Ember, the main character in Pixar’s latest movie, is a fiery elemental creature with a constantly moving head of flames. Animating these flames realistically posed a unique challenge for the animators, until they discovered a solution that utilized AI technology from ETH Zurich.
The technology adds a distinct style to the flames, allowing artists to visually support the story while providing complete control over the appearance and structures of smoke, fire, and fluids. Smoke clouds can be artistically manipulated to suit the story, while flames and fluids can be adjusted to make them more impactful.
The simulation technology, developed at the Computer Graphics Lab at ETH Zurich, applies artificial intelligence to provide artists with the ability to refine the storytelling aspect of the animation. With this technology, the flames on Ember’s face appear more pronounced than was previously possible with existing simulation technologies.
Barbara Solenthaler, ETH professor of computer graphics and head of the Simulation and Animation Group, explains that the technology provides artists with a unique tool to visually support a story. The AI-powered system allows animators to change flames, smoke clouds, or fluids to better serve the narrative of the story.
The ETH Zurich technology enables animators to simulate and control smoke, fire, and fluids in a way that supports storytelling. With this technology, smoke clouds can be artistically manipulated to better suit the story, while flames and fluids can be adjusted to create a more impactful scene.
The 3D simulation technology uses AI to give artists more control over the appearance of smoke, fire, and fluids, and allows them to achieve a unique visual style. Thanks to this technology, Ember’s flames have a unique appearance that contributes to the story’s visual impact.
