31. The Elements of Nature: Interactive and Realistic Techniques
Wednesday, Full Day, 8:30 am - 5:30 pm
West Hall B
Level: Intermediate

This updated course on simulating natural phenomena covers the latest research and production techniques for simulating most of the elements of nature. The presenters provide movie production, interactive simulation, and research perspectives on the difficult task of photorealistic modeling, rendering, and animation of natural phenomena. The course offers a balance of the latest interactive graphics hardware-based simulation techniques and the latest physics-based simulation techniques. It includes interactive implementations and approximations of complex physics-based simulations, as well as procedural approximations and combined hybrid techniques. Interactive demonstrations and discussions of implementation details impart a working knowledge of these techniques that can't be acquired by reading papers on the topics.

Prerequisites
Familiarity with standard graphics techniques for modeling and rendering. Knowledge of basic grammar-based modeling, physics-based modeling, and particle systems is helpful but not required.

Intended Audience
Researchers, animators, software developers, game software developers, production software developers, and students.

Organizer
David Ebert
Purdue University

Lecturers
Oliver Deussen
Universität Konstanz

David Ebert
Purdue University

Ron Fedkiw
Stanford University

Ken Musgrave
Pandromeda Inc.

Przemyslaw Prusinkiewicz
University of Calgary

Doug Roble
Digital Domain

Jos Stam
Alias

Jerry Tessendorf
Rhythm & Hues Studios

Schedule

8:30	Introduction Ebert
8:40	Simulating Ocean Surfaces Tessendorf
9:30	Fast Stable Solution Techniques for Computational Fluid Dynamics Stam
10:15	Break
10:30	Realistic Physics-based Smoke and Fire Simulation Fedkiw
11:25	Fluid Simulation in Production Roble
12:15	Lunch
1:45	Interactive Cloud Modeling and Photorealistic Atmospheric Rendering Ebert
2:35	Fractal Landscapes in Their Natural Context Musgrave
3:30	Break
3:45	Realistic Modeling and Visualization of Plants Prusinkiewicz
4:40	Fast Rendering and Modeling of Plants Deussen