Yongning Zhu
Institute of Natural Sciences Shanghai Jiao Tong University 800 Dongchuan Rd. Shanghai, China yzhucg@sjtu.edu.cn
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Graduated from UCLA, Applied Mathematics.
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Physics-based Animation algorithm developer, credited for the FLIP fluid simulation and multigrid character simulation
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Computer graphics and visual effects software engineer in DreamWorks Animation, joined in How to Catch your Dragon II, Troll, Rise of the Guardians, and Croods
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Interactive transmedia art professor at Tongji University, teaching Unreal Engine, Houdini, TouchDesigner and Processing.
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Persistently seeking for procedural solutions combining computer graphics and visual effects techniques to build up sustainable visualization solutions in mixed reality. This pursuit extends into various domains, including scientific visualization, public media spaces, interactive performance, and across a spectrum of digital humanities fields.
For the first time worldwide, the whole-genome sequencing of a Chinese individual from telomere to telomere is completed and this work is published in a recent issue of Genomics, Proteomics and Bioinformatics. The cover art is designed by Yongning Zhu from Shanghai Jiao Tong University. Drawing inspiration from the ancient portrait of Yao etched on pictorial stones millennia ago and modern electron microscope images of chromosomes, this artwork beautifully presents a fusion of the misterious archaeological relics with the illuminating discoveries brought forth by modern technology. The gentle glow filtering through the crevice hints at the promising future awaiting scientific genome-based discoveries. Envision a thousand years hence, when our descendants might stumble upon this very issue - would they, with the same empathy and gratitude, recognize and appreciate the dedication woven into the publication? Reported by Science and Technology Daily, 2024
Interactive new media art concert Dialogue 2.0, 2021
Y. Zhu et al., “Vitalizing cultural memory with immersive data storytelling,” 2023 IEEE Conference on Virtual Reality and 3D User Interfaces Abstracts and Workshops (VRW), Shanghai, China, 2023, pp. 468-473 Shanghai Memory – A cultural chronology generative and interactive installation, Shanghai Library, 2022
Course Information
https://github.com/kfyaya/TouchDesigner-lecture
Physics-based simulation
This work pioneers the FLIP fluid simulation method used in softwares including Maya Bifrost and Houdini FLIP solver, and studio tools including SQUIRT from Double Negative Visual Effects. By combining the topological flexibility in particle simulation and spatial uniformity and efficiency in grid solver, fluid simulation is now affordable in real-time scenario. This technique is also used in movies including Avatar, Battleship, Alice in Wonderland, and games including Mass Effects 3 and now becomes one of the main fluid simulation frameworks.
Multigrid methods are wellknown as a fast solver for elasticity problems. However, for near-incompressible materials, required in the simulation of bulging and stretching effects in animation, the problem becomes ill-posed. We introduced a solution with continuation even to the extreme of animation exageration, and demonstrated its applicability to arbitrary articulated characters.
© Disney Enterprise
A.McAdams et al. 2011. Efficient elasticity for character skinning with contact and collisions. ACM Trans. Graph. 30, 4, Article 37 (July 2011), 12 pages. [Youtube]
Destruction fragments are missing in the Finite Element simulation of earthquake destruction due to the element fracture and ill-conditioning. Rigid body dynamics are used to reconstruct and continue the simulation of broken fractures and recover the debris extention.
Digital Humanity
Digital Humanities Platform in Shanghai library keeps nearly a million records about historical characters and events. These characters and events are marked by the researchers with their humanity values, classes, keywords, and relationships with other items. Our visualization builds up a hierarchical structure in the immersive virtual world to reveal the compacity, complexity and availability of this database.
Alibaba APSARA 2022, Computational Design Day, ppt, talk
For the first time worldwide, the whole-genome sequencing of a Chinese individual from telomere to telomere is completed and published in Genomics, Proteomics and Bioinformatics.
The cover art is designed by Yongning Zhu from Shanghai Jiao Tong University. This artwork draws inspiration from both the timeless portrait of Yao captured on pictorial stones millennia ago and contemporary chromosome images from T2T-YAO, the newly discovered. The gentle glow filtering through the crevice hints at the bright future awaiting scientific genome-based discoveries. Envision a thousand years hence, when our descendants might stumble upon this very issue - would they, with the same empathy and gratitude, recognize and honor the dedication woven into the scientists efforts?
Reported by Science and Technology Daily, 2024
VR/MR/MetaVerse
Y.Zhu et al., “An Interactive Mixed Reality Platform for Inquiry-Based Education,” 2021 IEEE 7th International Conference on Virtual Reality (ICVR), 2021, pp. 324-331 Inquiry-based teaching is a methodology promoting the students‘ active learning, learning interest and performance. The students are immersed in a personalized virtual learning environment surrounded by knowledge cards arranged by the knowledge management system.
Enormous research and documentary were maintained in the Dunhuang Academy Resource Database. Explore these valuable archives shining in the immersive virtual Mogao Grottoes and enjoy a journey back to Tang Dynasty, the golden age of Buddhism. Coming soon……
S. Du, T. Ge, J. Pei, J. Wang, C. Yin and Y. Zhu, “Panoramic Fluid Painting,” 2019 IEEE Conference on Virtual Reality and 3D User Interfaces (VR), 2019, pp. 904-905 By solving Navier-Stokes equations on the panoramic sphere, you can directly paint the VR background with dynamic fluid painting effects and a variety of features including watercolor and oil painting.
Audio Visualization
Dialogue 2.0, 2021, The Paper news report, Preview, Tongji
Water color pouring，silk embroidery, and abstract geometry, depict the impressions of the holy mother river. In the misty moonlight, by the colorful flowers, with shimmering ripples, appears the dreamy spring river.
Historical epic and traditional rhythm, music performance and immersive new media art, generative algorithm and artistic design join to present our new media art Concert: Dialogue 2.0
Dialogue, Shanghai Spring Music Festival, 2021
Manjusaka, 2019.05, MIFA 1862, Shanghai
Interactive Dance
Yin and Yang, 2016.03, Interactive dance performance, Tongji University
Hope is the Thing with Feathers - II, No More than Skins, 2016.05, Suzhou Culture and Arts Center, invited by San Francisco International Arts Festival.
Student works
I have been teaching Interactive Programming and New Media Art in Tongji University mainly with Houdini, TouchDesigner and Unreal Engine. Here is a collection of the student works:
- 2018 student works in Shanghai Spring International Music Festival
- 2019 student works.
- 2020 From interactive Media to
- 2022 Virtual Space Design
爱在人间Ode to Love 谢佳璇Jiaxuan Xie
陈奕宁Yining Chen
唐子燕Ziyan Tang
张明轩Mingxuan Zhang
曹峻Jun Cao
Cliff with lotus - generated from ridgeline curves - 王奕博Yibo Wang
Tree or deer? - 何奕凌Yiling He