Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
FIGURE 4.19
Screen grab from OpenSim virtually showing an example of 3D design with a variety of density and
opacity in its composition.
4.4.10 d
ensiTy
/o
paCiTy
C
onTrasTs
Density
is deined in the
Encarta Dictionary
as the “concentration of things within an area in relationship
to the size of that area,” but the word also means the relative transparency of a surface or an atmosphere.
Great quantities of particles in a virtual environment can create dense visual effects like smoke and fog,
and at the virtual shoreline, there is a horizontal line of contrast between a transparent virtual liquid and an
opaque virtual solid. Figure 4.19 shows a 3D design that utilizes elements with varying kinds and degrees
of densit y.
4.4.11 g
raViTaTional
C
onTrasTs
The laws of gravity have a part to play in 3D design. When a 3D design seems to defy these laws, the visitor
will experience things like excitement, anxiety, and possibly fear. In Figure 4.20, you will see some simple
examples of how a stacked form can create gravitational contrast by simply turning it upside down. There
is a sense of stability on one side and instability on the other. In more complex designs, you can incorporate
multiple instances of this kind of contrast to create sophisticated contrast patterns.
4.4.12
s
oCial
C
onTrasT
In some ways, social contrast is related to density, especially when deined in terms of visitor numbers in your
3D environment during an event and afterward. There is also the social contrast between the more popular
versus less-popular destinations in virtual worlds, one region teeming with many avatars next to a region that
is completely empty. As a 3D designer and builder of virtual environments, you should be aware that there
