“Plasma Pong” by Independent Artist
Conference:
Title:
- Plasma Pong
Director(s):
Company / Institution / Agency:
- Independent Artist
Description:
Game Play: “Plasma Pong” is a variation of “Pong” that utilizes real-time fluid dynamics to drive the game environment. Players have several new abilities that add fun twists to the classic game. You can inject plasma fluid into the environment, create a vacuum from your paddle, and blast shockwaves into the playing area. All these abilities have fluid-based kinetic effects on the ball, making “Plasma Pong” a fast-paced and exciting game.
Technology: The fluid solver driving the game was built around a stable method pioneered by Jos Stam. His breakthrough paper, Real-Time Fluid Dynamics for Games, was used as a starting point for the project. Improvements to the fluid solver can also be attributed to the research of Ron Fedkiw and Mark Harris.
To render the fluid, fields such as density, velocity, curl, pressure, and divergence are visualized using color mapping. The plasma effect in the game is created by combining the velocity, dye, and pressure fields. The details of these fields are further refined using 3D lighting.
Additional Contributors:
Programming and Design: Steve Taylor
Licensed Music: Sean Beeson, www.seanbeeson.com
Special Thanks: Jos Stam, Ron Fedkiw, Mark Harris
