Tim McGraw, associate professor of computer graphics technology, recently received two awards for his presentation “Mesh Mortal Combat” at the 2024 SIGGRAPH conference. SIGGRAPH, the Special Interest Group on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques, is one of the longest-running conferences of its kind, attracting thousands of computer graphics professionals each year.

McGraw was one of many speakers in Denver, Colorado, at the “Real-Time Live!” session at SIGGRAPH 2024. “Real-Time Live!” consists of live demonstrations of interactive graphics techniques in front of audiences of thousands. The show was also streamed live on Twitch and YouTube. (McGraw’s presentation can be found here.)

Other approved demonstrations included teams from Nvidia, Microsoft and startups such as DeepMotion Inc.

After the show, the live audience voted for their favorite demonstration. A panel of judges also awards a Best in Show award. This year, McGraw won both awards for “Mesh Mortal Combat: Real-time voxelized soft-body destruction,” which demonstrated a rapid mesh-breaking technique.

McGraw’s novel use of voxels (three-dimensional objects made of pixels) has immediate application in entertainment graphics for games and other virtual environments.

In the recording of the demonstration, the audience can be heard clapping and laughing as some of the more baroque physical displays and mock bloodshed are shown. A monstrous 3D model of an armadillo seems to bear the brunt of the infamy, as McGraw demonstrates how it can be dismembered in oddly satisfying ways using various tools (from simple pull pressure to a virtual bowling ball).

The YouTube comments on McGraw’s demonstration are humorous and commendable, with one viewer declaring “voxel violence,” another simply saying “I love this.”

Beyond the application of the technology in games and media, it will also have an impact on surgical simulation and other interactive simulations of soft tissue and organic structures.

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