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Bubble Simulation in Blender

Emanuele Serra

We recommend this interesting tutorial on how to create a complex scene in Blender. In particular, we will see how to animate different bubble simulation systems using Geometry Nodes. This technique is useful in many areas of motion design, including 3D simulation in the medical field, where managing cellular interactions and reconstructing biological environments can be crucial.
The tutorial demonstrates how to create a microbubble simulation that interacts dynamically, replicating the behavior of biological particles in a liquid.

Bubble Simulation Tutorial by Seanterelle

Step 1: Setting Up the Scene

  1. Open Blender and create a new scene.
  2. Switch to Geometry Nodes mode and add a new Geometry Node Tree to an empty object.
  3. Create a grid of points for the bubbles:
    • Add a Mesh Grid node.
    • Use Poisson Disk Sampling to distribute points without overlapping.
    • Add a Point Distribute node for a more random arrangement.

Step 2: Generating the Bubbles

  1. Add an Instance on Points node and connect an Icosphere as the instance object.
  2. Adjust the bubble sizes using a Random Value node.
  3. Set up the material for a realistic effect:
    • Use a Principled BSDF shader.
    • Set Transmission to 1 for realistic transparency.
    • Use an HDRI map to enhance reflections.

Step 3: Applying the Simulation

  1. Add a simulation node setup:
    • Use a Capture Attribute node to store the initial position of the bubbles.
    • Use a Vector Math (Distance) node to calculate interactions between the bubbles.
    • Add an attraction/repulsion force between the particles.
  2. Control the bubble movement:
    • Add an Empty Object as a control point.
    • Link its position to one of the bubbles to guide the movement.

Step 4: Material Propagation (Optional)

  1. Use an Attribute Transfer node to pass color information between bubbles.
  2. Apply a dynamic weight map to vary transparency.

Step 5: Final Rendering

  1. Enable Cycles for a more realistic render.
  2. Adjust lighting and shadows to enhance the scene.
  3. Export the animation for scientific presentations or other purposes.
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