Cloth Deformer
Updated: 26 Mar 2025
Add a cloth simulation to mesh geometry
Cloth Deformer
Method #
This node applys a Cloth Simulation to the connected mesh.
Cloth behaves best with:
- Meshes primarily built from Quads
- Tris are supported, but wont use shearing forces.
- N-gons are supported, but will essentially be automatically broken up into tris, and results may be unpredictable.
- Meshes built with a consistent polygon density.
- Because of the springy nature of the cloth, inconsistent and broken topology can generate unpredictable results.
- Best practice is to render a low res sim and subdivide after. Greater polygon density can generate more detailed results, but at significant performance cost. Look to find a balance for what your looking for.
- For soft bodies, best to use a closed mesh.
Parameters
These properties control the physics world the simulation will take place in.
Parameter Details Update FPS
The frame rate step of the cloth system, per second. An update frame rate of 240 in a project running at 60 fps, 4 update steps will be executed per frame. If a frame is dropped, more steps will be added to other frames to maintain simulation quality, up to the max update steps cap.
Min Update Steps
The minimum number of update steps per frame. if the frame rate is running very high, this can force extra steps to improve quality.
Max Update Steps
The maximum number of update steps per frame. if the frame rate is running low, this caps the updates per frame to improve performance.
Gravity
Uniform force which pushes the cloth in the -y direction. Set to 0 for ‘zero-g’ effects.
Dampening
Reduces the velocity of all the forces acting on the cloth over time. High values can make the simulation more stable, but can also smooth out and slow down all the forces acting on the system.
Air Drag
How much movement of the cloth is resisted by the air. Useful for dampening movement of the cloth with minimal affect to the cloth behaviour.
These properties control the behaviours and physical properties of the cloth.
Parameter Details Spring Model
Control how the internal springs are used to model the cloth simulation.
- Stiff : Uses a sharper stiffness curve, resulting in a cloth sim which reacts quickly to being stretched.
- Flexible : Uses a smoother stiffness curve, results in a stretchier and more flexible cloth sim.
Rest Length Scale
Multiplies the current length of each edge in the cloth system to give it an initial compression or tensions. Useful for making a cloth which shrinks or expands.
Stiffness
How much the cloth resists stetching and compressive forces along each edge of the mesh. High values can make the cloth appear stiffer, and less flexible.
Shear Stiffness
How much the cloth resists shear forces, which stretch and compress the cloth diagonally across polygons. High values can make the cloth appear stronger, and less flexible. Has no affect on non-quad polygons.
Spring Dampening
Dampens the forces applying to the stiffness and shearing forces, helping them to settle quicker over time.
Bend Springs
Enable the use of bending forces in the cloth simulation.
Bend Stiffness
How much the cloth resists bending forces. Higher values can a creates a softer and rounder cloth shape while lower values can create a more crumpled and crinkled shapes.
Bend Dampening
Dampens the forces applying bend forces, helping them to settle over time.
Self Collisions
When enabled, the cloth will run extra tests to make sure it doesnt collide with itself. Disable for increased performance, but less accuracy in some cases.
- Off : No self collisions are checked. Gives a great improvement in performance, but can reduce accuracy if the cloth is likely to interact wiht itself.
- Simple : Collisions are checked per vertex within a small radius. Fast, and handles most interactions between the cloth, but can intersect in some edge cases.
- Accurate : Collisions are checked per polygon, checking for overlaps across the whole surface. Much more accurate, but comes with a large impact to performance.
Collision Thickness
Thickness of the cloth surface used for self intersections.
Volumetric Pressure
A constant outward pressure which pushes towards the Target Volume. Higher values increase acceleration to the target volume, but can introduce instability.
Target Volume
The target volume the Pressure is pushing towards, defined as a multiple of the initial volume. Only functions when Volumetric Pressure is greater than 0. Values less than 1 will shrink the cloth, while higher values will expand the cloth.
Constant Pressure
A constant pressure force applied to the cloth surfaces, disregarding any target volume. Negative values will shrink the cloth, positive values will expand the cloth.
Inputs
These properties control the physics world the simulation will take place in.
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Update FPS | The frame rate step of the cloth system, per second. An update frame rate of 240 in a project running at 60 fps, 4 update steps will be executed per frame. If a frame is dropped, more steps will be added to other frames to maintain simulation quality, up to the max update steps cap. |
| Min Update Steps | The minimum number of update steps per frame. if the frame rate is running very high, this can force extra steps to improve quality. |
| Max Update Steps | The maximum number of update steps per frame. if the frame rate is running low, this caps the updates per frame to improve performance. |
| Gravity | Uniform force which pushes the cloth in the -y direction. Set to 0 for ‘zero-g’ effects. |
| Dampening | Reduces the velocity of all the forces acting on the cloth over time. High values can make the simulation more stable, but can also smooth out and slow down all the forces acting on the system. |
| Air Drag | How much movement of the cloth is resisted by the air. Useful for dampening movement of the cloth with minimal affect to the cloth behaviour. |
These properties control the behaviours and physical properties of the cloth.
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Spring Model |
Control how the internal springs are used to model the cloth simulation.
|
| Rest Length Scale | Multiplies the current length of each edge in the cloth system to give it an initial compression or tensions. Useful for making a cloth which shrinks or expands. |
| Stiffness | How much the cloth resists stetching and compressive forces along each edge of the mesh. High values can make the cloth appear stiffer, and less flexible. |
| Shear Stiffness | How much the cloth resists shear forces, which stretch and compress the cloth diagonally across polygons. High values can make the cloth appear stronger, and less flexible. Has no affect on non-quad polygons. |
| Spring Dampening | Dampens the forces applying to the stiffness and shearing forces, helping them to settle quicker over time. |
| Bend Springs | Enable the use of bending forces in the cloth simulation. |
| Bend Stiffness | How much the cloth resists bending forces. Higher values can a creates a softer and rounder cloth shape while lower values can create a more crumpled and crinkled shapes. |
| Bend Dampening | Dampens the forces applying bend forces, helping them to settle over time. |
| Self Collisions |
When enabled, the cloth will run extra tests to make sure it doesnt collide with itself. Disable for increased performance, but less accuracy in some cases.
|
| Collision Thickness | Thickness of the cloth surface used for self intersections. |
| Volumetric Pressure | A constant outward pressure which pushes towards the Target Volume. Higher values increase acceleration to the target volume, but can introduce instability. |
| Target Volume | The target volume the Pressure is pushing towards, defined as a multiple of the initial volume. Only functions when Volumetric Pressure is greater than 0. Values less than 1 will shrink the cloth, while higher values will expand the cloth. |
| Constant Pressure | A constant pressure force applied to the cloth surfaces, disregarding any target volume. Negative values will shrink the cloth, positive values will expand the cloth. |
| Name | Description | Typical Input |
|---|---|---|
| Collision Nodes | Input an object for the cloth simulation to collide with. | 3D Primitive |
| Force Affectors | Input for external physics forces to be added to the cloth simulation | Force Affector |
| Generated Weightmap | Add a weightmap to vary the strength of the deformer across the surface. | Generate Weightmap |
| Transform Modifiers | Apply the transforms of another node to this node. | Null |
| Target Node | Modifiy the rotations of the node to always direct the z axis towards the input. | Null |
| Local Transform Override | Apply the transforms of another node to this node, relative to its parent. | Null |
