Video from Siggraph Asia 2020 research/technical paper "Simulation, Modeling and Authoring of Glaciers"

Authors:
OSCAR ARGUDO, Univ Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, LIRIS, France
ERIC GALIN, Univ Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, LIRIS, France
ADRIEN PEYTAVIE, Univ Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, LIRIS, France
AXEL PARIS, Univ Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, LIRIS, France
ERIC GUÉRIN, Univ Lyon, INSALyon, CNRS, LIRIS, France

Abstract :



Glaciers are some of the most visually arresting and scenic elements of cold
regions and high mountain landscapes. Although snowcovered terrains
have previously received attention in computer graphics, simulating the
temporal evolution of glaciers as well as modeling their wide range of
features has never been addressed. In this paper, we combine a Shallow Ice Approximation simulation with a procedural amplification process to author highresolution realistic glaciers. Our multiresolution method allows the interactive simulation of the formation and the evolution of glaciers over
hundreds of years. The user can easily modify the environment variables,
such as the average temperature or precipitation rate, to control the glacier
growth, or directly use brushes to sculpt the ice or bedrock with interactive
feedback. Mesoscale and smallscale landforms that are not captured by the
glacier simulation, such as crevasses, moraines, seracs, ogives, or icefalls are synthesized using procedural rules inspired by observations in glaciology
and according to the physical parameters derived from the simulation. Our
method lends itself to seamless integration into production pipelines to
decorate reliefs with glaciers and realistic ice features.


Keywords : Procedural terrain modeling, glacier simulation