Styling of computer graphics hair through volumetric flow dynamics

A method of generating image data of hair in a three-dimensional (3D) hair volume comprising:

• receiving a representation of the 3D hair volume, the representation comprising a fully-closed three-dimensional (3D) polyhedral hair mesh of the 3D hair volume, wherein a first surface region of the 3D hair volume conforms to a surface component of the object;
• identifying a part of the first surface region as a source area;
• identifying a second surface region of the 3D hair volume, disjoint from the first surface region, as an exit area;
• simulating a fluid flow within the 3D hair volume using the 3D polyhedral hair mesh such that in the fluid flow simulation the fluid enters the 3D hair volume only through the source area, the fluid exits the hair volume only through the exit area, and the fluid flow is bounded in the 3D hair volume;
• generating a plurality of fluid flow lines through the 3D hair mesh using data of the fluid flow simulation;
• and
• forming image data for a plurality of hairs so that each of the plurality of hairs extends along a respective fluid flow line.

A method comprising:

• defining a plurality of entrance points along a source area of a polygonal surface mesh;
• defining a plurality of exit points along an exit area of the polygonal surface mesh;
• generating a plurality of fluid flow lines based on a simulation of a flow of fluid from the plurality of entrance points to the plurality of exit points;
• and
• generating image data for a plurality of strands, wherein each of the plurality of strands extends along a respective fluid flow line generated based on the simulation of the flow of fluid.