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The Art and Technology of Hair Simulation in Disney's Moana
Production pipeline for Moana's complex curly hair with heavy character and environment interaction, introducing a new hair model with overhauled collision handling.
Abstract
This talk describes the hair simulation and technical animation pipeline developed at Walt Disney Animation Studios for the long curly hair of characters in Moana. A new elastic rod hair model based on Discrete Viscous Threads was implemented to capture the bending and twisting modes of curly hair, requiring a new curve-based data structure that embeds twist data and a base frame alongside positions. Hair volume was supported through dynamic hair-hair collision response using edge-edge repulsion springs with stiction and attenuation parameters rather than static connections, giving artists intuitive control over clumping and break-up. The team also developed a force-based grab node for complex hair interactions and a wind shadowing model supporting self and external shadowing for the film's outdoor environments.
How to read this
- Category
- Production talk: a hair simulation pipeline breakdown
- Contributions
- Demonstrates an elastic rod hair model based on Discrete Viscous Threads for curly hair bending and twisting, with a curve data structure embedding twist and a base frame
- Shows dynamic hair-hair collision response via edge-edge repulsion springs with stiction and attenuation for artist-controlled clumping and break-up
- Presents a force-based grab node for complex interactions and a wind shadowing model with self and external shadowing
- Context
- Extends Disney's prior production hair work (e.g. Simulating Rapunzel's Hair in Disney's Tangled) to the longer, curlier, more interactive hair of Moana, swapping static connections for dynamic collision response.Builds on: Simulating Rapunzel's Hair in Disney's Tangled
- Correctness
- Studio practice, not peer-reviewed; the techniques are production-proven on the film but tuned for its specific look and shots, so parameters and trade-offs are art-directed rather than generally validated.
- Clarity
- Accessible breakdown aimed at practitioners; a single read conveys the pipeline and the rationale behind each component.
- How to read it
- Read once for the model choices and the artist-control trade-offs (stiction, attenuation, clumping); a second pass only if you are implementing Discrete Viscous Threads or the collision response.
Builds on
Related work
- Scriptable Character FX Solution 2019 / DigiPro
- Hair Emoting with Style Guides in Turning Red 2022 / SIGGRAPH
- A Mass Spring Model for Hair Simulation 2008 / SIGGRAPH
- Art-Directing Asha's Braids in Disney's Wish 2024 / SIGGRAPH
Keywords
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