Enhanced Understanding of Particle Simulations Through Deformation-Based Visualization

We present a physically based method for visualizing deformation in particle simulations, such as those describing structural mechanics simulations. The method uses the deformation gradient tensor to transform carefully chosen glyphs representing each particle. The visualization approximates how simulated objects responding to applied forces might look in reality, allowing for a better understanding of material deformation, an important indicator of, for example, material failure. It can also help highlight possible errors and numerical deficiencies in the simulation itself, suggesting how simulations might be changed to yield more accurate results.