On 3 February 1986, the late Steve Jobs of Apple was quoted in a press release announcing that he had bought a ‘start-up’ company called Pixar, which had begun as a division of Lucasfilm. “Image computing will explode during the next few years,” Jobs said.
Look at the credits on the poster for Lucasfilm’s Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace and you’ll see a notable credit: visual effects and animation by Industrial Light & Magic. That was a sign of intent: to recognise these disciplines had reached a critical mass. To paraphrase George Lucas, speaking in the late 90s, VFX had established its move from the aesthetics and processes of optical photography to that of painting digitally.
Jobs’ prediction proved true. Along with the deep impact of ‘image computing’ (AKA digital), the brave new world proved incredibly fast-moving. It’s worth noting, however, that 1986 did not initiate the digital era. For that we need to look back to 1972 when computer scientists Ed Catmull and Fred Parke worked on what was to become a watershed in filmmaking and, more specifically, animation. They had constructed an image of a digital hand and animated it in simple but compelling ways so a finger was flexed.
First, a clay model of Catmull’s left hand was made and marked up into polygons drawn directly onto the model. These polygons of intersecting lines were then scanned into the computer, creating a mesh version of the hand. It’s the earliest rendered 3D animation, and the short film presents this realisation and also includes images of a digitally rendered human face. It indicates, too, the possibility of applying the technology and new creativity to the world of medicine.
Denne historien er fra July 2023-utgaven av 3D World UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra July 2023-utgaven av 3D World UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
CGI creatures
Leading film creatives pick the VFX animals that have inspired them
Creating photorealistic visuals for Shōgun
The digital matte painting team at Goodbye Kansas Studios embrace a collaborative approach for the environments in Disney's miniseries
FaceBuilder
PRICE £18/$23 monthly / £180/$230 annual COMPANY Keen Tools WEBSITE keentools.io
Mars 4 Ultra
Elegoo has created quite the name for itself within the 3D printing community, with a loyal band of users singing the praises of its machines from the Mars range to the Saturn series, and also the quality of its resins.
Revodok Max 213
Although a new computer or the latest GPU are the obvious contenders for your cash, there are things that will offer big benefits even if they don’t have the same initial appeal, and a good dock is one of these.
DESIGN CHARACTERS INSPIRED BY HISTORY
Marco Teixeira explores a personal piece that resonates with Brazilian culture and influences to create an appealing portrait
HOW DO I MASTER MATERIALS IN KEYSHOT?
One of the best things about KeyShot is its ability to create and render realistic materials. When paired with beautiful lighting, product visualisations take on a whole new level of believability. When it comes to materials, KeyShot isn’t quite as advanced as some other rendering packages, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t still able to create some killer materials.
HOW DO I MAKE A REALISTIC JELLY MATERIAL IN BLENDER?
This issue’s Q&A is a real sweet treat, as I’m going to show you how to prepare a realistic jelly material in Blender – you’ll have to provide the strawberries and cream yourself though! This is a relatively straightforward procedural recipe and can be done in three quick minutes.
CRAFT UNIQUE MARIO FAN ART WITH A TEAM
Pejman Rajabi explains how his crew of expert artists put their own twist on a classic video game character
BLEND BUILDINGS AND NATURE IN A PEACEFUL SCENE
Find out how Navid Ahmadi combines a selection of assets from BlenderKit to create an awe-inspiring forest setting