Gunther Schatz about Cloth Simulation In the last 2 years digital cloth simulation has made a giant leap forward. New software packages like SYFLEX, used in the latest >Lord of the Rings< or >Hellboy<, allow highly realistic cloth animations. >The properties of a cloth, such as its mass or stiffness, can be modified using texture maps. This way we can control the behavior of a garment very precisely,< Schatz explains. Drawing on his experience from >Master and Commander<, Gunther recently finished a digitally created cape for the upcoming >Phantom of the Opera<.
Schatz points out that >the recent progress in cloth simulation accuracy and speed is stunning. Previously, interaction with a digital character, self collision of the fabric and stretching, or its reaction to forces like wind, could only be achieved with huge expenses in time and processing power.< ___next>>>