75 lines
3.6 KiB
HTML
75 lines
3.6 KiB
HTML
<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 3.2 Final//EN">
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<HTML>
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<HEAD>
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<META NAME="GENERATOR" CONTENT="SGML-Tools 1.0.9">
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<TITLE>3D Graphics Modelling and Rendering mini-HOWTO: Background Information</TITLE>
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<LINK HREF="3D-Modelling-3.html" REL=next>
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<LINK HREF="3D-Modelling-1.html" REL=previous>
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<LINK HREF="3D-Modelling.html#toc2" REL=contents>
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</HEAD>
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<BODY>
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<A HREF="3D-Modelling-3.html">Next</A>
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<A HREF="3D-Modelling-1.html">Previous</A>
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<A HREF="3D-Modelling.html#toc2">Contents</A>
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<HR>
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<H2><A NAME="Background"></A> <A NAME="s2">2. Background Information</A></H2>
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<P>The content of this section exists only to describe, in general, the
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three main components required for three-dimensional modelling and
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rendering with a Linux-based system.
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<H2><A NAME="Background-GL"></A> <A NAME="ss2.1">2.1 The Graphics Library</A>
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</H2>
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<P>A graphics library consists of the most basic tools used for manipulating
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graphical images. Think of all the things needed to build a house: wiring,
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plumbing, wood, bricks, and such. The graphics library can be thought of
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as not these items, but rather the tools used create such items. After
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all, wire, metal tubes, planks, and bricks don't magically appear; rather
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they are created and formed as entities unto themselves. On a similar note,
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graphics don't magically appear on the screen -- typically they consist
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of lower-level graphics primatives (lines, rectangles, and individual
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pixels, for example).
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<P>So the graphics library, then, can be thought of as the low-level graphics
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primatives used to build more complex objects (spheres, boxes, complex
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polygons, etc.). Those complex objects are then used to build even more
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complicated shapes and figures.
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<P>The graphics library installed was the freeware implementation of OpenGL
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called <EM>Mesa</EM>.
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<H2><A NAME="Background-GM"></A> <A NAME="ss2.2">2.2 The Graphics Modeller</A>
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</H2>
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<P>Since the graphics renderer is, ideally, completely hidden from the end-user,
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we'll deal with that last (besides which, modelling is the next logical step
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in keeping with my house-building analogy). However, when it comes to the
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actual installation, a graphics modeller relies on the renderer already being
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installed.
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<P>If the graphics library is akin to the tools used to build the tools used
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to build a house (!), then graphics modellers can be thought of as the
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tools used to build the blueprints for the house -- sophisticated
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blueprints, as modellers let you dictate exactly where the wiring, plumbing,
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wood panels, bricks, and forth are supposed to go. Furthermore, they
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let you pick the style of panelling and the colour of the bricks you
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desire.
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<P>The graphics modeller installed was the freeware package called
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<EM>The Mops</EM>, which produces <EM>RenderMan</EM>-compatible files.
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<H2><A NAME="Background-GR"></A> <A NAME="ss2.3">2.3 The Graphics Renderer</A>
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</H2>
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<P>In keeping with the house-building analogy, the graphics renderer is then
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the construction workers. Once you have the blueprints and materials ready
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to go, you need something to actually build the house so it appears how it
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was designed. The graphics renderer is given information (i.e., the
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blueprints in the form of a <EM>RenderMan</EM>-compatible file, or
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equivalent) from the the modeller to produce the final result.
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<P>Just as the graphics modeller needs the graphics renderer before it can be
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installed, the renderer relies on the graphics library being installed
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beforehand.
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<P>The graphics renderer installed was the <EM>Blue Moon Rendering Toolkit</EM>
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which uses <EM>RenderMan</EM> files.
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<HR>
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<A HREF="3D-Modelling-3.html">Next</A>
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<A HREF="3D-Modelling-1.html">Previous</A>
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<A HREF="3D-Modelling.html#toc2">Contents</A>
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</BODY>
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</HTML>
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