Being able to sketch out 3D shapes with just a few gestures, then print out prototypes, or create and bring to life a populated, animated virtual world, are among the dreams of many of us. Beyond its playful dimension, 3D digital creation offers a formidable tool for researchers and engineers in all fields, enabling them to virtually create their object of study and express their hypotheses in visual form, or to interact with a prototype to test and improve it before it is even physically created.
While the capacity of modern machines enables the visualization and interactive exploration of complex 3D content, the creation of such content poses a real scientific challenge: while standard methods of editing model parameters have led to complex software accessible only to professional computer graphics artists, automatic content generation remains an alternative limited to specific cases, and makes control of the result extremely difficult.
This lecture presents recent advances in computer graphics for the fluid creation of 3D content, combining simplicity and speed of use with quality and control of results. The aim is for users to be able to literally shape the forms and movements they imagine, while relying on digital tools to complete details and/or maintain the necessary constraints in terms of realism:
We begin by presenting a new generation of geometric representations and tools dedicated to the intuitive creation of 3D shapes. In particular, we look at implicit surfaces, virtual sculpture, sketch-based modeling, as well as model reuse and transfer.
The second part of the lecture is dedicated to the creation of animated virtual worlds. We explain how to create the elements of a landscape, how to animate natural scenes effectively, and how to populate these virtual worlds with humans or animated creatures.
As the lecture progresses, we delve into the principles of method design to show the importance of the knowledge embodied in the geometric, mechanical or procedural models used. We also show the alchemy created by coupling these models with interaction metaphors inspired by the real world, such as drawing or sculpture, whether the content is static or animated. Seminars complement each lecture by tackling a complementary problem, or shedding light on a family of solutions.