by IK3D·Simulation
Illustrative cover generated by AnyPlugins — no product screenshot available.
Phenix stands out in the superhive library for moving its entire simulation onto the GPU through WGPU compute shaders, and for a node graph where effects compose additively so connection order doesn't matter. It's built solo by IK3D in Rust, WGSL and Python.
Phenix is a GPU-native particle system for Blender, built solo by IK3D in Rust, WGSL and Python. With version 5 it moved from a CPU pipeline to a full GPU rewrite: emission, integration, neighbour search, constraints, fluids, collisions and procedures all run on the GPU through WGPU compute shaders, on Vulkan, Metal and DX12. The result is orders of magnitude more particles than the earlier CPU pipeline.
Forces, constraints, fluids and procedures stack in a node graph, and every effect composes additively, so the order of Fx node connections doesn't matter. Built-in effects include Morphing, a Tracer node with Link, Time and shape-along-path modes, SPH Fluid, Combustion, an Attractor node and a Constrain node. A Constraint Advanced node adds material presets: Silk, Cotton, Denim, Leather, Rubber, Hair, Chain, Jelly and Metal Wire.
Phenix reads vertex velocity, mass and custom Geometry Nodes attributes at emission, exposes a Custom Shader node for live-compiled WGSL kernels, and includes GPU profilers inside the node editor. It can bake to Pixar USD or glTF 2.0, and ships with a built-in MCP server for AI tools like Claude.
Phenix is best for blender artists building large particle simulations — fluids, cloth and soft bodies, plexus networks and morphing effects — who want the whole workload running on the GPU.
Phenix is completely free to download and use.
Phenix requires a GPU with up-to-date Vulkan, Metal or DX12 drivers, since the entire simulation runs on the GPU through WGPU compute shaders. Apple Silicon and recent integrated GPUs are supported alongside dedicated cards. Emission, integration, neighbour search, constraints, fluids, collisions and procedures all execute on the GPU rather than the CPU, which is what enables orders of magnitude more particles than the earlier CPU pipeline. Check the developer's page for the specific driver versions and any Blender requirements before installing.
Phenix can bake simulations straight to Pixar USD (.usdc) or glTF 2.0 (.glb), so results carry into downstream pipelines, three.js and web viewers. This lets a simulation built in Blender move into other tools and real-time contexts without rebuilding it. The export sits alongside the node-based workflow, where forces, constraints, fluids and procedures are stacked in a graph and compose additively. For details on the export options and how they fit specific pipelines, the developer's page is the place to look.
Phenix ships with a built-in MCP server that lets Claude, or any MCP-compatible tool, read and write the node graph. This makes the addon AI-ready, connecting the particle setup to external MCP tooling. Alongside this, Phenix includes a Custom Shader node for writing your own WGSL compute kernel and compiling it live, plus GPU profilers such as a Memory Profiler, Perf Profiler, 3D Plotter and Spreadsheet inside the node editor. The developer's page covers how to set up the MCP connection.
Phenix uses a minimalist nodal interface where the order of Fx node connections does not matter, because force integration is handled by simple addition. Every effect composes additively, so forces, constraints, fluids and procedures stacked in the graph combine together, which is intended to make setup faster. The interface pairs with live tuning through a Phenix Parameters panel in the 3D viewport that adjusts settings without a shader recompile. See the developer's page and the included examples for how the nodes fit together.
Phenix is listed as free in this catalog. For current licensing terms and any conditions attached to using or distributing it, check the developer's page, since those details can change over time. The addon is delivered with a .blend file containing a variety of examples to help you explore its features, and it is built solo by IK3D in Rust, WGSL and Python. A demo video is also available for a closer look at the system.
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