FEATURED

ADVANCED ANIMATION - HYPERREALISM

Polygonal Modeling in Autodesk Maya

HDRI image taken with a Theta 360 camera

The first step for this project was for students to explore several different modeling techniques that can be used to achieve similar results, thus building their skills in Autodesk Maya. The goal was to create modular pipe sections using a combination of extrusions, deformations, and “bridges”. Then students built up a library of HDR images (High Dynamic Range Images) to choose from for the final rendering of their scene.

An HDRI, is a photograph taken with a 360° camera. The 3-D artist can then wrap this image around a 3-D model, or in this case a 3-D SkyDome light. The image envelops the light source, projecting a wide range of light and dark values as the light mixes the image with the 3-D scene. The different exposures on textures and surfaces produces a hyperrealistic environment.

Student Work

Final rendering using Arnold Render

3D PRINTING

Using the skills we developed in Autodesk Maya, we modeled chess pieces of our choosing. Once we modeled the piece, we used a slicer to transform the model into a specific filetype that the 3d printer can read and use to extrude the object. Chess pieces were chosen to increase the margin of success of our first 3D print as much as possible. Chess pieces do not have many steep overhangs which are challenging to 3D print. Most pieces are also symmetrical which lowers the difficulty of modeling the piece...plus they look really cool.

See how we are using Virtual Reality for prototyping.