objects involved in your fluid simulation (the cup and the fluid source).
- This object is designated as the Domain for the simulation. It defines the boundaries and resolution of the simulation.
- Prepare Fluid Objects:
- Ensure your cup model is correctly scaled and positioned where you want the water to be contained. This object will act as an Obstacle.
- Create an object (like a cube or sphere) inside the domain where you want the water to originate. This object will be designated as the Fluid source or Inflow. Scale and position it appropriately.
- Apply Transforms and Scaling:
- It is crucial to apply transforms (Location, Rotation, Scale) to your cup (obstacle) and your fluid source (inflow) objects before setting up the simulation roles. This ensures the simulation engine correctly interprets their size and position. In Blender, this is typically done by selecting the object and pressing
Ctrl + A.
- It is crucial to apply transforms (Location, Rotation, Scale) to your cup (obstacle) and your fluid source (inflow) objects before setting up the simulation roles. This ensures the simulation engine correctly interprets their size and position. In Blender, this is typically done by selecting the object and pressing
- Assign Simulation Roles:
- Select the surrounding container object and set its fluid type to Domain.
- Select the cup object and set its fluid type to Obstacle.
- Select the source object (inside the domain) and set its fluid type to Fluid or Inflow (if you want it to continuously generate fluid).
- Configure Domain Settings:
- Adjust settings on the Domain object, such as resolution, simulation speed, and liquid properties.
- Bake the Simulation:
- Once everything is set up, navigate to the Domain object's physics settings and initiate the bake process.
- Baking calculates the fluid's behavior frame by frame and stores the simulation data. The time it takes will depend on the simulation resolution and complexity.
By following these steps, Blender calculates how the "water" flows from the fluid source, interacts with the cup (obstacle), and stays within the defined domain, effectively simulating water filling the cup.
