Earth scientist have long sought ways to better understand the earth and its processes. Many have wished to improve life through a deeper knowledge of how the world functions. Their struggle has been difficult at times, made more so by inadequate models to test theories and hypothesis. The rise of 3D modelling software over the past thirty years has helped make these endeavors simpler.
This type of computer programming falls under the broad category of computer graphics. This field came into existence during the nineteen sixties. A design engineer, working in the field of aviation, used a computer to create a graphical representation for the first time. Other innovations soon followed. The first video game was created in nineteen hundred sixty one. Advances in computers during the rest of that decade led to more powerful computers. During the nineteen seventies, the field began to change. The use of graphical monitors began to spread. New storage mediums were invented. People began to use computers to process images.
During the nineteen eighties, computers became powerful enough to created three dimensional images. A new type of program arose, one that created these images. The first generation of these programs were slow and cumbersome. The computers that they ran on tended to be very large and expensive, owned and operated by large institutions. During this decade, however, computing power increased at an incredible pace.
The nineteen nineties gave rise to personal computers that were beginning to rival even the supercomputers of just a few years before. These machines were finally robust enough to handle the demands required by 3d imaging packages. These programs were still not very user friendly, however, and required a great deal of study and dedication to learn.
After the turn of the twenty first century, off-the-shelf computers could be upgraded enough to manage these packages. For the first time, many people could afford a system capable to run these programs. Many modeling packages were developed and released. Some were intended for large scale projects, such as film making. These massive packages can require many hundreds of gigabytes of memory and extensive random access memory capacity. On the other hand, a number of programs were designed for more mundane tasks. Almost of all of these latter ones can run on nearly any modern computer.
Most modeling packages follow the same work flow. An idea is conceived and quantified for complexity. Simple models and scenes are often first created using primitive shapes, such as a cube or sphere. These primitives are then modified through a process which converts them to what 3d modelers call a mesh. A mesh is created by dividing an object's surface up into interconnecting lines. Points at the intersections are called vertices (or singly a vertex.) 3d artists, using a computer mouse, can click on these points to select them. Each selected point can be moved about either using keyboard commands or using the click and drag method with their mouse. More complex models can be created using a wire frame method of modeling. The most robust of these packages can even created models using a special class of splines. A spline is a mathematical model of a curved line. Some of these advanced programs also include special particle system generators for creating smoke effects, clouds, and water.
Once a model is formed and shaped, a 3d artist will then add the final touches to the image. Various colors can be assigned to surfaces. Textures from outside images can be mapped to corresponding points on the model. The model is now complete. However, before a model can be seen, a light source must be indicated. These programs calculate the effects of lighting and apply highlights and shadows to complete the illusion of 3d space. Animation sequences are created through a series of key frames or important points of change. A camera point of view is assigned so that the computer can render the image.
3D modelling software is a feat of engineering and computational power. The number of calculations required to create a 3d scene can be mind boggling. However, the results can be quite stunning and very realistic. This allows scientists, as well as a host of other disciplines, to use them to discover solutions to problems that would not be possible otherwise.
Published At: Isnare.com
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