Fluid Droplet Pendant no.3

This droplet pendant is the result of a sophisticated computer simulation of a real fluid droplet. The computer program that generated it uses a novel method for fluid simulation called "vortex sheet dynamics," and was created while I was in graduate school. While writing it, I would frequently run simulations simply because the output was so beautiful. The surfaces tracked by the code would twist, fold, stretch, and roil, creating wonderfully intricate geometry. Only recently have these forms jumped off the screen and into our real 3D world.

This particular simulation began as a cylinder of heavy fluid hovering just above a steeply inclined surface. As time progressed, the fluid fell and started to curl up. This frame depicts the moment in time after the front of the cylinder had rolled up once, and was beginning to slow the fall of the rest of the droplet. Because the simulation exists only in virtual space, I was able to turn off surface tension and use a custom model for viscosity. The geometry at that step was further processed to create a watertight mesh for 3d printing with the thinnest supporting walls possible.

This is a 3D print of the pendant only; to complete the piece you will need to add your own chain or cord. The eye hole at the top has a 2.5mm inner diameter, so should fit most small chains. The back of the piece is flat and exposes the internal structure of the droplet's turbulent form.