A model for animating the motion of cloth

This paper presents an approximate physics based model for obtaining realistic animation of cloth motion for computer graphics applications. The model is based on concepts from structural dynamics and low-speed wing aerodynamics theories with some modifications. Unsteady aerodynamic dow modelling is used to estimate the unsteady force distributions on the cloth which is assumed to be in a relative motion in free air. These force distributions are then used in a cloth deformation model to estimate the instantaneous displacements of various points of the cloth. The porosity of cloth and the effects of boundaries such as walls near a moving piece of cloth are also considered to improve the realism of the model. Realistic and predictable cloth animation based on this model and incorporating collision detection and response techniques are presented for a rectangular curtain moving in free air and near a wall to demonstrate its feasibility.