Honours Project Worksheet — #3

Introduction
The overall aim of the project is to create a fairly realistic looking model of hair and fur which can be rendered in real-time and could be used in a game environment.

To do this, I will investigate particle based hair systems, then several variations on the shell and fin optimization (Hoppe et al). This includes the more common overlapping polygonal strip approach.


Motivation
This is an area which has been somewhat neglected in game graphics, possibly due to the perceived difficulty of the subject. Most current methods of creating 'realistic' hair depend entirely on the skill and time of the artist. More advanced techniques have already been used in games, such as Shadow of the Colossus and Black&White, however they have never been widely adopted.

By implementing a procedural method of hair generation, coupled with some very clever optimization as presented by Hoppe et al, I believe it is possible to take a massive step forward in the visual quality of hair and fur in games.


Research question
"Can hair and fur be added into a real-time, 3d, game environment? If so, what techniques can be used, and how effective are they?"

Addressing the Question
Firstly, a basic 3D framework will be built as a testing environment. This will most likely be done on top of DirectX9, although OpenGL remains a possibility at this point.

Once the basics are in place I will begin implementing and testing the various techniques I have researched. I will then compare the results in terms of visual quality and framerate in order to determine which, if any, of these techniques are suitable for 3d games.

Resource Requirements
A standard, modern PC with either DirectX or OpenGL SDK installed. No special requirements.

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References and Bibliography

Lengyel, J. Praun, E. Finkelstein, A. Hoppe, H. Real-Time Fur over Arbitrary Surfaces
http://research.microsoft.com/~hoppe/fur.pdf

Sheppard, G. 2004 Real-time Rendering of Fur http://www.gamasutra.com/education/theses/20051028/sheppard_01.shtml

SCEI. 2006. Shadow of the Colossus. Playstation 2. SCEI.

Lionhead Studios. 2001. Black&White. Electronic Arts Feral Interactive