Learn 3D Graphics

The Basics

Learn 3D Graphics fundamentals then progress to more complex studies. The idea of 3D graphics has been around since 1961 and has significantly evolved over the years. I’ll walk you through the basics of 3D graphics development.

Primary Use Cases

Video games and movies
Planning real-world architecture
Interactive software experiences
Modeling reality
Learning

My primary use case is building interactive software experiences. The following content is tailored with that in mind, but will stay abstract enough to help you learn fundamental concepts.

Modeling

3D graphic development starts with modeling your 3D objects. We must define the constraints. We must define the purpose of our 3D model.

Geometry

Geometry is the components of a 3D object.

Vertex

A Vertex is a single point in space typically represented by x,y, and z coordinates.

Vertices

The Vertices are a collection of vertex values that define a 3D object’s points.

Edge

The Edge is a line between two vertices.

Faces

The Faces are a closed set of edges.

Surface Normal

UV Point & UV Space

UV Mapping is a process of of mapping a 2D image to a 3D model.

Unwrap

Meshes

Meshes are a common way of modeling 3D objects. Meshes are typically made up of triangles so the shapes can fit into a plane.

A mesh is a collection of vertices, edges, and faces that define the shape of a 3D object.

A vertex is a single point
An edge is a straight line segment that connects two vertices
A face is a flat surface enclosed by edges

Vertex Edge Face

Geometric Modeling

We should input little data to render a large amount of data.

Rendering

When moving to the rendering process, you’ll want to define constraints and requirements. Do you need an extremely detailed scene? Is a lower resolution required for quick rendering?

Lighting in your renders add depth to your objects. Without illumination, your objects will look flat and lifeless, and with illumination, your objects will look realistic.

Graphic Pipelines

Graphic pipelines start with vertices and end with pixels. It is a conceptual model that defines how to render a 3D scene to a 2D screen.