Real Time 3D Modeling & Rendering

Learning Objectives• What is Real time 3D rendering & modeling?• Real time 3D Applications

What is real time 3D rendering &

modeling?• Real time 3D is the art of implementing 3D projects or objects in a

3D software and display them afterwards on a screen as immediately as possible depending on the performance of the machine.

• The rendering is said to be "real time" because the computer makes the rendering without delay time, at each movement or modification of the 3D model.

• Contrary to the image rendering for the 3D "classical" animation or the "real time" realistic movie, all the rendering is calculated while the user is manipulating the object or is travelling into the project, thus the calculation of the images is hyper fast!

• This discipline is more and more present on the Internet (we then talk about 3DWeb or 3D online) or off-line (Executable, PDF3D, CD ROM, video game…). It offers the users the opportunity to manipulate and interact directly with a model or a project said to be multimedia (ex: manipulate and change the colours of a mobile phone, travel in a virtual visit, configure the accessories of an automobile, simulate emergency cases, …)

• Real-time 3D is also present in the video games, but that's the only similarity because beyond the rendering principle, it's a very different field, that requires skills and functions others than the manipulation and display of data.

What is real time 3D rendering &

modeling? Cont..

The History• It was around 1970, date of the Unix era

• A long time before the VRML and the modern solutions of real time 3D, applications such as Virtus VR (1989) or the very famous 3D construction kit of Domark — 1991 already made it possible to manipulate real time 3D and to create virtual "world without programming !

• These are probably the two forerunners now long forgotten but that have been widely instrumental in making the virtual reality accessible to the public!

The History cont…• Then came the first genuine product of high tech real time 3D

creation : Virtools of Dassault – 1993. This software is still being used a lot nowadays and has 20 years of experience in the market. It has a solid reputation in all the Internet sectors to complex simulation or even to games console.

• Around 1994 came the first real standard and language of virtual reality exploitable on the Internet, the VRML: Virtual Reality Markup Language, created by Mark Pesce, Tony Parisi and Peter Kennard. It was strongly supported by SGI (Silicon Graphics) and its famous Cosmo Player, Apple, IBM, Netscape etc

• This language, supported by the boom of digital data speed such as ADSL, really contributed to the real time 3D boom on the Internet!

• Similarly to Adobe Flash, Quicktime, Realplayer, the VRML became a key actor to the 3D multimedia development for the websites, its latest development being X3D. (X3D is a royalty-free open standards file format and run-time architecture to represent and communicate 3D scenes and objects using XML. Extensible Markup Language XML is a markup language that defines a set of rules for encoding documents in a format which is both human-readable and machine-readable.)

The History cont…

Advantages and Drawbacks Advantages :

• The rendering is instantaneous. It makes it possible for the user to manipulate or modify an object without delay, which contributes to collaborative work on a common project by users connected via the Internet. It is also possible to reproduce and manipulate non-existing objects or objects that cannot be manipulated on a human scale.

• Real time 3D can also be instrumental in simulating dangerous environments and preparing staff for emergency situations (nuclear plant, petrochemistry, medical..)

• Once the project finished and published, the users can manipulate it and even modify, print I as they wish…

Drawbacks :

• It requires a more complex and rigorous implementation than 3d projects/objects aimed at being calculated in realistic photo mode or movie.

• The constraints of construction require a flawless creation of the objects, knowing that the users will be able to manipulate them. It is not allowed to let mistakes or bits of construction in the projects.

• The rendering is (so far) of a lower quality to the kinds of rendering done in delayed/pre-calculated mode, thus it is necessary to find middle ways between quality and speed of calculation and speed of loading.

Advantages and Drawbacks

Drawbacks cont.. :

• Apart from the technical constraints concerning the rendering and media, real time 3D requires many skills often necessary in only one computer artist. Indeed, if the final user can enjoy this technology, the computer artist has to group together with diverse and high tech skills : 3D graphics, web design, contents optimization, programming of interactivity to develop this software so it can accommodate any level of audience.

• Simple projects without complex programming can be realized nowadays by non-programmers with intuitive interfaces and visual programming systems (WireFusion, Virtools, Subdo..) but for specific and often complex projects, it is still too daunting for novice users.

Advantages and Drawbacks

Left :Autodesk 3ds max with Mentalray — Right : Realtime render with WireFusion

Samples of applications3D Modelling

• Abyssal Engine - The Abyssal Engine is a powerful professional game creation tool kit and rendering system for creating quality 3D software. The technology is designed to reduce development time while empowering developers with a strong suite of tools needed to produce great visual effects and immersive online or offline worlds. The technology allows the developer to create everything from single player RPG titles, Real Time Strategy Games, to Multiplayer and Massively multiplayer products as well as simulation applications.

Samples of applications cont…3D Modelling

• Cafu - The Cafu Engine is an all-purpose, modern 3D graphics engine and game development kit, feature complete to get you started quickly.

Cafu is available to everyone as 100% free software under the GNU General Public License (GPLv3). It can be used to create a variety of 3D applications, including games, simulations, and training and architectural software. Written in C++, the tools, libraries and framework have been designed to make the development of new games and other 3D applications easy.

3D Modelling

• CityEngine - CityEngine provides professional users in entertainment, architecture, urban planning and general 3D content creation with a unique early design and modeling solution for the efficient visualization of 3D urban environments.

• Delta3d - Delta3D is a full-function game engine appropriate for a wide variety of modeling & simulation applications.

Samples of applications cont…

CityEngin

e

CityEngin

e

Delta3D

Engine

Delta3D

Engine

3D Modelling• Endorphin 2.7.1. - Endorphin 2.7.1. is a free, time-unlimited learning

edition of Endorphin a 3D animation tool based on Dynamic Motion Synthesis.

• OPAL - OPAL is a high-level interface for low-level physics engines used in games, robotics simulations, and other 3D applications. Features a simple C++ API, intuitive objects (e.g. Solids, Joints, Motors, Sensors), and XML-based file storage for complex objects.

• Open CASCADE - Open CASCADE Technology, 3D modeling & numerical simulation is a software development platform freely available in open source. It includes components for 3D surface and solid modeling, visualization, data exchange and rapid application development

Samples of applications cont…

Endorphin

Engine

3D Modelling• Openscenegraph - The OpenSceneGraph is an open source high

performance 3D graphics toolkit, used by application developers in fields such as visual simulation, games, virtual reality, scientific visualization and modelling. Written entirely in Standard C++ and OpenGL it runs on all Windows platforms, OSX, GNU/Linux, IRIX, Solaris, HP-Ux, AIX and FreeBSD operating systems.

• OpenSimulator - OpenSimulator is an open source multi-platform, multi-user 3D application server. It can be used to create a virtual environment which can be accessed through a variety of clients, on multiple protocols. OpenSimulator allows virtual world developers to customize their worlds using the technologies they feel work best .

Samples of applications cont…

3D Modelling

• StarLogo TNG - StarLogo TNG is the Next generation version of the Starlogo modelling and simulation software. It uses 3D graphics to make more compelling and rich games and simulation models.

• SimplyCube - The SimplyCube BETA Version by SimplySim is an all-in-one software tool designed to allow anyone to create real-time 3D applications such as simulations, serious games or virtual reality applications. SimplyCube contains a simulation engine and a toolbox of 3D editors.

• Visual3D Game Engine - The Visual3D Game Engine is an All-in-One Development Tool for Games, MMOs, Simulations & Virtual Worlds powered by Microsoft XNA.

Samples of applications cont…

Visual3D Game

Engine

Samples of applications cont…• Aerodynamics Modelling

APAME - APAME is a 3D Panel Method program for calculating aerodynamic forces and moments about an aircraft. It is published under GPL-General Public License.

• Aerospace SimulationCEASIOM - The CEASIOM application is a free Conceptual Aircraft design tool which runs under either Windows or Linux, and it only requires a MATLAB® license.

APAME

CEASIOM

Samples of applications cont…• Analytical Simulation

Canopy - Canopy provides an open and intuitive environment for scientific and analytic computing.

• Complexity Chaotic Systems SimulationRaptor - Raptor is a Complexity Chaotic Systems Simulator. Simulations for living organisms, ecological or social systems, planets, chemical reactions, gravity and more.

CANOPY ANALYTICAL SYSTEM

RAPTOR SIMULATOR

Samples of applications cont…• Fluid Dynamic Modelling

Khamsin - a Google Sketchup Plugin for Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) Modeling

PHOENICS - PHOENICS is a general-purpose software package which uses the techniques of CFD (i.e. Computational Fluid Dynamics) to predict quantitatively: how fluids (air, water, steam, oil, blood, etc) flow in and around: engines, process equipment, buildings, human beings, lakes, river and oceans, and so on; things associated with changes of temperature and of chemical and physical composition; and things associated with stresses in the immersed or surrounding solids.

KHAMSIN FLUID

DYNAMIC

KHAMSIN FLUID

DYNAMIC

Samples of applications cont…• Health Modelling

CardiacSimu - CardiacSimu is a 3D cardiac model writen in C++ with high portability. It provides a platform for electrophysiological study. It can simulate action potential (AP) as well as propagation of the excitation according to AP waveform. It can also generate the isochronal map and isopotential map. CardiacSimu can import any part of heart into simulation and make it discrete into units named simulating cell. The profile of single cell is configurable.

GIMIAS - GIMIAS is a workflow-oriented environment for solving advanced biomedical image computing and individualized simulation problems, which is extensible through the development of problem-specific plug-ins.

CardiacSimu

GIMIAS

Samples of applications cont…• Health Modelling

STEM - The Spatiotemporal Epidemiological Modeler (STEM) tool is designed to help scientists and public health officials create and use spatial and temporal models of emerging infectious diseases. These models can aid in understanding and potentially preventing the spread of such diseases.

Vital Sign Simulator - The vital sign simulator is intended for use in medical emergency training simulations. In combination with a cpr-manikin, it offers a low-cost alternative to commercial high-tech patient simulation manikins. It is used with a split-screen system, one monitor with controls for the operator and one providing the vital signs to the trainees. Heart rate, oxygen saturation, respiratory rate, blood pressure and various moving ecg-samples can be set and changed at any time by the operator.

STEM

VITAL SIGN SIMULATOR

Samples of applications cont…• Game Development Software

Esenthel Engine - The Esenthel Engine is a complete cross-platform game development engine allowing to create fully featured AAA titles. It has been specifically designed for professional game development, which has been achieved by giving the developers full control over the game code mechanics, next generation graphics and a rich toolset drastically simplifying the game development process.

Gambit - Gambit is a library of game theory software and tools for the construction and analysis of finite extensive and strategic games. Gambit is designed to be portable across platforms, and runs on Linux, Mac OS X, and Windows.

ESENTHEL ENGINE

GAMBIT

GAMBIT

Samples of applications cont…• Game Development Software

Lua - Lua is a powerful, fast, lightweight, embeddable scripting language. Lua combines simple procedural syntax with powerful data description constructs based on associative arrays and extensible semantics. Lua is dynamically typed, runs by interpreting bytecode for a register-based virtual machine, and has automatic memory management with incremental garbage collection, making it ideal for configuration, scripting, and rapid prototyping.

Recastnavigation - recastnavigation or Recast is state of the art navigation mesh construction toolset for games developed by MIT. The Library is free for commercial use and open source under the ZLib License.

LUA GAME

ENGINE

RECASTNAVIGATI

ON

Samples of applications cont…• Game Development Software

Scratch - Scratch is a programming language from MIT, especially aimed at young children, that makes it easy to create your own interactive stories, animations, games, music, and art -- and share your creations on the web.

SCRATCH

ENGINE

Thank You!