METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR EFFICIENTLY RENDERING 3D PARTICLE SYSTEMS FOR WEATHER EFFECTS

摘要

A method for generating graphics of a virtual three-dimensional (3D) environment comprises: receiving with a processor a first camera position in the virtual 3D environment and a first viewing direction in the virtual 3D environment; receiving with the processor weather data having first precipitation information corresponding to a first geographic region corresponding to the first camera position in the virtual 3D environment; defining with the processor a boundary geometry of a first position that is a first distance from the first camera position in the first viewing direction, the boundary geometry sized to cover a field of view from the first camera position in the first viewing direction; and rendering with the processor of a 3D particle system in the virtual 3D environment that maps precipitation only within the bounding geometry, the 3D particle system having features that depend on the first precipitation information.