IMAGE DISPLAY APPARATUS, METHOD AND PROGRAM BASED ON RIGID BODY DYNAMICS

An image display system and method that use physical models to produce a realistic display of a scene are disclosed. The image display method involves operating a computer having a display screen, a memory and a processing unit for simulating the motion of objects and displaying the results on the display screen. The method includes the steps of storing in the memory position and velocity parameters which define an initial state of a model system having a plurality of bodies, storing in the memory parameters which define at least one constraint function constraining the motion of the bodies in the model system, and calculating in the processor the position and velocity parameters which define the state of the system after a predetermined time step based on rigid body dynamics, including carrying out a semi-implicit integration step subject to the constraints, to determine the velocity after the step, including determining the constraint forces that act to keep the system in compliance with the constraints by ensuring that the first derivative of the constraint function is zero.