Galaxy Ornament

I produced a procedural simulation of a “Galaxy contained within a Glass Ornament”.

1. Galaxy Generation (main.cpp):

• I wrote a procedural generation script that spawns 4000+ objects.
• Stars and Dust Clouds are arranged in logarithmic spirals to mimic the Milky Way arms.
• A central bulge of stars is generated using spherical distribution.
• Objects are sorted by type (Background -> Stars -> Glass) to ensure correct alpha blending.

2. Realistic Glass Shader (showcase.fs):

• I implemented a customized Fresnel effect that transitions from clear transparency in the center to opaque reflection at the edges.
• I added a “Studio Lighting” model: The light side (top-right) reflects a bright white specular highlight, while the shadow side (bottom-left) renders a deep “ombre blue” gradient to simulate volumetric glass shading in the dark.
• Chromatic Aberration is simulated by subtly shifting the color based on the view angle.

3. Volatile Star Simulation (showcase.fs / showcase.tes):

• The stars inside the galaxy (“Solaris Stars”) use Domain Warping (noise-distorting-noise) to create a swirling, fluid plasma surface.
• They follow a life-cycle animation: Main Sequence (Yellow) -> Red Giant (Expanding Red) -> White Dwarf (Collapsing Blue), changing color, size, and pulse speed over 24 seconds.

4. Ornament Geometry (showcase.tes):

• I implemented a Geometry Shader logic that squashes a sphere to create the Gold Cap.
• I stretched another sphere to create the hanging String.
• I rotate the galaxy contents over time while keeping the outer glass shell stationary.

Acknowledgements:

• Base noise functions and pipeline structure derived from CSC317 course labs.
• Fresnel equations based on “Fundamentals of Computer Graphics”.
• Domain Warping concept adapted from Inigo Quilez.