Method(s) and interactive simulation station(s) for improved heat modeling and rendering in an interactive computer simulation system. Considering inputs received on tangible instruments, a view point is defined for displaying heat-enhanced images. A non-static 3D mesh defines temperature-influenced virtual point(s) and comprises a base-texture and a heat-map texture. Rendering the 3D mesh is performed from the view point by 1) applying base imagery data of the base-texture over surfaces of the 3D mesh from base-texture coordinates (mapping the base imagery data on the 3D mesh); 2) from the heat-map texture, and for each temperature-influenced virtual point(s), loading a heat-propagation pattern from heat-map coordinates, shared with the base-texture coordinates, that selectively map the heat-propagation pattern on the 3D mesh; and 3) computing a heat-related intensity variation on the visible surface(s) from the heat-propagation pattern of each temperature-influenced virtual point(s).
