Visual effects

Computer graphics is extensively used to create visual effects in Hollywood movies and video games. Pixar, Dreamworks, ILM, Digital domain are some well known companies in this area. Traditional models and miniatures are still very much a part of the visual effects used today. In many ways, more miniature work is being done lately because of the resurgence of big effects pictures. This was brought on by the advances of the newer digital technologies.

The largest single difference between any traditional effect and CG is based on the nature of the medium. Models naturally have physical limitations, both in how they are constructed and how they are captured on video. It is important to note that most CG models are created from some traditional reference sculpture made out of clay. The clay model is scanned by a microscribe digitizer that generates millions of 3D points depending on the sampling density used. There are sophisticated software available to convert the 3D points into a digital model. The process of constructing a digital model from a cloud of points is called surface reconstruction. They can either fit a polygonal mesh over the point cloud or a NURBS surface model. Geomagic, Paraform (now out of business) are very expensive $20K software that specializes in surface reconstruction tools. CG is limited only by the designer's imagination.

A combination of both should be used to take full advantage of both techniques. For example, I know ILM used the combination technique in transforming the black sedan sequence in the movie Men in Black. The metallic quality of the car itself and the very intricately animated surface structure and jet exhaust are all well done in CG. The tunnel through which the car travels is a miniature set that needed to be realized with thousands of cars.