Virtual Worlds Assignment 1:
Exploring a 3D Modeler (AC3D)
Assigned: Friday, January 28, 2000
Due: Friday, February 4, 2000 (before
the start of class - otherwise it is late)
Overview
For this assignment you are going to get to know a relatively accessible
(simple interface) but elegant and useful 3D modeling program.
Assignment
1. Exploring AC3D
For this assignment you should use the AC3D
modeler. AC3D is a share/freeware 3D modeler developed by Andy Coulbourne
from Lancaster University in Great Britain, hence the AC in AC3D. We have
a site license for this package on our SGI machines. It is currently available
as /home/projects/CS600.460/bin/ac3d. The documenatation is available
locally at http://www.cs.jhu.edu/~cohen/AC3D/ac3dman.html.
If you have suggestions for improvement, send them along to the author:
andy@comp.lancs.ac.uk.
2. Build a Toy
Play around building a simple model or two with AC3D. Once you feel comfortable
in the AC3D modeling environment, build a 3D model for the assignment.
The theme for this assignment is toys. Your model should be something that
could be considered a toy.
Keep in mind that for Homework 2, I will ask you to animate some portion
of the model, and then have you implement code that allows you to view
the animated model with a tracked head-mounted display. So your model should
probably have some movable parts.
This is meant to be fun, so have some fun with it. Your model should
be interesting, more than a few polygons, but need not be a complete work
of art. For some idea of the appropriate complexity, check out the virtual
amusement park and the virtual
science and technology museum models from two similar projects at UNC;
they were about right. (If you have doubts, check with me before
the due date.)
Use the approximate scale of one AC3D grid unit equals one
centimeter.
Please check with me by e-mail before proceeding on your model so
that we don't end up with duplication between students.
3. Make it Web Ready
AC3D exports VRML (virtual reality modeling language) files so we should
be able to later put together our models in some form of a virtual playroom,
available of course from our course web site. So, make your model something
that you would be proud to display on the web.
4. Render an image
AC3D includes a render function which employs the POV-ray ray tracer to
generate a pretty picture. The viewing parameters from your current AC3D
view are used. Please generate a 256x256 image of your toy and convert
to a jpeg using xv (use a high quality setting, perhaps 90%).
Deliverables
E-mail me a single .zip file (uuencode the file or do mime attachment)
containing the following:
-
your AC3D source file
-
your VRML export
-
your still rendering
(Please do not invent a new, clever way to turn in the assignment, and
do include all of the above items.)
Januar y 28, 2000