Datasheet

6 Chapter 1: Introduction to Computer Graphics and 3D
The Conceptual Art
Conceptuals are the design elements that you may need for the CG production. Typically,
characters are drawn into character sheets in three different neutral poses: from the
front, from the side, and from an angle called a ¾ view. You can also create color art for
the various sets, props, and characters to better visualize the colors, textures, and light-
ing that will be needed. Props and sets are identified from the script and boards and then
sketched out into model sheets. The better you visualize the conceptual art, the easier it
will be to model, texture, and light everything in CG.
Production
Production begins when you start creating models from the boards, model sheets, and
concept art. You model the characters, sets, and props, and then you assign textures (col-
ors and patterns). The animators take the models and animate everything according to
the boards and script. The sequences are rendered in low quality for dailies and checked
for accuracy and content.
The CG production phase can involve a variety of steps. The specific steps are defined
by the needs of the production. Most of the CG techniques you’ll learn in this book are
part of the production phase. To make a long story short, 3D scenes are created, lit, and
animated in the production phase.
Postproduction
After all the scenes have been set up with props and characters and everything is ani-
mated, postproduction can begin. Postproduction for a CG project is similar to post-
production for a film. This is where all of a CG film’s elements are brought together and
assembled into final form.
Rendering
Rendering is the process by which the computer calculates how everything in the scene
should look and then displays it. As you’ll learn throughout this book, the decisions you
make in creating the objects in a scene can make a big difference in how the rest of the
process goes.
Rendering makes significant processing demands on your computer, usually requiring
the full attention of your PC. This can take a considerable amount of time. You can ren-
der one scene while another scene is in production, but asking a computer that is render-
ing to multitask isn’t advisable in most cases.
When everything is rendered properly, the final images are sorted and the assem-
bly of the CG project begins. Rendering is discussed more fully in Chapter 11, “Maya
Rendering.”
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