3d-graphics

Seaflailing: Or, how to try (and mostly fail) to draw an ocean in OpenGL

Things practiced: math, graphics, computers

Tools used: WebGL, benvanik’s WebGL Inspector for Chrome, glMatrix for matrix math in Javascript

For whatever we lose(like a you or a me)
it's always ourselves we find in the sea

(from an e.e. cummings poem that autoplays in my head every time I picture the ocean, i.e. ~10,000× while coding this)

Despite being terrible at it, I find graphics programming pretty fun. Building realistic 3D environments in real time blends physics and computer science—graphics programmers have to satisfy two conflicting objectives: to simulate reality as accurately as possible, while using fewer than 16 or 33 milliseconds to process each frame.

Modeling the ocean is a good example of a situation where tradeoffs are required. Fluid dynamics is based around the Navier-Stokes equations, which are a set of nonlinear partial differential equations that describe the flow of viscous fluids. Fully solving these equations numerically provides an exact model of the ocean, but is computationally infeasible.

Instead, I tried to simulate an ocean scene using this approach:

1. Generate realistic water surface height fields to model waves, using empirical knowledge of ocean phenomena.

2. Account for optical processes acting on ocean water: reflection and refraction from a water surface, the color filtering behavior of ocean water, and maybe more-complex effects like caustics and godrays.

3. Render a realistic sky gradient using known properties of atmospheric scattering.

4. Think about computational-resource cost versus quality gained and simplify where possible.

Results so far (underwhelming but workable) (click):

The code is on GitHub; the simulation is running here.

3D model: Inline-four engine

Thing practiced: 3D modeling

Tool used: SolidWorks 2013 trial

I’ve always had an iffy understanding of how car engines work – I learned pretty much everything I know (about everything) from this book when I was small. To understand better, I started modeling one in Solidworks:

Intake and exhaust camshafts:
Camshafts

Pistons and connecting rods:
Pistons and rods

Crankshaft:
Crankshaft

Thing: Heart gears

Thing practiced: nothing

Tools used: OpenSCAD, MakerBot Replicator

Modified and printed Emmett Lalish’s heart gears.

screwless heart gearsheartless screw gears