Frozen - Computer graphics and snow simulation

Have you ever wondered why all the cartoon figures in the movie look so real?

Were you impressed with the snowflakes in Frozen?

The answer of these questions are two words: Computer Graphics (CG)

According to wikipedia, " Computer graphics are pictures and movies created using computers – usually referring to image data created by a computer specifically with help from specialized graphical hardware and software." 

Unlike most of natural phenomenon, snow is very challenging to simulate. A Material Point Method is a new method to achieve snow simulation and it uses a usercontrollable elasto-plastic constitutive model integrated with a hybrid Eulerian/Lagrangian Material Point Method. This method successfully addresses the accumulation of snow, animation of snow dynamics, and complex character interactions. The video below shows the power of material point method.

Effects supervisors Dale Mayeda at Disney points out that "As far as effects animation, it’s definitely a combination of art and science. "In fact, the teams at Disney use math, physics, and computer science to create a simulation of realistic snow in the virtual world. They also design the snow to achieve beautiful compositions. The goal is to present realistic snow with a sense of elegance.

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Picture References:

1. https://www.google.com/search?q=frozen+in+one+minute&espv=2&biw=1440&bih=755&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj0ho7XwenOAhXLMyYKHWjfAMsQ_AUIBygC#tbm=isch&q=frozen+&imgrc=-g1qLNnIkO_YBM%3A\
2. http://www.cgmeetup.net/home/making-of-disneys-frozen-snow-simulation/

Writing References:

1. Computer graphics - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_graphics

2. Making of Disney’s Frozen Snow Simulation - http://www.cgmeetup.net/home/making-of-disneys-frozen-snow-simulation/
3. Computer Graphics at Walt Disney Animation - https://renderman.pixar.com/view/computer-graphics-at-walt-disney-animation

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If you haven't watched the movie yet, here is a Youtube summary of Frozen in five minutes!

Pokémon Go! - Augmented Reality

Have you caught a Pikachu yet?

If not, I recommend you going to Meadow Farm Museum. There are tons of Pikachu there.

（Personal picture)

Pokémon Go is a Nintendo-owned game that is taking over the world this summer. You can finally realize your childhood dream to catch a Pokémon. But, how do you make Pokémon "appear" around you so you can go and catch them? This is realized through a technology called "Augmented Reality (AR)," which is an interaction between the game and real world. As you can see in the picture below - at the right upper corner, there is a button that says "AR." Augmented Reality embeds computer graphics into the actual world, and with technology advances, people should not be able to distinguish the reality from the computer images.

There are also Virtual Reality (VR), which Virtual Reality (VR) is an artificial and computer-generated simulation of the real world. VR is can be achieved by waring a headset like Facebook's Oculus, and is widely used in gaming and 3D movies. In addition, VR can be used to in trainings, e.g. create flight simulation for pilots. Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML) is a coding language that achieves VR by creating a series of images and setting interactions among them. AR differs from VR, because AR adds a virtual component on top of the reality, while VR creates a complete new "reality".

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Picture References:
1.https://www.google.com/searchq=pokemon+go&biw=1280&bih=581&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwisrH8qefOAhWJ4iYKHepsD_AQ_AUICSgE#imgrc=PsKSMHycHA_NYM%3A
2.https://twitter.com/seth_cordaro/status/751315483400343552/photo/1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Writing References:
1. Pokémon Go, Explained - http://www.vox.com/2016/7/11/12129162/pokemon-go-android-ios-game
2. Virtual Reality vs. Augmented Reality - http://www.augment.com/blog/virtual-reality-vs-augmented-reality/
3. Research paper - Computer Review of An improved augmented reality system based on AndAR - http://www.computingreviews.com/review/review_review.cfm?review_id=144707&listname=todaysissuearticle