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Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed. | This article is about computer modeling within an artistic medium. For scientific usage, see Computer simulation. | 3D computer graphics |
 | | Basics | | 3D modeling / 3D scanning
3D rendering / 3D printing
3D computer graphics software
Image File history File links Mergefrom. ...
The Utah teapot model A Virtual Model, in the general sense, is a model of a physical object, be it a person, a room, a house, a city or a planet. ...
This article is about computer modeling within a scientific medium. ...
This article is about process of creating 3D computer graphics. ...
Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (2048x1536, 2972 KB) copied from English Wikipedia, there uploaded by en:User:Gilles Tran, en:User:Janke and en:User:Veledan. ...
A 3D scanner is a device that analyzes a real-world object or environment to collect data on its shape and possibly its appearance (i. ...
3D rendering is the 3D computer graphics process of automatically converting 3D wire frame models into 2D images with 3D photorealistic effects on a computer. ...
Three-dimensional printing is a method of converting a virtual 3D model into a physical object. ...
3D computer graphics software refers to programs used to create 3D computer-generated imagery. ...
| | Primary Uses | | 3D models / Computer-aided design
Graphic design / Video games
Visual effects / Visualization
Virtual engineering / Virtual reality
This article does not cite its references or sources. ...
CADD and CAD redirect here. ...
Graphics are often utilitarian and anonymous,[1] as these pictographs from the US National Park Service illustrate. ...
Computer and video games redirects here. ...
Visual effects (or VFX for short) is the term given in which images or film frames are created and manipulated for film and video. ...
It has been suggested that Interactive visualization be merged into this article or section. ...
Virtual engineering is defined as integrating geometric models and related engineering tools such as analysis and simulation, optimization and decision making tools, etc. ...
This article is about the simulation technology. ...
| | Related concepts | | CGI / Animation / 3D display
Wireframe model / Texture mapping
Computer animation / Motion capture
Skeletal animation / Crowd simulation
Global illumination / Volume rendering Computer-generated imagery[1] (also known as CGI) is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media. ...
The bouncing ball animation (below) consists of these 6 frames. ...
A 3D display prototype by Philips A 3D display is any display device capable of conveying three-dimensional images to the viewer. ...
A wire frame model is a visual presentation of an electronic representation of a three dimensional or physical object used in 3D computer graphics. ...
Spherical texture mapping Texture mapping is a method, pioneered by Edwin Catmull, of adding detail, surface texture, or colour to a computer-generated graphic or 3D model. ...
See also: Computer-generated imagery Computer animation is the art of creating moving images via the use of computers. ...
Motion capture, or mocap, is a technique of digitally recording the movements of real things — usually humans — it originally developed as an analysis tool in biomechanics research, but has grown increasingly important as a source of motion data for computer animation. ...
A technique in computer animation, particularly the animation of vertebrates, where a character is represented in two parts: a surface representation used to draw the character (called the skin) and a hierarchical set of bones used for animation only (called the skeleton). ...
Crowd simulation is the process of simulating the movement of a large number of objects or characters, now often appearing in 3D computer graphics for film. ...
Global illumination algorithms used in 3D computer graphics are commonly used to add realistic lighting to 3D scenes. ...
A volume rendered cadaver head using view-aligned texture mapping and diffuse reflection Volume rendering is a technique used to display a 2D projection of a 3D discretely sampled data set. ...
This box: view • talk • edit | In 3D computer graphics, 3D modeling is the process of developing a mathematical, wireframe representation of any three-dimensional object (either inanimate or living) via specialized software. The product is called a 3D model. It can be displayed as a two-dimensional image through a process called 3D rendering or used in a computer simulation of physical phenomena. The model can also be physically created using 3D Printing devices. This article is about process of creating 3D computer graphics. ...
For other meanings of mathematics or uses of math and maths, see Mathematics (disambiguation) and Math (disambiguation). ...
A wire frame model is a visual presentation of an electronic representation of a three dimensional or physical object used in 3D computer graphics. ...
The space we live in is three-dimensional space. ...
3D computer graphics software refers to programs used to create 3D computer-generated imagery. ...
3D rendering is the 3D computer graphics process of automatically converting 3D wire frame models into 2D images with 3D photorealistic effects on a computer. ...
This article is about the machine. ...
This article is about the general term. ...
Three-dimensional printing is a method of converting a virtual 3D model into a physical object. ...
Models may be created automatically or manually. The manual modeling process of preparing geometric data for 3D computer graphics is similar to plastic arts such as sculpting. Plastic Arts are those visual arts that involve the use of materials that can be moulded or modulated in some way, often in three dimensions. ...
Sculptor redirects here. ...
Models
3D models represent a 3D object using a collection of points in 3D space, connected by various geometric entities such as triangles, lines, curved surfaces, etc. Being a collection of data (points and other information), 3D models can be created by hand, algorithmically (procedural modeling), or scanned. A spatial point is an entity with a location in space but no extent (volume, area or length). ...
Flowcharts are often used to graphically represent algorithms. ...
Procedural modeling is an umbrella term for a number of techniques in computer graphics to create 3D models and textures from sets of rules. ...
A 3D scanner is a device that analyzes a real-world object or environment to collect data on its shape and possibly its appearance (i. ...
3D models are widely used anywhere 3D graphics are used. Actually, their use predates the widespread use of 3D graphics on personal computers. Many computer games used pre-rendered images of 3D models as sprites before computers could render them in real-time. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 750 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (1280 × 1024 pixel, file size: 431 KB, MIME type: image/png)Modeler 8. ...
Image File history File links Size of this preview: 750 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (1280 × 1024 pixel, file size: 431 KB, MIME type: image/png)Modeler 8. ...
This article is about the 1997 film. ...
It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into 3D computer graphics software. ...
This article is about the computer program. ...
This article is about process of creating 3D computer graphics. ...
A computer game is a game composed of a computer-controlled virtual universe that players interact with in order to achieve a defined goal or set of goals. ...
In computer graphics, a sprite (also known by other names; see Synonyms below) is a two-dimensional/three-dimensional image or animation that is integrated into a larger scene. ...
Today, 3D models are used in a wide variety of fields. The medical industry uses detailed models of organs. The movie industry uses them as characters and objects for animated and real-life motion pictures. The video game industry uses them as assets for computer and video games. The science sector uses them as highly detailed models of chemical compounds. The architecture industry uses them to demonstrate proposed buildings and landscapes. The engineering community uses them as designs of new devices, vehicles and structures as well as a host of other uses. In recent decades the earth science community has started to construct 3D geological models as a standard practice. This article is about motion pictures. ...
Pac-Man is one of the most recognizable video games ever created. ...
Computer and video games redirects here. ...
Earth science (also known as geoscience, the geosciences or the Earth Sciences), is an all-embracing term for the sciences related to the planet Earth. ...
Representation  A modern render of the iconic Utah teapot model developed by Martin Newell (1975). The Utah teapot is one of the most common models used in 3D graphics education. Almost all 3D models can be divided into two categories. The Utah teapot The Utah teapot or Newell teapot is a 3D model which has become a standard reference object (and something of an in-joke) in the computer graphics community. ...
There are two semi-famous people named Martin Newell. ...
- Solid - These models define the volume of the object they represent (like a rock). These are more realistic, but more difficult to build. Solid models are mostly used for nonvisual simulations such as medical and engineering simulations, and for specialized visual applications such as ray tracing and constructive solid geometry
- Shell - these models represent the surface, not the volume (like an eggshell). These are easier to work with than solid models. Almost all visual models used in games and film are shell models.
Because the appearance of an object depends largely on the exterior of the object, boundary representations are common in computer graphics. Two dimensional surfaces are a good analogy for the objects used in graphics, though quite often these objects are non-manifold. Since surfaces are not finite, a discrete digital approximation is required: polygonal meshes (and to a lesser extent subdivision surfaces) are by far the most common representation, although point-based representations have been gaining some popularity in recent years. Level sets are a useful representation for deforming surfaces which undergo many topological changes such as fluids. A ray traced scene. ...
Constructive solid geometry (CSG) is a technique used in solid modeling. ...
In computer-aided design, the term boundary representation — often abbreviated as B-REP or BREP, refers to storing information about how to make a model based on its geometric and often Euler topological boundaries. ...
An open surface with X-, Y-, and Z-contours shown. ...
On a sphere, the sum of the angles of a triangle is not equal to 180° (see spherical trigonometry). ...
A mesh is a collection of vertices and polygons that define the shape of an object in 3D computer graphics. ...
A subdivision surface, in the field of 3D computer graphics, is a method of representing a smooth surface via the specification of a coarser piecewise linear polygon mesh. ...
A volume rendered cadaver head using view-aligned texture mapping and diffuse reflection Volume rendering is a technique used to display a 2D projection of a 3D discretely sampled data set. ...
In mathematics, a level set of a real-valued function f of n variables is a set of the form { (x1,...,xn) | f(x1,...,xn) = c } where c is a constant. ...
A subset of the phases of matter, fluids include liquids and gases, plasmas and, to some extent, plastic solids. ...
The process of transforming representations of objects, such as the middle point coordinate of a sphere and a point on its circumference into a polygon representation of a sphere, is called tessellation. This step is used in polygon-based rendering, where objects are broken down from abstract representations ("primitives") such as spheres, cones etc, to so-called meshes, which are nets of interconnected triangles. Meshes of triangles (instead of e.g. squares) are popular as they have proven to be easy to render using scanline rendering. Polygon representations are not used in all rendering techniques, and in these cases the tessellation step is not included in the transition from abstract representation to rendered scene. For other uses, see Sphere (disambiguation). ...
The circumference is the distance around a closed curve. ...
A tessellated plane seen in street pavement. ...
This article is about the geometric object, for other uses see Cone. ...
For other uses, see Square. ...
Scanline rendering is an algorithm for visible surface determination, in 3D computer graphics, that works on a row-by-row basis rather than a polygon-by-polygon or pixel-by-pixel basis. ...
Modeling processes There are three popular ways to represent a model: Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1200x1023, 202 KB) Summary Architectural 3D computer graphic, the hotel building in Thailand 2005. ...
Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1200x1023, 202 KB) Summary Architectural 3D computer graphic, the hotel building in Thailand 2005. ...
Spherical texture mapping Texture mapping is a method, pioneered by Edwin Catmull, of adding detail, surface texture, or colour to a computer-generated graphic or 3D model. ...
For other uses, see Shade (disambiguation). ...
- Polygonal modeling - Points in 3D space, called vertices, are connected in a linear fashion to form a polygonal mesh. Used for example by 3DS Max. The vast majority of 3D models today are built as textured polygonal models, because they are the most flexible and quickest for the computer to handle. However, polygons cannot be bent. Curved surfaces are approximated by using many small flat surfaces.
- NURBS modeling - NURBS Surfaces are defined by Spline curves, which are influenced by weighted control points. The curve follows (but does not necessarily interpolate) the points. Increasing the weight for a point will pull the curve closer to that point. NURBS are truly smooth surfaces, not approximations using small flat surfaces, and so are particularly suitable for organic modelling. Maya is the most well-known commercial software that uses NURBS natively.
- Splines&Patches modeling - Like NURBS, Splines and Patches depend on curved lines to define the visible surface. Patches fall somewhere between NURBS and polygons in terms of flexibility and ease of use.
The modeling stage consists of shaping individual objects that are later used in the scene. There are a number of modeling techniques, including: In 3D computer graphics, polygonal modeling is an approach for modeling objects by representing or approximating their surfaces using polygons. ...
A NURBS curve being created in NX Shape Studio. ...
Modeling can be performed by means of a dedicated program (e.g., Maya, 3DS Max, Blender, Lightwave, Modo) or an application component (Shaper, Lofter in 3DS Max) or some scene description language (as in POV-Ray). In some cases, there is no strict distinction between these phases; in such cases modelling is just part of the scene creation process (this is the case, for example, with Caligari trueSpace and Realsoft 3D). Constructive solid geometry (CSG) is a technique used in solid modeling. ...
In mathematics and computer graphics, an implicit surface is defined as an isosurface of a function . In other words, it is the set of points in the 3d-space that satisfy the equation . To find a parametrisation of the surface (more precisely the solution set, since not all equations of...
In computer graphics, subdivision surfaces are used to create smooth surfaces out of arbitrary meshes. ...
This article does not cite any references or sources. ...
3ds Max (formerly 3D Studio MAX) is a full-featured 3D graphics application developed by Autodesk Media and Entertainment. ...
Blender is a free software 3D animation program. ...
This article is about the computer program. ...
modo is an advanced polygon, subdivision surface, modeling, sculpting, 3D painting, animation and rendering package developed by Luxology, LLC. The program incorporates advanced features such as n-gons, 3D painting and edge weighting, and runs on Mac OS X and Microsoft Windows platforms. ...
The Persistence of Vision Raytracer, or POV-Ray, is a ray tracing program available for a variety of computer platforms. ...
trueSpace is 3D computer graphics and animation software developed by Caligari Corporation. ...
Complex materials such as blowing sand, clouds, and liquid sprays are modeled with particle systems, and are a mass of 3D coordinates which have either points, polygons, texture splats, or sprites assign to them. For more background on this topic, see game physics. ...
See Cartesian coordinate system or Coordinates (elementary mathematics) for a more elementary introduction to this topic. ...
A spatial point is an entity with a location in space but no extent (volume, area or length). ...
Look up polygon in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...
In computer graphics, texture splatting is a method for combining different textures. ...
In computer graphics, a sprite (also known by other names; see Synonyms below) is a two-dimensional/three-dimensional image or animation that is integrated into a larger scene. ...
Scene setup Scene setup involves arranging virtual objects, lights, cameras and other entities on a scene which will later be used to produce a still image or an animation. Virtual camera Refers to a motion camera which is not real (this could also refer to a set of still cameras which are designed to behave as a motion camera), or is taking images of objects which are not real. ...
Lighting is an important aspect of scene setup. As is the case in real-world scene arrangement, lighting is a significant contributing factor to the resulting aesthetic and visual quality of the finished work. As such, it can be a difficult art to master. Lighting effects can contribute greatly to the mood and emotional response effected by a scene, a fact which is well-known to photographers and theatrical lighting technicians.
It is usually desirable to add color to a model's surface in a user controlled way prior to rendering. Most 3D modeling software allows the user to color the model's vertices, and that color is then interpolated across the model's surface during rendering. This is often how models are colored by the modeling software while the model is being created. The most common method of adding color information to a 3D model is by applying a 2D texture image to the model's surface through a process called texture mapping. Texture images are no different than any other digital image, but during the texture mapping process, special pieces of information (called texture coordinates or UV coordinates) are added to the model that indicate which parts of the texture image map to which parts of the 3D model's surface. Textures allow 3D models to look significantly more detailed and realistic than they would otherwise. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into 3D computer graphics software. ...
In geometry, a vertex (plural vertices) is a special kind of point, usually a corner of a polygon, polyhedron, or higher dimensional polytope. ...
This article is about interpolation in mathematics. ...
Spherical texture mapping Texture mapping is a method, pioneered by Edwin Catmull, of adding detail, surface texture, or colour to a computer-generated graphic or 3D model. ...
Spherical texture mapping Texture mapping is a method, pioneered by Edwin Catmull, of adding detail, surface texture, or colour to a computer-generated graphic or 3D model. ...
A digital image is a representation of a two-dimensional image as a finite set of digital values, called picture elements or pixels. ...
A checkered sphere, with and without UV mapping. ...
Other effects, beyond texturing and lighting, can be done to 3D models to add to their realism. For example, the surface normals can be tweaked to affect how they are lit, certain surfaces can have bump mapping applied and any other number of 3D rendering tricks can be applied. A surface normal, or just normal to a flat surface is a three-dimensional vector which is perpendicular to that surface. ...
A sphere without bump mapping. ...
This article is about process of creating 3D computer graphics. ...
3D models are often animated for some uses. They can sometimes be animated from within the 3D modeler that created them or else exported to another program. If used for animation, this phase usually makes use of a technique called "keyframing", which facilitates creation of complicated movement in the scene. With the aid of keyframing, one needs only to choose where an object stops or changes its direction of movement, rotation, or scale, between which states in every frame are interpolated. These moments of change are known as keyframes. Often extra data is added to the model to make it easier to animate. For example, some 3D models of humans and animals have entire bone systems so they will look realistic when they move and can be manipulated via joints and bones, in a process known as skeletal animation. The bouncing ball animation (below) consists of these 6 frames. ...
See also: Computer-generated imagery Computer animation is the art of creating moving images via the use of computers. ...
In animation, a key frame is a frame in an animated sequence of frames that was drawn or otherwise constructed directly by the user rather than generated automatically, e. ...
For other uses, see Interpolation (disambiguation). ...
A technique in computer animation, particularly the animation of vertebrates, where a character is represented in two parts: a surface representation used to draw the character (called the skin) and a hierarchical set of bones used for animation only (called the skeleton). ...
Compared to 2D methods 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. This article is about the art movement. ...
A screenshot of Karbon14 vector graphic software running on an AegeanLinux desktop. ...
Advantages of wireframe 3D modeling over exclusively 2D methods include:
- Flexibility, ability to change angles or animate images with quicker rendering of the changes;
- Ease of rendering, automatic calculation and rendering photorealistic effects rather than mentally visualizing or estimating;
- Accurate photorealism, less chance of human error in misplacing, overdoing, or forgetting to include a visual effect.
Disadvantages compare to 2D photorealistic rendering may include a software learning curve and difficulty achieving certain hyperrealistic effects. Some hyperrealistic effects may be achieved with special rendering filters included in the 3D modeling software. For the best of both worlds, some artists use a combination of 3D modeling followed by editing the 2D computer-rendered images from the 3D model. Hyperreality (not to be confused with surrealism) is a concept in semiotics and postmodern philosophy. ...
3D model market There is a large and thriving market for 3D models (as well as 3D-related content, such as textures, scripts, etc.), either as individual models or large collections. Online marketplaces for 3D content allow individual artists to sell content that they have created. Often, the artists' goal is to get additional value out of assets they have previously created for projects. By doing so, artists can earn more money out of their old content, and companies can save money by buying pre-made models instead of paying an employee to create one from scratch. These marketplaces typically split the sale between themselves and the artist that created the asset, often in a roughly 50-50 split. In most cases, the artist retains ownership of the 3d model; the customer only buys the right to use and present the model.
Collections of hundreds to thousands of 3D models on CD, often royalty free, are for sale. These models include different types of people, animals, objects, plants, rocks, tools, furniture, buildings, landscapes, historical objects, cartoon characters, monsters, science fiction objects, medieval fantasy objects, etc. A person who buys such a CD can import these posable ready-made models into their computer animation program.
See also Cartoonish and realistic talking heads. ...
Cloth modeling is the term used for simulating cloth within a computer program usually in the realm of Computer graphics . ...
Digital geometry deals with discrete sets (usually discrete point sets) considered to be digitized models or images of objects of the 2D or 3D Euclidean space. ...
Regional Model of Britain (built by the BGS) Detailed Quaternary model of York, UK (built by the BGS) Geologic modelling (or modeling) is the applied science of creating computerized representations of portions of the Earths crust, especially oil and gas fields and groundwater aquifers. ...
This article is being considered for deletion in accordance with Wikipedias deletion policy. ...
SIGGRAPH 2005 official logo SIGGRAPH (short for Special Interest Group in Graphics) is the name of the annual conference on computer graphics convened by the ACM SIGGRAPH organization. ...
Image of the Stanford Bunny famously used in many model processing experiments The Stanford Bunny is a computer graphics test model developed by Greg Turk and Marc Levoy in 1994 at Stanford University. ...
The Utah teapot The Utah teapot or Newell teapot is a 3D model which has become a standard reference object (and something of an in-joke) in the computer graphics community. ...
A voxel (a portmanteau of the words volumetric and pixel) is a volume element, representing a value on a regular grid in three dimensional space. ...
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