suasive_blog

A question I often get and am now going to try and answer “What is 3D visualization exactly?” or more accurately “What is it you do…do here?”.

Visualization, put simply is any technique for creating images, diagrams, animations or other types of visuals to communicate a message. It all started with the first cave painting, evolved into the written language of the pharaohs’ and the geometry of the Greeks, and was revolutionized by Leonardo da Vinci’s development of technical drawing. 3D Visualization is in essence a technological continuation of da Vinci’s methods and principles, using computer software instead of pen and paper. 3D Visualization, by definition is to make ideas visual, using 3D imagery.

Most people are very familiar with this field although they don’t even know it. Film and animation has “trained” the modern human eye to interpret and understand 3D visualization with a high degree of understanding. How often does the average person fly over buildings? Rarely or never, but thanks to film helicopter shots and Spiderman they can grasp what a building looks like overall from flyby animations. The Incredibles or Wall-E, are not exactly photorealistic depiction of reality, but they have managed to “train” the audience to understand highly stylized and impressionistic renderings as actual objects. Constant exposure to 3D rendering, animation and techniques in everyday life, media and film, have helped to make 3D visualization the most trusted and most comprehended form of visualization that is available today.

The more tangible applications of 3D visualization are fairly easy to imagine. A rendering of a chair, for industrial design. A rendering of a building, for architecture. An animation of a mock-up commercial for marketing. Anything physical, can have a virtual doppelganger in the 3D world. But there are also the more intangible applications for visualization. How do you model an idea? How do you model happiness? It seems like a ridiculous question to ask how to model happiness, but that is what many people are now doing, modelling ideas and emotions (Ratatouille has an excellent popular culture example when the rat is imagining what his food tastes like). In practice most renderings are a combination of the two, illustration of physical form and emotion/ideas captured through lighting, graphic devices and colour.

You may have noticed that most of my work in my website is not always photorealistic. Unlike other firms that show work that they spent weeks or even months modelling every tiny detail, I prefer to show the “sketches” the quick work that I did in a couple of days or even hours. I do use photorealistic work where appropriate, but just as often a more impressionistic approach can be more useful. Impressionistic renderings are fast, cost effective for a wider range of projects, and they can have just as much if not more impact. Often projects are not yet at the design stage where every bolt and detail is designed, using an impressionistic approach allows the viewer to infuse the design with their own imagination (you should never underestimate the human brain), allows for significant design changes, and often captures the essence of a project better then having extremely detailed mouldings or door knobs. I use whatever technique is best suited to the project as it is, not how I would like it to be.

Well I hope that gives you an idea about how I work, what I “do...do”, and what the heck is 3D Visualization. Got a question? Ask us. Have comments? Post them on our website or tell us. As always, I’m here to help.

Best regards,
Christopher Glebe, principal.

Images and video from Ratatouille is not my work, is for example purposes only and is copyright Pixar and Disney. The other renderings are mine, suasive_visual.