Colliding Forces

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^{Tags: Installation, AR, Data Visualization, VFX

Tools: Unity, C4D

Credit: Studio Above&Below}

'Colliding Forces' consists of two dynamic digital sculptures which change daily by responding to the weather conditions of Windermere. Inspired by the ongoing conservation of the museum's collection and the beautiful side of the Lake District, the experience aims to tell stories in a dynamic and data-driven way.

Using wind speed, gust, and humidity data, each digital particle is altered by the world around it. The image above shows the 'Wind Sculpture' exploring the invisible forces of boats, the weather, and water. Through a swirling vortex, the audience can experience the invisible force which boats often propel beneath water beyond our line of sight. Changing every 15 minutes, the living sculpture responds to local weather data and interprets how water and wind collide.

Shader & Materials

I used baked fracture simulation with wave and turbulence force to emulate boat’s body breaking done. Custom boat materials was made using photo scanned textures from the museum’s boat collection. A custom shader was developed to blend between boat texture and ‘decayed’ version of the texture.

Bezier Curve based FX
A twisting particle system was developed following customized Bezier curves, emulating the design of the boat’s propelling force.