How to Bake Physics Simulations in Blender (With Pro Tips for Faster Renders)

Physics simulations in Blender bring your animations to life—whether it’s soft cloth draping over a character, fluid pouring into a glass, or rigid bodies crashing together. But without baking these simulations, Blender has to re-calculate them every time you hit play, which slows you down and makes editing a pain.

Baking locks the simulation into cache files so it plays back smoothly and renders accurately. This guide walks you through how to bake various types of simulations like Cloth, Rigid Body, and Fluid—all with clear, actionable steps.

By the end, you’ll know how to bake simulations properly, tweak settings for performance, and avoid common pitfalls that trip up even seasoned Blender users.

Step-by-Step Guide: How to Bake Physics Simulations in Blender

Select the Object With the Simulation
- Click on your object (e.g., a cloth, fluid domain, or soft body) in the 3D viewport.
Open the Physics Properties Tab
- On the right-hand panel, click the Physics tab (a bouncing ball icon).
- Make sure the desired simulation (e.g., Cloth, Fluid, Rigid Body) is added.
Adjust Simulation Settings
- Set your Start and End frames under the simulation panel.
- Modify Quality, Collision, or Cache settings as needed.
Locate the Cache Panel
- Scroll down to the Cache or Bake section of the physics modifier (varies by type).
- For cloth/soft body/fluids: you’ll usually see options like Bake, Bake All Dynamics, or Bake Data + Mesh.
Choose the Cache Type
- Decide between Modular, Final, or All (for fluids).
- For rigid bodies, baking is under Scene Properties > Rigid Body World > Cache.
Click “Bake”
- Hit Bake to start the simulation caching process.
- Wait for it to finish—this may take time depending on frame count and complexity.
Preview the Simulation
- Play the timeline to confirm the simulation plays smoothly without recalculation.
Bake All Dynamics (Optional)
- For simulations involving multiple physics types (e.g., cloth and rigid bodies), go to Scene Properties > Cache > Bake All Dynamics.
Save Your Project
- Always save your .blend file after baking. Cache data might get lost if not stored properly.
Use Disk Cache (Optional)
- Enable Disk Cache in the Cache settings to save the baked data to disk instead of RAM—ideal for large simulations.
Free or Delete Bake (If Needed)
- Use Free Bake to clear and re-bake simulations if you change physics settings.

Pro Tips & Workflow Improvements

Use Lower Preview Resolution First
For fluids, use low-resolution bakes to preview timing before committing to high-res bakes.
Bake to Disk for Big Sims
Enable Use Disk Cache to prevent RAM overload and make simulations persistent across sessions.
Organize Cache Folders
Set a custom folder path for simulation cache to keep project files tidy.
Bake in Segments
If your sim takes hours, test bake in shorter time segments (e.g., 1–100, 101–200) to save time.
Use “Bake Mesh” for Final Fluid Look
Fluid simulations need both Bake Data and Bake Mesh for final mesh appearance—don’t forget both steps.

Advanced Use Case: Batch Baking Multiple Simulations

If you have multiple simulations (cloth, fluid, and rigid body) in a complex scene:

Set up all simulations and cache settings.
Go to Scene Properties > Cache.
Click Bake All Dynamics to bake every system at once.
This ensures consistent interaction (e.g., cloth falling on rigid bodies).

You can also use scripting in the Python Console for batch baking with bpy.ops.ptcache.bake_all(), ideal for automation.

Troubleshooting & Common Mistakes

“Simulation Not Playing”
Check that Bake was clicked and not just a preview. Also ensure timeline range includes simulation frames.
Simulation Resets After Reopen
Use Disk Cache or save the .blend after baking to persist results.
Simulation Is Slow
Lower the simulation resolution or quality during testing. Use Simplify in render settings to speed up viewport.
Rigid Body Cache Not Found
Rigid Body simulations are baked from Scene Properties, not from object physics tabs.
Objects Intersect or Clip
Increase collision quality and margin settings under the Physics > Collision tab.

Conclusion

Baking physics simulations in Blender ensures smoother playback, faster renders, and consistent results. Whether you’re working with cloth, fluids, or rigid bodies, mastering baking will transform your workflow from guesswork to precision.

Now that you’ve nailed baking, why not explore Blender’s Dynamic Paint or Motion Blur with Simulations for added realism?