In the commercial world, 3D graphics are used heavily in the filmmaking, architectural and product design fields, as well as illustration and comic book publishing.  3D animation is particularly demanding, and the big Hollywood studios spend millions of dollars equipping their artists and animators with high-end software and hardware to accomplish fantastic computer-generated special effects and animated films.  That stuff is way beyond me, both in terms of my capabilities, and my bank account.  What I’d like to discuss today is the field of software tools within reach of the 3D hobbyist or budding freelance 3D artist.

As I mentioned in my previous post, my exposure to modern 3D graphics began when I stumbled into the world of Second Life.  In fact, in addition to being a “virtual world” in which you can explore and socialize, Second Life can also be considered a tool for artistic expression and the creation of 2D images  from the virtual 3D world.  There are many fabulous artists who use Second Life as their platform of choice for the creation of their art.  I myself have done a lot of “photography” in Second life, especially during my first couple of years “in world.”  What I came to realize is that for the style of art I was striving for, the quality of images I am capable of generating in Second Life is not what I had hoped to achieve.  This is not a slam on Second Life at all… it is utterly fantastic to me that this 3D world is even possible, in a truly “live” and immersive experience.  And this is accomplished using consumer-grade home computers as “viewers” into the world!  I continue to be fascinated by Second Life, and I visit it nearly every single day.

However, I longed for the ability to create images that were closer to “photo-realistic.”  My dream was (and is) to have a “virtual photographic studio” in which I could create scenes, pose models, adjust lighting and special effects, and capture images that are as realistic as possible… without the enormous barriers and expense of renting real world studio space, purchasing (and storing!) physical scenery items and props, and hiring models, wardrobe experts, makeup artists, lighting directors, and on and on.  About three years ago I became aware of an offer of a free version of a program called DAZ Studio from DAZ 3D Inc., and this new leg of my adventure began.  As the name implies, DAZ Studio (or DS for short) is, in fact, primarily a virtual photographic studio, and allows the user to do exactly the things I have just listed.  What it is not, is a tool for the creation of “content” or “assets.”  So this points to the fact that there are different tools needed for different aspects of this huge 3D graphics realm.  Using a “studio” tool like DS allows you to arrange existing 3D “objects,” such as scenery elements, buildings, furniture and other “props,” pose 3D “figures,” (people, animals etc.) and then “render” an image, which is equivalent to taking a photograph.

The primary alternative to DAZ Studio (in the consumer/hobbyist realm) is a program called Poser, by Smith Micro.  Poser predates DAZ Studio and in fact they come from a common heritage, but at some point there was a parting of the ways, and the two became competitors.  I won’t go into that history and the politics involved…  if interested, you can find plenty of information online.  Suffice it to say, these two “studio” platforms share a lot in common, both in functionality and in their ability to use most of the same content, with some caveats.  For myself, I find the two to be nearly equivalent.  I started with DAZ Studio, but for various reasons I decided to also purchase a Poser license, and today I use both.

So where do all the 3D objects and models used in these studio programs come from?  They are created using a separate class of software tools called “modeling software.” Creating 3D content is a whole world unto itself, which I will explore more deeply in later posts.  But one does not have to create their own content, and in fact there is a huge and thriving marketplace of every imaginable kind of 3D content available to us as 3D artists.  Some content is provided with the studio software (such as the modest libraries of goodies included with DAZ Studio and Poser), while much more content is available free or at a cost on numerous online sites and “stores.”  We’ll take a look at some of those resources in my next post.

With regard to modeling software, there are numerous programs available, some of which are general-purpose while others are suited to more specific tasks.  For example, the program called Bryce from DAZ 3D is particularly suited to the generation of landscape and scenery models, while Carrara, also from DAZ 3D, facilitates the creation of 3D plants, animals and people.  There are also programs such as SolidWorks and AutoCAD which are sophisticated (and expensive) tools for professional design and drafting.  More general modeling software includes high-end packages such as Maya, ZBrush, 3ds Max, Lightwave 3D and Modo.  These are quite expensive (hundreds or even thousands of dollars) and require a great deal of training to become proficient.  Fortunately there are less expensive and simpler modeling solutions available, such as Hexagon from DAZ 3D, Silo from Nevercenter, and the open source (free) program called Blender.

I should make it clear that my categorization of these two primary types of 3D software is extremely simplistic.  There are numerous other types of software that handle a multitude of specific tasks, and the programs I have characterized as “modeling software” often have scene-building and rendering functionality that overlaps well into the realm of the “studio” software as I have characterized it.  Nonetheless, I think the distinction I have made will be useful for those entering into 3D graphics for the first time.

So, to recap, you can use a 3D “virtual photographic studio” such as DAZ Studio or Poser to set up scenes, pose figures and props (free or purchased), arrange lighting and camera setups, and finally render (photograph) the scenes, thereby creating images that can approach real-world photographic results.  In practice, a large component of the workflow involved in producing images is the acquisition and maintenance of a “library” of 3D resources or “assets” you can draw from when setting up scenes to be rendered.  That will be the central topic of my next post.

~ Russ