Stages in a 3D Production Pipeline (blog post #1)

For one of my subjects I am currently studying in my Bachelor of Games Development at the SAE institute in Melbourne, we are learning the foundation of 3D graphics used in video games and animation. One of the things our lecturer asked us to research was the 3D Production Pipeline Process and describe and show examples of the typical stages of that process. This blog post is intended to do just that and I will express my perception of what each of these stages mean using the module shown in the digital article the “6 phases of 3D Production” by Justin Slick as a reference.

A 3D production Pipeline is a series of steps followed in a linear fashion that outline the creation and animation of 3D assets for games and animation. Typically 3D production pipelines roughly follow the phases shown below:

1.       Pre-Production –

Pre- production is the completion of the general concept of the desired 3D model in order to prepare for the actual modelling stage. Before beginning 3D modelling all aspects of the design for the character or object should be completed.

(http://www.beastsofwar.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/EU-MERCS-Concept-Art.jpg)

2.       3D Modelling –

As the name suggests this phase is where the concept or design is converted into an actual 3 dimensional object using a chosen 3D Graphics software. This is where the 3 dimensional element of a design begins but it is not necessarily where the 3D aspect of the pipeline ends.

(http://www.thegnomonworkshop.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/GOW3_mesh20_KevinLanning-1024x538.jpg)

3.       Shading and Texturing-

In this stage the 3D model is enhanced using various 3D texture maps that will affect the colour, texture and reflectiveness of the object providing the desired visual aesthetic.

4.       Lighting –

This is where lighting is placed into a scene to provide the 3D model with a more realistic quality and to really make the texture aspect of the model seem visually appealing.

5.       Animation-

This is where the model is brought to life and is given a sense of movement. Before a model can be animated it will most likely be required to be rigged as this allows the movement of certain parts of a model much easier causing the animation aspect to also be easier.

6.       Rendering and Post-Production- 

The rendering part of this phase is converting the scene or 3D Model into a finished product such as an animation or image file. Post-production is making sure that every part of the file is as intended as a final product.

Please let me know your opinion about my descriptions and if you think they are accurate or not.

Slick, J. (2014). An Introduction to the 6 Phases of 3D Production. [online] About. Available at: http://3d.about.com/od/3d-101-The-Basics/tp/Introducing-The-Computer-Graphics-Pipeline.htm [Accessed 3 Oct. 2014].