Adjust Rigid Body Friction and Bounciness in Blender

This guide explains how to configure surface response properties—specifically friction and bounciness—for rigid body collisions in Blender. By adjusting these two parameters in the Physics Properties panel, you can control how objects slide, grip, and bounce against one another during a physics simulation.

1. Enable Rigid Body Physics

  1. Select the 3D object you want to include in the simulation.
  2. Navigate to the Physics Properties tab in the Properties editor (the icon resembles an orbiting planet).
  3. Click on the Rigid Body button to enable physics for the selected object.
  4. Set the Type to either:
    • Active: For objects that should move and be affected by gravity and forces.
    • Passive: For stationary objects (like floors or walls) that other objects collide with.

2. Locate the Surface Response Settings

  1. In the Physics Properties panel, scroll down to expand the Surface Response sub-panel.
  2. Here, you will find two primary sliders: Friction and Bounciness.

3. Adjust Friction

  • Friction determines the resistance to motion when two surfaces slide against each other.
  • Value Range: 0.0 to 1.0 (or higher).
  • Low Values (near 0.0): Create a slippery surface, similar to ice or wet glass, allowing objects to slide freely.
  • High Values (near 1.0 or above): Create rough, high-grip surfaces like rubber or sandpaper, preventing sliding.

4. Adjust Bounciness (Restitution)

  • Bounciness controls how much kinetic energy is retained after a collision.
  • Value Range: 0.0 to 1.0.
  • Low Values (0.0): Create completely inelastic collisions, such as clay, lead, or wet dirt, resulting in zero bounce.
  • High Values (1.0): Create perfectly elastic collisions, like a rubber superball, causing the object to rebound with high energy.

5. Configure Both Interacting Objects

Blender calculates collision dynamics by multiplying the values of both interacting surfaces. For bounciness or friction to take full effect:

  • Adjust the Surface Response settings on both the colliding object (Active) and the surface it strikes (Passive or Active).
  • If an Active object has a Bounciness of 1.0 but the ground plane has a Bounciness of 0.0, the resulting bounce will be significantly muted. Set higher values on both objects to achieve maximum elasticity or grip.