DreamWorks Animation produces family entertainment that is enjoyed by audiences worldwide. It is a major consumer technology, and employs a skilled workforce of scientists and engineers working to advance the state of the art in computer graphics for film production. Their movies use the latest technology for animation, rendering and visual effects, including techniques based on physical simulation.
Many environment and character effects elements, e.g. fire, smoke, water, cloth, hair, use sophisticated numerical models to produce motion that is acceptably close to the "real world" while maintaining a high level of art directability. Coupling between models is often a compromise between these competing requirements. In this talk Dr. Henderson will survey state-of-the-art simulation techniques for visual effects and animation, and discuss some of the challenges in applying these techniques in a creative environment.