3D computer graphics

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3D computer graphics
Basics
3D modeling / 3D rendering 3D scanner / 3D printing 3D computer graphics software
Primary Uses
Computer aided design Graphic design / Computer games Visual effects / Visualization Virtual engineering / Virtual reality
Related concepts
Computer-generated imagery 3D display / Wireframe model Animation / Motion capture Skeletal animation / Crowd simulation This box: view • talk • edit

3D computer graphics are different from 2D computer graphics in that a three-dimensional representation of geometric data is stored in the computer for the purposes of performing calculations and rendering 2D images. Such images may be for later display or for real-time viewing. Despite these differences, 3D computer graphics rely on many of the same algorithms as 2D computer vector graphics in the wire frame model and 2D computer raster graphics in the final rendered display. In computer graphics software, the distinction between 2D and 3D is occasionally blurred; 2D applications may use 3D techniques to achieve effects such as lighting, and primarily 3D may use 2D rendering techniques.

1 Overview
2 Distinct from photorealistic 2D graphics
3 History
4 See also
5 External Links
6 References

[edit] Overview

A 3D scene of 8 red glass balls

The process of creating 3D computer graphics can be sequentially divided into three basic phases: 3D modeling which describes the shape of an object, Layout and Animation which describes the motion and placement of objects within a scene, and 3D rendering which produces an image of an object.

[edit] Modeling

Main article: 3D modeling

A 3D rendering with raytracing and ambient occlusion using Blender and Yafray

The model describes the shape of an object. The two most common sources of 3D models are those created by an artist or engineer using some kind of 3D modeling tool, and those scanned into a computer from real-world objects. Models can also be produced procedurally or via physical simulation.

[edit] Layout and Animation

Main article: Computer animation

Before object may be rendered, it must be placed within a scene. This is what defines the spacial relationships between objects in a scene including location and size. Animation refers to the temporal description of an object, i.e., how it moves and deforms over time. Popular methods include keyframing, inverse kinematics, and motion capture, though many of these techniques are used in conjunction with each-other. As with modeling, physical simulation is another way of specifying motion.

[edit] Rendering

Main article: 3D rendering

Rendering converts a model into an image either by simulating light transport to get photorealistic images, or by applying some kind of style as in non-photorealistic rendering. The two basic operations in realistic rendering are transport (how much light gets from one place to another) and scattering (how surfaces interact with light). This step is usually performed using 3D computer graphics software or a 3D Graphics API. The process of altering the scene into a suitable form for rendering also involves 3D projection which allows a three-dimensional image to be viewed in two dimensions.

[edit] Distinct from photorealistic 2D graphics

Not all computer graphics that appear 3D are based on a wireframe model. 2D computer graphics with 3D photorealistic effects are often achieved without wireframe modeling and are sometimes indistinguishable in the final form. Some graphic art software includes filters that can be applied to 2D vector graphics or 2D raster graphics on transparent layers. Visual artists may also copy or visualize 3D effects and manually render photorealistic effects without the use of filters. See also still life.

[edit] History

William Fetter was credited with coining the term Computer Graphics in 1960, to describe his work at Boeing. One of the first displays of computer animation was Futureworld (1976), which included an animation of a human face and hand — produced by Ed Catmull and Fred Parke at the University of Utah.

An extensive history of computer graphics can be found at this page.