Active

Toggles the activeness of the simulation.

Offset

Number of frames by which to offset the simulation.

Duration

Number of frames over which the simulation occurs.

Current Simulation Frame

For information purposes only. Displays the current scene’s timeline frame for the simulation.

Use start frame

Uses the scene’s start frame and keeps a link to it. When you update the start frame in the scene’s timeline, the simulation is also automatically updated to use the new frame.

The Use start/end frame options set the Offset and Duration values to match the scene’s time, so when you make a change to the scene timeline’s start or end frame, the change is automatically reflected in the Offset and Duration values.

When the Use start/end frame options are active, you cannot directly change the Offset or Duration values.

Use end frame

Uses the scene’s last frame and keeps a link to it. When you update the end frame in the scene’s timeline, the simulation is also automatically updated to use the new frame.

Copy from Scene

Copies the frame range of the scene’s timeline to the Offset and Duration values, if you don’t have the Use start/end frame options selected. This is a quick way to set the simulation’s frame range.

Remember that if you change the timeline’s start or end frames, you will need to update the simulation’s frame range as well.

Copy to Scene

Copies the simulation’s Offset and Duration values to the scene’s timeline.

Play Mode

Select from these options for how the simulation is played back:

Standard: plays the simulation from the first frame. If you change one of the elements in the simulation, the simulation is recomputed from the initial state at the next frame change. If you go to a previous frame (playing backwards), the simulation is not recomputed.

Standard mode calculates the simulation only when you go to a different frame, either by clicking the Play button below the timeline or moving the playback cursor.

Live: updates the simulation at each frame with any change that you make. This mode allows you to play a simulation continuously for quick editing and tweaking. You can then view the effect of any modifications in real time.

Live mode is best when you play the simulation with looping on—this way you can tune parameters and immediately see what happens without restarting the simulation from its first frame. Any change you make to any elements within the simulation environment affects the simulation only from that point on: the simulation is not recalculated from the start.

As soon as you skip forward, the simulation is computed for the current frame from all of the intermediate frames.

When you drag the playback cursor forward in the timeline or click the Play button, the simulation is updated to the current frame.

Interactive: updates the simulation as you interact with a simulated object. This is similar to how quick stretch works when you select a quick-stretched object and translate it.

This is useful for quickly trying out different variations for the simulation without having to play it back. However, to calculate motion blur, you need to switch to Standard play mode.

Caching

Caches (stores) the frames of the simulation to an action source as defined in the Environment Cache Property Editor. Caching allows you to scrub a simulation and play it backwards.

You can cache the simulation using either the Standard or Live play mode. You can cache one action source per model.

For more information, see Caching the Rigid Body Simulation [ Dynamics ] or ICE Simulation Caching.

Lock Cache

Locks the frames that have already been cached in the cache source so that they are not resimulated. This is particularly useful when you’re happy with the current state of the simulation and want to make sure that it won’t change.

Save caches to mixer

Click this button to open the Store Environment Cache in Mixer dialog box. In it, you can set these two options:

• Action Name: Give a name to the action source that contains the cached simulation. This source is kept in the model’s Mixer node. Then if you export your model, the cached simulation is included with it.

• Add Clip to Mixer: Applies the action source as an action clip in the animation mixer.

Toggle Simulation Info

Turns on/off the simulation information that is displayed in the corner of the active viewport. The information shown is for the current simulation environment and includes the start and end of the simulation, the last frame that has been cached, whether the cache is on, and whether the cache is locked.

You can also set the Show Simulation Info option on the Stats page in the Camera Visibility Options property editor (press Shift+s) for a viewport.

Template

Saves the simulation cache files using one of the path templates defined as in the Simulation Preferences property editor: Project Path, Temporary Path, or Path A, B, or C. By default, this is your Project Path.

Version String

Enter a version letter to keep track of multiple versions of the same simulation cache file.

Second Path

Copies the simulation cache files to a path as defined as in the Simulation Preferences property editor: Project Path, Temporary Path, or Path A, B, or C. By default, this is your Project Path.

Copy to Second Path

Copies the simulation cache files to the path defined for the Second Path.

Copy to Template Path

Copies the simulation cache files to the path defined for the Template Path, if different from the path defined for the Second Path.