Athanasios Papadimitriou

Sand Simulation

Synopsis

The simulation of granular materials has been considered a changeling task in computer graphics world. Given the limitations that a granular system presents, these materials appear unique properties that sometimes are difficult to be simulated with physical accuracy. Sand is a granular material that has offered some great effects in computer animation. Nevertheless, it is an expensive simulation as a ton of particles is needed to interact with each other in order to create visually interesting results. In this master thesis, a hybrid approach for sand simulation is proposed combining the use of particles and a heightfield for the creation of sand surfaces and the simulation of its properties. This hybrid approach is succeeded by taking advantage of the sand as an opaque material and the replacement of the invisible part of a sand surface by a mesh that is defined by a heightfield.