Physics-inspired controllable flame animation

Abstract

We propose a novel method conceptualized from the properties of physics where in particular the shape of a flame is determined by temperature that enables a control mechanism for the intuitive shaping of a flame. We focused on a trade-off issue from computer graphics whereby the turbulent flow that expresses the characteristics of the flame has a tendency to shift continuously, whereas the velocity constraints that contain a fluid within a target shape have a tendency to force movement in a particular direction. Trade-off made it difficult for animation designers to maintain a flame within the intended target shape. This paper resolves the issue by enabling the flame to be controlled without any velocity constraints by using the following two techniques: First, we model the temperature and force of the explosion generated by the combustion of explosive gaseous fuel and apply it to certain regions. Second, we expand the space of the interface between the fuel and the burned products, classifying that space into four regions and controlling the target shape of the flame by delicate adjustments to the temperature in each region. Experiments show that the flame maintains the appearance of dynamic movement while preserving the detailed 3D shapes specified by the scene designers.