HA7 Task 1

Task 1 - Applications of 3D

3D in Games

Battlezone

"The first big 3D success was Battlezone, a tank game released in 1980 that used vector graphics to create its work, much like Asteroids. While a simple game by modern standards, it was fiendishly complex for such an early example, offering the ability to go anywhere in an (admittedly featureless) world, hide from attacks and fight enemies."

http://www.techradar.com/news/gaming/the-evolution-of-3d-games-700995

http://cdn1.mos.techradar.futurecdn.net//Review%20images/PC%20Plus/PCP%20296/PCP296.feat3.battlezone-650-80.jpg

BattleZone was the first 3D game that used vector graphics much similar to asteroids, with poor frame rate and bad visuals the game was still big hit. the games designer was Ed Rotberg, he was also a game designer for Atari at the time. The game was also to be though so realistic that the game was used to train US army tank gunners.

3D Modeling Examples

This is a model i have created using a 3D modeling program.

3D in films

Monster House was created in a 3D virtual environment, it was shot using performance capture, this is where the actors perform he characters movement while being linked up to a sensor, this was also used in the film "The Polar Express" the studio name this type of 3d "Imageworks 3D"




Chicken Little, The project started in 2001, originally set out to be a young girl in summer camp, then change when David Stainton became Disney's new president. This used simple CGI to create the film.

3D Printing

"It all starts with making a virtual design of the object you want to create. This virtual design is made in a CAD (Computer Aided Design) file using a 3D modeling program (for the creation of a totally new object) or with the use of a 3D scanner (to copy an existing object). A 3D scanner makes a 3D digital copy of an object."

http://3dprinting.com/what-is-3d-printing/

HA7 Task 6

Task 6 - Constraints

Polygon Count and File Size

Polygon Count

Poly count can vary, its good to keep the count low due to having tio render more than 30,000 poly count will have a taxing effect on your computer. But depending on your machine,when rendering it will really push your pc, if the poly count is in the 1000's it make not look as nice but it will make the character easier to render, and wont have a taxing outcome on your computer. This also help on the file size of the model, as with more polygons it will make the file much larger than a low poly count model.

http://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/original/3/32776/2486940-0248877224-ChsSw.png

"for instance if you are just creating a single rendered image you really don't have to worry too much about poly count as long as your machine can handle it RAM wise. It's only when you get into the area of game modeling and animation you have to worry about poly count.Game models these days can go quite high but an average would be between 7k to 12 k , as for animation it depends on how much you have in the scene and can animate successfully with the amount of polys you have.

30k would be exceptable for animation but a little too high for games as it stands right now."

http://simplymaya.com/forum/showthread.php?t=28963

File Size

"Every file on a computer uses a certain amount of resources when sent over the internet or stored.  Keeping mind of your kilobytes (kB) and megabytes (MB) can prevent problems and produce a smoother online experience."

http://www.gn.apc.org/support/understanding-file-sizes

When it comes to file size the lower the better, when downloading video games of the internet it take a long time when the file size is very high, this can ruin some games, with long loads into the game, far cry 2, this game had really bad loading times due to a large file size, this ruined the game for most people, keeping the file size low helps the game moving through easy, a good game that handled loading times well was mirrors edge, as the loading times were part of the game, you would have to stop in the game to turn a handle so you could pass, just to give the game some time to catch up with you.

http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--9TkuZQPL--/c_fit,fl_progressive,q_80,w_636/vgfyci9faqfk2d9jlz7m.jpg

HA7 Task 5

Task 5 - 3D Development Software

3D Studio Max

"This 3D modeling software is primarily based around polygon modeling. You can create a wide array of primitives, including cubes, cones, pyramids and teapots, to serve as bases for your models. 3ds Max supports subdivision surfaces as well, which makes your models look smoother. Like our other top-rated software options, 3ds Max comes with many different editing tools for manipulating your models. We especially like the Soft Selection tool, which allows you to grab vertex clouds and tug on them without creating unwanted geometry in your mesh – everything stays smooth."

http://3d-animation-software-review.toptenreviews.com/autodesk-3ds-max-review.html

3D Studio Max, also know as Autodesk 3D Max is a 3D modeling software its one of the most well used packages, as he user interface is easy yet packs everything you will need to create a 3D model.

Maya

Autodesk Maya, is a 3D computer graphics software that runs on Windows, OS X and Linux, originally developed by "Alias Systems", currently owned and developed by Autodesk. It is used to create interactive 3D applications, including video games, animated film, TV series, and or visual effects.

"Rigging is the complex process of adding a bendable skeleton to your models. This 3D animation software supports IK (inverse kinematics) and FK (forward kinematics), and it allows for easy switching between the two. IK allows you to tug on one part of your model and have other parts come along for the ride."

http://3d-animation-software-review.toptenreviews.com/autodesk-maya-review.html

Lightwave

Lightwave is used to render out 3D models, it supports a rendering engine that uses advanced features that can make shadows and fine details to make the model come alive, you can also add a mesh image to cover the model, for example if its a face you will make a face mesh to cover the face.

http://www.vali.de/wp-content/uploads/Amelie_MPM_11.jpg

SketchUp

"SketchUp is a free 3D modeling platform that helps in designing 3D models within Google Earth — a virtual map of most of the planet's surface."

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/04/26/us-trimble-google-idUSBRE83P0V820120426

SketchUp is a 3D modeling package, it uses simplistic designs for its API to make it easier to use the program, this has a great effect for most users, its very easy to make a model that looks very good but can be put into many file formats.

HA7 Task 4

Task 4 - Mesh Construction

How are 3D Models Constructed?

"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."

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

https://i0.wp.com/wiki.cgsociety.org/images/2/21/T_ss_maf_02.jpg

3D models are made up of polygons, the more polygons the higher quality the model will be, each model starts of with a primitive shape suck as a cube or a sphere, this makes it easier to build of of.

Primitive Modelling

Primitive Modeling is the basis of your 3d model, many shapes can be modeled from such as:

Cubes

Spheres

Cylinders

Pyramids

They're also 2D primitives, such as squares, triangles, and circles

"Primitives are the building blocks of 3D—basic geometric forms that you can use as is or modify with transforms and Booleans. Although it's possible to create most of these objects by lathing or extruding 2D shapes, most software packages build them in for speed and convenience."

http://www.peachpit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=30594&seqNum=5

Box Modelling

"A 3D modeling technique in which the artist begins with a low-resolution primitive (typically a cube or sphere) and modifies the shape by extruding, scaling, or rotating faces and edges. Detail is added to a 3D primitive either by manually adding edge loops, or by subdividing the entire surface uniformly to increase polygonal resolution by an order of magnitude."

http://3d.about.com/od/Glossary-B/g/Box-Modeling.htm

Box model in is where you start of with a box the use different tools in a modeling software to create a 3D model.

Extrusion Modelling

"Extrusion is a method of adding geometry to a polygon primitive, and one of the primary tools a modeler uses to begin shaping a mesh.

Through extrusion a modeler manipulates the 3D mesh by either collapsing a face in upon itself (to create an indentation), or by extruding the face outward along its surface normal—the directional vector perpendicular to the polygonal face."

http://3d.about.com/od/Creating-3D-The-CG-Pipeline/tp/Polygonal-3d-Modeling-Common-Box-And-Edge-Modeling-Workflows.htm

HA7 Task 3

Task 3 - Geometric Theory

"Games development, it is a way to model objects or characters within any game. The way this is performed is through a design process using an initial mesh which gives the basic shape of an object to later be built upon with different textures. The way in which a mesh is created is through the process of combined polygons. Polygons are two dimensional shapes that all have three key components, these are a vertice, an edge and a face." 

https://jcallisterdesign.wordpress.com/year-1/unit-66-3d-modelling/assignment-one/task-one/introduction-to-3d-modelling/explaining-geometric-theory/

Geometric Theory in games development, it is a way to model objects or characters within any game. Using a mesh o mold and build from, the more polygons used decides the way the character will look.

https://jcallisterdesign.files.wordpress.com/2012/09/amnesia2.jpeg

"2D vector file formats have advantages over bitmap image export in that they produce drawings that are resolution independent and can be easily imported and modified in many other programs. These file formats are useful for creating a set of 2D construction documents, plotting a perspective in a large format, or for import into vector illustration software for further refinement."

http://help.sketchup.com/en/article/114272

HA7 Task 2

How are 3D Models Displayed?

"3D computer graphics (in contrast to 2D computer graphics) are graphics that utilize a three-dimensional representation of geometric data that is stored in the computer for the purposes of performing calculations and rendering 2D images."

http://www.sciencedaily.com/terms/3d_computer_graphics.htm

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSAyjDNPJOGYX5yk87bu7GgFP9WxrrqjOczv7oQBj3egvphIUMV

3D and 2D images are very similar in the way that they render onto a computer screen its the same sort of algorithm, 3D images usually have Shadows his brings out the image to show it 3D effect in the picture.

API

An API is a programming interface that help developers to write there code.
"It refers to a tool, or library, that assists developers in writing code that interfaces with other software. These can range from the low-level tools that allow Windows and OS X applications to use aspects of the underlying operating system, to those powering the apps on your phone. In short, it defines a way in which a computer program communicates with another computer program."

http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/api-good-technology-explained/

Graphics Pipe line

The graphics pipe line is the process of turning a 3D image to a 2 dimensional image on the screen, like an assembly line where each process adds something to the previous one, but within a graphics processor all stages work in parallel to each other.

https://i-msdn.sec.s-msft.com/dynimg/IC412590.png

"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."

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

1. Primitive Modelling

Primitive Modelling