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GLOSSARY THE WORLD OF 3D HAS ITS OWN UNIQUE JARGON.
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HERE ARE CONCISE DEFINITIONS OF SOME OF THE MAIN TECHNICAL TERMS YOU MAY ENCOUNTER
workspace. This enables the artist to would be the shifting patterns of Colour Space Co-ordinate System
move around the workspace without light and shade cast on the floor of A mathematical method for defining A set of numerical values used to
disturbing the camera view. a swimming pool on a sunny day. the way in which colour is represented denote a location in 3D space. In the
Rendering software has only recently within an image. Common colour Cartesian co-ordinate system, three
Camera Mapping become sophisticated enough to spaces include RGB (Red, Green, Blue), orthogonal ‘world axes’ (the X, Y and
A technique by which geometry mimic such complex real-world which has a bit depth of 24, and is Z axes) are used to define the position
matching the size and perspective of lighting effects as caustics. commonly used in broadcast of a point relative to the intersection
objects shown within a still image is applications, and CMYK (Cyan, of these axes, or origin. Other
constructed, and the original image CGI Magenta, Yellow, Black), which has co-ordinate systems can be used for
mapped back onto those objects. Computer Generated Imagery. An a bit depth of 32, and is used for modelling and texture projection.
This permits limited camera image or images created or print illustration work.
movement around the picture, manipulated with the aid of a CV
giving the illusion of a 3D computer. The term is often used to Compositing Control Vertex. A control point
environment from a 2D image. refer specifically to 3D computer The process of combining multiple used to manipulate the shape of a
animation, although it is really more images into a single image. This is NURBS curve.
Camera Move widely applicable. often performed in films to make a
A movement of the virtual camera live actor appear on a computer- Deformer
within a 3D software package Channel generated background, or vice versa. Usually: a modelling tool which
analogous to one in real-world For a two-dimensional image, a It can also be used following deforms the structure of an entire
cinematography. Common camera channel is a sub-image composed multi-pass rendering to combine the object. However, the exact meaning
moves include dollying, in which the only of the values for a single various render passes in different of the term varies from software
camera angle remains fixed, but the component of a given pixel. A ways to control the look of a scene. package to software package.
camera moves towards or away from greyscale image has one colour
the subject; panning, in which the channel, an RGB image has three, Compression Dirt map See: Grime Map
camera position remains fixed, but and a CMYK image has four. When A technique for reducing the
the camera tilts or swivels in any applied to materials, the term refers quantity of data required to make up Displacement Map
direction to follow the action; and to one particular subset of the a digital image. Compression A recent advance on Bump Mapping.
tracking, in which the camera moves properties which determine the way techniques can be non-destructive Like a Bump Map, a Displacement
in a single plane at right angles to in which a surface reacts to light, (‘lossless’) or destructive (‘lossy’), in Map is a black-and-white image that
the area of interest. including colour, reflectivity, which part of the data set is discarded a 3D software package projects over
transparency, diffusion, specularity permanently. Converting still images the surface of a model to generate
Camera Path and bump. into JPEG format is one example of surface detail. Unlike a bump map,
The path in virtual space along which lossy compression. however, a Displacement Map
the camera moves during the course Character Animation modifies the actual underlying
of an animation. A sub-area of animation that deals Constrain geometry and is not merely a
with the simulation of the varied To restrict the motion of an object to rendering effect.
Camera Tracking movements of living creatures. one or two planes, or to a certain
Also known as match moving, Usually, before a character model can range of values within a plane, in DoF
camera tracking is the process of be animated, it must be set up with order to simplify the process of Depth of Field. The depth of field of a
‘extracting’ the motion of the camera an underlying skeleton, constraints animation. Constraints are specific lens is the range of acceptable
in space from a piece of live-action and controllers: this process is known commonly imposed on joints within focus in front of and behind the
footage. This motion data can then as rigging. a skeleton during the process of primary focus setting. It is a function
be imported into a 3D software rigging a character for animation, in not only of the specific lens used but
package and used to animate the Child See: Hierarchy. order to prevent that character from also of the distance from the lens to
virtual camera, in order to better performing actions that would be the primary focal plane, and of the
match the rendered output to that Colour Bleeding physically impossible. chosen aperture. Larger apertures will
of the source footage during the A physical phenomenon by which narrow the depth of field; smaller
compositing process. the colour of one object is seemingly Constructive Solid Geometry apertures will increase it.
transferred to a neighbouring object A modelling technique that
Caustics by light bouncing from one surface combines simple solid forms, or Environment Map
Patches of intense illumination to the other. Like caustics, colour primitives, into more complex An image intended to entirely
caused by the refraction of light bleeding is a complex real-world models, by means of Boolean enclose a scene, either to provide a
through a transparent object or the lighting effect, and one that operations. Common primitives convincing background, or to project
reflection of light from a reflective rendering software has only recently include the plane, the cube, the real-world lighting or reflection data
surface. One common example become able to simulate accurately. sphere, the cone and the torus. onto the surface of an object. >>
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Expression FBX format developed by Kaydara for projected across the surface of an the motion of a child object does not
A mathematical formula used to the interchange of motion data object, it breaks up that channel’s affect that of the parent.
define the value of a given attribute between 3D applications. flat, even value, creating realistic
of an object during animation. surface variations. History
The use of expressions forms a Flythrough A record of the previous values of the
procedural alternative to hand, or A type of animation in which the Group attributes of a 3D scene, enabling an
keyframe, animation. camera moves around a scene, rather A set of sub-objects within a model artist to revert immediately to a
than objects moving in front of a or scene that move and behave as a particular earlier state. The history is
Extrusion stationary camera. single entity, yet can still be split especially valuable during the
A modelling technique in which a apart (ungrouped), if necessary. Most modelling process.
two-dimensional outline or profile is Forward Kinematics complicated models are constructed
duplicated outwards along a linear Often abbreviated to FK, Forward from several less complex parts that Hull
path, and the set of duplicated Kinematics is a character animation need to maintain the same spacing A series of straight lines connecting
profiles joined to create a continuous technique for controlling the motion and orientation; grouping provides the CVs of a NURBS surface.
three-dimensional surface. of the bones in a chain – for example, a way of locking the relative positions
a limb – in which rotations propagate of the objects without joining Image-Based Lighting
Face from bone to bone towards the free them permanently. A technique in which a photographic
The front or back of an extruded end of the chain (in the case of a reference image is used as an
object. The shape from which a limb, towards the hand or foot). GUI environment map to control the
3D object has been extruded. Graphical User Interface. An icon- surface illumination of a 3D object,
Frame based interface that controls a 3D in order to create subtle real-world
Fall-off A still two-dimensional image. In software package. Although the GUI lighting effects.
The way in which the intensity of a computer animation, the term varies from program to program,
light diminishes with the distance ‘frames per second’ (fps) is a there are certain basic conventions In-betweening
from its source. In the real world, the measurement of the number of still governing the layout of the main The generation of intermediate
fall-off of light is governed by the frames displayed in one second to professional 3D applications. transition positions between two
inverse square law, which states that give the impression of a moving keyframes. The term is drawn from
the intensity is inversely proportional image. For film work, this value is Hard-Body Dynamics traditional cel animation, where a
to the square of the distance. usually 24; for the European PAL Also known as rigid-body dynamics, lead artist generates the beginning
However, in 3D software packages, it broadcast format, 25; and for the US hard-body dynamics simulate the and end keyframes of a sequence
is possible to use a variety of different NTSC broadcast format, 30 fps. physical behaviour of rigid objects (typically one second apart), a
mathematical formulae to describe that do not deform upon collision. breakdown artist does the
the relationship. F-Stop See: Aperture breakdowns (typically four frames
Hardware Rendering apart), and an ‘in-betweener’
F-Curve Global Illumination Also known as display rendering, completes the rest.
Function Curve. An F-Curve is A superset of the radiosity and hardware rendering previews a 3D
displayed in the Graph Editor of a raytracing rendering techniques. The scene within the viewports on a 3D Interpolation
3D software package, and is used goal of Global Illumination software package, providing real-time The mathematical procedure by
during the animation process both rendering is to compute all of the on-screen feedback about the effects which a 3D software package
to display and to control the way in possible light interactions between of changes made to that scene, but calculates the in-between positions
which a particular attribute of an surfaces in a given scene, and thus omitting certain processor-intensive between two keyframes.
object varies with time. obtain a truly photorealistic image. effects such as volumetrics,
All combinations of diffuse and shadowing and realistic refraction. Inverse Kinematics
File Format specular reflections and Often abbreviated to IK, Inverse
The format in which the data making transmissions must be accounted for. HDRI Kinematics is a character animation
up a particular 3D object or scene is Effects such as colour bleeding and High Dynamic Range Image. A 2D technique in which the end bone of a
stored. File formats come in two caustics must also be included in a image stored in a file format with a chain - for example, a limb - is
types: object formats, such as the global illumination simulation. greater range of luminance values assigned a goal object. When the goal
LWO format in LightWave or 3DS than a standard bitmap image. HDR object moves, the bone moves with
format in 3ds max, which contain Graph Editor images are often used as it, dragging the rest of the chain
only details of the geometry and The part of the GUI of a 3D software environment maps in image-based behind it. The movement propagates
surface properties of an object; and package where a particular attribute lighting techniques to create subtle, from the free end of the chain
scene formats, such as their LWS and of an object changes over time is real-world lighting effects. towards the fixed point: the reverse
MAX equivalents, which contain displayed graphically, in the form of of Forward Kinematics.
such global information as lighting, an F-Curve. Hierarchy
animation or camera data. The relationship of the sub-objects Isoparm
Other file formats supported by Grime Map within a model or a scene to one Lines on a NURBS surface connecting
most major 3D software packages Also known as ‘dirt maps’, grime another. Sub-objects may exist as points of constant U or V co-ordinate
include the DXF and IGES formats for maps are two-dimensional images parents, children or independents. A values, and representing cross-
CAD and NURBS models, the OBJ applied to a particular channel of a parent object controls the motion of sections of the NURBS surface in the
object format, and the cross-platform material. When the image is all child objects linked to it, although U or V directions.
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manipulated within a 3D scene. Photogrammetry vertices for NURBS curves, or image projected from a slide
Models, lights, particle emitters and Also known as image-based employed as nulls to control lights or projector. There are several common
cameras are all objects. modelling, photogrammetry is the cameras, amongst other functions. projection types, including Planar,
process of generating a fully textured Cubic, Spherical and Cylindrical.
Object file See: File format. 3D model from a series of Polygon Which one is most appropriate
photographs of a real object. A geometry element formed by depends on the type of map being
Origin See: Co-ordinate System, Axis. Although it was once an expensive connecting three or more points. A projected, and the shape of the object
high-end technique, there is now a triangle, or three-point polygon, is it is being projected upon.
Parent See: Hierarchy. range of increasingly inexpensive the simplest form of polygonal
photogrammetry software packages geometry. Polygonal modelling is a Quad view
Patch on the market. fast, intuitive method of creating 3D A method of displaying 3D scenes
An area of a NURBS surface enclosed objects, but does not easily generate adopted by many high-end software
by a span square: the shape created Plane smooth curved surfaces. applications, in which a scene is
by the intersection of four isoparms, A two-dimensional surface in shown simultaneously in Top, Side,
two in the U direction, and two in Cartesian co-ordinate space. Post Processing Front and Perspective views.
the V direction. Essentially a flat sheet extending The manipulation of a rendered
infinitely in all directions, a plane image, either to improve the quality Radiosity
Particle System may be used to aid object of that image, or to create effects that A technique for rendering 3D scenes.
An animation system consisting of a manipulation, positioning and cannot easily be achieved directly Radiosity simulates the way in which
large number of very small points construction, and is not usually made within the 3D software itself. Some light bounces from surface to surface
whose behaviour is determined visible in a final render. 3D software packages can be set to within a scene, and is more accurate,
mathematically. A particle system automatically apply post-processing but also more processor-intensive,
typically consists of an emitter Plugin effects, such as motion blur or Depth than raytracing.
(which may be a point, surface or A small piece of third-party software of Field, after a frame is rendered.
volume, and may emit particles that is loaded into a 3D application Raytracing
directionally or in all directions) and in order to extend its functionality. Preset A technique for rendering 3D scenes.
a series of fields that determine the Plugins commonly perform such A pre-generated list of settings for a Raytracing traces the path of every
motion of those particles. Individual specialist tasks as file conversion or particular 3D software package. ray of light from its source until it
particles have a finite lifespan, and data export, texture generation, and Presets are usually used to control either leaves the scene or becomes
may possess attributes (such as physics or fluid simulation. There are and customise properties such as too weak to have an effect. The term
colour, radius, and opacity) that vary thousands of plugins currently rendering or lighting styles. Like is also sometimes applied to the
over the course of that lifespan. available on the Internet, both plugins, they may either be reverse method: tracing the path of
Particle effects are commonly used to commercially and as free downloads. commercial products, or freely every ray of light from the camera
simulate fire, smoke, steam and other downloadable from the Internet. backwards to the light source.
fluids, or to control complex Point
animations such as crowd scenes. A one-dimensional point in co- Preview Reflection Map
ordinate space. Points can be linked A time-saving method of checking An environment map used to
Phong See: Shading. up to form polygons, used as control the progress of a project by rendering simulate real-world reflection effects
it at a lower quality, resolution or on the surface of a 3D object.
frame rate than will be used for the Reflection maps render more quickly
final project. than methods that generate true
surface reflections, such as raytracing.
Primitive
A simple three-dimensional form Rendering
used as the basis for constructive The process of converting the 3D
solid geometry modelling data stored in a software package
techniques. Typical primitives into the two-dimensional image
include the plane, the cube, the ‘seen’ by the camera within the
sphere, the cone and the torus. scene. Rendering brings together the
scene geometry, Z-depth, surface
Procedural Texture properties, lighting set-up and
A texture map that is generated by a rendering method to create a finished
mathematical function, rather than a frame. Rendering comes in two
real-world bitmap image projected forms: Display or Hardware
over the surface of an object. rendering, used to display the scene
on-screen in the software package’s
Projection viewports; and the more processor-
The process by which a two- intensive Final-quality or Software
dimensional texture map is applied rendering, which generates an image
A 3D model, displayed here in wireframe format. Models are one of the basic building over the surface of a three- for output, and takes account of
blocks of 3D scenes, and may be created using a wide variety of modelling techniques dimensional object, as if it were an properties that Display rendering
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overlooks, such as shadows, Soft-Body Dynamics Three-Point Lighting Vertex See: Point.
reflections and post-process effects. The simulation of the behaviour of A system of CG lighting derived from
soft bodies that deform on collision real-world cinematography, in which Viewport
Resolution with other objects, such as cloth or a scene is illuminated by three light The region of the interface of a 3D
The size of the final image in pixels fluid flows. sources: a Key light, which acts as the software package in which the scene
when rendering out a scene. Higher- primary source of illumination for is displayed to the artist.
resolution renders contain more Specularity the scene; a Fill light, which
detail, but take longer to complete. A surface property of an object that illuminates shadow areas; and a Rim Volumetrics
determines the way in which light, which illuminates the edges of Volumetric lights are lights whose
Rigging highlights appear on that surface. objects and helps them stand out illumination can be observed
The process of preparing a character from the background. throughout a volume of space, rather
model for animation, including Spline See: NURBS. than simply where the light strikes a
setting up an underlying skeleton, Tiling surface. In similar fashion,
complete with constraints, Subdivision Surface The process of duplicating a texture volumetric textures are textures
controllers and kinematic systems, Also known as Sub-Ds, subdivision across the surface of an object. Tiling applied throughout a volume of
and linking it to the mesh of the surfaces are surfaces created using a textures must be created so that the space, rather than to a surface.
character model. technique midway between polygon edge of one aligns perfectly with that
and NURBS modelling. They consist of its neighbour, otherwise the result Walk Cycle
Scene of an underlying polygonal base is a series of ugly seams. High- A short sequence of animation
A set of 3D objects, including the mesh, which is automatically frequency textures are those in which containing the keyframes necessary
models themselves and the lights and subdivided by the software to create a patterns repeat at short intervals over to make a bipedal character take two
camera that will be used when smoothed final form. Sub-Ds an object’s surface; low-frequency consecutive steps. The sequence may
rendering them out. combine much of the power of textures are those in which the then be repeated over and over again
NURBS surfaces with the intuitive intervals are larger. to animate the character walking
Scene file See: File format. characteristics and ease of use of forward. Walk cycles may be
polygonal modelling tools. Timeline modified in many subtle ways to
Script A fundamental element of the suggest information about a
A small piece of code created in a 3D Sweep graphical user interface of most character’s age, gender, emotional
software package’s own internal A modelling technique similar to modern 3D software packages state or personality.
programming language, and used to extrusion in which a two- which shows the timing of the
automate common or complex tasks. dimensional profile is replicated keyframes in a sequence of Weighting
along a path, then joined to form a animation. Playback of the The process of determining which
Shading continuous three-dimensional animation may be controlled either bone in a skeleton affects which part
The mathematical process of surface. Unlike extrusion, however, by a series of VCR-like controls, of a model’s surface mesh. In many
calculating how a model’s surfaces this path need not be perpendicular or by clicking and dragging with cases, this is achieved by painting
react to light. A variety of alternative to the profile. By sweeping a circular the mouse to ‘scrub’ a slider to and weight maps onto the surface of the
algorithms can be used for the task, profile along a helical path, for fro along the timeline. model that delineate a particular
including Phong, Lambert, and Blinn example, it would be possible to bone’s area of influence.
shading models. Shaders are often model a coiled cable of the type Trimming
built up as node-based shading trees, commonly found on telephones. The process by which NURBS surfaces Wireframe
with each node controlling a specific are edited. The trimming tools allow A shading method in which a simple
aspect of the process. Symmetry 3D artists to define areas on a NURBS grid of lines is used to represent the
A modelling option in which any surface that will be made invisible basic contours of the underlying
Skinning changes made to the model are and not render out, even though model. For many 3D artists, this is a
The process of binding the surface of duplicated across an axis of their CVs still exist. Separate trimmed favoured mode to work in, since it
a model to the underlying skeleton reflectional symmetry. This makes it surfaces may be joined together by permits them to see faces and
during character rigging. possible to create complex using a variety of techniques, surfaces that would otherwise be
symmetrical objects, such as a including Attaching, Aligning, hidden by overlying geometry.
Skeleton human or animal head, without Filleting and Stitching.
An underlying network of bones used having to work directly on more than World axes
to define and control the motion of a one half of the model. UV Texture Co-ordinates See: Co-ordinate systems.
model during character animation. The co-ordinate system used for
Moving a bone causes the mesh of Texture assigning textures to polygonal Z-depth
the model to move and deform. A bitmap image that is applied to the models. Since UV co-ordinate space is The distance a particular point or
surface of 3D object to give it detail. two-dimensional, one of several surface lies inside a scene. Z-depth
Snapping Texture maps may be either projection methods must be used to information is used to calculate
The automatic alignment of one photographic images or procedural ‘unwrap’ the UVs from the model where a light casts shadows, and
object to another or to a reference textures, and may be applied in each and lay them flat on a plane. Once also to calculate which surfaces are
grid, intended to aid the precise of the material channels of an object unwrapped, the UV map may be visible to the camera during
placement of objects within a scene using a variety of mapping or screengrabbed and exported to a rendering, and which are obscured
or modelling hierarchy. projection methods. paint package for texture painting. by nearer geometry. ■