Geometry Independent Raindrop Splash Rendering for Generic, Complex Scenes

Abstract

In this paper, we present a geometry independent approach to render raindrop splashes on complex scenes without the need of using collision detection methods. While rendering of falling rain can be done by drawing textured full screen quads in front of the camera, raindrop splashes must be rendered to the right position on an object’s surface. To achieve this, collider objects are used in many applications requiring collision detection calculations. This can be costly for complex scenes or models with high polygon count. The new approach presented in this paper can be calculated in a nearly constant time period completely independent from the scene’s complexity. Additionally, wind effects can be applied causing raindrops hit objects in clusters instead of regular intervals.