Visualizing ``Fuzzy'' Construction Materials Using VITASCOPE's ParticleWorks Add-On

The presented work extends the state-of-the-art in scientific simulation-driven 3D construction process visualization. We present a tool, ParticleWorks that engineers can use to visualize construction processes involving "fuzzy", unstructured, materials that are generally capable of flowing. Common processes that involve such fuzzy materials include placing concrete, dumping dirt, shotcreting, sandblasting, dewatering, water distribution, and inserting slurry. We capitalize on a classical computer graphics concept called particle systems to design simple, parametric text methods to represent arbitrary dynamic volumes of fuzzy construction materials in 3D virtual construction environments. Engineers can use these methods to instrument external authoring interfaces (e.g. simulation models) to automatically generate dynamic visualizations of any modeled operations that handle and process such fuzzy materials.