Fluid Plugin Tutorial | GPU Fluid Simulation in After Effects
Learn how to use Fluid, a GPU-accelerated 2D fluid simulation plugin for
workflows, dual-source color blending, and collider support — all native
to AE.
Timestamps:
0:00 - Introduction
0:05 - Input Overview
0:16 - Emitter
0:58 - Physics
1:28 - Turbulence
1:43 - Fluid
2:15 - Color
2:58 - Quality & Output
3:14 - Second Source System
5:14 - Source Layer Emitter
6:55 - Collision
8:54 - Shape Layer Collision
9:24 - Outro
Get Fluid: https://aescripts.com/fluid/
🔵 SIMULATION
• Real-time 2D Navier-Stokes physics (GPU-accelerated)
• Source Layer — emit from any layer's alpha edge
• Source Point — point-based emitter with rotation control
• Dual Sources — collision and color blending
• Collider Layer — fluid wraps around obstacles
⚡ PHYSICS
• Buoyancy, Vorticity, Turbulence
• Wind direction (X/Y) and Speed control
• Cell Life — organic per-cell dissipation
• Fade, Force, Intensity, Spread
🎨 LOOK
• 5 Color Modes — Original, Color, Dual, Random, Gradient
• Dual Blend at collision points (head-on color mixing)
• Bloom + Brightness + Saturation + Exposure
• Quality tiers — Standard, High, Ultra, Extreme
⚙️ WORKFLOW
• Real-time GPU preview (OpenCL on Windows / Metal on macOS)
• Quality-adaptive rendering (Standard for design, Extreme for final)
• Resolution-aware (preview scales auto, sim physics unchanged)
• Native AE plugin — no expressions, no workarounds
Requirements:
• Adobe After Effects 2021 or later
• Windows & macOS
• GPU: OpenCL 1.2 (Win) / Metal (Mac, Apple Silicon or Intel)