Result-Driven Exploration of Simulation Parameter Spaces for Visual Effects Design

Stefan Bruckner, Torsten Möller
Result-Driven Exploration of Simulation Parameter Spaces for Visual Effects Design
IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics, 16(6):1467-1475, October 2010. [ Paper]
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Abstract

Graphics artists commonly employ physically-based simulation for the generation of effects such as smoke, explosions, and similar phenomena. The task of finding the correct parameters for a desired result, however, is difficult and time-consuming as current tools provide little to no guidance. In this paper, we present a new approach for the visual exploration of such parameter spaces. Given a three-dimensional scene description, we utilize sampling and spatio-temporal clustering techniques to generate a concise overview of the achievable variations and their temporal evolution. Our visualization system then allows the user to explore the simulation space in a goal-oriented manner. Animation sequences with a set of desired characteristics can be composed using a novel search-by-example approach and interactive direct volume rendering is employed to provide instant visual feedback. A user study was performed to evaluate the applicability of our system in production use.

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@article{brucker-2010-RES,
  title =      "Result-Driven Exploration of Simulation Parameter Spaces for
               Visual Effects Design",
  author =     "Stefan Bruckner and Torsten M{\"o}ller",
  year =       "2010",
  abstract =   "Graphics artists commonly employ physically-based simulation
               for the generation of effects such as smoke, explosions, and
               similar phenomena. The task of finding the correct
               parameters for a desired result, however, is difficult and
               time-consuming as current tools provide little to no
               guidance. In this paper, we present a new approach for the
               visual exploration of such parameter spaces. Given a
               three-dimensional scene description, we utilize sampling and
               spatio-temporal clustering techniques to generate a concise
               overview of the achievable variations and their temporal
               evolution. Our visualization system then allows the user to
               explore the simulation space in a goal-oriented manner.
               Animation sequences with a set of desired characteristics
               can be composed using a novel search-by-example approach and
               interactive direct volume rendering is employed to provide
               instant visual feedback. A user study was performed to
               evaluate the applicability of our system in production use.",
  pages =      "1467--1475",
  month =      oct,
  number =     "6",
  event =      "IEEE Visualization 2010",
  journal =    "IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics",
  volume =     "16",
  location =   "Salt Lake City, Utah, USA",
  keywords =   "visual exploration, visual effects, clustering,
               time-dependent volume data",
  URL =        "http://www.cg.tuwien.ac.at/research/publications/2010/brucker-2010-RES/",
}