Simulation and modeling are easy enough to understand, but they have a huge impact in modern digital media. Modeling is the process of creating a digital representation of something such as a character, car, building or an entire environment. Simulation means making that digital thing behave in a natural way, like cloth in the air when someone walks, smoke floating in the air, water splashing, or things falling and crashing. These tools are important because they are able to help creators test their ideas and see results without having to build anything in real life which saves time and money.
In movies, games, animation, and virtual reality (VR)/augmented reality (AR), simulation is used to make things appear more real and believable. It can show how the hair of a character moves, how the cape moves, how dust spreads after an explosion, or how a world reacts when a player touches something. Simulation typically proceeds in a simple process, i.e., first you decide what you want to simulate, then you make rules for it, then you run it and see what happens, and then you improve it until it looks right.
A big change today is real-time simulation meaning the simulation occurs immediately. This is very useful in games and VR because everything must be able to respond to fast movements or interactions by the user. Another big improvement is using AI with simulation, this helps to make simulations faster and easier, especially for complex things like water, fire or soft materials.
Simulation is also very important for VR and AR because people don't just watch the world - they interact with it. When objects are reacting naturally, the experience is more real and immersive. Even though simulation is powerful, it is not without challenges, such as making it fast, making it accurate and making it easy for artists to control. Overall, simulation and modeling can help creators to create digital worlds that are not only visually appealing, but can also move and respond like reality, making experiences more engaging and fun.
Written by:
S. M. Monowar Kayser
Lecturer, Department of Multimedia & Creative Technology (MCT)
Faculty of Science & Information Technology
Daffodil International University (DIU)
Daffodil Smart City, Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh
