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Animation & VFX · MS elective · 3 credit hours · 16 sessions

Powerful Dynamics in 3D

This advanced simulation course focuses on “Rigid Body Dynamics” (RBD) and the art of destruction. Students will learn to control chaos, simulating high-impact collisions, crumbling buildings, and vehicle crashes using procedural workflows (such as Houdini or TyFlow). The curriculum emphasizes the artistic direction of physics—ensuring that destruction looks cinematic rather than just mathematically correct.

§ 01 By the end you can
  1. Master Rigid Body Dynamics (RBD) for realistic collisions and impacts
  2. Utilize Voronoi fracturing and boolean techniques to break geometry
  3. Control destruction using constraints (Glue, Soft, Hard) and triggers
  4. Optimize high-resolution simulations for rendering (Proxy meshes)
  5. Integrate secondary debris and dust passes to enhance realism
§ 02 Sixteen sessions

The whole semester.

  1. 01Physics Engines: Bullet, PhysX, and Mass
  2. 02Intro to Rigid Bodies: Active vs. Passive
  3. 03Fracturing Geometry: Voronoi Basics
  4. 04Material Properties: Concrete vs. Glass
  5. 05Constraints I: Glue Strength & Breaking
  6. 06Constraints II: Soft Bodies & Dents
  7. 07Art Directing the Sim: Custom Velocity Fields
  8. 08 · MidtermMidterm Examination
  9. 09Advanced Constraints: Bending Metal
  10. 10Vehicle Dynamics: Suspension & Collision
  11. 11Triggering Destruction: The "Domino" Effect
  12. 12Secondary Elements: Debris & Shrapnel
  13. 13Upscaling Simulations: High-Res Detailing
  14. 14Caching & Optimization Strategies
  15. 15Rendering Destruction: Motion Blur
  16. 16Final Project: The Building Demolition

Midterm around session 8. Final project briefed at session 8 or 9 and developed in stages until the juries.

§ 03 Final project

Final Project: The Building Demolition

How it’s judged

Recommended reading
  1. Houdini on the Spot by Craig Zerouni
  2. Procedural Generation in Game Design by Tanya X. Short
  3. Physics for Game Developers by David M. Bourg
  4. The Visual Effects Producer by Charles Finance
  5. Effective TD: Pipeline & Data by Michael B. Comet
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