by Mark Kingsnorth·Modeling
Images © Mark Kingsnorth. Used for product review; image policy.
Flowify earns its place in the superhive library for tackling one specific problem well: wrapping a detailed object onto a curved or gridded surface, then keeping that result live as you edit either the source or the target mesh.
Flowify is a Blender add-on for 3D modelers that bends a source object onto a target surface. The target can be a surface with evenly spaced, four-sided faces and four corners, or an open cylinder, and a flat reference grid guides the deformation. This makes it possible to create objects that could be challenging to model by hand.
The workflow uses three objects: the Source Object you want to bend, a flat Source Grid used as reference, and the Target Surface. With the Source Object selected, you run Flowify from the right-click menu and pick a matching corner between the Source Grid and the Target Surface to generate the result. Edit either the Source Object or the Target Surface afterwards and the result updates automatically. Materials are copied over, and you can configure a Flowify modifier with additional options.
Flowify is based on the Flowify SketchUp plugin of the same name, itself based on the Flow Along Surface command in Rhino. Deformation quality depends on the Source Object's topology, which needs enough vertices and faces to deform well.
Flowify is best for 3D modelers who need to bend a detailed object onto a four-sided gridded surface or an open cylinder in Blender.
Flowify is completely free to download and use.
Flowify works with both flat and cylindrical surfaces. Support for cylindrical surfaces arrived in version 1.1, which added the ability to bend objects around an open cylinder in addition to a target surface made of evenly spaced, four-sided faces with four corners. In either case, a flat reference grid guides the deformation, and you pick a matching corner between the Source Grid and the Target Surface to generate the result. A demo video is available if you want to see the setup.
Flowify runs from Blender's right-click menu. First create three objects: the Source Object you want to bend, a flat Source Grid used as a reference plane, and the Target Surface, which is either a four-sided, four-faced surface or an open cylinder. Select the Source Object, run Flowify from the right-click menu, then choose a matching corner between the Source Grid and the Target Surface. Flowify generates the result, and you can optionally work in Blender's Quad View mode while setting it up.
Flowify can be used on regular objects, instanced objects and text, as long as they have deformable topology. Because the deformation follows the mesh, the result is only as good as the Source Object's topology: the mesh needs enough vertices and faces to bend cleanly. Materials on the Source Object are copied over to the result, and editing the Source Object afterwards updates the result automatically.
Flowify deforms an object based on its mesh topology, so the result is only as good as the Source Object's mesh. If the deformation looks rough, the object likely needs more vertices and faces so it can bend well across the target. You can edit the Source Object after running Flowify and the result updates automatically, which makes it straightforward to add geometry and try again. The documentation covers the setup in more detail.
Flowify is listed as free in this catalog. Pricing and licensing can change, so check the developer's page for the current terms before you download. Flowify is a Blender add-on that bends a source object onto a four-sided or cylindrical target surface, which gives you a sense of the scope before committing. The add-on comes with documentation and a step-by-step guide, and the developer invites questions through an 'Ask a Question' button or by email if you run into issues while setting it up.
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