HurricaneTutorial 02
Sand, Liquid, Cloth & Soft Body Simulation in Blender
Learn to configure the main simulation presets: Sand, Flow & Geometry Liquid, Cloth, and Softbody.
Simulation Presets
In this second tutorial, we will explore in depth the core simulation presets of Hurricane divided into 5 main sections: Sand, Liquid Flow, Liquid Geometry, Cloth, and Softbody. You will learn how to configure basic emissions from scratch, optimize solver parameters, and resolve erratic physical behaviors such as jittering, particle spraying, or overlap.
Step by step
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To get started, we use a simple plane in our Blender scene and assign it the Sand preset. Hurricane automatically sets the solver type to PBD, which is ideal for granular simulations. The first technical step is to go to the Simulation module and increase Max Substeps to at least 10 to guarantee physical stability. Next, lower the Resolution value to achieve higher particle density.
By default, the preset enables Birth Exclusion, preventing new particles from spawning on top of existing ones to ensure a clean emission stream. If you notice minor jittering or erratic particle vibration as grains settle, go to the emitter's Solver module and lower Stiffness to a very low value (such as 0.05). This removes excessive inter-particle repulsion and allows the sand to settle smoothly and stably.
To accumulate sand into stable mounds without computational collapse, enable the Sleep feature: based on lifespan and velocity threshold, particles freeze while maintaining collision state. In the Display module, enable Preview mode to visualize particle states (awake, ready to sleep, asleep). Adjust Sleep Delay to set a minimum lifespan before freezing, Vel Clamp to restrict maximum velocities, and the Attraction attribute to group particles into clusters for wet sand or snow effects.
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The Flow Liquid preset generates a continuous stream of fluid. In this setup, we use a spherical emitter and a torus collider. After assigning the preset to the sphere, slightly reduce the Particle Size so particles concentrate better around the emission point without over-dispersing, yielding a much more consistent fluid stream.
Next, add the torus as a collider and slightly tweak the floor's Friction value. In the Simulation module, verify that Substeps are properly configured (5 Substeps is sufficient for standard speeds). Increase particle density by lowering the Resolution value.
In the Solver's Fluid Dynamics section, shape fluid cohesion using Pressure, Rest Density, and Near (which regulates short-range repulsion forces for surface tension). Lowering Near keeps fluid particles closely grouped, producing a smooth, realistic, and continuous fluid stream.
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For container-filling setups such as pools, select the container mesh and apply the Geometry Liquid preset, creating a particle grid. To prevent the emitter from artificially "inflating" inside a closed container, lower the Particle Radius from 2.0 to 1.5 for a refined, natural volume result. Increase Substeps to prevent particles from flying off chaotically upon impact.
To enhance fluid waves and inertia that typically calm down quickly in SPH/PBD solvers, turn on Vorticity Burst in the Solver. Configure frame duration, impulse force, decay rate, and acceleration axes to create dynamic fluid motion.
Finally, in the Surface module, select Liquid Meshing (in Preview or Render modes). To eliminate unwanted floating droplets caused by loose ejected particles, enable the Area Threshold tool, which automatically suppresses isolated particle clusters from the final mesh.
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To simulate fabric, assign the Cloth preset to a subdivided plane colliding against an object (such as the Matball). Ensure adequate initial mesh subdivision. While computation runs at particle level for maximum performance, the geometric mesh can be generated at any time in the Surface panel.
Under the Constraints tab, 4 internal connection types are automatically generated: Stretch, Shear, Bending, and Compression. Hide the mesh and enable Constraint Visualization in the viewport to audit real-time tension, compression, and elongation. Click the Update Mesh icon if modifying constraints doesn't immediately refresh the viewport geometry.
By lowering Bending and Compression to minimal values, the cloth adopts a pliable, silk-like fluidity, conforming smoothly to collider crevices and contours.
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Apply the Softbody preset to dense closed objects like Suzanne. Instead of standard per-vertex 'Point' mode, Hurricane creates a 3D volumetric Grid architecture that deforms complex structures with absolute stability. Increase solver Substeps and Constraint Iterations to eliminate particle interpenetration and continuous bouncing.
Tweak Tension and Compression to adjust mechanical responses ranging from rigid rubber to soft jelly. To ensure the mesh accurately restores its original volume and shape after heavy impacts, enable Shape Matching (setting Tension to 0.01 or 0.1).
Finally, to emit multiple softbodies sequentially over time, switch the emitter mode to Interval and set spawn frequency (e.g., 1 new Softbody every 20 frames up to a limit of 5), allowing them to collide and interact seamlessly with one another.
Preset Workflow Summary
Presets automatically configure the base solver settings for each physics type. You can seamlessly combine emitters using different presets in the same Hurricane scene for multi-physics interactions.