Intro To 3D Modeling And Rendering

In the eighties and nineties, Michael Jackson’s ‘Captain EO’ was the height of Custom 3D technology, bringing joy and wonder to children at Disney theme parks. Back then, a pair of glasses, catchy pop tunes and a quirky space adventure was all that was needed to transport the minds of theme park attendees to a fevered state of technological bliss. These days, however… the effects game requires a bit more time, resources and wonderment. With 3-D movies popping up in theaters all across the country, the demand for stereoscopic effects, such as those seen in Avatar and Despicable me, has blossomed into a worldwide industry.

Stereoscopy refers to the creation and enhancement of image depth by way of presenting two separate images to each eye of the viewer. Each of the offset images are combined within the brain offering the view a perception of 3-D. In all, there are three different ways in which this can be accomplished: the viewer is provided with glasses which are used to combine the individual images, the viewer is provided with glasses to filter the offset images and separate them into each individual eye, or make the lightsource split the images into each of the eyes of the viewer without the aid of glasses.

Custom 3D Modeling is the process involving the development of a mathematical representation of a surface object via software. The end result is referred to as a 3D model. These models can be displayed through a 3D rendering process as a two dimensional image or made use of in a computer simulation. Additionally, the model can be created for physical viewing utilizing a variety of three dimensional printing devices. These models can be created either manually or automatically. Manually made models are constructed in a similar fashion to sculpting or other plastic arts.

Three dimensional models represent a three dimensional object by utilizing a grouping of points in a three dimensional space, placed together by a variety of geometric entities like lines, triangles, curves, etc. The fact that these models are a collection or data means that they are able to be created by hand, scanned or algorithmically.

These days, models are seen in a wide range of technological fields. Physicians use custom 3D models of human organs. Movies utilize models as characters and various pieces for real-life and animated motion pictures. Video games make use of models for the same purposes. Scientists utilize these models as a way to inspect chemical compounds. Architects might demonstrate buildings or landscapes. The list of possibilities is virtually endless.

As the race for new and better graphics, entertainment and technology continues to move onward, the need for three dimensional models will only continue to grow. Though we’ve come quite a way since Captain EO’s triumphant space adventure, only the future knows where our little minds will take the thee dimensional field next.