A new method for the animation of fire and the burning consumption of objects represented by volume data sets.
Using a type of distance field, our method can simulate the spreading of multiple fire fronts over a specified isosurface without actually having to create that isosurface. The distance field is generated from a shell volume that rapidly creates narrow spatial bands around the virtual surface of any given isovalue. The complete distance field is then obtained by propagation from the initial bands.
At each step multiple fire fronts can evolve simultaneously on the volumetric object. The flames of the fire are constructed from streams of particles whose movement is regulated by a velocity field generated with the Lattice Boltzmann Model (LBM). The LBM provides a physically accurate simulation of the air flow around the burning object. The object voxels and the splats associated with the flame particles are rendered in the same pipeline so that the internal structures of the volume data can be displayed along with the fire.
Some Result Images
Simulation of one fire front evolving on a volume object. Once the outside spherical layer is burnt out, the internal structures are revealed.
Simulation of two fire fronts evolving on a volume object simultaneously. Eventually the two fronts merge.
Simulation of a fire front evolving on a volume table. The fire starts from one foot of the table and propagates to the whole table. Because of the upward wind direction, the other three feet cannot be burnt completely.
Simulation movies: fire on a sphere, two fire fronts on a sphere, fire on a table
