Graphics Reference
In-Depth Information
But surface modeling software has its own burdens. Graphic animations
need to move smoothly onscreen and look realistic. If light shines on a char-
acter, it must low with the character's movements. Background must pass
by at a correct speed. Keeping track of these tiny details is process called
“rendering.”
High-speed rendering makes for highly realistic video graphics. Rendering
relies on algorithms built into the design software that are run in real time to
move the action along. High-speed rendering makes surface modeling software
into a veritable hog when it comes to consuming computer resources. It's pos-
sible to 3D print designs created with surface modeling software (for example,
3D printing one's video game avatar is a popular application). However, as we
mentioned earlier, just printing a surface shape isn't enough. To adapt surface-
modeling designs for 3D printing involves some extra steps.
In reality, most modern design tools can do both a bit of solid modeling and
surface modeling. It's fairly easy to convert a solid model into a surface model
by generating a virtual ishing net, or mesh, for the design object. However,
going from a mesh into a solid model is more challenging. It's relatively easy
to go from music notes to MP3 sound ile, but the other way round is dificult.
Many scientiic careers have been spent trying to solve this problem, but it
remains a computationally hard nut to crack.
Design it or scan it?
Optical scans are an increasingly popular way to capture physical objects in
digital form. Not too long ago, scanning something meant scanning a printed
paper document or photograph to turn it into a digital ile. Today, people scan
building facades for an architectural project or use an MRI to scan an aching
elbow to look for signs of a sprained ligament.
Scan data also captures the shape and dimensions of the physical world in
a set of three-dimensional coordinates. Scan data lies somewhere between the
primitive shapes of solid modeling software and the imaginary ishing net that
wraps up digital objects in surface modeling software. Imagine if you doused
