Real-Time Artificial Fish Simulation For Game Development

Ever since Dr. Tu Xiaoyuan brought up the idea of computer-based simulation of artificial fish, there have been studies and practices concerning fields like Artificial Intelligence, Computer Graphics, System Simulation and etc. Start with real-time aspect, this paper tries another way to accomplish artificial fish simulation, which can be used in game development. As a part of computer game development, game programming borrows algorithms from computer graphics, artificial intelligence, computational geometry and programming. In particular, game programming does some optimization on these algorithms to fulfill the real-time requirement.In this paper, our work and contribution can be generalized as follows:1) A general game framework is designed and implemented, based on which we build the artificial fish simulation system.From the programming point of view, the key to game programming is game loop, whose efficiency is key to real-time. Our game framework is built upon a combination of two open source library, which forms the solid bricks of our artificial fish system.2) The intelligence system of artificial fish is established by a detailed analysis of real fishes'motion and perception system.Every fish in our system has autonomous motion and perception functions, which together contribute to making artificial fish close to real.3) Implementation of AI based on state machineThe status of motion and perception is computed and updated by finite state automata.4) Realistic water rendering using shading language.Beginning with a study on optics and physics of water, we simulate and render realistic water considering reflection, refraction, fresnel term as well as moving water.