by Nerk·Simulation
Images © Nerk. Used for product review; image policy.
FishSim stands out in the Blender Extensions library for shipping three ready-to-use fish rigs — a Shark, a Goldfish, and an Archer Fish — with a Simulate step that animates a fish chasing a target from a single tab.
FishSim is a Blender add-on from developer Nerk that simulates the swimming action of a fish chasing a target. It comes with three pre-rigged fish models: a Shark, a Goldfish, and an Archer Fish.
The workflow runs from the FishSim tab in Blender. After installing the extension, you insert a fish, choose one of the three models, select the rig on the inserted fish, and click the Simulate button to generate the swimming motion. A quick start video is available.
FishSim is compatible with Blender 4.2 LTS and newer, and it requires no special permissions. The add-on is released under the GNU General Public License v3.0 or later. Version 4.2.0 was published in October 2024 and includes the three fish models.
FishSim is best for blender artists animating fish that swim toward a target, using the included Shark, Goldfish, or Archer Fish rigs.
FishSim is completely free to download and use.
FishSim is compatible with Blender 4.2 LTS and newer, so it runs on the 4.2 long-term support release and later versions. Version 4.2.0 was built for Blender Extensions and published in October 2024. You can add it by dragging the downloaded file into Blender or installing it from disk through Blender's extension preferences. Once installed, the add-on appears under its own FishSim tab, where the fish models and Simulate controls live.
FishSim works from the FishSim tab in Blender. After installing the extension, you insert a fish and choose from the Shark, Goldfish, or Archer Fish models. Then you select the rig on the inserted fish and click the Simulate button to produce the swimming action, which follows a fish chasing a target. A quick start video is available if you want to see the steps laid out. No special permissions are needed to run the add-on.
FishSim does not require any special permissions in Blender. It is released under the GNU General Public License v3.0 or later. The add-on is around 16.1 MB in size and is compatible with Blender 4.2 LTS and newer. Its rig-based workflow is accessed from the FishSim tab. For bug reports or to follow development, the developer maintains an issue tracker on the project's GitHub page.
FishSim is listed as free here in the catalog, and it is distributed under the GNU General Public License v3.0 or later. For current licensing terms, check the developer's page. The add-on requires no special permissions and works with Blender 4.2 LTS and newer. You can get it by dragging the download into Blender or installing from disk through the extension preferences.
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