Physically-based particle simulation and visualization of pastes and gels

TL;DR

This paper introduces a 3D particle-based simulation model for gels and pastes, coupled with a novel visualization method that reconstructs and renders their dynamic flow without relying on detailed physical properties.

Contribution

It presents a simple yet effective 3D mass-interaction model for simulating gels and pastes, along with a unique rendering process that enhances visualization by analyzing simulation outputs.

Findings

The model accurately reproduces gel and paste dynamics.

The Flow Structuring Method improves visualization realism.

Realistic renderings are achieved using implicit surfaces and ray-tracing.

Abstract

This paper is focused on the question of simulation and visualiza- tion of 3D gel and paste dynamic effects. In a first part, we introduce a 3D physically based particle (or mass-interaction) model, with a small number of masses and few powerful interaction parameters, which is able to generate the dynamic features of both gels and pastes. This model proves that the 3D mass-interaction method is relevant for the simulation of such phenomena, without an explicit knowledge of their underly- ing physics. In a second part, we expose an original rendering process, the Flow Structuring Method that enhances the dynamic properties of the simulation and offers a realistic visualization. This process ignores all the properties of the underlying physical model. It leads to a reconstruction of the spatial structure of the gel (or paste) flow only through an analysis of the output of the simula- tion which is a set of unorganized points moving in a 3D space. Finally, the paper presents realistic renderings obtained by using implicit surfaces and ray-tracing techniques on the Structured Flow previously obtained.