Real-time Physical Material Aging and Weathering Simulation

A real-time graphics application demonstrating advanced material aging and weathering effects using OpenGL compute shaders. This project simulates realistic material degradation, rust formation, and environmental effects with physically-based rendering.

Features

Material Aging System

• Dynamic rust formation with multi-scale detail
• Progressive paint deterioration and cracking
• Realistic weathering patterns based on environmental exposure
• Physical-based material property evolution

Environmental Effects

• Dynamic weather system affecting material aging
• Real-time puddle formation and ripples
• Cloud coverage and lighting variations
• Surface moisture accumulation and drying

Physics Integration

• Real-time collision detection and response
• Verlet integration for object motion
• Environmental interaction affecting aging patterns
• Dynamic object behavior with realistic physics

Rendering Technology

• Real-time ray tracing using compute shaders
• Physically-based rendering (PBR) material system
• Dynamic lighting adaptation to weather conditions
• Interactive parameter control

Controls

• WASD: Movement
• Mouse: Look around
• Space: Jump
• R/F: Adjust rust level and age
• M/N: Control moisture level

Technical Details

Requirements

• OpenGL 4.3+
• C++17 compatible compiler
• CMake 3.10+
• Dependencies:
  • GLFW
  • GLM
  • stb_image

Building

mkdir build
cd build
cmake ..
make

Project Structure

aging_shader/
├── src/
│   ├── core/           # Core systems implementation
│   └── shaders/        # GLSL shader files
│       ├── common/     # Common shader utilities
│       ├── intersect/  # Ray intersection code
│       └── materials/  # Material definitions
└── textures/          # Texture assets

Implementation Highlights

Rust Formation

The rust simulation uses a multi-scale noise approach:

• Large-scale pattern: Base rust distribution
• Medium-scale: Detail and variation
• Micro-scale: Surface roughness
• Edge weathering detection
• Moisture influence on rust formation

Paint Aging

Progressive deterioration including:

• Color fading and yellowing
• Crack formation
• Paint peeling
• Normal map generation
• Surface property evolution

Ground System

• Procedural crater formation
• Dynamic puddle system
• Weather-responsive surface properties
• Real-time ripple effects

Performance Considerations

• Optimized compute shader dispatch
• Efficient ray-object intersection
• Cached material calculations
• Dynamic level of detail based on distance

Known Issues

• High GPU memory usage with multiple objects
• Performance impact with excessive weather particles
• Some edge cases in physics collision detection

Future Improvements

• Additional material aging types
• Enhanced weather particle systems
• More complex object interactions
• Extended material property controls
• Improved performance optimization

Credits

Developed by Shaoxuan Yin as part of the TNM084 course at Linköping University.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.