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Frequently Asked Questions

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Ryan Guy edited this page Sep 14, 2024 · 66 revisions

The purpose of this page is to provide responses to questions that we are frequently asked. Information on issues related to scene trouble shooting may also be found in this documentation page: Scene Troubleshooting.

Where can I buy the FLIP Fluids addon?

See the Official Marketplaces of the FLIP Fluids Addon page for where the FLIP Fluids addon is available for sale.

How do I download the FLIP Fluids addon product files?

See the Official Marketplaces FAQ for how to download the FLIP Fluids addon product files.

Are future version updates free?

Yes! All future version updates for the product are provided at no extra cost when purchased through any of the supported marketplace platforms (Blender Market, Gumroad, FlippedNormals).

Can the FLIP Fluids addon be installed on multiple systems?

Yes! There are no restrictions for how many systems the product can be installed on.

How do I update the FLIP Fluids addon to a new version?

Before updating to a new version, you must first uninstall the previous version. In short, the safest way to update to a new version is to:

  1. Restart Blender
  2. Uninstall previous version
  3. Restart Blender
  4. Install new version
  5. Restart Blender

Can I use the addon for commercial purposes?

Yes! Everything that you create with the addon is completely owned by you. There are no restrictions for what you can and cannot do with the content that you create.

How is the FLIP Fluids addon licensed?

The FLIP Fluids addon and content uses multiple licenses: GPL, MIT, and Standard Royalty Free. In general:

  • The Blender addon code is licensed under the GPL.
  • The fluid engine is licensed under the MIT license.
  • Some addon and product content will be using a Standard Royalty Free license. This license may cover content such as media (images/textures/videos), Blend files, materials, presets. Source code files will state their license at the top of the file. Assets will include a license file and information in their containing directory.

What is the difference between Blender's Mantaflow fluid simulator and the FLIP Fluids addon?

See FLIP Fluids Addon vs Blender Mantaflow.

Is the FLIP Fluids addon still being developed?

Yes! The FLIP Fluids addon is still being developed and thanks to the generosity of the Blender Community, we have been able to continue development on a full-time basis ever since the initial release in May 2018.

View our yearly development recaps here and version release notes here.

Blender Version Compatibility: The FLIP Fluids addon receives compatibility updates for all newer versions of Blender, typically shortly before the official Blender release. The addon often remains functional for Blender daily builds months before the official release.

FLIP Fluids 2.0: Alongside the main FLIP Fluids addon project, we have also been developing a long-term project we call FLIP Fluids 2.0. This project is a complete re-write and re-design of both the liquid simulation engine and addon with the goal of expanding the simulation and effects capabilities of Blender. FLIP Fluids 2.0 will eventually replace the main FLIP Fluids addon and will be included as a free update. Read and watch more about the FLIP Fluids 2.0 project here.

Why are some features hidden behind the Developer Tools option?

Current bugs in Blender or stability issues in Blender can affect some features of the FLIP Fluids addon. Since these features are affected by an issue that is outside of our control, these features will be hidden by default. Enable the developer tools option in the FLIP Fluids preferences menu to unhide these features. The preferences menu can be opened with Help > FLIP Fluids > FLIP Fluids Preferences.

For the current issues, affected features, and workarounds, see the Preferences > Developer Tools documentation.

What are the limitations of the FLIP Fluids addon?

Is the FLIP Fluids addon right for your project? The FLIP Fluids addon is a liquid simulation tool based on the popular FLIP simulation method which is short for FLuid Implicit Particle. You should always choose the right tool for the job, and like a hammer, this addon might not always be the right tool to use.

There may be limitations in the FLIP Fluids development project, limitations in the FLIP simulation method, or limitations of Blender that may affect success in creating your desired fluid effect. See this documentation topic that details common limitations of the FLIP Fluids addon and Blender: Limitations of the FLIP Fluids addon.

Can FLIP Fluids addon simulations be exported to Unreal Engine?

Export of a FLIP Fluids addon simulation to Unreal Engine is only partially supported. Simulations can be exported to the Alembic (.abc) format, but only the fluid surface can be imported into Unreal Engine. Whitewater (foam/bubble/spray) and fluid particles cannot be imported into Unreal Engine due to the limitation that the Alembic mesh must contain polygon geometry. The whitewater and fluid particles contain only vertex geometry and do not contain polygons.

From: Unreal Engine 5.0 Documentation > Alembic File Importer > Importing Alembic Files
Warning: Currently, Unreal Engine only supports meshes containing three and four-sided polygons. Your Alembic data will fail to load if your geometry contains any polygons with greater than four sides, or if your geometry is made from NURBS or SubDiv surfaces.

Related Topic: Alembic Export Support > Alembic export for use in other software

Can the FLIP Fluids simulator push around rigid body objects?

See Limitations of the FLIP Fluids addon: Fluid and Rigid Body Interaction

Can the FLIP Fluids simulator be used to produce scientific/engineering simulations?

See Limitations of the FLIP Fluids addon: Usage in Scientific or Engineering simulations

Does the FLIP Fluids simulator support Blender forces and force fields?

Force fields are supported using our own custom force field physics system. However, there are some limitations to be aware about: Limitations of the FLIP Fluids addon: Force Field Support

Does the FLIP Fluids simulator support mixing multiple fluids and materials?

See Limitations of the FLIP Fluids addon: Multiple Fluid Interaction and Mixing Fluid Materials

Can the FLIP Fluids addon be used for ship wake simulations?

See Tips for Creating Ship Simulations

My CPU is running under 100% usage while simulating. Is this normal?

Yes, this is normal. See: Performance Notes and Tips > Performance FAQ for more information.

Is the FLIP Fluids simulator GPU accelerated?

The FLIP Fluids simulator is not GPU accelerated. See: Performance Notes and Tips > Performance FAQ for more information.

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