-
Notifications
You must be signed in to change notification settings - Fork 201
Frequently Asked Questions
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?
- How do I download the FLIP Fluids addon?
- Can the FLIP Fluids addon be installed on multiple systems?
- How do I update the FLIP Fluids addon to a new version?
- Can I use the addon for commercial purposes?
- How is the FLIP Fluids addon licensed?
- Are future version updates free?
- Why is the FLIP Fluids addon no longer available for purchase on the FlippedNormals marketplace?
- Why is the FLIP Fluids addon no longer available for purchase on the Gumroad marketplace?
- What is the difference between Blender's Mantaflow fluid simulator and the FLIP Fluids addon?
- Is the FLIP Fluids addon still being developed?
- What are the limitations of the FLIP Fluids addon?
- Can FLIP Fluids addon simulations be exported to Unreal Engine?
- Can the fluid simulation push around rigid body objects?
- Can the FLIP Fluids simulator be used to produce scientific/engineering simulations?
- Does the FLIP Fluids simulator support Blender forces and force fields?
- Does the FLIP Fluids simulator support mixing multiple fluids and materials?
- Can the FLIP Fluids addon be used for ship wake simulations?
- My CPU is running under 100% usage while simulating. Is this normal?
- Is the FLIP Fluids simulator GPU accelerated?
See the Official Marketplaces of the FLIP Fluids Addon page for where the FLIP Fluids addon is available for sale.
See the Official Marketplaces FAQ for how to download the FLIP Fluids addon product files.
Yes! There are no restrictions for how many systems the product can be installed on.
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:
- Restart Blender
- Uninstall previous version
- Restart Blender
- Install new version
- Restart Blender
- For detailed instructions on how to install or uninstall the addon, see: Addon Installation and Uninstallation.
- For how to download new versions of the FLIP Fluids addon, see the Official Marketplaces FAQ: How do I download the FLIP Fluids addon product files?
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.
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.
Yes! All future version updates for the product are provided at no extra cost.
Update March 20 2026: Due to uncertainty in a marketplace policy, we cannot currently guarantee that all updates to the FLIP Fluids addon will be free. We want to be honest and transparent about a current situation that is unfolding.
Since May 2018 our policy has been that all future update to the FLIP Fluids addon are included in the initial purchase. This business model doesn't work for all creators, but it has worked well and has been sustainable for us. If it were completely up to us, we would continue to offer lifetime updates.
However, a possible marketplace policy may change this. The Superhive market is considering implementing a mandatory 1 year support period, where you will receive product updates and support for 1 year, and afterwards extend the support period for a fee. This policy is being created with good intentions with the goal to foster a sustainable economic ecosystem for all Blender product creators. This policy is still undergoing revisions and solid details are not yet available. We will keep you updated.
The Superhive Market is looking for feedback. If you do contact the marketplace, please do so politely and respectfully. Read more:
- The Blender Creator Economy is Breaking. Let’s Start Talking About It.
- Reddit Discussion: Can we talk about the Blender creator economy?
As of April 2026, the FlippedNormals marketplace has shut down.
Existing Customers: Refer to this page for how to transfer your FLIP Fluids addon license to the Superhive marketplace (formerly Blender Market): FlippedNormals Marketplace Transfer Instructions
As of March 2026, sales on the Gumroad marketplace have been temporarily paused due to technical issues on the platform. We are in the process of resolving these issues with support, but have not yet had success. We hope to re-open the Gumroad product page for sales once these issues are resolved.
Existing Customers: No action is required. You will always have access to the product files and updates through your Gumroad Library.
See FLIP Fluids Addon vs Blender Mantaflow.
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.
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.
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.
FLIP Fluids simulations can also be exported to the Universal Scene Description (.usdc) format. However, importing into Unreal Engine has not yet been tested and the level of support is unknown. As USD is a generic container for storing scene data, you may be required to develop your own pipeline for transferring USD files from Blender to Unreal Engine. See Unreal Engine 5.0 Documentation > Universal Scene Description in Unreal Engine.
Related Topics:
- Alembic Export Support > Alembic export for use in other software
- USD Export Support > USD export for use in other software
See Limitations of the FLIP Fluids addon: Fluid and Rigid Body Interaction
See Limitations of the FLIP Fluids addon: Usage in Scientific or Engineering simulations
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
See Limitations of the FLIP Fluids addon: Multiple Fluid Interaction and Mixing Fluid Materials
See Tips for Creating Ship Simulations
Yes, this is normal. See: Performance Notes and Tips > Performance FAQ for more information.
The FLIP Fluids simulator is not GPU accelerated. See: Performance Notes and Tips > Performance FAQ for more information.