Numerical and Geometric Algorithms for Virtual Practical Effects

在我们2010年的《科学》文章中，我们创造了“虚拟实际效果”这个术语，来描述技术艺术家创造数字效果的一种新兴方法。在基于物理的模拟技术的支持下，艺术家可以利用他们对真实的世界的知识（和自然直觉）来虚拟地构建“物理”机制，从而创造出所需的效果。与在较低水平上费力地对每一种现象进行建模相比，虚拟实际效果已经显示出更高的生产力。例如，在《阿凡达》中，同步的海浪是由模仿真实的物体的虚拟波浪发生器产生的，在我们编写的物理模拟水中运行。这种方法仍处于起步阶段：我的研究计划解决了仍然阻碍视觉效果革命的算法挑战。

In our 2010 Science article, we coined the term 'virtual practical effects' to describe an emerging methodology for technical artists to create digital effects. Supported by physics-based simulation technology, artists can use their knowledge of (and natural intuition for) the real world to virtually build 'physical' mechanisms that create the desired effects. Virtual practical effects has already shown much greater productivity compared to laboriously modelling every phenomenon at a lower level. For example, synchronized crashing ocean waves in 'Avatar' were produced by virtual wave generators modelled after the real thing, running in a physical simulation of the water we wrote. This approach is still in its infancy: my research program tackles the algorithmic challenges still standing in the way of a visual effects revolution.