Task 4 - Idea Generations

HA4 - 3D Development Software Task 5

HA4- Mesh Construction Task 4

Box Modelling

This is a technique that is used in 3D modelling where the model is created by modifying primitive shapes to create a rough draft of the final model, in most cases. A primary function of box modeling involves extruding and scaling the faces, which are the flat planes that make up a model.

http://jessgrafton.wordpress.com/3d/mesh-construction/

Extrusion Modelling

 This is a common modelling method that is also sometimes referred to as inflation modeling. In this method of modeling, you could create a 2D shape which traces the outline of a photograph or a drawing. This would be done more commonly using the line tool, because of its simplicity and because it is so easy to work with and create things with it. You then use a second image of the subject from a different angle and extrudes the 2D shape into a 3D shape by following the shape’s outline again. This method is common for creating faces and heads in modeling, and artists will generally model half of the head and duplicate the vertices, invert their location relative to a plane and connect the two pieces to ensure that the model would then be symmetrical. This method is widely used by 3D artists because of it being so practical, quick and simple.

http://jessgrafton.wordpress.com/3d/mesh-construction/

Spline Modelling

A spline is generally a special function that involves polynomials in the mathematics realm. The term spline may also be more familiar to people as it links to computer science. It is adapted from the shipbuilding term that describes the tools used by draftsmen and the ship builders to easily draw accurate shapes. This makes sense, as splines are the shapes that you could create on 3d software. Constructing a spline is simple, which makes it a popular choice of modeling when it comes to designing digital models, and their curve design helps to easily manipulate it. They can be used in one dimensional or multi-dimensional applications and can be used in various functions.

http://jessgrafton.wordpress.com/3d/mesh-construction/

HA4- Geometric Theory Task 3

 Geometry 

Geometry
3D computer graphics shows the exact same principles that are found in 2D vector artwork but use a better axis.when creating the 2D image the computer will draw the image by plotting points on the Y and X axis. The shapes can be filled with different colours and the lines with colour.


Geometric Theory and Polygons

The basic object used in mesh modeling is a vertex, a point in three dimensional space. Two vertices connected by a straight line become an edge. Three vertices, connected to each other by three edges, define a triangle, which is the simplest polygon in Euclidean space. More complex polygons can be created out of multiple triangles, or as a single object with more than 3 vertices. Four sided polygons (generally referred to as quads) and triangles are the most common shapes used in polygonal modeling. A group of polygons, connected to each other by shared vertices, is generally referred to as an element. Each of the polygons making up an element is called a face.

In Euclidean geometry, any three non-collinear points determine a plane. For this reason, triangles always inhabit a single plane. This is not necessarily true of more complex polygons, however. The flat nature of triangles makes it simple to determine their surface normal, a three-dimensional vector perpendicular to the triangle's surface. Surface normals are useful for determining light transport in ray tracing.

A group of polygons which are connected by shared vertices is referred to as a mesh, often ferred to as a wireframe model. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polygonal_modeling


Primitives

In most 3D applications, pre-created objects can be used to make different types of shapes, the very basic of shapes are the Standard Primitive shapes  or the common Primitives, these shapes can vary from the from a very basic cube or a box to spheres. they are used as the foundations and then they can be edited once created.

HA4 -3D The Basics Task 2

Displaying 3D Polygon Animations

API

An application-programming interface (API) is a set of programming instructions and standards for accessing a Web-based software application or Web tool. A software company releases its API to the public so that other software developers can design products that are powered by its service.

For example, Amazon.com released its API so that Web site developers could more easily access Amazon's product information. Using the Amazon API, a third party Web site can post direct links to Amazon products with updated prices and an option to "buy now."

http://money.howstuffworks.com/business-communications/how-to-leverage-an-api-for-conferencing1.htm

Direct3D

Direct3D is part of Microsoft's DirectX application programming interface (API). Direct3D is available for Microsoft Windows operating systems (Windows 95 and above), and for other platforms through the open source software Wine. It is the base for the graphics API on the Xbox and Xbox 360 console systems. Direct3D is used to render three dimensional graphics in applications where performance is important, such as games. Direct3D also allows applications to run fullscreen instead of embedded in a window, though they can still run in a window if programmed for that feature. Direct3D uses hardware acceleration if it is available on the graphics card, allowing for hardware acceleration of the entire 3D rendering pipeline or even only partial acceleration. Direct3D exposes the advanced graphics capabilities of 3D graphics hardware, including z-buffering, spatial anti-aliasing, alpha blending, mipmapping, atmospheric effects, and perspective-correct texture mapping. Integration with other DirectX technologies enables Direct3D to deliver such features as video mapping, hardware 3D rendering in 2D overlay planes, and even sprites, providing the use of 2D and 3D graphics in interactive media titles.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Direct3D

Graphics Pipeline

In 3D graphics rendering, the stages required to transform a three-dimensional image into a two-dimensional screen. The stages are responsible for processing information initially provided just as properties at the end points (vertices) or control points of the geometric primitives used to describe what is to be rendered. The typical primitives in 3D graphics are lines and triangles. The type of properties provided per vertex include x-y-z coordinates, RGB values, translucency, texture, reflectivity and other characteristics.

The Stages of the Graphics Pipeline --->

http://www.pcmag.com/encyclopedia/term/43933/graphics-pipeline

HA4 - Task 6

Polygon Count and File Size

Two measurements of a objects file size is the polygon and vertex count, for instance, a character in the games that we play may stretch from 400 -500 polygons to over 35,000+ polygons.

Polygons and Triangles

 When a game concept artist starts to talk about the number of polygons in a model weather it is a character or a building, they are actually talking about the triangle count. Games mainly well, almost always use triangles and not polygons as in today’s world nearly every single graphic hardware is built to accelerate the rendering of triangles.

Although polygons do have a very useful purpose in the gaming industry as a model made of mainly four sided polygon (called a quad) these will definitely work well with edge-loop selection and some transform methods that will speed up the modeling, this will make it easier to review how the model flows. Most Artists mainly preserve the polygons in their models as long as possible.

Triangle Count and Vertex Count

The vertex count is initially a lot more important for the performance and memory rather than the triangle count but for many reasons artists use the triangle count because it’s more common for them to use as the performance measurement. A way to look at it on the most basic level is that the triangle and the vertex count can be comparable if every single triangle is connected to one another for instance: 1 triangle uses 3 vertices, 2 triangles use 4 vertices and 3 triangles use 5 vertices and so on.

                   

The overuse of the smoothing groups and too many material assignments lead to a much bigger vertex count, this will put stress on the transforming stages for the model, basically slowing the performance, it can also increase the memory cost for the mesh because there are lots of vertices to store.

http://wiki.polycount.net/PolygonCount

Rendering Time

When rendering is the final process of creating the actual 2D/3D or animation from the prepared scene. This is slightly similar to taking a photo after the scene is setup is finished

Many rendering methods have been developed and they can be specialized, these can range from the clearly non-realistic wireframe rendering over a polygon-based rendering this can lead into more advanced techniques such as: ray tracing and radiosity. The time It takes to render can take up from seconds to days for either a solitary image or a number of frames.

There are two different types of rendering ‘real-time’ and ‘Non real-time.

Real-time

Real-time is for rendering interactive media such as games and simulations which can be calculated and displayed in real time which the frames per second can range approximately from 20 to 120. The goal in real time is basically to show as much information as the eye can process in a fraction of a second, for instance, one frame.

Non Real-time

Non Real-time is for non-interactive media, for example using in feature films and videos, they are rendered at a much slower rate. Non-real time rendering basically enables the advantage of limited processing power in order to maintain a high quality image. Times when rendering for every single frame can vary from a few seconds to several days for very complex scenes. However rendered frames can be stored on a hard disk then it can be transferred to other media sources such as motion picture or optical disk. These frames can then be displayed at very high frame rates, typically 24, 25 or 30 fps (frames per second) this can achieve the illusion of something moving.  

HA4 - 3D the basics Applications of 3D Task 1

Applications of 3D:

3D in Games

3D has been applied in many variations such as TV, Games, Film, Education, Web, Mathematics, engineering, product design etc

The 3D games have been around from 1981 with Monster Maze created for the Sinclair ZX81 and developed by Malcom Evans, Monster Maze was the very first 3D game that was created. The player got awarded points for getting away from the monster which is a Tyrannosaurus Rex which chased them through the maze.

By the time the playstation 1 and the Nintendo 64 game consoles came into the world, mostly every game was taking the transition from 2D to 3D, games such as Crash Bandicoot and Virtual Racing for the Sega Saturn.

<--- Crash Bandicoot Gameplay

<--- Virtual Racing Gameplay

Current Trends in today's world!

The use of up to date technology the 3D within games is becoming more realistic and is now seen in every single game this means that its worlds and narratives will become more realistic and be brought to life. The gaming industry have evolved games into interactive films (cinematic videos within the game) for instance,

The assassins creed franchise:

Gears Of War franchise:

3D in Animation

The first 3D animation was recently been discovered after being lost for many years, it was produced in 1972 and is believed to be the worlds very first computer generated 3D Animation. It was developed by Ed Catmull, he was a computer scientist also he is one of the founders of the well-known Pixar.

Pixars Geri's game

The first Pixar production to have a human main character, Geri's Game was produced with the goal to "take human and cloth animation to new heights".

The face of the character Geri resembles actor Jonathan Harris, who also provided the voice of Geri for his later appearance in Toy Story 2, where he is a toy repairman who fixes Woody's torn arm. Chess pieces can be seen in his carrying case, in a nod to the short. Jan Pinkava, the film's writer and director, has said the character is loosely based on himself and his elderly relatives, particularly his grandfather who was a frequent and avid chess player.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geri%27s_Game

Accessing 3D Technology

Traditional forms of animation such as cell and stop-motion are the most popular, high end 3D software is now affordable and available for individuals to access the technology and make and create their own animations to professional standards. This has lead to the outbreak of lots of self-published animations. independent animators are able to develop lots of short animations for TV shows and advertising.

The Techniques used for animation

Rigging

A character rig is essentially a digital skeleton bound to the 3D mesh. Like a real skeleton, a rig is made up of joints and bones, each of which act as a "handle" that animators can use to bend the character into a desired pose.

A character rig can range from simple and elegant to staggeringly complex. A basic setup for simple posing can be built in a few hours, while a fully articulated rig for a feature film might require days or weeks before the character is ready for Pixar level animation.

We plan on working up a basic rigging tutorial sometime next month, but in the meantime, it's a good idea to at least familiarize yourself with some of the major concepts:

Placing the Skeleton: Placement of a skeleton is perhaps the easiest part of the rigging process. For the most part, joints should be placed exactly where they would be in a real world skeleton, with one or two exceptions.

http://3d.about.com/od/Creating-3D-The-CG-Pipeline/a/What-Is-Rigging.htm

Motion-Capture

The simplest rundown is that live actors' motions are digitally recorded and then applied to 3D models. The physical recording itself can be done through one of two methods: the actor can wear a cumbersome bodysuit wired with complex sensors that detect their movements, or they can attach smaller singular sensors at pivotal points to capture the motion of those particular joints and interpret it into full-limb motion.

http://animation.about.com/od/moviemagic/a/motioncapmagic.htm

3D in Film and TV

The first major step of the use of 3D imagery was in the classic movie Jurassic Park which was released in 1993, nearly every single dinosaur was created by using 3D CGI software.

In todays society it is common for a composite of 3D features to appear within TV and film with characters, sound effects,explosions etc... 

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull:



Marvels Avengers Assemble

Compositing is the combining of visual elements from separate sources into single images, often to create the illusion that all those elements are parts of the same scene. Live-action shooting for compositing is variously called "chroma key", "blue screen", "green screen" and other names. Today, most, though not all, compositing is achieved through digital image manipulation. Pre-digital compositing techniques, however, go back as far as the trick films of Georges Méliès in the late 19th century; and some are still in use. All compositing involves the replacement of selected parts of an image with other material, usually, but not always, from another image. In the digital method of compositing, software commands designate a narrowly defined colour as the part of an image to be replaced. Then every pixel within the designated colour range is replaced by the software with a pixel from another image, aligned to appear as part of the original. For example, a TV weather person is recorded in front of a plain blue or green screen, while compositing software replaces only the designated blue or green color with weather maps.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compositing





3D In Education

Visual learning plays a key role in the teaching and learning process. Gaia 3D is the new generation 3D solution that allows you to explore new frontiers. A tool to enhance the work you do in the classroom. Gaia 3D helps teachers to teach those ‘hard to reach’ concepts whilst engaging students and bringing lesson content to life.

The 3D learning experience places students in virtual environments, allowing them to walk down a street in ancient Rome, visit the outer reaches of the universe or move through the chambers of a beating heart.

http://www.gaia3d.co.uk/3d-viewer/

3D in Engineering
With unsurpassed expertise in 3D laser scanning/data capture, CAD modeling, reverse engineering, dimensional laser inspection, and ISO 17025-certified integrated metrology services, our innovative approach delivers real strategic advantages for your product development, manufacturing and quality programs. 

3D Engineering Solutions offers non-contact digital 3D laser scanning services with up to 1,000,000 points per second – available 24/7, on demand and on-site, along with a full range of quality inspection services. 
http://www.3d-engineering.net/