Jos Stam is a senior research scientist with Autodesk. He was born in the Netherlands and educated in Geneva, Switzerland, where he received dual bachelor degrees in computer science and pure mathematics. In 1989 he moved to Toronto, where he completed his master’s and PhD in computer science. His research spans several areas of computer graphics: natural phenomena, physics-based simulation, rendering, and surface modeling, especially subdivision surfaces. He has published papers in all of these areas in journals and at conferences. In 2005 he received the SIGGRAPH Computer Graphics Achievement Award, one of the most prestigious awards in computer graphics. He also won two Technical Achievement Awards from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science and has been featured in Wired magazine.

Fluid simulation is a computer graphic used to develop realistic animation of liquids in modern games. The Art of Fluid Animation describes visually rich techniques for creating fluid-like animations that do not require advanced physics or mathematical skills. It explains how to create fluid animations like water, smoke, fire, and explosions through computer code in a fun manner.

The book presents concepts that drive fluid animation and gives a historical background of the computation of fluids. It covers many research areas that include stable fluid simulation, flows on surfaces, and control of flows. It also gives one-paragraph summaries of the material after each section for reinforcement.