html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd"JangaFX has posted a new public roadmap for EmberGen 2.0, the next major version of the real-time volumetric fluid simulator for game development, VFX and motion graphics.Major changes in the release, which is due out some time in 2025 or 2026, include a new sparse simulation system, simulation retiming, and the option to cache and resume simulations.The update will also introduce a new path tracing renderer, USD support, and a macOS edition.The new roadmap a much more detailed replacement for JangaFXs old Trello board also shows the firms other key products, liquid simulator LiquiGen and terrain generator GeoGen.A popular real-time volumetric fluid simulator for games and VFXPublicly available since 2020, and officially released in 2023, EmberGen is a GPU-based volumetric fluid simulator that makes it possible to create fire and smoke effects of a complexity previously only seen in offline tools in real time.Data can be exported to other DCC apps in OpenVDB or Alembic format, or rendered in EmberGen as flipbook image sequences for use in game engines like Unity and UE5.The software is GPU-agnostic, and has fairly low minimum hardware requirements: a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 or AMD equivalent.https://www.cgchannel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/250127_EmberGen2_SparseSimulation.mp4Simulation performance: new sparse simulation systemOne major change planned for EmberGen 2.0 is a new sparse simulation system, confining simulations to the region of the scene that contains active voxels, not surrounding empty space.The roadmap describes it as effectively a 8,192 x 8,192 x 8,192 adaptive simulation domain that follows the simulation.The change should make it possible to fit much larger simulations into GPU memeory: JangaFX estimates that it will be possible to simulate around 200 million active voxels on a 6GB GPU, rising to around 2 billion active voxels on a 48GB card.For comparison, EmberGen 1.0 tops out at around 400 million dense voxels, equivalent to around 100 million sparse voxels.Simulation performance: reworked GPU particle systemEmberGen 2.0 will also feature the second major rewrite of the softwares GPU particle system.It should improve performance over the current implementation, making it possible to simulate over 500 million GPU particles on a 24GB GPU.Simulation workflow: scrubbable, retimable simulationsOther key changes include a new simulation caching system, making it possible to scrub back and forward through sims, as shown in the video above.The update will also make it possible to import animated VDB files, which will make it possible to resume cached simulations, including those generated in other software like Houdini.It will also be possible to retime simulations, with a curve-based control system to make it possible to vary frame rates over time.Other simulation changesOther changes to the simulation toolset will include the option to instance meshes to particles: for example, to simulate larger chunks of debris thrown up by a ground explosion.Support for what JangaFX terms variable component injection will make it easier to create simulations with multiple voxel properties: for example, different colors of smoke.Rendering: new path tracer and better mesh renderingChanges to EmberGens rendering toolset include a new path tracing renderer, due to be rolled out across all of JangaFXs other software.The update will particularly improve the quality of mesh rendering, with EmberGen 2.0 rendering properly shadowed polygonal meshes, rather than a volumetric approximation.EmberGen 2.0 will also introduce HDRI support, enabling the indirect lighting in a render to be generated by sampling a HDR environment map, improving visual quality. Viewport: selectable viewport items and new Spline toolWhen creating or editing simulations, users will be able to select and manipulate items directly in the viewport, with shapes, emitters and colliders all due to get new viewport gizmos.There will also be a new Spline tool for creating custom shapes and force fields.Pipeine integration: new macOS edition, USD import and API updatesEmberGen 2.0 will also make a number of important pipeline-related changes not least, a long-awaited new macOS edition. You can see a very early preview of its UI in the image above.It will have native Apple Silicon support, and run on compatible M-Series devices.Visual effects artists will also be able to import and export data in USD format, and games FX artists will be able to export 4D volume slice textures. Other changes include a new scriptable API, making it possible to use a scripting language of your choice to automate common tasks, or to create custom functionality.Further off: granular fluid simulation and DeepEXR supportThe roadmap also includes a Future Features section, although it isnt clear whether they will be part of the 2.x releases, or EmberGen 3.0 and beyond.They include support for granular fluids, making it possible to simulate sand or snow, and DeepEXR support, making it easier to use EmberGen sims within VFX compositing workflows.Price, system requirements and release dateEmberGen 2.0 is due for release in 2025/2026. JangaFX hasnt announced an exact date.The current stable release, EmberGen 1.2, is compatible with Windows 10+ and Linux.Indie subscriptions, for artists earning under $1 million/year, cost $19.99/month, with users getting a perpetual licence after 18 months. Indie perpetual licences cost $299.99.For studios with revenue up to $100 million/year, perpetual node-locked licences cost $1,400; floating licences cost $2,300. See more pricing options here.Read a full list of new features in EmberGen 2.0 on JangaFXs public roadmapHave your say on this story by following CG Channel on Facebook, Instagram and X (formerly Twitter). As well as being able to comment on stories, followers of our social media accounts can see videos we dont post on the site itself, including making-ofs for the latest VFX movies, animations, games cinematics and motion graphics projects.