3D And You

Thus far I’ve mainly only discussed 3D Computer Graphics in relation to computer animated films, but there are many other uses for 3D Computer Graphics than art. The use of 3D has become quite prevalent in a multitude of different fields besides art. It’s a new tool which has completely revolutionized many different facets of our society. In this blog I am going to take a look at a few examples of how 3D Computer Graphics is being used to better our society.

If you read my blog post on the history of 3D ComputerAnimation then you will know that it all started when William Fetter created a 3D model of a human man to help him engineer a better cockpit for Boeing. 3D Computer Graphics was originally created as a visualization tool to help engineers, no goals film in sight. The earliest 3D Software packages were CAD (Computer Aided Design) programs which can be used to precisely create objects in 3D with real world measurements that can then be either turned in to construction plans for buildings or prototypes for engineering new devices.

Architects used to have to carefully draw out building plans on grid paper. In order to do this successfully, the architect would need to be able to visualize the building in their mind so that they could precisely draw the building from multiple angles, one small mistake could lead to big problems later on in construction. Thanks to 3D Graphics, buildings can now be perfectly constructed in 3D and completely accurate building plans can be printed out from every angle. Major architectural problems, plumping, electricity and potential structural problems can now be worked out ahead of time before construct, which leads to the creation of better, longer lasting buildings, and helps to minimize the material costs involved with construction.

Small mechanical parts for robotics and medical industries can be engineered virtually using 3D. The designer can test all the mechanical pivots and actuators within a virtual world to identify flaws and produce a better product. My father works at BectonDickinson and he uses 3D computer graphics in a much different way than I do. He is given a 3D object of a part and his job is to work out the mechanics of it to enable advanced CNC Laser Machines to cut the shape out from a block of metal, creating a mold which can be used to mass produce these parts. His company makes a bunch of different parts used in the medical field such as little nozzles, adapters and syringes.  These same processes are also used to create parts for many different items that we interact with all the time. You probably have some parts that were created this way on you now. Plastic forks, cell phones, the exterior shell of your computer were all created this way.

Doctors and medical students also make use of 3D Graphics. They use virtual recreations of the human body to help visualize how veins, bones, organs, and cells interact with each other. Doctors now perform robotic surgeries, practicing on virtual patients. 3D Graphics are also used to recreate a 3D version of the brain and other organs after performing an MRIscan on a person, helping the doctors to easily identify any problems a patient might have that could have otherwise gone un-noticed. By using 3D Graphics in Medicine, doctors can find problems quicker, providing society with much better medical care.

A crime scene can be very confusing, 3D Graphics can be used to make it a lot less confusing. CSI can use 3D to reconstruct a crime scene and run simulations to try and figure out exactly what happened. Take a car crash for example, virtual cars can be used to recreate the incident allow the detectives to deductively figure out all the unknown details of who hit who and at what speed. This is of great help in cases where it is not completely clear what exactly happened. CSI also uses programs that can take a scan of a skull and quickly analyze it and recreate the face in under an hour or they could instead recreate the face manually over the next few weeks, putting the investigation on the shelf.

 Before the invention of 3D Computer Graphics, the closest thing to a virtual world was our dreams, but now it is possible to live, work, and play inside a virtual, three dimensional society, and interact with real human beings. There are many different online communities now, but by using 3D Graphics, the user can enter a completely new universe, changing the way in which we socialize. Some people actually make their livings by working in these virtual societies. In Second Life, users can purchase plots of land, houses, clothes, and other items to add fulfillment to their virtual life. The virtual world can be explored just like one would explore the real world, but from the comfort of their own home without having to worry about bugbites.  A user of a virtual society can hang out and interact with friends inside, and even more interesting, groups of people can come together to have big events, art exhibits, presentations, parades, singing contests and award shows. Although most may not currently be affected or participate in such virtual realities like Second Life or World Of Warcraft, they could one day be a reality for most of us. Imagine plugging in a usb 4.0 cable in to your head, suddenly you’ve entered an entire new world! You can feel a breeze flow through your hair, smell the blossoming of Spring even though it is really winter. This kind of environment could be very attractive to people from all walks of life. It would also completely change the way in which we make friends and date. It would be possible to meet a girl, take her on dates, and hang out every day without ever meeting in person. It could also help companies who have their job-force spread out across the globe to come together, collaborate, and have meetings and presentations. Virtual Realities are still in their infancy, but I think they could seriously develop and help to further bring our society together, burning the bridges of physical distance.

It is undeniable that 3D Graphics have had a big impact on our society. 3D Graphics have allowed many different fields to flourish and will continue to do so. With the examples I have discussed it should now be obvious that 3D Graphics is an incredibly powerful new technology that we have. The ways in which we will use 3D Graphics to benefit us in the future are unknown, but one thing is certain, the use will continue to grow and will have a beneficial effect on all of our lives. Who knows, maybe one day, 3D Graphics could be used to accurately predict our individual futures.