Particles cloud modeling algorithm for virtual environment

Abstract

Highly evolved interactive application such as flight simulator, games and weather visualization require cloud to be render in both realism and real-time. This makes it important to display clouds in three-dimensional space so that changes in their shape and color with varying positions of sun and viewer may be observed. The color and shape of clouds is depending on the viewer and sun position (Mark et al. 2003). Therefore, a lot of methods have been developed to create photo-realistic images. Table 2.1 shows these methods can be classified into two groups. Methods in first group use procedural modeling techniques and methods in the second group model phenomena by simulating physical process. Modeling phenomena such as clouds, smoke, water, and fire have proved difficult with the existing techniques of computer image synthesis. These "fuzzy" objects do not have smooth, well defined, and shiny surfaces; instead their surfaces are irregular, complex, and ill defined (Reeves 1993).