Waterfall Simulation by Using a Particle and Grid-Based Hybrid Approach

Physics based simulation is one of the most important issues in computer graphics since it validates the simulation model and improves the quality of the images generated according to the simulation results. The visualization of natural phenomena is a challenging issue among them and the simulation on fluid is the most difficult one because the shape of fluid changes more dynamically than solid and the boundary is clearer than gas. In this paper, we describe the model and the method to visualize a waterfall by using a hybrid method of Lagrangian (particle) and Eulerian (grid-based) approaches. The simulation starts from the lip of a waterfall and ends at the basin, and it also treats the stream of a waterfall, the spray splashing from the stream, and the spray cloud being sent up from the stream and/or the basin. As the result of the simulation, we have succeeded in visualizing waterfall behavior, which includes the water stream, the splashing spray and the spray cloud.