physx fluid for Max fluids

[stevenls]

Hey there,

Just wondering if there is a way to use PhysX fluids to float objects with 3ds Max Fluids like there is for PhoenixFD?

Thanks heaps, would love to leverage being able to interact with objects in the sim like you can in Phoenix.

Cheers

[tyFlow]

Unfortunately Max Fluids (to my knowledge) don't have much of an API, so there's not really a way to interface with them.

[stevenls]

Unfortunately Max Fluids (to my knowledge) don't have much of an API, so there's not really a way to interface with them.

Bummer, I assumed there must have been a technical road block to this.
I really am trying to leverage Max Fluids as much as I can, included as opposed to a paid plugin but just keep coming up short with this like this, a wave system and a few others.

Appreciate the prompt reply.

[tyFlow]

Honestly, I think Max Fluids are a dead end. I don't think development is happening on them anymore since Bifrost will eventually replace them, and that's where Autodesk seems to be targeting its development efforts.

[stevenls]

Honestly, I think Max Fluids are a dead end. I don't think development is happening on them anymore since Bifrost will eventually replace them, and that's where Autodesk seems to be targeting its development efforts.

Problem is, from what I have seen from Autodesk "the current Fluid solution inside Max actually already utilizes Bifrost (it’s just wrapped into a high-level UI)" and for Bifrost they are focusing on instancing and scattering it seems like this is the solution we are stuck with OOTB for Max.

Maybe the expectation is that Max users are to just shell out coin for Phoenix.

[TubeSmokeGuy]

Yes. Maxfluids = BiFrost under the hood and Autodesk is going to implement more BiFrost based GUI tools (see the official roadmap).

In 3dsmax Update 2021.1 there were the following changes to fluids:

"
Fluids
Various enhancements have been made to fluids.

• Fixes to the velocity channel
  
• Support for signed and unsigned PRT export
  
• Exposing the fluid loader so that the data can be loaded and interacted with other systems
  and objects that operate within 3ds Max.
  

"

So I think the last point is interesting. Exposing the fluid loader so that the data can be loaded and interacted with other systems and objects that operate within 3ds Max.
Maybe thats the required connection .

[TubeSmokeGuy]

Honestly, I think Max Fluids are a dead end. I don't think development is happening on them anymore since Bifrost will eventually replace them, and that's where Autodesk seems to be targeting its development efforts.

Are they still a dead end after the changes from 2021.2 I mentioned in the post above? Would be interesting.