GRAPHIC ARTISTS USE SPECIAL PROGRAMS to create images based on information about objects' shape in terms of height, width, and depth--the three dimensions of "3D." This article describes the fundamental concepts of developing 3D graphic images. The process begins with the most basic of shapes, or primitives, builds on these to more complex, textured objects, and concludes with camera angles, lighting, and rendering techniques.

Multimedia development requires a successful group effort. Instructional designers often play the role of team leaders and project managers. To be an effective project manager, some understanding of the tools and skills involved in 3D image creation is invaluable in order to more effectively direct and manage the conception, design, and development of sophisticated projects.

1. Making basic shapes: 

Most 3D graphics and animations start with basic solid objects (also known as primitives) such as cubes, spheres, cylinders, pyramids and cones.


2. Building complex objects: 

After establishing primitives, extrude, sweep, and lathe simple 2-D splines and shapes into solid shapes.


3. Making it real: 

Then add colors, textures (often in the form of image and bump maps), and light sources to objects. Adjustments of reflectivity, smoothness, and transparency values contribute to the element of realism.


4. Operating in 3-D Space:

Position objects, cameras, lights, the ground plane, and backgrounds in simulated 3-D space. This is most often accomplished using multiple views (front, back, top, bottom, left, and right).

5. The final product:

Rendering the final scene is analogous to printing using a word processor. The 3-D application defines the quality of output such as the resolution and frame rate. The type of output is also variable--from still image to animation, for CD-ROM or the Web. 

Images created by Chun-Kun Lee

One of the benefits of 3D graphics for education and training is that, once the time and effort has gone into designing and creating the model, you can generate a number of different images, from different angles, or with different lighting, and so forth, quickly from the same model.

Interface Style: 2D-3D
VRML 3D Objects

Chun-Kun Lee, graduate student
Deptartment of Educational Technology
San Diego State University