View Source

Overview

When Phoenix is installed, the Phoenix components will appear in different sections of the 3ds Max interface, including options found the Tools, Create, Modifiers, Rendering, and Phoenix FD menus. From these options, Phoenix components can be created. For advanced techniques, they can be accessed through MaxScript as well.

The Quick Simulation Setup buttons on the Phoenix toolbar can help you get started with using these components together.

Create Panel

In the Create → Geometry panel, under the PhoenixFD category:

Particle Shader | PHXFoam – Shades particles such as splash, foam, mist, drag, etc. Can also be applied to a .prt sequence when using the PRT Reader.
Fire Smoke Simulator | FireSmokeSim – Creates a simulator that produces realistic fire/smoke/explosion effects.
Liquid Simulator | LiquidSim – Creates a simulator that produces realistic liquid effects.
Active Body Solver — Specifies the scene geometry which will partake in the Active Bodies simulation.

In the Create → Helpers panel, under the PhoenixFD category:

Fire Source | PHXSource – Contains parameters that describe the properties of the released fluid.
Turbulence | PHXTurbulence – Adds turbulence / noise to a simulation.
Mapper | PHXMapper – Allows textures to affect simulation grid channels.
PRT Reader | PRTReader – Allows a .prt file sequence to be loaded and rendered with PHXFoam.
Liquid Source | LiquidSrc – A simplified version of the Fire Source designed to be used with the Liquid Simulator.
Follow Path | FollowPath – Provides a force that pushes a fluid along a spline curve.
Plain Force | PlainForce – Provides a force that pushes a fluid in a direction. Used to produce a wind effect.
Body Force | BodyForce – Creates a force towards or away from a geometry object that can be used for shaping a fluid.
Wave Force | WaveForce – Produces waves inside a liquid simulator based on a texture. Best used in conjunction with the Phoenix FD Ocean Texture.
Voxel Tuner – Uses custom logic constructed with Expression operators to directly affect the cells of the Phoenix FD Simulator.
Particle Tuner – Uses custom logic constructed with Expression operators to directly affect the particles of the Phoenix FD Simulator.

Material Editor

In the Material Editor:

Foam Texture | PhoenixFDFoamTex - Creates the effect of foam appearing at the crests of an ocean surface.
Grid Texture | PhoenixFDGridTex - Exports a channel from a Phoenix simulator as a procedural texture.
Ocean Texture | PhoenixFDOceanTex - An infinite non-cyclic procedural texture for displacing a water surface.
Particle Texture | PhoenixFDParticleTex - A procedural texture calculated over a particle system.

Viewport Options

In the list of available extended views:

PhoenixFD GPU Preview - Enables a real-time preview based on the volumetric shading settings of the Simulator. The preview closely resembles the final rendered result.

Quad Menu

Per-Node Properties when a scene object is selected

PRT Export when a Simulator is selected

In the quad menu with scene objects selected:

PhoenixFD Per-Node Properties - Allows per-node Phoenix properties.

In the quad menu with the simulator selected:

PhoenixFD Export PRT Particles - Converts and exports Phoenix FD particles (foam, splash, and drag).

Phoenix FD Menu

A new main menu option is added after Phoenix is installed to be able to access unique option or commands that are specific for Phoenix FD.

The Phoenix FD menu is used to access the following windows:

Phoenix FD Preferences - Opens up the Phoenix FD Global Preferences window.
Phoenix FD Backburner Simulation - Allows you to submit a Phoenix simulation to Autodesk Backburner.
Phoenix FD Deadline Simulation - Allows you to submit a Phoenix simulation to Deadline.
Get Example Scenes - Opens the Example Scenes page in the web browser. Allows users to download a variety of example scenes that were previously shipped with the Phoenix for 3ds Max installation.
Phoenix FD Help - Opens the Phoenix FD for 3ds Max Help page.
Credits and Copyrights - Opens a window that contains all Copyright Notices.
About Phoenix FD - Opens a window with information pertaining to the currently installed Phoenix FD version.

Additional Windows

In the PFSource's Particle View window:

Phoenix FD Force operator - Enables particles to participate in a fluid's motion.
Phoenix FD Test operator - Checks the fluid in the particle's position.
Phoenix FD Birth operator - Creates particles based on a fluid's parameters.

In the Environment and Effects window:

Atmosphere Settings - Provides settings that affect all Phoenix simulators in a scene.