I Like Particle Engines!

Abstract

It’s mid-November in North Dallas, and there are dramatic migratory flocks of birds everywhere. The birds move as a giant swarm, billowing like an organic mass. Yet, in spite of this seemingly orchestrated behavior, there is no flock leader or central organizing structure. Rather, the individual birds’ behavior en masse creates this beautiful, emergent phenomenon. This is a wonderful real-world example of a particle system. In addition to bird flocks, particle systems can model things as literal as falling snow, or as complex as virtual armies on a battlefield. Combining surfacing and sophisticated rendering techniques, particle systems can also model non-object-like things such as water, fire, and explosions.