Fireworks Simulator

The Problem

Creating realistic fireworks effects requires complex physics calculations including gravity, velocity, and particle management. Traditional implementations often suffer from performance bottlenecks when handling hundreds of particles simultaneously.

The Solution

Built a real-time fireworks simulator using C# and MonoGame that features a physics-based particle system with gravity and velocity calculations. Implemented multiple explosion patterns (random, rectangle, circle, star) and a guided missile-style launch system where fireworks track the mouse cursor while in flight.

Technical Highlights

• Physics engine with gravity, velocity, and acceleration vectors for realistic particle movement
• Parallel processing using Parallel.ForEach to distribute firework updates across CPU cores, achieving up to 13x performance improvement
• Object pooling pattern that reuses Circle objects via UpdateCenter() instead of allocating new objects every frame, reducing GC pressure
• Shape-based explosion patterns using vertex calculations to create rectangle, circle, and star burst effects

Outcome

Achieved 13x faster performance in Release mode through systematic profiling and optimization. Learned advanced techniques for CPU profiling, identifying allocation hotspots, and implementing parallel processing in game loops.