Computer Generated 3D Imagery

Computer generated graphics have become a staple of modern day film and television. From slightly older movies like "Toy Story" to the latest critically acclaimed 3D masterpiece "Avatar," 3D graphics have found their way into popular culture more than once. With technology improving steadily year after year, the imagination continues to stretch in relation to just how far computer generated graphics can take us.

The first movie to rely on computer generated 3D imagery was "Star Wars" in 1977. The film's director, George Lucas, used computers to put together some of the most advanced scenery ever to be seen in a movie. Lucas would later go on to use even more advanced imagery in his further installments of "Star Wars." While Lucas was not the first to use computers to generate graphics in a movie (that distinction went to 1973's "Westworld"), the breadth of the movie was predicated on using 3-dimensional images to enhance and tell the story.

1993's "Jurassic Park" really took computer-generated graphics into an entirely new realm, as they not only used the imagery for scenery. They also utilized the technology to manufacture the large dinosaurs that were the main antagonists in the movie. With lifelike movements and enhanced sound mechanics, audiences were captivated by what could be done with computers and the artwork they could produce.

The reason that this technology is being used more and more frequently within the movie industry is due to the fact that it is a relatively inexpensive way for movie producers to put together parts of a storyline that would normally command the use of extra actors or the creation of extra scenery. By rendering the animations onto the screen using computers, it cuts out most of the additional funding needed to get a picture complete.

Another use for computer imaging that has become prevalent in recent years is for video game simulation. Many sports video games now use 3D-rendered models of athletes and place them into their games in "real time" situations. As video game consoles become more advanced, the use of 3D imagery continues to advance with it. These consoles continue to keep evolving and can, therefore, handle the movement of the 3D pixels that are used in the animations.

As computer generated 3D imaging continues to evolve and become more advanced, movies like "Avatar" will continue to be put together for general consumption, and audiences everywhere will most assuredly turn out in record numbers. Entertainment companies will continue to use computers to make their characters more lifelike and their scenery more vibrant, and the world of 3D graphics will undoubtedly progress.

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