Rigging & animation · Beginner

Rigid body simulation

Physics for solid objects that fall, collide and stack without bending

Also called Rigid body, Rigid body physics

What is rigid body simulation?

Rigid body simulation is physics for solid objects that never bend: the computer works out how they fall, collide, bounce, slide and stack under gravity. You set mass, friction and bounciness, press play, and the software animates the result. In Blender, it lives in the Physics Properties tab.

Think of it like this

Like knocking over a row of dominoes: you set them up and give one push, and physics decides how the rest fall.

Where it fits in a 3D project

  1. Create
  2. Surface
  3. Rig
  4. Animate
  5. Render
  6. Export

Animate: Making things move over time.

How rigid body simulation works

  1. 01Give moving objects an Active rigid body and floors or walls a Passive one.
  2. 02Set mass, friction, bounciness and a collision shape for each.
  3. 03Press play; the simulation works out each frame from the one before.
  4. 04Bake the cache, or bake to keyframes, so playback and renders stay the same.

Rigid body simulation vs soft body simulation

PropertyRigid body simulationSoft body simulation
ShapeNever changesSquashes, wobbles and stretches
Good forBricks, dice, crates, falling debrisJelly, cushions and squishy things
SpeedFast, even with many objectsSlower, worked out point by point
Blender setupActive and Passive typesGoal, edge and collision settings

Rigid body vs soft body comes down to one question: should the object bend? If not, rigid body is faster and steadier.

Where rigid body simulation is used

  • Collapsing walls, falling crates and toppling stacks
  • Dice rolls, marbles and objects poured into a container
  • Product shots where items drop and settle naturally

Beginner tip

Keep scale real and applied. A one-meter crate modeled at a hundred meters falls in slow motion, because gravity works in scene units. Apply scale with Ctrl+A first.

Terms related to rigid body simulation

Rigid body simulation FAQ

How do I add a rigid body in Blender?
Select the object, open the Physics Properties tab and click Rigid Body. Leave Type on Active for things that move, and give the floor a Passive rigid body so they have something to land on.
What is the difference between active and passive rigid bodies?
Active rigid bodies are moved by the simulation: they fall, collide and tumble. Passive ones stay put, or follow their own animation, while active objects bounce off them. Floors, walls and ramps are usually passive.
How do I bake a rigid body simulation?
In Scene Properties, open Rigid Body World, then Cache, and click Bake. This stores every frame so playback is smooth and renders match. To edit the motion by hand, use Object > Rigid Body > Bake to Keyframes.
Why do my rigid bodies explode or jitter?
Usually they start overlapping, the collision shape is too complex, or the scale is unapplied. Space objects slightly apart at the start, use Box or Convex Hull shapes where you can, and raise substeps for fast motion.

Updated October 29, 2026 · Browse all 3D terms