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Physics Simulation in Visual Computing

Introduction to state-of-the-art simulation methods for rigid bodies, deformable solids and fluids in the area of visual computing

About

Physics simulation is an important research topic in visual computing. It has many applications ranging from such as virtual prototyping, training simulators, robotics, animation software for digital production including visual effects in film and animation movies, and computer games – just to mention a few.

At RWTH Aachen university I offer lectures which give an introduction to state-of-the-art simulation methods for rigid bodies, deformable solids and fluids in the area of visual computing (e.g, the Finite Element Method (FEM) and the Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) approach). For the lectures I programmed several simulation examples using JavaScript.

Why JavaScript? Because everybody can directly run the examples in the browser. Moreover, I was able to add a short web page for each example which explains the method.

I hope the examples and their documentation help you to learn something about the simulation methods. Feel free to use the examples in your own courses.

General

Particles

Time Integration

Deformable Solids

Mass Spring System

Continuum Mechanics

Impulse-Based Dynamic Simulation

Position-Based Dynamics

Fluids

SPH Simulation Methods

SPH Kernel

SPH Approximation

Collision Detection

Signed Distance Fields (SDFs)