The Walt Disney Company
Guided simulation with generalized collision objects

Abstract:

The disclosure provides an approach for simulating three-dimensional (3D) virtual environments using generalized collision objects. In one aspect, the generalized collision object includes a shape specifying the boundary of the generalized collision object, a shape velocity specifying how the generalized collision object moves and evolves through space, and a material velocity specifying how the material being simulated moves at the boundary of the generalized collision object. Taking the shape, shape velocity, and material velocity as inputs, a simulation application determines source and sink boundary conditions to apply in a simulation based on a difference between components of the shape velocity and the material velocity that are normal to the boundary of the generalized collision object. The simulation application then performs the simulation of the 3D virtual environment while enforcing velocity boundary conditions using the material velocity and the determined source and sink boundary conditions.