3D Report

In the media industry, a lot of the company's and types of media such as games for example uses 3D software to get there point across for something.

There are many types of 3-D software that you can use. A lot of people prefer different ones. However the main 3D software industry's use will be at a professional standard . Some of the main 3-D software they use are,may, 3Ds Max, Sculptris and also Zbrush. These are the main 3-D software'S that the media industry use and the ones that are available to them to give them a professional and an acceptable standard.

3Ds Max

This is an example of the layout of 3Ds Max with a model in it.

 Maya

This is an example of the layout and tools within Maya and how an finished model looks in the software.

These are two images of the Maya software and the 3Ds Max. The images look very similar, however the software is little different so it is mainly up to people prefer to use.

The 3 main types of media that use 3D software are Gaming, Advertisement and marking, and Geology and science.

How 3D software is used in Gaming industry

In the gaming industry gaming is used to create most of the game. They use 3D software to create the models of each particular component such as a character for example.

This is an image of a finished model for the game (The last of us). This model is the standard that the gaming industry is looking for.

The software's that they used for this model would have been Maya and Zbrush. Maya is used for the textures and the basic model. Zbrush is used to add detail in small places and make the character take shape.

How 3D software is used in Advertisement and marketing
In the Advertisement and marketing industry they use a lot of 3D software to create adverts such as on the television and billboards. They create the models using the software and animate it with a variety of software's. When they model an object for a billboard poster they will print it of using 3D printer to give the image a three dimensional effect.

This image shows how the 3D printer and model and used to create a billboard poster.

As you can see the dragon looks like it is coming out of the billboard. This is how 3D modelling can change the appearance of a image.






How 3D software is used in Geology and science
In Geology and science they use 3D software to create a model of a detailed image so they can examine it closer up and understand it better. For example a spiral of (DNA) could be created so scientists can show people different aspects of the (DNA) in detail.

This is an image of how 3D modelling software can be used as a scientist or geologist.

As you can see they use then to go into create detail so they can get a better understanding of what they are looking at.





Geometric theory 
The main term in 3D modelling is the Geometric theory. This stand for 'Construction and display of simple forms in 3D space.

The Geometric theory is about how a polygons are constructed and how they look in 3D space. This is very important in any industry that use 3D modelling because if they don't follow it the polygon could become disorientated and not look right in 3D form.
For example, if you we linking the vertex's of a polygon and they were not attached together precisely the polygon mesh would not look right in 3D space.
So when ever changing the default polygon you should always follow the Geometric theory so that the object turns out right.The main key points are the size, properties and measurements in shapes.

Mesh construction techniques
There are many Mesh construction techniques when using a 3D software package. A lot of popular tools people use on polygon meshes all the time are, Box modelling, Extrusion modelling.

Box modelling is where you crate a model out of polygons and leave it, so it is out of blocks. Then you can sculpture on it after.






Extrusion modelling is where a modeller gets an polygon or edge of even a vertex and work on the model outwards, so you are extruding each point.





Displaying 3D objects
There is a number ways that you can open a 3D model. Direct3D, OpenGL and direct kinds of game engines the most popular Unreal Development Kit (UDK).

Direct3D is a Microsoft plication programming interface. This programme allows you to render three dimensional graphics in applications where performance is important, such as games and movies. Direct 3D is that explosive and advanced that it allows advanced graphics comparabilities of 3D graphics hardware.

OpenGL stands for Open Graphics Library. OpenGL was developed by silicon graphics inc, form 1991 and released in January 1992. The programme is a multi-platform programming interface for rendering 2D and 3d computer graphics. OpenGl is widely used in CAD, virtual reality, flight simulation and computer games.

There are an number of game engines around the world that people can use. The most popular ones and that the game industry use are UDK, Rage engine, cry engine and frost bite. There are many more that are popular, but there are to many to write down so these are some of the main ones. A game enghine allows you to add your 3D models into a game and run them so they are animated. It also render all the models which have been given to them. Without a game engine you would not be able to move the models and create a 3D game.

This is an example of what UDK looks like and how model when they are render in the programme.





Pre rendered vs Real time rendering are two very different things. Pre rendering is where you render and object for a certain time or for a short period until it would be real time rendered. Real time rendering means that when in a computer can it would be fast enough to allow the viewer to interact with a virtual environment.
There are lots of thing that need to be considered when rendering such as, shaders, textures, lighting and polygon count.
Shaders calculate rendering effects on graphics so that the hardware can take high degree of flexibility. The shaders are in most computer generated imagery such as computer games and cinema. The shaders can adjust them self to the environment of the image, these are done by codes. The main thing that shaders change and detect are, flat shading, phong shading, blur, bokeh, cel shading, bump magging, blue screen/green screen effects, edge detection and motion detection. These are some of the important ones, however there are many more. Shader can also be used for special effects. For example so one running quick even though they are not. Shader can do many of thing to make a digital image look realistic.

These are two examples of flat shading and phong shading.





When rendering one of the main key points is the texturing. Without textures there would be no redering and not digital image would look real. When you texture you are doing a process called texture mapping, this means that you are adding a texture to a flat, opened out polygon mesh. When adding textures you have to follow the vertex's so they match up and also follow the UV coordinates. When adding the image on the flat polygon it can be distorted. So the has to make up with each vertex of each side so it flat.

This is an example of what it looks like when a textured model is flattened out.







The lighting is a very important point when rendering in real or pre rendered time. If the lighting is not setted correctly to the object in the game and it will not run properly, and the object wont look realistic. When rendering the texture should have light spot so in the game, when the object moves the light will shine on it to give it a 3D effect. Lighting also changes depending on what environment's digital image is.

This is an example of how lighting is added to a 3D object. As you can see it has a perspective point when the light shines on the object it will go to that point, depending on what angle it is coming from it will change around. This image is show that the light is coming from the top, so the point is at the top of each ball.





The polygon count means that the number of polygons being rendered per frame. When making a model you should not go over the top on the polygon count because when it comes to rendering it the textures will be distorted and hard to fix. When it going into a game engine also if there is to many polygons on each object the game wont run smoothly and it could not run, because of how it has been render with to many polygons. If it is to high game engine might not be able to handle the resolution of the model.

This is example of how the polygon count has changed over the last 15 years and that game engines can handle higher resolution models quicker. This helps when texturing because the shaders and lighting will load quicker.



After writing this report on key points about 3D modelling. I have learnt that there is a lot that has to go in when rending a 3D model and also creating. This has helped me understand more clearly and will help me in future assignments.