Image-Based Simulation of Gaseous Material

We present a method for real-time image based simulation of gaseous material such as fire and smoke. We model the kinematics of these phenomena by a mass-spring system, and their turbulent visual dynamics by texture sequencing with variable speeds and transparencies that depend on the speed of the vaporized fuel. The approach allows for incorporating external forces such as the gravity, and the wind force for added realism. Also, a specific characteristic of our method is that any object inserted in a flame or inside smoke can be modeled simply as an external force in the mass-spring system, making real-time interactions with these phenomena easy to integrate. While the approach maintains an extremely low computational cost, these flexibilities increase the realism of our simulation by allowing for real-time control and the interactivity, which is a highly desirable requirement in applications such as augmented reality.