Interactive Thin Shells (ITS)
A Real-Time Visual Interface for Analyzing and Experimenting with Physically-Based Animations
Abstract
While physically-based animation algorithms produce compelling motion for cloth, thin metals, and deformable surfaces, the underlying differential equations and energy formulations are often opaque to students, artists, and practitioners tuning simulation stability.
Developed for my Master’s thesis at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo (advised by Prof. Zoë Wood and Prof. Alex Pang), Interactive Thin Shells (ITS) introduces a model visual interface for inspecting, steering, and debugging physically-based thin-shell simulations in real time:
- Dynamic Stress & Force Colormapping: Maps internal bending, stretching, and shear forces directly onto the 3D surface geometry in real time so numerical instabilities and force concentrations are immediately visible.
- Live Local & Global Parameter Steering: Allows users to grab vertices, apply directional impulses, and modify global or per-region material stiffness, mass, and integration time-steps on the fly without restarting the simulation.
Videos
