But one of the reasons Trötzmüller has been able to build a career out of building tiny, targeted pieces of software like FWSim is because that community becomes like a virtual family. Even on Steam, it's likely to stay that way. "I want FWSim to be a game where people can express themselves, learn something about themselves, and maybe in some way even grow as a person." "I play a lot of games myself, and sometimes when I play a game, I feel like, 'OK, this was just fun, but somehow it didn't really feel in my heart or it didn't feel me happy and satisfied,'" he said. He's never designed a fireworks display that was brought it to life in the real world, nor participated as an assistant on someone else's work.Īnd yet, building and tweaking and upgrading FWSim has continued to bring him joy. Trötzmüller has spent more than a decade crafting a piece of software to simulate fireworks, but it's never gone further than that. FWSim user Florian Ferfer was eventually hired by the production company Groupe F as a computer artist, and later helped design the spectacular fireworks displays to open and close events like the 2016 Summer Olympics.
Some of those dreams have involved FWSim becoming a legitimate gateway to the larger world of fireworks and professional pyrotechnics. "It's a way to be creative in a quite unique art form that you see a lot of time." "It's a way to make some of your dreams come true," said Trötzmüller. Instead, it's a detailed suite of tools that allow you to bring a creative vision to life. Of course, then the customers come and say, 'Hey, before I give you a lot of money for a product, can you show me how it will look like?' And then they get interested in simulation."įWSim, unlike something like FantaVision, does not have objectives. "Most of the professional pyrotechnicians, or at least many of them-they don't actually want or need any simulation," said Trötzmüller.
As FWSim got more complex, Trötzmüller found he filled interesting roles for professionals. There are actually two different versions of the game, with one aimed at the different crowds. Over the years, FWSim has straddled this between the amateur and the expert. That was 14 years ago, and the first "official" version of FWSim would eventually arrive four years later in 2010. He presented some of his ideas for the proposed software, trying to figure out what people would want, and two months later, he'd published an early version to the forum. He wasn't aware of any software at the time to develop your own fireworks show, so Trötzmüller started writing one from scratch.Īround this time, Trötzmüller was hanging out in some online fireworks forums, where real-life fireworks designers and enthusiasts would hang out and talk shop. Like most teens, Trötzmüller was not a licensed pyrotechnician, but he did have a computer, an interest in computer programming, and free time. "There are some people out there who can really make fireworks into an art with just amazing designs that just capture the mood of music," said Trötzmüller in an interview. Already mesmerized by the power of expertly edited audio and video to elicit emotions, Trötzmüller found the addition of fireworks to be profound. The Professional Edition, designed for fireworks companies, offers firing plan export, multi-monitor support and much more.In 2006, Lukas Trötzmüller was a music-obsessed teenager and stumbled into some videos from a fireworks competition in France. Smooth HD video export, compatible with YouTube Automatic sound variation and stereo sound. Fireworks Display Editor with multiple firing lines in any directions High-quality 3D rendering with glow effects and ground lighting Firework effect editor with no limitations: Combine simple parts to build any piece of fireworks imaginable. 237 different firework effects already included! Simulates both consumer fireworks and professional fireworks in 3D You can create HD videos from your fireworks (e.g. bursting charges, burning stars, tails, crackling and ascent effects) to build almost any pyrotechnic article. FWsim is an efficient and useful tool that helps you to easily create and personalize your own fireworks.