Digital Media

 3D Graphics

3D Modeling

3D Rendering

(This distinction seems to be slowly collapsing)

Non Real-time

Real-time

CPU

(e.g. Vray)

GPU

(e.g. Rhino Interface)

Know the difference!

Memory

HDD

GPU

Memory

CPU

Polygons vs. NURBS

Polygonal Modeling

NURBS (Non-Uniform Rational Basis Spline)

Based on Mathematical Model, Higher Level, More Intuitive

Points (Vertices) > Curves > Surfaces (Abstraction that's ultimately rendered as polygons)

Points (Vertices) > Triangles (Mesh)

Lower Level, Less Intuitive, More Efficient for 3D Rendering

Know the difference!

NURBS vs. Polygons

NURBS vs. Polygons

NURBS vs. Polygons

A

B

NURBS vs. Polygons

B

A

NURBS vs. Polygons

B

A

NURBS vs. Polygons

Polygons

NURBS

NURBS

Polygons

Polygons vs. NURBS

NURBS

Behavior

Polygon

Behavior

Solid Modeling

Emphasis on Physical Fidelity

Can Be Based on

Mathematical Functions

Solid Modeling

Boolean Geometric Operations

Solid Modeling

Boolean Geometric Operations

All 3D computer graphics abstractions are fundamentally comprised of small triangles (facets, faces, etc.)

Through the process of Tesellation

Graphic Tessellation

Architectural Tessellation

Number of vertices needed grows with the amount of curvature in the geometry.

Try to imagine how many vertices/faces would be needed to model thin "piped" geometries.

e.g. Modeling hair is a difficult computational problem.

NURBS

Mesh (Polygons)