IP Library Granted Patent US 11,341,301
Granted Patent B2
US 11,341,301 · App. 17/183,993 · Granted May 24, 2022

Method for generating simulations of fluid interfaces for improved animation of fluid interactions

Inventors: Alexey Stomakhin (Waimanalo, NZ); Sven Joel Wretborn (Wellington, NZ); Gilles Daviet (Mûres, FR); Daniel Martin Elliott Jones (Wellington, NZ)
Assignee: Unity Technologies, SF
G06F30/25G06F30/17
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,341,301
App. No.
17/183,993
Granted
May 24, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method for generating visual representations of interactions between two different materials is provided. The method can be performed using a computing device operated by a computer user or artist. The method includes modeling a primary material as a plurality of first particles and modeling a layer portion of a secondary material as a fluid volume. The secondary material can include a layer portion positioned between the plurality of first particles and an outer portion. At least one boundary condition might be assigned to a boundary positioned between the layer portion and the outer portion, the at least one boundary condition includes at least one pressure value. Values of motion parameters might be determined by applying the at least one boundary condition at the boundary and generating one or more visual representations of the primary material interacting with the secondary material based on the values of the motion parameters.

Claims (25)

1. A computer-implemented method for simulating interactions between two different materials, the computer-implemented method comprising:

under the control of one or more computer systems configured with executable instructions:

modeling a primary material as a plurality of objects;

modeling a secondary material as a fluid volume, the fluid volume comprising a layer portion and an outer portion, the layer portion being positioned between the plurality of objects and the outer portion;

assigning at least one boundary condition to a boundary positioned between the layer portion and the outer portion based on pressures of the outer portion and configured to affect the layer portion;

determining values of motion parameters for the primary material and the secondary material based on the plurality of objects, the layer portion, and the at least one boundary condition;

calculating an aeration field for the primary material; and

calculating a drag force field for the secondary material, wherein the primary velocity field, the aeration field, and the drag force field are used for calculating a new primary velocity field for the primary material.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the layer portion has a predefined thickness.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the layer portion has a thickness that depends on a difference in densities between the primary material and the secondary material.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein motion of the objects of the plurality of objects with respect to one another is constrained in zero, one, two, or three degrees of freedom.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein a sparse modeling of the outer portion of the secondary material is used to compute the at least one boundary condition.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one boundary condition includes a two-phase Eulerian Navier-Stokes approach that allows a pressure jump between the primary material and secondary material, and wherein the at least one boundary condition includes velocity continuity conditions at the boundary.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one boundary condition allows for coupling between the layer portion and the primary material.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the boundary is a second boundary, and the at least one boundary condition is at least one second boundary condition, the method further comprising:

assigning at least one first boundary condition to a first boundary positioned between the primary material and the layer portion, the at least one first boundary condition comprising a free surface boundary condition.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , wherein the at least one first boundary condition comprises a drag force in a vicinity of the first boundary.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , wherein the at least one first boundary condition comprises a solid boundary condition applied at the second boundary and the at least one primary boundary condition comprises a pressure boundary condition applied at the first boundary.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising: calculating a primary velocity field for the primary material, wherein the primary velocity field is configured to store a primary velocity value that indicates how an environment affects motion of the plurality of objects.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11 , further comprising: calculating a secondary velocity field for the secondary material, wherein the secondary velocity field is configured to store a secondary velocity value that indicates how the environment affects motion of a portion of the secondary material.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions, which when executed by at least one processor of a computer system, cause the computer system to carry out the method of claim 1 .

14. A computer-readable medium carrying instructions, which when executed by at least one processor of a computer system, cause the computer system to carry out the method of claim 1 .

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising generating one or more visual representations of the primary material interacting with the secondary material based on the values of the motion parameters.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 15 , wherein either the primary material or the secondary material is invisible in the one or more visual representations.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein determining the values of the motion parameters does not consider the outer portion.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 25, 2022
From: STOMAKHIN, ALEXEY; WRETBORN, SVEN JOEL; DAVIET, GILES; ELLIOTT JONES, DANIEL MARTIN
To: WETA DIGITAL LIMITED
Reel/Frame 059702/0045 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 9, 2022
From: UNITY SOFTWARE INC.
To: UNITY TECHNOLOGIES SF
Reel/Frame 058980/0342 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 8, 2022
From: WETA DIGITAL LIMITED
To: UNITY SOFTWARE INC.
Reel/Frame 058978/0865 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62983435 · Feb 28, 2020
Related Publication 20210279385A1 · Sep 9, 2021