Jason Matthews Posted March 8, 2005 Share Posted March 8, 2005 Hi everyone. I am doing a history/theory paper on the history of rendering using computer software. The histroy will try to cover from rendering with AutoCad, Lightscape, Max FormZ, Lightwave, Brazil, Mentalray, Pixar, Vray, Maxwell Render, HDRI, etc. I was wondering if anyone knows of some good boooks about these renders, either individually, or as a whole. I am trying to touch on the theory behind how the renders work, why they came about, etc. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance, Jason Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Gaushell Posted March 8, 2005 Share Posted March 8, 2005 Not a ton of help, but gives an interesting history of the Lightwave interface from 1990 until version 7.5 http://personal.southern.edu/~dascott/lwhistory/ Good luck. Please share your final results here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Matthews Posted March 8, 2005 Author Share Posted March 8, 2005 Thank you for sharing Charles. I will share the results. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ernest Burden III Posted March 8, 2005 Share Posted March 8, 2005 I am doing a history/theory paper on the history of rendering using computer software. If you have specific questions just ask them here. Some of us are older than 26, and lived that history. I didn't use all of those programs, but I have been using 3D in rendering since 1987. So I know some stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RErender Posted March 8, 2005 Share Posted March 8, 2005 Maybe too obscure for your paper but http://www.asterius.com/atari/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Matthews Posted March 8, 2005 Author Share Posted March 8, 2005 Thanks for the link. Obscure but interesting. Sorry Ernest, didn't mean to step on any toes or anything. I am not quite sure what questions to be asking right now. I was hoping that the readings (if suggested) could help me raise some of those questions. Here is kind of what I am thinking; I want to look at the very beginnings of computer renderings, say pre-Windows and all of the Microsoft's sh*t. I remember using Cad on MS-DOS, and 3d studio was just coming out. The idea of texture mapping has been around sice Nintendo (maybe sooner, like Atari) so I am interested in how it began its metamorphosis to what it is today. I would also like to investigate the theory behind raytracing, radiosity, photon mapping, GI, HDRI, etc. I don't know how involved I want to get with the programs, but I know I want to research how these programs interpret light and why these new ways of lighting have revolutionized the "photorealism" that has become CG. Now of course I am not talking about NPR in this paper because that is more of a stylistic discussion than a theoretical one. I saw an article a year or so ago that someone wrote about lightscape. I believe it was a thesis project from an interior design student. A link to that would be helpful. I hope this does not sound too confusing as I am making it out to be. Thank you for your help. Jason Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bjornkn Posted March 8, 2005 Share Posted March 8, 2005 I have a very interesting book from -86 about computer graphics, its origin, present and future. It has a wealth of information about the people and the technology that made 3D what it is today. It's also quite fun to read about the predicted future 20 years ahead (which should be now) where he drools about home users being able to boot up their Atari computers with a full 5MB of RAM and a blistering 24bit processing power and 16 million colors At that time I had an Atari ST with 1MB RAM running Cyber Studio/Cad3D/CyberSculpt (the ancestors of 3D Studio), and I thought the future was bright indeed The book is published by Microsoft Press. Author : Robert Rivlin Title : The algorithmic image ISBN 0-914845-80-2 Highly recommended if you can find it. And no, I'm not willing to sell my copy ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lambros Posted March 8, 2005 Share Posted March 8, 2005 I used to program in Z80 assembly in the Spectrum ages, and I really enjoy the retrogamer magazine. It has some technical stuff and interviews on "how you did that" on 3d games, maybe that can be useful. I was really excited to find a web site that had a complete dissasembly of the "Ant Attack" game, the first isometric/3d game that was ever made. Ok, these may not be of any use, but if you do that paper do not forget to mention that the first commercial 3d program was Vue3d or something on the Spectrum. It had wireframe rendering (only), you entered the vertex data by number coordinates, and it took ages to rotate a 200 polygon cup round! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Matthews Posted March 9, 2005 Author Share Posted March 9, 2005 Wow. Thanks a lot guys. I was unaware of Spectrum. I will definitly check it out. I am in the proces of looking for the book now. Thanks a million. Jason Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pmanahan Posted March 9, 2005 Share Posted March 9, 2005 I first started using a Wavefront product (before Alias bought them) called Advanced Visulaizer about 1993 on an SGI computer that was later upgraded to Maya. It was very clunky and used a scanline renderer. We built and textured our models in one program, arranged the models and lit them in a different program and then when we rendered we had to write out a script in a UNIX shell to start the rendering, no interface! The two worst parts were that if your models needed to be adjusted after you lit them you had to jump back and forth between programs to adjust the model in one and then go back to the scene to test render, which wasn't even that accurate compared to the final render and there was no "command Z", I can't believe I worked without an undo, I saved alot of versions, something I still do too much of today. we use to break the final image out to walls, floor, furniture, etc. and then composite them in a photoshop like program called "AV Paint", that program didn't have an undo either. The rendering took a long time also 3 - 4 hours for a carpet with shadows, this before GI, just spots and direct lights. The rendering script was about two lines long so not too intense but very limited unless you knew UNIX. pmanahan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
piotrgreg Posted March 9, 2005 Share Posted March 9, 2005 hi maybe this is beyond Your attention/intention, but probably, far before texturising/mapping/lightning - computer software was simply used to generate 3d wire drawings as the base for hand-made air-brush/temper/or whatever paintings am I wrong? is there anyone here who remembers? Piotr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShaunDon Posted March 9, 2005 Share Posted March 9, 2005 I don't know to how much depth you're planning on taking your paper, it sounds like you're looking for the origins of strictly architectural rendering. In my view using CG for arch viz work was a natural application once 3D matured and became economically viable for architects and individual artists. Not sure if you're wanting to dig this deep, but personally the interesting side is the advent of the technology itself in the 70s and 80s. The works of Jim Blinn and his colleagues; the first ray tracing experiments, the story behind the teapot, Alvy Ray Smith's work to bring computer graphics to Hollywood, which then led to the popularization of CG that sparked other industries to pick it up. Modern-day rendering engines like Brazil, V-Ray, and the like are built on techniques developed decades before them. They're necessitated by personal computers finally being powerful enough to make heavy use of these tools, but from what I've been taught most of their genius is in their way of optimizing those processes into usable production tools on the small scale. Hope this helps. You didn't say what the paper was for, so I don't know how heavily focused you are on architecture and 3D's impact on the field, but even so this stuff might make an interesting tangent or intro. Shaun Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4DM Posted March 9, 2005 Share Posted March 9, 2005 is there anyone here who remembers? Piotr Oh yes, indeed, and I also remember going to the pub for a couple of hours while the computer system that was costing my architect clients £7000 a month took over two hours to send back a hidden line render from a wireframe! It would have been circa 1987....of course some of you here wouldn't have even been born then... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Matthews Posted March 9, 2005 Author Share Posted March 9, 2005 Thank you for your responses. The paper is for a history/theory elective and is going to be used in the future for our advanced digital media class as a reading assignment at the University of Florida. I am looking for any kind of information you guys and gals can give me. Nothing is too far out there yet so please keep the info rolling. I will be listing everyone who has helped in the dedication page of this paper. Thanks again. Jason Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ernest Burden III Posted March 10, 2005 Share Posted March 10, 2005 far before texturising/mapping/lightning - computer software was simply used to generate 3d wire drawings as the base for hand-made air-brush/temper/or whatever paintings am I wrong? is there anyone here who remembers? Remembers? That's how I earned a living for many years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ernest Burden III Posted March 10, 2005 Share Posted March 10, 2005 Sorry Ernest, didn't mean to step on any toes or anything. I am not quite sure what questions to be asking right now. I was hoping that the readings (if suggested) could help me raise some of those questions. Here is kind of what I am thinking; I want to look at the very beginnings of computer renderings, say pre-Windows and all of the Microsoft's sh*t. You didn't step on toes! It's just such a broad subject that I was saying if you have specific questions they could be posted here and we would try to answer. For some history of computers in rendering read my CGA interview: http://www.cgarchitect.com/upclose/article1_EB.asp I can't remember how much 'history' I gave, but I know I talked about the dark ages of digital rendering. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Matthews Posted March 10, 2005 Author Share Posted March 10, 2005 Excellent interview Ernest. Thank you. I am sure I can find a good use for this article with your permission, of course. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Continuumx Posted March 11, 2005 Share Posted March 11, 2005 I have a very interesting book from -86 about computer graphics, its origin, present and future. It has a wealth of information about the people and the technology that made 3D what it is today. It's also quite fun to read about the predicted future 20 years ahead (which should be now) where he drools about home users being able to boot up their Atari computers with a full 5MB of RAM and a blistering 24bit processing power and 16 million colors At that time I had an Atari ST with 1MB RAM running Cyber Studio/Cad3D/CyberSculpt (the ancestors of 3D Studio), and I thought the future was bright indeed The book is published by Microsoft Press. Author : Robert Rivlin Title : The algorithmic image ISBN 0-914845-80-2 Highly recommended if you can find it. And no, I'm not willing to sell my copy ;-) I used Cad3D! Very wonderful things that little program could do! CyberSculpt is a legion! And I had both an Atari St and Amiga 1000- the Amiga 1000 outlived the Atari 1040. I wish I still had them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apollux Posted March 12, 2005 Share Posted March 12, 2005 You should be aware that the guys at CGNetwork already did a multi-part article about the history of rendering and CG Graphics.. it may be worth checking it out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Matthews Posted March 13, 2005 Author Share Posted March 13, 2005 You should be aware that the guys at CGNetwork already did a multi-part article about the history of rendering and CG Graphics.. it may be worth checking it out. Excellent apollux! Thank you very much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fran Posted March 13, 2005 Share Posted March 13, 2005 I think an interesting angle would be an exploration of the people and research behind the names users see everyday and don't associate with people - Phong, Blinn, Ward, Catmull, etc. Many of these people are approachable and might even answer questions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abicalho Posted March 14, 2005 Share Posted March 14, 2005 The histroy will try to cover from rendering with AutoCad, Lightscape, Max FormZ, Lightwave, Brazil, Mentalray, Pixar, Vray, Maxwell Render, HDRI, etc. I'd be wary of considering VRay, Brazil, Maxwell part of "Computer Rendering History". They haven't even been around long enough. PRMan, mental ray, AutoCAD, FormZ, yes, they can. But something that's 1 or 2 years old or hasn't even been released cannot be considered "History". In 5 years, it may not even have existed or may have ceased to exist. The list of "deceased" is large and contain many more than these ones: Arnold Renderer, BigD, RadioRay, RayGun, Entropy, BMRT, CartoonReyes, etc. I'm surprised nobody mentioned Radiance. Anyway, you can get a lot of information about rendering, algorithms, papers, etc at the mother home: http://www.siggraph.org - just type anything in the search and you'll find what you need. They archived even the original papers from Blinn, Phong, with illustrations, explaining how lighting works, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nisus Posted March 14, 2005 Share Posted March 14, 2005 A great part of CG-history is written in this book... http://www.peachpit.com/title/073570046X rgds nisus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fran Posted March 14, 2005 Share Posted March 14, 2005 I'd be wary of considering VRay, Brazil, Maxwell part of "Computer Rendering History". They haven't even been around long enough. PRMan, mental ray, AutoCAD, FormZ, yes, they can. But something that's 1 or 2 years old or hasn't even been released cannot be considered "History". I think any discussion of the past should relate to the present. Even Maxwell is part of history - its roots go back to at least 1995 with MLT. I'm surprised nobody mentioned Radiance. He would have discovered it when he looked up "Ward". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Matthews Posted March 23, 2005 Author Share Posted March 23, 2005 Thanks a lot guys and gals. I only mention Vray, Brazil, etc because they are using a different type of rendering theory than say radiosity. The idea of physical based lighting and photon mapping is the beginning of the new rendering generation. Jut in the past three years, new renders have hit the market and have launced a whirlwind of users and worshipers. I want to touch on why there was a call for these rendering plugins. Thanks again. I will check out all of the sites you have suggested. It is actually very interesting how these shaders and such were named after fathers of certain rendering aspects. I willl keep you all posted. Jason Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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