Unit 66 / 68

1. Application of 3D:
3D/CGI is used to design, create and produce many different things for all
forms of media. 3D is also used throughout various creative industries
such as product design, architecture, engineering, mathematics, web,
animation, education, film, TV and games, in order to sculpt model and
build locations such as places or buildings, characters, objects and
products that are in the process of being designed or produced. In this
section I am going to talk more in-depth about how 3D is applied and used
in these industries.
Modelling:
3D design and modelling is used to create and manufacture visual
examples and prototypes in order to create a digital representation of a
product, to show what it will actually look like to a client. Digital modelling
is a good way of doing this as the softwares used allow the designer to
manipulate the object viewpoint so prototype can be viewed fro any
position and angle, this process is also more time efficient and allows for
more high quality work as you are able to fix and alter any mistakes at
easily at anytime. The 3D designer is able to construct simulations that
show what the product looks like and how the product would perform
under different conditions.
Architecture:
When it comes to architecture 3D has changed the game for the renderers
who are responsible for producing drawings of blueprints and plans into a
relatively realistic pictures of what the building being designed should look
like, essentially these images would be the first pictures of the building.
However nowadays the power of 3D rendering all of this is typically done
using CGI, giving the added bonus of being able to add depth and motion
that exemplifies and shows these prototypes from all angles of vision
including a birds-eye or ground perspective view. This makes it a given
that the client would prefer this method as it give them more of an insight
as to what their project is going to turn out like. This method additionally
gives the ability to create a structure that can be viewed from inside, so
the client can see the exact construction and arrangement of the

architecture.

This picture is a visual example of 3D modelling

being used for architectural reasons. Architects
when using 3D modelling softwares are able to
freely experiment and test out different projects,
strategies, designs and ideas in different
environments that they could or are going to put
their building into. When creating a building it is
very important that the structure not only looks
good but that it also stands up right once put into
the real word, which is something 3D software is
able to allow an architects to mathematically plan
when modelling their creation, this is something a
pen and paper does not offer.
Gaming:
Gaming is another evident area where 3D modelling is very apparently
used, over time video games have became more realistic and life like
because of the development in 3D modelling software. A lot of 3D
technology and programs are used during the production of video games
in order to allow the player of the game to control the characters every
move and action, this is done by modelling a character on top of a rig that
has be made and programmed with the functions that the creator wants
the character to be able to perform, once produced this will then allow the
player of the game to control the character with the coinciding controls.
When creating and producing videos games a fast computer memory is
needed in order to be able to take a sequence and render it out in real
time, when it came to the 3D game Monster Maze which was released by
Sinclair ZX81 in 1981 by Malcom Evans, this alone was a big problem,
even for the models which were less detailed and were constructed with

less polygons. This issue was resolved by

pre-rendering the 16 x 16 cell randomly
generated maze each turn which once
done when the button was pressed the
computer played the pre recorded
animated 3D sequence giving the illusion
of 3D being used in realtime.
Over time the technique of video games
being made and constructed using only
3D computerised graphics was becoming
more and more popular, along with that
transferring old games
and remaking them with
the new technology
which is available now
was also a very well
used method of producing 3D
video games. Two
games that were ground-breaking
at
the time that followed these innovative
methods were Super Mario 64 and The Legend of Zelda.

Because of the new and revolutionary style of 3D video game, the cross
over from cartages to CDs were become more popular as they allowed a
more multifaceted and complex rendering system which was utilized by
being able to hold 3D CGI content in more superior and improved way, as
they conveniently had more space.
3D games were marketed at a wide range of people as many enjoyed the
new ability to wander around freely in the virtual worlds, this quality was
something no other game had ever offered giving the user a more lifelike
environment for them to immerse themselves in. This was a big step in
gaming history and made it very apparent in the selling scale that the
gaming users wanted more of this, this game style has really given
entrance to more advanced and newer genres that were built upon this
and werent really reaching their full potential until now.
Animation in film:

3D animation or CGI is very commonly used in films

nowadays to create special effects, a good example of
this is the film the matrix or the blockbuster Avatar.
Avatar, released on the 10th of December 2009, made
by the first visual art department and virtual production
pipeline , which was created to produce the film in real
time. Avatar was the first full length feautre film was
produced with preformance capture in order to
generate a complete CG 3D photo realistic world that
features photo-realistic 3D characters with in it. When
it comes to creating the animations/characters used in
films the technique of modeling ontop of rigs Is also
applied here, these character rigs and models are
typically industually created in programmes like 3Ds
Max so that the high quality of animation and modellig needed can be
achieved.
3D is also used to create whole full feature length films that do not include
any physical people/actors, although within these films it is comman for
real video footage to be overlayed and
combined with the animated sequence as
it can give the overall piece a more realistic
look and feel. However in feature length films
that only encorporate aspects of 3D imagery
in their production, it is more likely that we
will see an animated charater acting
alongside the real actors, because of this they
will appear to be real but what is actually
happening is the actor is pretending as
though that character is there on set with
them and is following a really percise script and instructions inorder for
the final cut to flow with the 3D imagery that will be added later on in the
post preduction process. An exaple of this type of production would be
Rise of the planet of the apes.
With the advances in 3D technology today animations used in films are
only
becoming more realistic and life like.
However, in games the amount of
detail used in the creation of the characters
that
is able to be produced is limited due to the
constraint of realtime rendering. Because a
film is pre-rendered it allows the
creator to add masses of detail, because of
this some have gone through the trouble of
adding and placing each and every hair individually
onto their 3D models like in Life of Pi for example.
Product design:

Product design is another sector which uses 3D as a means to create and

produce prototype products, this is an alternative way to actually building
a physical prototype model by hand. This is also a away to see how a
product will develop throughout the creation process as it gives a visual
representation, however even though this can be beneficial it is not
essential that all products go though this process of digital realisation,
nevertheless this process is less time consuming than other methods and
gives the ability to create changes and alterations at any point without
having to rebuild the entire structure. Along with this the model is able to
be retextured so that you can see the prototype in as many different
colours and materials ad desired with a few simple clicks of a button.
Also because this prototype would be in the form of a file, it has the
convenience of being able to be sent to anyone at any time. So any
member of a production team will be able to view it no matter the location
of them, unlike having to create individual prototypes for each person on
the production team. Using this method, they are also able to view it from
any angle and position unlike a 2D drawing on paper. Lastly this method is
more time and cost efficient as only one of these prototypes has to be
made.
Product design is also known as industrial design, when combined with the
use of computer aided design (CAD) it can assist the testing of different
ergonomics, aesthetics, functionality and the overall usability of a product
in design.
Web Animation:
(Uses of Web Animation and Softwares)
Web animations are usually stored as GIF, CSS, SVG or video files. For
example, web animations can include anything from a basic underline
which appears when you hover over a word or link to a full-screen video or
background image.
Animations are created in many different ways, one popular way often
used on the internet and uploaded onto websites are GIFs otherwise
known as GIF animations which are created by presenting one still image
after another in a sequence that gives the illusion of a moving image, the
images most commonly used to create GIFs are bitmap images.
Web animation softwares such as Swish, Toon Boom and Flash are
downloadable animating softwares which allow the user to create motion
graphics which can then be input into a website.
2. Displaying 3D polygon animations:
API:
A big part of displaying 3D CGI animation is API, API stands for
application programming interface. This is a protocol that contains a set of

procedure, functions along with tools that allow the programmer to build
software applications, this is done by providing the developer with basic
and standard commands that allow them to preform basic operations so
that it is not needed for them to compose the code needed from scratch.
API was originally designed to make program development easier by
taking all of the key pieces and aspects the programmer needs in order to
develop a program and organising and condensing them so that all the
programmer has to do is put them in the correct places. An API can be
made in many different formats such as POSIX, Microsoft windows API.
APIs even exist in the libraries of programming language for example the
standard template library in C++ and the java API. API is extremely
important in terms of 3D as is directly links the interface of the CGI to the
program.
Direct3D
A commonly know API is Direct3, as it was used as the graphics API for the
Xbox and the Xbox 360 and the operating system for Microsoft windows as
it is a subsection of Microsofts DirectX graphics API. This API was
implemented in the Xbox because it was designed specifically for video
games where performance is very demanding. This API is able to realise
when detailed 3D graphics are rendering, along with this it is able is
provide programming commands that the system is capable of using in
order to improve and regulate performance.
OpenGL:
Another significant part of API is OpenGL which stands for Open graphics
library, this part of API contains libraries that are considered
implementations as the as so vitally needed for API to work. This part of
API is much more universal as it is so widely used on many different
platforms and in many different formats, this is why graphics cards
typically necessitate an OpenGL implementation, this means it is
extremely more adaptable. This means the OpenGL compatibility is much
higher than the other specification like Direct3D and would be able to be
used on other devices and updated hardware, as applications that are
written using this can be used with various different types of graphics
cards.
Graphics Pipeline:
In terms of 3D CGI graphics pipelines otherwise known as rendering
pipelines are the algorithms which are contained within scenes and
objects that allow them to be converted into flat video and images. Along
with OpenGL and Direct3D graphic pipelines are also a part of API system.
This is the part that outputs the information taken from input, which is the
three dimensional primitive, into a 2D bitmap image. Below is a map that
shows how a graphics pipeline operates and how the algorithm is
essential to it working as envisioned.

Pre-vertex lighting and shading:

In order to make any 3D scene or 3D object appear 3D It needs to have
lights as these will create shadows and add dimension to the models and
structures that have been created. Because 3D creations are typically
constructed using vertices and polygons, the graphics pipeline usually
only processes and reacts to these faces. There are many aspects to do
with lighting that contribute to the final render so it is very important to
understand them so that you can use them to create the final rendered
look you desired. In order to create the correct intensity and cast the
desired shadows, the light sources must be positioned in accordance with
the complex design with the objects having light cast on them, along with
the reflectance and other surface properties, when the light is rendered
along with the objects it creates/follows an algorithm which will then
define the intensity the light will be, where it will hit and when and what
shadows will be cast.
In order to create a more natural and realistic lighting effect during the
rasterization process, the values need to be interpolated to blend them
together more and create a more subdued lighting intensity, these values
lie between the vertices. Most 3D modelling programs include/ incorporate
a shading program inside them so that user can use these techniques of
vertex shading within their preferred modelling program. There are other
post rasterization effects of this soft that can be added to most modern
graphic hardware such as per-fragment or per-pixel and per-vertex on
vertex shading.

Clipping:
Clipping is another essential process
which is used ultimately use in order to
make a game or program run faster, it
does this by making sure that anything
made out of geometric shapes and or
polygons outside the port of view is
completely disregarded and not rendered.
This process allows masses of unneeded
scenes not to be rendered, in tern cutting
down rendering time and allowing more
memory for the tasks that need it for
processing.
Projection Transformation:
Projection transformation is the ability/ method of creating a lifelike and
realistic perspective, using the distance and sizing to make objects appear
closer and further away from the camera, in doing this objects closer to
the camera are made larger and objects further away from the camera are
made smaller. Projection transformation is often confused with
orthographic projection however this is where the objects consistently
stay the regardless of the distance between them and the camera. In
order to achieve projection transformation there is an algorithmic formula
that can be used, this is done by dividing the X and Y coordinates of each
vertex of each primitive by it's Z coordinate (Distance away from the
camera). Projection transformation is the viewpoint of the player, that
starts small which increases towards the horizon rather than a simple
parallel straightforward, rectangular view.

Viewport transformation:
This is the process that determines whether or not if a 3D scene should be
converted and made into a raster image, this is done by adding a new
scale to the vertices, to find this scale the window width is multiplied, then
a bias is added which determines the offset from the screen origin. Once
this is done the only visible items that can be seen inside the frame will be
the objects that were rendered which became rasterized scan converted
flat images.
Scan conversion or Rasterization:

Rasterization is the process that a 3D object goes through when being

converted into a 2D image made out of pixels When rendering out a scene
it can take an extremely long time; this is partially because of the
complexity that is undertaken when calculating the values of each
individual pixel within a scene, consequently the higher quality resolution
that is desired the longer the rendering process will take. As a group the
tasks that are methodically went though to complete this process are
often referred to as the pixel pipeline.

Texturing, fragment shading:

The pixels colour is determined by the texture and shade of the pre-pixel
that has been rasterized. because viewport transformation and
rasterization have dealt with the placement of the basic values of each
pixel that corresponds to it's original 3D counterpart, after which the
individual fragments are given their colour based upon values interpolated
from the vertices during the rasterization process.
3. Geometric Theory
Geometry
Within a 3D scene, objects such as models and sculptures are calculated
by the same formula that is used in the format of 2D vector graphics.
Fundamentally it is the same concept as the 3D vector however the 3D
vectors algorithm includes an extra dimension which would be included
within the calculations but nevertheless the key aspects stay the same,
i.e. Vertices can be scaled, rotated and 'screwed', without any loss of
quality like you would find in a bitmap item. The vector style is made by
plotting mathematical points along an axis, resulting in a list of
coordinates that are connected which form paths or lines. The shapes that
are made, are both clear and precise, its linear art; the points can be
easily changed for an appropriate value, this includes when mistakes are
made. The easily interchangeable figures allows for mathematical
mistakes made which causes a break in the paths and result in an image
that is unable to be rendered or colour accurately, to be easily remedied.
Cartesian Coordinates System
A system in which an axis within a plane is defined by x,y or z; it can
involve only two of these x and y, although in 3 dimensional work, all

three coordinates are present at all times, extending to approximately

infinity. Ever coordinate has measurements, however in terms of 3D
modelling, the coordinates are often irrelevant unless one is correcting an
objects proportions via scaling said objects up or down. The only
distinguishable point is the origin, this is where all the points meet and
cross over; it is the centre of the workspace, where a 3D modeller will
work around.

4. Mesh Construction
Box modelling
Box modelling is a very popular method, essentially its the process of
transforming a very basic 3D shaping into another that is or looks to be
more complex, this is done by using two simple tools in order to create
and construct meshes. Typically box modelling involves starting out with
the shape of a basic primitive box, which is then manipulated using the
various methods involved in meshing.
First of all, this process starts out using the subdivision tool, which allows
the creator to split the faces of a shape into many smaller pieces, this is
done by adding new vertices and then connecting them. For example, If
you wanted to subdivide a square, you could subdivide it once which
would add one vertex in the centre and one on each edge, resulting in
four smaller squares.
An alternative method which is used includes extruding, the extrude tool
allows the user to distort a shape by dragging it outwards which elongates
the shapes faces or invert a shape faces. The extrude tool does this by
creating new faces of the same size directly on top of the original ones,
however as they are connected to each of the existing edges by a face, it
allows them to give the illusion of the shape being extended or distorted,
it is also a very quick and easy way of doing this which is why it is a very
efficient way of box modelling.

(http://sillord.free.fr/wip/tutotopology/textrusion_fichiers/boxtohead.jpg)
Extrusion modelling:
Another technique used for 3D modelling is extrusion modelling also
known as inflation modelling, similar to the last method this technique
utilizes the process of lengthening and shortening polygons from its
origin, this is where two dimensional shapes are created, typically using
placed joints and linking them together; this create polygons. Usually this
is traced from a photograph or drawing.
The object being made is usually drawn from two separate angles, these
drawings will act as guides for the creator to line the features up with as
they extrude and shape the 3D objects.
Extrusion modelling is a method that is commonly used for creating faces
and heads due to the complex shapes and forms, whilst it can take a long
time, it generally gives a much or organic and natural effect. A way of
shortening the time taken to create symmetrical object is to create half
and then duplicate the half formed extrusion. This shortcut is not
exclusive to extrusion modelling.
Primitive modelling
Primitive modelling is a less commonly used technique in the 3D design
world today as it is a very simple method, that only allows for very basic
creations. The process of primitive modelling is almost done in one click,
as all it involves is creating objects and combining them with primitives in
order to make them larger and to create new shapes. This method is
known for not being very effective to produce any complex shapes and so
is only really used to create very simple and harsh objects.
Specialised modelling
When in need of a modelling technique that is something a bit more
natural looking and detailed, specialised modelling is a good method to
use in order to achieve that. There are a few different ways of
constructing high or low detailed meshes exist, which is what specialised
modelling is used for. 3D scanners can be used to achieve and produce
incredibly high detail meshes based on real world objects, in a very

efficient way but these devices are very expensive meaning they are
usually reserved for researches and industry professionals who need and
require that that high level of accuracy and sub-mill metric digital
representations of an object.
5. 3D Development software:
There are many computer grograms and pieces of software that's are
available online for free download and for purchase, that are made for the
creation and production of 3D modelling and CGI production. In fact, there
are so many out there that new creators can often get confused as to
which one they should use and for what modelling purpose they should
use them for, even though most of them are actually extremely similar
and it all based on personal preference and experience. The following list
is a group of examples of popular 3D modelling softwares used vastly
throughout the 3D production creative industry.
3d Tin

This software is a free online program, designed for the production of 3D modelling, it is not
very advanced and would probably struggle to create anything as high quality as on a
software like Maya for instance. All the models created on this program can be stored on the
cloud and can be exported using the following formats such as DAE, STL and OBJ.
3ds Studio Max

Autodesk 3ds Max Design is a software designed for the production of 3D

modelling, animation, rendering and compositing software products, the
soft can cost up to 3500 but is highly sort after for its high professional
quality. This software was designed for the use of architects, civil
engineers, designers and visualization specialists.

AC3D
This next software which is AC3D was design for the creation of 3D video
games, these would typically start out as prototypes and my then be
taken to be be fully produced. This software costs around $99 to buy, but
the high price may not be worth it as as the software is not up to par with
other more expensive software designed for the same use. The type of
games that would be made using this software would probably be virtual
reality, flight simulation, scientific, medical and general data visualization,

rapid prototypes of 3D designs, high resolution 3D renderings, google

earth, second life and more.
Light wave
Another 3D modelling software is Light Wave this program can be used
both to produce 3D models and to render 3D images including static and
animated. All of this is made easy as it come equipped with the tools that
support polygon modelling and subdivision surfaces. It includes a
rendering engine that supports such advanced features as realistic
reflection and refraction, radiosity and caustics. Another key aspect about
the software is the animation component has features such as forward
and reverse kinematics for particle systems, dynamics and character
animation.

AutoCAD
Next is Autodesk AutoCAD this is one of the most sort after industry used
3D CAD softwares, it leads the design, drafting, modelling, architectural
drawing and engineering software industry for education purposes. This
software is known as the best in-class customizable and extendable CAD
application as it truly allows any field of 3D design to excel when in its
use. However, AutoCAD is very expensive due to its impress industry use
and being such a height quality program its current retail price is around
$1500.
Maya
Auto desk Maya 3D one of the CGI animation industries top programs of
choice, due to the high quality of production value that the software
offers, it was used to produce monsters Inc. and other Disney Pixar 3D
animations. Maya is a very expensive program at a price of over $3000,
however is available for free download on the Maya website for students.
This software offers an amassing work flow along with a complete
comprehensive set of tools for the production of 3D animation, modeling,
simulation, visual effects, rendering, match moving and compositing on a
highly extensible production platform.

SolidWorks
Next is solidwords, this is the worlds number one 3D CAD software used
for product design engineering. This program has accumulated over
1,400,000 users world wide at more than 136,800 locations.
Zbrush
This software is seen to be revolutionary in the world of 3D design as it
allows the user to digitally sculpt and paint whilst using its proprietary
pixol technology, this is good because it stores colours, material lighting
and depth information for all objects within the scene, along with the
programs very powerful features, it creates a very intuitive workflow
which is very efficient to work with.

Constraints:
The file size is how long a computer file is in bytes. The majority of an
objects file size is made up from the vertex and polygon counts, typically
they are referred to as the cost. A 3D games character can have any
number of polygons making up their structure, from a few hundred to
more than 40,000; the greater the number of polygons, the greater the
amount of detail. This also means the greater the the time required for
rendering; developers must find a happy medium, different machines can
handle and process a different number of polygons or vertices. For
example, high end computer consoles, will be able to process and display
many more polygons and vertices, whilst a smaller device, such as a

smartphone will generally only be able to handle much smaller file sizes,
with simple graphics.
A polycount is the total number of polygons found with in a 3D shape.
Polygons are used in game development. The vertex count is usually
considered far more important for performance than the polycount;
ultimately there will always be more vertices than polygon and these will
typically be what is used during processing and rendering. The vertices
are duplicated over the breaks, these aid in creating a smoother finish,
however the greater the number of vertices, the slower the generals
programs or devices will run; it can also increase memory cost.
The process of creating an image through using a scene file within a
computer program; the scene file contains objects, which have been made
and merged into a strictly defined structure, these mouldings are
generally meticulously measured. The scenes include geometry, view
point, shading information and lighting of a virtual scene, this data is then
input into a rendering program. Once the data is processed the output is
either a digital file or raster graphics image file; the final process to
creating a 2D image or an animation.
Real time rendering is an area of computer graphics is where the viewer
can interact with synthetic images or a virtual environment. Typically, this
is found in video games and the loading rate is approximately 20 to 120
frames per second. The goal of real time processing is to present the
viewer with as much information as the eye can process within a fraction
of a second. Th following of these frames eyes give the illusion of
movement, this is what the digital art and animation community tries to
bring forth.