The question of what is the engine of the entire computer industry has long been of concern to many users. Or is it Intel, which, without ceasing, releases and releases new processors. But who then forces them to buy? Maybe Microsoft is to blame for everything, which constantly makes its windows bigger and more beautiful? No, you can be content with old versions of programs - especially since the range of their capabilities practically does not change. The conclusion suggests itself - the games are to blame for everything. Yes, it is games that tend to become more and more like the real world, creating its virtual copy, they want more and more powerful resources.

The entire history of computer graphics on the PC is proof of this. Remember, in the beginning there were Tetris, Diggers, Arkanoids. All graphics consisted of redrawing small areas of the screen, sprites, and worked fine even on XT. But those days have passed. Simulation star has risen.

With the release of games such as F19, Formula 1, etc., in which we had to redraw the entire screen, pre-preparing it in memory, we all had to get at least 286 processors. But progress didn't stop there. The desire to liken the virtual world in the game to the real world intensified, and Wolf 3D was born.

This is, one might say, the first 3D game in which some sort of, but still realistic world was modeled. To implement it, we had to use the upper (more than 640 KB) memory and drive the program into protected mode. For a full-fledged game, I had to install an 80386 processor. But the world of Wolf 3D also suffered from shortcomings. Although the walls weren't just solid rectangles, they were filled with low resolution textures, so the surfaces only looked decent from a distance. Of course, it was possible to go the way of increasing the resolution of textures, remember, for example, DOOM. Then we had to switch back to a newer processor and increase the amount of memory. True, it doesn't matter, although the image has improved, but all the same shortcomings were inherent in it. Yes, and flat objects and monsters - who cares. And then the star of Quake rose. In this game, a revolutionary approach was applied - the z-buffer, which made it possible to give volume to all objects. However, the whole game still worked in low resolution and was not very realistic.

A new hardware solution was brewing. And this solution turned out to be, in general, lying on the surface. Since users want to play in a three-dimensional virtual world, the process of its creation (remember the minutes of waiting spent at 3D Studio before the next picture appears) must be drastically accelerated. And since the central processor copes with this task very badly, a revolutionary decision was made - to make a specialized one.

And then the manufacturer of slot machines 3Dfx got out, making this fairy tale come true with the help of its Voodoo GPU. Mankind has taken another step into the virtual world.

And since there is no operating system on a PC with textured windows floating back into the fog, and it is not expected, the entire 3D graphics apparatus can be applied only to games, which is successfully done by all civilized mankind.

Model

To display three-dimensional objects on a monitor screen, a series of processes (usually called a pipeline) is required, followed by translation of the result into a two-dimensional view. Initially, an object is represented as a set of points, or coordinates, in three-dimensional space. A three-dimensional coordinate system is defined by three axes: horizontal, vertical, and depth, commonly referred to as the x, y, and z axes, respectively. An object can be a house, a person, a car, an airplane, or a whole 3D world, and coordinates determine the position of the vertices (nodal points) that make up the object in space. By connecting the vertices of the object with lines, we get a wireframe model, so called because only the edges of the surfaces of a three-dimensional body are visible. A wireframe defines the areas that make up the surface of an object that can be filled with color, textures, and illuminated by light rays.

Rice. 1: Cube wireframe

Even with this simplified explanation of the 3D graphics pipeline, it becomes clear how much computation is required to draw a 3D object on a 2D screen. One can imagine how much the amount of required calculations over the coordinate system increases if the object moves.

Rice. 2: Aircraft model with shaded surfaces

API Role

An Application Programmable Interface (API) consists of functions that control the 3D pipeline in software but can take advantage of the 3D hardware implementation if available. If there is a hardware accelerator, the API takes advantage of it, if not, then the API works with optimal settings designed for the most common systems. Thus, thanks to the use of the API, any number of software tools can be supported by any number of hardware 3D accelerators.

For general and entertainment applications, the following APIs exist:

• Microsoft Direct3D
• Criterion Renderware
• Argonaut BRender
• Intel 3DR

Apple is promoting their own Rave interface based on their own Quickdraw 3D API.

For professional applications running under WindowsNT, the OpenGL interface dominates. Autodesk, the largest manufacturer of engineering applications, has developed its own API called Heidi.
Companies such as Intergraph - RenderGL, and 3DFX - GLide have also developed their APIs.

The existence and availability of 3D interfaces that support multiple graphics subsystems and applications increases the need for real-time 3D graphics hardware accelerators. Entertainment applications are the main consumer and customer of such accelerators, but do not forget about professional applications for processing 3D graphics running under Windows NT, many of which are transferred from high-performance workstations such as Silicon Graphics to the PC platform. Internet applications will greatly benefit from the incredible agility, intuitiveness and flexibility that the 3D GUI provides. Interaction on the World Wide Web will be much easier and more convenient if it takes place in three-dimensional space.

graphics accelerator

The market for graphics subsystems before the advent of the concept multimedia was relatively easy to develop. An important milestone in the development was the VGA (Video graphics Array) standard, developed by IBM in 1987, thanks to which video adapter manufacturers were able to use higher resolution (640x480) and greater color depth on a computer monitor. With the growing popularity of the Windows operating system, there is an urgent need for 2D graphics hardware accelerators to offload the system's central processor, which is forced to process additional events. The distraction of the CPU for graphics processing significantly affects the overall performance of the GUI (Graphical User Interface) - the graphical user interface, and since the Windows OS and its applications require as much CPU resources as possible, graphics processing was carried out with a lower priority, i.e. done very slowly. Manufacturers have added 2D graphics processing features to their products, such as drawing windows when opened and minimized, a hardware cursor that is constantly visible when moving the pointer, and painting areas on the screen at a high frequency of image refresh. So, there was a processor providing acceleration VGA (Accelerated VGA - AVGA), also known as Windows or GUI accelerator, which has become a must-have element in modern computers.

The introduction of multimedia has created new challenges by adding components such as audio and digital video to the 2D graphics feature set. It's easy to see today that many AVGA products support digital video processing in hardware. Therefore, if your monitor is playing video in a window the size of a postage stamp - it's time to install in your machine multimedia accelerator. Multimedia accelerator (multimedia accelerator) usually has built-in hardware functions that allow you to scale the video image along the x and y axes, as well as convert the digital signal to analog in hardware for output to the monitor in RGB format. Some multimedia accelerators may also have built-in digital video decompression capabilities.

Graphics designers must base their requirements partly on the size of the computer monitor, partly on the GUI, and partly on the GPU. The primary VGA standard, with a resolution of 640x480 pixels, was adequate for the 14" monitors most common at the time. Today, monitors with a diagonal tube size of 17" are most preferred due to the ability to display images with a resolution of 1024x768 or more.

The main trend in the transition from VGA to multimedia accelerators was the ability to fit as much visual information as possible on a computer monitor. The use of 3D graphics is a logical development of this trend. Huge amounts of visual information can be squeezed into the limited space of a monitor screen if it is presented in 3D. Processing of three-dimensional graphics in real time allows the user to easily operate the data presented.

Game engines

The first rule of computer games is that there are no rules. Traditionally, game developers are more interested in cool graphics in their programs than in following the advice of techies. While developers have many 3D APIs at their disposal, such as Direct3D, some programmers go the route of creating their own 3D game interface or engine. Proprietary game engines are one of the ways for developers to achieve incredible visual realism, in fact, to the limit of graphics programming.

There is nothing more desirable for a developer than to have direct access to the hardware features of system components. Several well-known developers have created their own game engines, running with optimal use of graphics hardware accelerators, which have brought them fame and money. For example, Interplay engines for Descent II and id Software for Quake provide true 3D action using full 3D hardware features where available.

Graphics without compromise

Talks that have been going on for quite some time about the prospects for using 3D graphics in such areas as entertainment and business have fueled the interest of potential users to the limit, and a new type of product has already appeared on the market. These new technological solutions combine excellent 2D graphics support for today's Windows accelerator requirements, hardware support for 3D graphics features, and play digital video at the required frame rate.
In principle, these products can be safely attributed to a new generation of graphics subsystems that provide graphics without compromise, occupying a worthy place of standard equipment in desktop computing systems.
Among the representatives of the new generation, the following products can be mentioned, as an example:

• CPU Ticket-To-Ride companies Number Nine Visual Technologies
• processor series ViRGE companies S3 Inc.
• CPU RIVA128, developed jointly by companies SGS Thomson and nVidia

3D graphics technology

Let us still manage to convince you to try 3D graphics in action (if you have not already done so), and you decide to play one of the 3D games designed to use a 3D video card.
Let's say that a car racing simulator turned out to be such a game, and your car is already at the start, ready to rush to conquer new records. There is a pre-launch countdown, and you notice that the view from the cockpit displayed on the monitor screen is slightly different from what you are used to.
You have participated in such races before, but for the first time the image strikes you with exceptional realism, forcing you to believe in the reality of what is happening. The horizon, together with distant objects, sinks into the morning mist. The road looks unusually smooth, the asphalt is not a set of dirty gray squares, but a monochromatic pavement with road markings applied. The trees along the road do indeed have deciduous crowns in which individual leaves seem to be discernible. From the whole screen as a whole, one gets the impression of a high-quality photograph with a real perspective, and not as a pathetic attempt to simulate reality.

Let's try to figure out what technical solutions allow 3D video cards to convey virtual reality with such realism. How did the visual tools of the PC manage to reach the level of professional studios dealing with three-dimensional graphics.

Part of the computational operations associated with the display and modeling of the three-dimensional world is now transferred to the 3D accelerator, which is the heart of the 3D video card. The central processor is now practically not busy with display issues, the image of the screen is formed by the video card. This process is based on the implementation of a number of effects at the hardware level, as well as the use of a simple mathematical apparatus. Let's try to figure out what exactly a 3D graphics processor can do.

Returning to our example of a racing simulator, let's think about how the realistic display of road surfaces or buildings standing on the side of the road is achieved. This is done using a common technique called texture mapping.
This is the most common effect for surface modeling. For example, the facade of a building would require multiple faces to model multiple bricks, windows, and doors. However, texture (an image superimposed on the entire surface at once) gives more realism, but requires less computing resources, as it allows you to operate with the entire facade as a single surface. Before surfaces hit the screen, they are textured and shaded. All textures are stored in memory, usually installed on the graphics card. By the way, it is impossible not to notice here that the use of AGP makes it possible to store textures in the system memory, and its volume is much larger.

Obviously, when surfaces are textured, perspective must be taken into account, for example, when displaying a road with a median that extends beyond the horizon. Perspective correction is necessary for textured objects to look correct. It ensures that the bitmap correctly overlays on different parts of the object - both those that are closer to the observer, and those that are more distant.
Perspective correction is a very time-consuming operation, so you can often find it not quite correct implementation.

When applying textures, in principle, you can also see the seams between the two nearest bitmaps. Or, more commonly, in some games, when depicting a road or long corridors, flickering is noticeable while moving. To overcome these difficulties, filtering (usually Bi- or tri-linear) is applied.

Bilinear filtering is a method of removing image distortions. When the object rotates or moves slowly, pixels may jump from one place to another, which causes flicker. To reduce this effect, bilinear filtering uses a weighted average of four adjacent texture pixels to display a surface point.

Trilinear filtering is somewhat more complicated. To obtain each pixel of the image, a weighted average of the results of two levels of bilinear filtering is taken. The resulting image will be even clearer and less flickering.

The textures that form the surface of an object change their appearance depending on the change in the distance from the object to the position of the viewer's eyes. In a moving image, for example, as the object moves away from the viewer, the texture bitmap should decrease in size along with the size of the rendered object. In order to perform this transformation, the GPU converts the texture bitmaps down to the appropriate size to cover the surface of the object, but the image must remain natural, i.e. the object must not deform in an unexpected way.

To avoid unexpected changes, most graphics management processes create a series of pre-filtered, reduced-resolution texture bitmaps, a process called mip mapping . Then, the graphics program automatically determines which texture to use based on the details of the image that is already displayed. Accordingly, if the object is reduced in size, the size of its texture bitmap is also reduced.

But back to our racing car. The road itself already looks realistic, but problems are observed with its edges! Remember how a line drawn on the screen that is not parallel to its edge looks like. Here and at our road there are "torn edges". And to combat this drawback, the image is used.

torn edges		Smooth edges

This is a way of processing (interpolating) pixels to get sharper edges (borders) of an image (object). The most commonly used technique is to create a smooth transition from the line or edge color to the background color. The color of a point lying on the boundary of objects is determined as the average of the colors of two boundary points. However, in some cases, a side effect of anti-aliasing is blurring the edges.

We are approaching the key point in the functioning of all 3D algorithms. Let's assume that the track our racing car is driving on is surrounded by a large number of various objects - buildings, trees, people.
Here, the main problem for the 3D processor is how to determine which of the objects are in the field of view, and how they are lit. Moreover, knowing what is visible at the moment is not enough. It is necessary to have information about the relative position of objects. To solve this problem, a technique called z-buffering is used. This is the most reliable method for removing hidden surfaces. The so-called z-buffer stores the depth values ​​of all pixels (z-coordinates). When a new pixel is calculated (rendered), its depth is compared with the values ​​stored in the z-buffer, and more specifically with the depths of already rendered pixels with the same x and y coordinates. If the new pixel has a depth value greater than any value in the z-buffer, the new pixel is not written to the display buffer, if it is less than it is.

Z-buffering in hardware implementation greatly increases performance. However, the z-buffer takes up large amounts of memory: for example, even at a resolution of 640x480, a 24-bit z-buffer will take up about 900 KB. This memory must also be installed on the 3D graphics card.

The resolution of the z-buffer is its most important attribute. It is critical for high-quality display of scenes with great depth. The higher the resolution, the higher the discreteness of the z-coordinates and the more accurate the rendering of distant objects. If there is not enough resolution when rendering, then it may happen that two overlapping objects will receive the same z-coordinate, as a result, the equipment will not know which object is closer to the observer, which can cause image distortion.
To avoid these effects, professional boards have a 32-bit z-buffer and are equipped with large amounts of memory.

In addition to the above basics, 3D graphics cards usually have the ability to play some additional features. For example, if you drove your racing car into the sand, the view would be obstructed by the rising dust. To implement these and similar effects, fogging is used. This effect is created by combining blended computer color pixels with a fog color, controlled by a function that determines the fog depth. Using the same algorithm, distant objects are immersed in haze, creating the illusion of distance.

The real world consists of transparent, translucent and opaque objects. To take this circumstance into account, alpha blending is used - a method of transmitting information about the transparency of translucent objects. The translucency effect is created by combining the color of the original pixel with the pixel already in the buffer.
As a result, the dot color is a combination of the foreground and background colors. Typically, alpha has a normalized value between 0 and 1 for each color pixel. New pixel = (alpha)(color of pixel A) + (1 - alpha)(color of pixel B).

Obviously, in order to create a realistic picture of what is happening on the screen, frequent updating of its contents is necessary. When forming each next frame, the 3D accelerator goes through the entire counting path again, so it must have considerable speed. But in 3D graphics, other methods are used to make motion smoother. The key one is Double Buffering .
Imagine the old trick of animators drawing a cartoon character on the corners of a stack of paper, with a slightly different position on each next sheet. Scrolling through the entire stack, bending the corner, we will see the smooth movement of our hero. Almost the same principle of operation has Double Buffering in 3D animation, i.e. the character's next position is already drawn before the current page is flipped. Without the use of double buffering, the image will not have the required smoothness, i.e. will be intermittent. Double buffering requires two areas reserved in the 3D graphics card's framebuffer; both areas must match the size of the image displayed on the screen. The method uses two buffers to receive an image: one for displaying the image, the other for rendering. While the contents of one buffer are being rendered, another is being rendered. When the next frame is processed, the buffers are switched (swapped). Thus, the player sees an excellent picture all the time.

In conclusion of the discussion of the algorithms used in 3D graphics accelerators, let's try to figure out how the application of all effects separately allows you to get a complete picture. 3D graphics are implemented using a multi-stage mechanism called a rendering pipeline.
The use of pipeline processing makes it possible to further speed up the execution of calculations due to the fact that calculations for the next object can be started before the completion of the calculations of the previous one.

The rendering pipeline can be divided into 2 stages: geometry processing and rasterization.

At the first stage of geometric processing, coordinate transformation (rotation, translation and scaling of all objects), cutting off invisible parts of objects, lighting calculation, determining the color of each vertex taking into account all light sources and the process of dividing the image into smaller shapes are performed. To describe the nature of the surface of an object, it is divided into various polygons.
The division into triangles and quadrilaterals is most often used when displaying graphical objects, since they are the easiest to calculate and manipulate. In this case, the coordinates of objects are converted from real to integer representation to speed up calculations.

At the second stage, all the described effects are applied to the image in the following sequence: removal of hidden surfaces, overlaying textures with perspective (using a z-buffer), applying fog and translucency effects, anti-aliasing. After that, the next point is considered ready to be placed in the buffer from the next frame.

From all of the above, you can understand for what purposes the memory installed on the 3D accelerator board is used. It stores textures, z-buffer and next frame buffers. When using the PCI bus, you cannot use ordinary RAM for these purposes, since the performance of the video card will be significantly limited by the bus bandwidth. That is why the advancement of the AGP bus is especially promising for the development of 3D graphics, which makes it possible to connect the 3D chip to the processor directly and thereby organize a fast data exchange with the RAM. This solution, moreover, should reduce the cost of 3D accelerators due to the fact that only a little memory for the frame buffer will remain on the board.

Conclusion

The widespread introduction of 3D graphics has caused an increase in the power of computers without any significant increase in their price. Users are stunned by the possibilities and eager to try them on their computers. Many new 3D maps allow users to see real-time 3D graphics on their home computers. These new accelerators allow you to add realism to images and accelerate graphics output bypassing the CPU, relying on their own hardware capabilities.

Although the 3D capabilities are currently only used in games, it is expected that business applications will also be able to benefit from them in the future. For example, computer-aided design already needs to output three-dimensional objects. Now creation and design will be possible on a personal computer thanks to the opportunities that are opening up. 3D graphics may also change the way humans interact with computers. The use of 3D software interfaces should make the process of communicating with a computer even easier than at present.

3D modeling and visualization are essential in the production of products or their packaging, as well as in the creation of prototypes of products and the creation of volumetric animation.

Thus, 3D modeling and visualization services are provided when:

• an assessment of the physical and technical features of the product is needed even before it is created in the original size, material and configuration;
• it is necessary to create a 3D model of the future interior.

In such cases, you will definitely have to resort to the services of specialists in the field of 3D modeling and visualization.

3D models- an integral part of high-quality presentations and technical documentation, as well as - the basis for creating a product prototype. The peculiarity of our company is the ability to carry out a full cycle of work to create a realistic 3D object: from modeling to prototyping. Since all work can be carried out in a complex, this significantly reduces the time and cost of finding contractors and setting new technical tasks.

When it comes to a product, we will help you to release its trial series and establish further production, small-scale or industrial scale.

Definition of the concepts "3D modeling" and "visualization"

3D graphics or 3D modeling- computer graphics, which combines the techniques and tools necessary to create three-dimensional objects in a technical space.

Techniques should be understood as methods of forming a three-dimensional graphic object - calculating its parameters, drawing a "skeleton" or a three-dimensional non-detailed form; extrusion, building up and cutting out parts, etc.

And under the tools - professional programs for 3D modeling. First of all - SolidWork, ProEngineering, 3DMAX, as well as some other programs for volumetric visualization of objects and space.

Volume rendering is the creation of a two-dimensional raster image based on a constructed 3d model. At its core, this is the most realistic image of a three-dimensional graphic object.

Applications of 3D modeling:

• Advertising and marketing

Three-dimensional graphics are indispensable for the presentation of the future product. In order to start production, you need to draw and then create a 3D model of the object. And, already on the basis of a 3D model, using rapid prototyping technologies (3D printing, milling, silicone mold casting, etc.), a realistic prototype (sample) of the future product is created.

After rendering (3D visualization), the resulting image can be used in the development of packaging design or in the creation of outdoor advertising, POS materials and exhibition stand design.

• urban planning

With the help of three-dimensional graphics, the most realistic modeling of urban architecture and landscapes is achieved - at minimal cost. Visualization of building architecture and landscape design allows investors and architects to feel the effect of being in the designed space. That allows you to objectively assess the merits of the project and eliminate the shortcomings.

• Industry

Modern production cannot be imagined without pre-production modeling of products. With the advent of 3D technologies, manufacturers have been able to significantly save materials and reduce financial costs for engineering design. With 3D modeling, graphic designers create 3D images of parts and objects that can then be used to create molds and object prototypes.

• Computer games

3D technology has been used in the creation of computer games for more than a decade. In professional programs, experienced specialists manually draw 3D landscapes, character models, animate created 3D objects and characters, and also create concept art (concept designs).

• Cinema

The entire modern film industry focuses on 3D cinema. For such filming, special cameras are used that can shoot in 3D. In addition, with the help of three-dimensional graphics for the film industry, individual objects and full-fledged landscapes are created.

• Architecture and interior design

The technology of 3D modeling in architecture has long established itself from the best side. Today, the creation of a three-dimensional model of a building is an indispensable attribute of design. Based on the 3d model, you can create a prototype of the building. Moreover, both a prototype that repeats only the general outlines of the building, and a detailed prefabricated model of the future building.

As for interior design, with the help of 3d-modeling technology, the customer can see how his home or office space will look like after the repair.

• Animation

With the help of 3D graphics, you can create an animated character, "make" him move, and also, by designing complex animation scenes, create a full-fledged animated video.

Stages of 3D model development

The development of a 3D model is carried out in several stages:

1. Modeling or creating model geometry

We are talking about creating a three-dimensional geometric model, without taking into account the physical properties of the object. The methods used are:

• extrusion;
• modifiers;
• polygonal modeling;
• rotation.

2. Texturing an object

The level of realism of the future model directly depends on the choice of materials when creating textures. Professional programs for working with three-dimensional graphics are practically unlimited in their possibilities for creating a realistic picture.

3. Setting up lights and viewpoints

One of the most difficult steps in creating a 3D model. Indeed, the realistic perception of the image directly depends on the choice of the tone of light, the level of brightness, sharpness and depth of shadows. In addition, it is necessary to select an observation point for the object. This can be a bird's-eye view or scaling the space to achieve the effect of being in it - by choosing a view of the object from a human height.+

4. 3D visualization or rendering

The final stage of 3D modeling. It consists in detailing the display settings of the 3D model. That is, the addition of graphic special effects, such as glare, fog, radiance, etc. In the case of video rendering, the exact parameters of the 3D animation of characters, details, landscapes, etc. are determined. (time of color differences, glow, etc.).

At the same stage, visualization settings are detailed: the required number of frames per second and the extension of the final video are selected (for example, DivX, AVI, Cinepak, Indeo, MPEG-1, MPEG-4, MPEG-2, WMV, etc.). If it is necessary to obtain a two-dimensional raster image, the format and resolution of the image is determined, mainly JPEG, TIFF or RAW.

5. post-production

Process captured images and videos with media editors - Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Premier Pro (or Final Cut Pro / Sony Vegas), GarageBand, Imovie, Adobe After Effects Pro, Adobe Illustrator, Samplitude, SoundForge, Wavelab, etc.

Post-production is to give media files original visual effects, the purpose of which is to excite the mind of a potential consumer: to impress, arouse interest and be remembered for a long time!

3D modeling in the foundry

In the foundry industry, 3D modeling is gradually becoming an indispensable technological component of the product creation process. If we are talking about casting into metal molds, then 3D models of such molds are created using 3D modeling technologies, as well as 3D prototyping.

But no less popular today is gaining molding in silicone molds. In this case, 3D modeling and visualization will help you create a prototype of an object, on the basis of which a mold will be made of silicone or other material (wood, polyurethane, aluminum, etc.).

3D visualization methods (rendering)

1. Rasterization.

One of the simplest rendering methods. When using it, additional visual effects (for example, the color and shadow of the object relative to the viewpoint) are not taken into account.

2. Raycasting.

A 3D model is viewed from a certain, predetermined point - from a human height, a bird's eye view, etc. Rays are sent from the point of view, which determine the chiaroscuro of the object when it is viewed in the usual 2D format.

3. Ray tracing.

This rendering method means that, when it hits a surface, the ray is divided into three components: reflected, shadow and refracted. Actually, this forms the color of the pixel. In addition, the realism of the image directly depends on the number of divisions.

4. Path tracing.

One of the most difficult 3D visualization methods. When using this 3D rendering method, the propagation of light rays is as close as possible to the physical laws of light propagation. This is what ensures the high realism of the final image. It should be noted that this method is resource intensive.

Our company will provide you with a full range of services in the field of 3D modeling and visualization. We have all the technical capabilities to create 3D models of varying complexity. We also have extensive experience in 3d visualization and modeling, which you can see for yourself by examining our portfolio, or our other works not yet presented on the site (on request).

Brand agency KOLORO will provide you with services for the production of a trial series of products or its small-scale production. To do this, our specialists will create the most realistic 3D model of the object you need (packaging, logo, character, 3D sample of any product, mold, etc.), on the basis of which a product prototype will be created. The cost of our work directly depends on the complexity of the 3D modeling object and is discussed on an individual basis.

As mentioned above, computer graphics can be divided into three main categories according to the ways in which images are described: raster, vector, and three-dimensional graphics. Among two-dimensional graphics, pixel and fractal graphics stand out in a special way. 3D, CGI and infographics also require separate consideration.

Pixel graphics

The term "pixel art" pixel ) means a form of digital image created on a computer using a raster graphics editor, where the image is edited at the pixel (dot) level, and the resolution of the image is so small that individual pixels are clearly visible.

It is a common misconception that any drawing made using raster editors is pixel art. This is not true, pixel image differs from the usual raster technology - manual editing of the picture pixel by pixel. Therefore, a pixel art is characterized by its small size, limited color palette, and (usually) lack of anti-aliasing.

Pixel graphics use only the simplest tools of raster graphics editors, such as Pencil, Line (line) or Fill (color fill). Pixel graphics are reminiscent of mosaics and cross-stitch or beadwork, as the pattern is made up of small colored elements, similar to the pixels of modern monitors.

fractal graphics

A fractal is an object formed from irregular separate parts that are similar to the whole object. Since a more detailed description of elements of a smaller scale occurs according to a simple algorithm, such an object can be described with just a few mathematical equations.

Rice. 8.5.

Fractal graphics are indispensable for creating artificial mountains, clouds, sea waves. Thanks to fractals, complex objects are easily depicted, the images of which are similar to natural ones. Fractals allow you to describe entire classes of images, for a detailed description of which requires relatively little memory (Fig. 8.5). On the other hand, fractals are poorly applicable to images outside of these classes.

3D graphics

Three-dimensional graphics (3D - from English. 3 Dimensions - three dimensions) - three dimensions of the image) - a section of computer graphics, a set of techniques and tools (both software and hardware) designed to depict three-dimensional objects (Fig. 8.6).

Rice. 8.6.

3D image on a plane differs from a two-dimensional one in that it involves the construction of a geometric projection of a three-dimensional scene model onto a plane (for example, a computer screen) using specialized programs (however, with the creation and implementation of 3D -displays and 3D -3D graphics printers do not necessarily include projection onto a plane). In this case, the model can either correspond to objects from the real world (cars, buildings, a hurricane, an asteroid), or be completely abstract (a projection of a four-dimensional fractal).

3D modeling is the process of creating a three-dimensional model of an object. A task 3D - modeling - to develop a three-dimensional image of the desired object. With the help of three-dimensional graphics, you can create an exact copy of a particular object, and develop a new, even unrealistic representation of an object that never existed.

3D graphics operates on objects in 3D space. Usually the results are a flat picture, a projection. Three-dimensional computer graphics is widely used in television, cinema, computer games and the design of printed products.

Three-dimensional graphics is actively used to create images on the plane of the screen or printed sheet in science and industry (for example, in computer-aided design work (CAD) systems); for the creation of solid elements: buildings, machine parts, mechanisms), architectural visualization (this includes the so-called "virtual archeology"), in modern medical imaging systems.

3D graphics usually deals with a virtual, imaginary three-dimensional space that is displayed on a flat, two-dimensional surface of a display or sheet of paper. Any image on the monitor, due to the plane of the latter, becomes a raster image, since the monitor is a matrix, it consists of columns and rows. Three-dimensional graphics exist only in our imagination - what we see on the monitor is a projection of a three-dimensional figure, and we ourselves create the space. Thus, visualization of graphics can be only raster and vector, and the visualization method is only a raster (a set of pixels), the way the image is specified depends on the number of these pixels.

Currently, there are several methods for displaying three-dimensional information in a three-dimensional form, although most of them represent three-dimensional characteristics rather conditionally, since they work with a stereo image. From this area, stereo glasses, virtual helmets, 3D displays capable of showing a three-dimensional image.

-graphic arts

The term "CGI graphics" computer generated imagery stands for computer generated images) stands for still and moving images generated by 3D computer graphics and used in the visual arts, printing, cinematic special effects, television and simulations. Computer games typically use real-time computer graphics, but CGI-based in-game videos are also periodically added.

Moving images are created by computer animation, which is a narrower area of ​​​​CGI graphics, which is also applicable in cinema, where it allows you to create effects that cannot be obtained using traditional makeup and animatronics. Computer animation can replace the work of stuntmen and extras, as well as scenery.

infographics

The term "infographics" (from lat. information- awareness, clarification, presentation; and others - Greek. graphics - written, from grapho - I write) denote a graphical way of presenting information, data and knowledge.

The range of application of infographics is huge - geography, journalism, education, statistics, technical texts. It helps not only organize large amounts of information, but also more clearly show the relationship of objects and facts in time and space, as well as demonstrate trends.

Infographics can be called any combination of text and graphics created with the intention of telling a particular story, conveying a particular fact. Infographics work where you need to show the device and algorithm of something, the relationship of objects and facts in time and space, demonstrate a trend, show what it looks like, organize large amounts of information.

An infographic is a visual representation of information. Used where complex information needs to be presented quickly and clearly.

• Animatronics - a technique used in cinematography, animation, computer modeling to create special effects of moving artificial parts of the body of a person, animal or other objects.

Many different applications are used to create computer graphics. Conventionally, they can be divided into the following groups:

• Programs for digital sculpting (Pixologic ZBrush, Autodesk Mudbox).
• Game engines (Unreal Engine 4, Unity 5, CryEngine 3).
• Highly specialized applications, "sharpened" for specific tasks (fluid animation - RealFlow, texture creation - Mari, etc.).
• Universal 3D editors (Cinema 4D, 3Ds Max, Maya, Houidini, etc.).

The first three groups will be discussed in the following articles. And today we offer an overview of universal 3D editors (Full 3D Suites).

Universal 3D editors, as a rule, contain everything you need for CG: modeling, animation and visualization tools.

To the questions: “Which of the packages is the best? What to choose?" there are no correct answers. The choice of a tool depends on many factors: personal preferences of a CG artist, goals, financial capabilities, etc.

• program functionality;
• ease of use (intuitive interface, etc.);
• availability, price.

Most specialists use several programs at once in their work: some things are easier and faster to do in third-party applications (detailing, post-processing, simulation, etc.). So don't limit yourself to just one package. Moreover, the choice of tools today is simply huge.

The most popular 3D packages:

3 Ds Max

3D Max- "pioneer" among 3D editors, a very popular tool, # 1 choice of many beginners and advanced professionals. Occupies a leading position in the field of design and architectural visualization. Often used in the gaming industry.

Capabilities:

• modeling based on polygons, splines and NURBS,
• powerful particle system,
• hair/wool module,
• advanced Shader FX shaders,
• support for new and improved Iray and mental ray engines.
• crowd animation,
• import from Revit and SketchUp,
• compositing integration.

And much more.

Pros: huge functionality, a lot of plugins and training information.

Minuses: not so easy to learn, the “old-timer” needs serious updates.

Autodesk Maya

Maya- the industry standard for 3D graphics in film and television. Maya is popular among large studios and large-scale projects in advertising, cinema, and the gaming industry. The package is ideal for creating animations.

Capabilities:

• a complete set of tools for NURBS- and polygonal modeling;
• powerful general and character animation tools;
• advanced system of particles;
• Maya Fur technology (creation of fur, hair, grass);
• Maya Fluid Effects technology (simulation of liquids, atmosphere);
• a wide range of tools for creating dynamic special effects;
• UV textures, normals and color coding;
• multiprocessor flexible rendering.

Pros: great functionality and possibilities.

Minuses: long and complex training, high system requirements, high price.

Cinema 4 D

Cinema 4 D- one of the best and most convenient 3D packages to date. Huge functionality: from modeling, animation, effects to "sculpting" and the BodyPaint 3D module. It has a more understandable and user-friendly interface than 3Ds Max and Maya. Widely used in motion design, film industry and advertising.

Capabilities:

• polygonal and NURBS modeling;
• BodyPaint 3D (module for creating UV and texture maps);
• generation and animation of objects;
• character animation;
• dynamics of soft and rigid bodies;
• module for creating realistic hair;
• particle system Thinking Particles;
• good built-in visualizer.

Pros: easy to learn, intuitive interface, excellent functionality, lots of tutorials, close connection with Adobe After Effects, Houdini, etc.

Minuses: bad system of transition between versions.

Modo

Modo- a complete product for modeling, drawing, animation and visualization. Also includes sculpting and texture painting tools. Due to its ease of use and high performance, Modo has a reputation as one of the fastest modeling tools. Modo is popular in advertising, game development, special effects, and architectural visualization.

Capabilities:

• polygonal and SDS modeling;
• modern animation tools;
• dynamics of rigid and soft bodies;
• drawing system;
• Fur material (fur) for creating hair, grass and fur;
• modeling tools;
• fast and high-quality visualization.

Pros: powerful and understandable toolkit, high performance.

Minuses: not enough information.

side effects Houdini

Houdini- a powerful professional package for working with 3D graphics, it is based on a procedural, node system. Houdini is ideal for creating complex dynamics, simulations: particles, fluids, smoke, fire, natural phenomena, etc. It is also a great tool for creating impressive visual effects. Houdini's main area of ​​application is the film industry.

Capabilities:

• polygonal and NURBS modeling,
• animation (key, procedural),
• character animation,
• particle system,
• dynamics of rigid and soft bodies, tissues, wool/hair, gases and liquids,
• surround sound work
• powerful render engine Mantra,
• built-in compositing tool.

Pros: high quality special effects and animation.

Minuses: little information, high price.

soft image

soft image(Autodesk Softimage, formerly Softimage/XSI) is a 3D animation and visual effects software for the game industry, film and television.

Softimage had one of the best animation systems out there. Thanks to the unique ICE system (Interactive Creative Environment - a visual programming platform based on nodes), the package offered wide functionality, flexibility, high performance and quality.

Capabilities:

• powerful polygonal and procedural modeling in the ICE environment;
• physics and dynamics of particles and geometry;
• non-linear animation;
• Autodesk Face Robot facial animation tools;
• built-in MentalRay.

In 2008, Autodesk bought Softimage from Avid for $35 million. In 2015, Autodesk announced that it was no longer selling licenses for Softimage and effectively got rid of one of the strongest players in the market. The official website suggests switching to 3Ds Max or Maya.

LightWave

Lightwave 3D is a 3D animation and visual effects tool from NewNek. It has long been the industry standard in film and television.

From dynamic modeling, character animation, visual effects to game development and architectural visualization, the new and enhanced LightWave 2015 package offers a wealth of possibilities.

Capabilities:

• intuitive dual interface (modeler and layout);
• powerful polygonal modeling;
• advanced animation system;
• particle system;
• Genoma 2 character equipment system;
• improved rendering;
• interactive dynamic inheritance (Interactive Dynamic Parenting);
• flexible Bullet Dynamics system;

Pros: huge functionality, convenient dual interface.

Minuses: not so popular in our country and the CIS countries, there is little information.

Blender

The only free 3D package on the list, which is almost as functional as paid applications. Blender includes tools for 3D modeling, animation, and a range of options for creating games, visual effects, and sculpting. A great alternative to "monsters" 3D animation. Thanks to the support of the Blender Foundation, the program is developing very quickly and steadily.

Capabilities:

• polygonal modeling, splines, NURBS curves and surfaces;
• sculpting mode;
• particle system;
• dynamics of rigid and soft bodies: liquid, wool/hair, etc.;
• skeletal animation;
• built-in rendering engines and integration with third-party renderers;
• video editor;
• functions for creating games and applications (Game Blender).

Pros: accessibility, open source, cross-platform, small size (about 50 megabytes), wide functionality, the ability to create games.

Minuses: lack of documentation in the basic delivery.

So, in short:

• 3D Max- computer games, interiors, visualization.
• Maya- animation, film industry, television, clips.
• Cinema 4D- special effects in film and television, motion design, advertising.
• Modo- advertising, games, special effects in movies.
• Houdini- visual programming, special effects in cinema.
• soft image- animation and special effects in cinema, television, games.
• LightWave- special effects in film and television.
• Blender- character animation, game creation.

In conclusion, I would like to note: a 3D editor is just a tool, the potential of which can only be revealed by the designer himself, the CG artist. Having mastered one package to the full, it will not be difficult to study others.

Good luck with your studies and work!

Three-dimensional graphics do not necessarily include projection onto a plane.....

Encyclopedic YouTube

1 / 5

✪ Theory of 3D Graphics, lesson 01 - Introduction to 3D Graphics

✪ Computer graphics in cinema

✪ Lecture 1 | Computer graphics | Vitaly Galinsky | Lectorium

✪ 12 - Computer graphics. Basic concepts of computer graphics

✪ Lecture 4 | Computer graphics | Vitaly Galinsky | Lectorium

Subtitles

Application

Three-dimensional graphics is actively used to create images on the plane of a screen or a sheet of printed products in science and industry, for example, in automation systems for design work (CAD; for creating solid elements: buildings, machine parts, mechanisms), architectural visualization (this includes the so-called "virtual archeology"), in modern medical imaging systems.

The widest application is in many modern computer games, as well as an element of cinematography, television, and printed products.

3D graphics usually deals with a virtual, imaginary three-dimensional space that is displayed on a flat, two-dimensional surface of a display or sheet of paper. Currently, there are several methods for displaying three-dimensional information in a three-dimensional form, although most of them represent three-dimensional characteristics rather conditionally, since they work with a stereo image. From this area, stereo glasses, virtual helmets, 3D displays capable of demonstrating a three-dimensional image can be noted. Several manufacturers demonstrated 3D displays ready for mass production. However, 3D displays still do not allow you to create a full-fledged physical, tangible copy of a mathematical model created by 3D graphics methods. Rapid prototyping technologies, which have been developing since the 1990s, fill this gap. It should be noted that rapid prototyping technologies use the representation of a mathematical model of an object in the form of a solid body (voxel model).

Creation

To obtain a three-dimensional image on a plane, the following steps are required:

• modeling- creation of a three-dimensional mathematical model of the scene and objects in it;
• texturing- assigning raster or procedural textures to the surfaces of models (it also implies setting the properties of materials - transparency, reflections, roughness, etc.);
• lighting- installation and configuration;
• animation(in some cases) - giving movement to objects;
• dynamic simulation(in some cases) - automatic calculation of the interaction of particles, hard / soft bodies, etc. with the simulated forces of gravity, wind, buoyancy, etc., as well as with each other;
• rendering(visualization) - building a projection in accordance with the selected physical model;
• compositing(layout) - finalization of the image;
• outputting the resulting image to an output device - a display or a special printer.

Modeling

The most popular purely modeling packages are:

• Robert McNeel & Assoc. Rhinoceros 3D ;

To create a three-dimensional model of a person or creature, Sculpture can be used as a prototype (in most cases).

Texturing

sketch up

Visualization of three-dimensional graphics in games and applications

There are a number of software libraries for rendering 3D graphics in application programs - DirectX, OpenGL, and so on.

There are a number of approaches to presenting 3D graphics in games - full 3D, pseudo-3D.

Such packages do not even always allow the user to operate a 3D model directly, for example, there is an OpenSCAD package in which the model is formed by executing a user-generated script written in a specialized language.

3D displays

Three-dimensional or stereoscopic displays, (3D displays, 3D screens) - displays, through stereoscopic or any other effect, creating the illusion of real volume in the displayed images.

Currently, the vast majority of 3D images are shown using the stereoscopic effect, which is the easiest to implement, although the use of stereoscopy alone cannot be called sufficient for three-dimensional perception. The human eye, both in pairs and alone, equally well distinguishes three-dimensional objects from flat images [ ] .