What is new in v1.2

– Ember Particle System

– Sync Viewport Selection

– Blender UI mode

– Eevee water

–  Auto Operations Settings

–  UI improvements

– And more

– Full release notes available here (https://imaginationstrikesstudios.wordpress.com/2021/12/02/mantapro-update-1-2/)

What is MantaPro?

MantaPro is an addon for Blender that completely redefines the fluid simulation workflow. It puts all the settings for domain, flow, and effector objects in one place. 

Redefinition 

MantaPro redefines the workflow so that instead of worrying about which objects are selected or which editor you need, everything is accessible in the 3D viewport.

Speed, Power, and Flexibility

MantaPro is designed to speed up our workflow while offering every feature of Blender’s fluid simulation and the flexibility of the rest of Blender.

Compatibility

MantaPro is compatible with all previously made fluid simulations (as long as they are using the Mantaflow solver, Blender’s default (2.82+)).

Who is this for?

MantaPro is for anyone, from beginner artists to professional artists and hobbyists. Even if you already use blender fluid simulation, MantaPro is for you.

Why do I need this?

Fluid simulation can be hard. They are often time-consuming and difficult to get just right. MantaPro is designed to speed up the fluid simulation workflow. MantaPro also makes it easy to troubleshoot misbehaving simulations.

How do I use it?

After installation, go to the MantaPro panel. Then use either the quick setup to build off a preset or add a domain. After choosing either a quick setup or a domain, a popup will appear and ask whether you are making a gas or liquid simulation. Now it is time to get started customizing and making your simulation the best that it can be.

Benefits 

• Always active simulation
• Say goodbye to the days of constantly selecting the domain, flows, effectors, or force fields just to make a small adjustment. With MantaPro they are always selected so you always have access to every setting.

• One panel, every setting
• MantaPro moves and reorganizes all the settings into one panel in the 3D viewport. No other editors are needed.

• Easy learning
• A simplified User Interface makes it easy to learn the basics.

• Clear replay cache
• After adding a new flow, effector, or just changing a setting, the replay cache needs to be cleared. Normally you would need to change a domain setting and set the current frame to the simulation’s start frame. Now just press one button.

• Liquid Particle tools
• Add and adjust spray, foam, and bubble particles quickly and easily.

• Ember Particle system
• Easily add Sparkes and embers to any simulation using the ember particle system, unavailable under the flow settings.
  

• Paint fire and smoke on objects
• Start painting in one click for more artistic freedom.

• Fire and smoke texture tools
• Quickly and easily set up a texture for fire and smoke distribution and animate it with one click.

Features

• Always operates in the context of an active domain, flow, effector, and force field.

• The ability to clear replay cache using one button
• (Shortcut: Ctrl+R)
• Every setting in one panel
• Full and Simplified User Interfaces
• Default properties for new simulations

• Move cache
• Easily move your baked cache to a different location without losing it

• The ability to Toggle and display bounds
• After you start working, you may find a need to see through your Liquid domain or see the actual size of the domain.
• Toggle bounds
• Shows an overlay of the domain’s actual size

• Display bounds
• Sets the domain object’s display type to bounds for previewing baked liquid data

• Advanced Liquid Particle tools
• Ability to link pre-made particles to the simulation
• Ability to quick toggle particle visibility
• Ability to adjusts particle size
• Ability to link and unlink particle size
• Ability to have custom particle objects
• You can paint fire and smoke on objects

• Fire and smoke texture tools
• Automatically setup texture in one click
• Automatically animates texture offset using drivers

Gives access to almost all the texture setting without leaving the 3D viewport

• Flow and effector display options
• Ability to set display type
• Ability to Disable in renders
• Ability to set transparent material

• Liquid and water material
• Edit your liquid or water material in the 3D viewport
• IOR (Index of Refraction) reference
• Opens a website that lists many IOR values for different types of materials

• Fire and smoke material
• Edit your fire or smoke material in the 3D viewport
• Flame+
• More advanced flame material
• Multi Color
• Allows for multi-color smoke

LTS

MantaPro will be supporting the official Blender LTS with bugfixes and backports where possible.

Roadmap 

Next planned updates

• Control fire or smoke painting using objects
• Improved materials
• UI improvements
• More default settings
• Explode tools

Potential future updates

• OpenVDB simulation library

Support

We are always looking for ways to improve MantaPro. If you have any ideas or would like to report a bug, please contact us through the blender market.