Tour 3D

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Introduction

This piece is meant to be used for an introductory demo to 3D technologies, in particular with respect to 3D contents on the Web, 3D applications that use the Internet, and 3D models that share over the Internet.

Introduction to computer graphics

Three main stages:

1. Modelling
2. Adding animation and interactivity
3. Layout and inserting into a larger scene
4. Rendering (displaying)

Modelling principles

Various techniques:

• Mathematical synthesis

Animation

Computer animation means generating animated images by using computer graphics. Technically speaking, animation just displays various "pictures" over time (about 24 frames/second). But from a modellers point of view, most animations are now created through some sort of manipulable skeletons.

Let's have a look at avatars, i.e. some kind of "puppets" that are used in various application areas such as video games and virtual worlds. One popular technology defines an avatar as:

• skeleton that is composed of connected bones representing various body parts
• a skin

Sometimes avatar movement is obtained through studying or capturing living persons.

Rendering

Can be either

• Realtime
• Photorealistic (not real-time)

“In this illustration of crystal structure, the virtual photo studio surrounding the reflective balls includes an umbrella light and studio camera” (wikipedia)

Stacked balls with "camera and studio light" wikipedia

• Rendering will take into account light(s) and other paramters.
• Various materials reflect lights and colors in a different way.

Application areas

Below we show a few examples of application areas, several of which may share the same technologies.

Industrial design

CAD/CAM

Movies

“Computer-generated imagery (CGI) is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in art, films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media. The visual scenes may be either dynamic or static.” (Wikipedia)

• First movies that used 3D were Westworld (1973) and Futureworld (1976).

Medecine

Several areas:

• Medical imagery
• Anatomical models for training
• Computer-assisted surgery

Virtual worlds

Key items:

• The first textural and 2D environments were created in the 1980's.

DEMO ({{{1}}}) Lucasfilm's Habitat Promotional Video

• The first 3D virtual worlds on the Internet appeared in the mid-1990's
• The first well-known commercial virtual world is Active Worlds
• Today's best known environment is Second Life

Games

Games are built using so-called game engines

Links

• A Critical History of Computer Graphics and Animation by Wayne Carlson