by ktdfly·Simulation
Images © ktdfly. Used for product review; image policy.
Trickshots stands out in the Superhive library for treating simulation as a black box and letting scenarios drive the solver toward a goal.
Trickshots is a Blender add-on for executing trickshots with physics simulated by Blender for real, with no fakes. You write a short scenario and the package runs numerous simulations, adjusting your scene to fulfil what you described. Its solver treats the simulation as a black box, as if it were the real world: no derivatives, no exact collisions, poor repeatability.
The unique solver lets you create variables and set optimization tasks as a scenario unfolds, and it can handle any scene parameters. Convenience functions are included for setting initial object velocity and detecting scenario events, and you can check whether objects collided between frames, track velocities and accelerations, and minimize an arbitrary expression to guide the solver. Scenarios use a flexible structure with yield, and tasks support bool, or, and math along with triggers that remember whether a watched event happened.
You can supply a callback to modify the scene or use it for an early exit from the simulation, and extend the code by defining your own tasks. Suggested uses include motion design, robotics and education. Trickshots supports Blender 3.3, 3.4, 3.5 and 3.6 on Windows, Linux and macOS.
Trickshots is best for blender users working on motion design, robotics and education who want physics-driven trickshot scenarios.
Trickshots is completely free to download and use.
Trickshots supports Blender 3.3, 3.4, 3.5 and 3.6. Versions 2.93 and earlier are not supported. It runs on Windows, Linux and macOS, so most current desktop Blender setups are covered. If you are on an older release, you would need to update Blender before using the add-on. Check the developer's page to confirm the current version list before installing, as supported versions can change over time.
Trickshots simulates physics with Blender for real, with no fakes. Its solver treats the simulation as a black box, as if it were the real world, meaning no derivatives, no exact collisions and poor repeatability. You can check whether objects collided between frames and track velocities and accelerations. To guide the solver, you can minimize an arbitrary expression, set optimization tasks as the scenario unfolds, and use triggers that remember whether a watched event happened.
Trickshots uses a flexible scenario structure with yield and supports task math including bool, or and and. You can create variables during scenario execution and set optimization tasks on the fly. It also lets you supply a callback to modify the scene or use it for an early exit from the simulation, and you can extend the code by defining your own tasks. Convenience functions for setting initial object velocity and detecting scenario events are included as well.
Trickshots is listed as free in this catalog. For current licensing terms and any purchase options, check the developer's page directly, as details may differ from what is shown here. The add-on is distributed under the GPL license. A demo video is also available if you want to see more before installing on a supported Blender version and operating system.
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