MOANA: CREATING ENVIRONMENTS
Technical Director
As a technical director overseeing procedural geometry, I was responsible for ensuring the surface of the water was rendering correctly - everything from close ups with caustics and foam on the shoreline, to huge vista shots rendering miles-worth of oceans. I developed the technology to deform the surface and for boats to animate with accurate buoyancy models to the surface of the water. I was also responsible for the vegetation generation technology behind Te Fiti, the living island, as well as the fur and feather generation engine for the Pua and Hei Hei.
Making Waves: Water Comes to Life Through Emerging Technologies
The creation of the ocean as a character in Moana was one of the most groundbreaking achievements in animation technology. The water needed to be both photorealistic and able to perform as a character with personality. We developed several new technologies, including:
Splash Simulation Techniques: Traditional methods of simulating water were enhanced to handle the fluid dynamics in more complex ways, allowing the water to interact with characters and objects in highly realistic ways. This included new ways of calculating how water moves, flows, and splashes.
Ocean Surface Algorithm ("Splash"): This advanced algorithm created highly realistic water surfaces, allowing animators to control water behavior while retaining realism in the physics of the ocean. The challenge was balancing the water's role as both an environment and a character.
Wave Deformation Tools: The waves were given emotional qualities, requiring special tools that allowed animators to shape and mold the water in response to narrative cues. This allowed the ocean to show affection or anger, for example, which added layers of expression to the animation.
Hydrographic Tools: These allowed for the creation of surface water behaviors like ripples, underwater caustics (light patterns), and foam. They used a system called "Splash and Bubbles," which added texture and detail to the water surface.
Some Additional Links to Take a Deeper Look
Publication: The Ocean and Water Pipeline of Disney's Moana
Publication: Rigging the Oceans of Disney's Moana
How Disney's 'Moana' created its amazing water effects
A Lush Landscape: Creating Trees & Vegetation for Moana
Creating lush tropical environments with swaying trees and natural movement was also a significant technical challenge that required advancements in how vegetation was animated:
Dynamic Wind Simulation: Moana’s environment is full of trees and plants that needed to move naturally with the wind. Disney developed algorithms to simulate the interaction between wind and the vegetation, ensuring that plants moved in a natural, fluid way without needing to animate each element by hand.
Procedural Animation for Trees: Using procedural animation techniques, Disney was able to animate complex systems like tree branches and leaves in response to environmental factors. This allowed for more natural movement and interaction with wind, water, and characters.
Foliage System: We created a tool called the "Foliage System" to control the density and movement of vegetation. It automated much of the process of placing and animating large forests or clusters of plants, reducing the manual work required and making the scenes feel alive with minimal effort.
Impact
Realism Meets Storytelling: The advances made in Moana’s water and trees technology allowed for unprecedented levels of realism, while also giving animators the ability to use nature as an expressive storytelling tool. Water was no longer just a background element; it became a character, supporting the narrative in a visually stunning and emotionally resonant way.
New Industry Standards: The technology developed for water and foliage in Moana set new standards for realism in animated environments, influencing how future animated films (both at Disney and elsewhere) approached the creation of natural elements.
Tool Development for Future Projects: Many of the tools and algorithms developed for Moana became part of Disney’s software suite for use in future films, allowing other projects to benefit from these innovations in natural environment simulation.
Some Additional Links to Take a Deeper Look
Creating Palms: Produce Complex Art-Directed Models Efficiently
