3D technologies have greatly influenced our world. Now we cannot imagine any kind of cartoon or animation without detachable figures. With the help of 3D technology, we can recreate an object or image as if it were real and you could touch it. But do you know what types of 3D technologies exist today? If not, then continue reading this article, we will talk about it in more detail.
Throughout history, mankind has sought to capture the environment as realistically as possible using 3D technologies. To achieve this goal, people started working on different types of 3d art.
History of 3D technology
This technology has its origins in the late 19th century, when the English photographer William Friese-Greene patented the first three-dimensional cinematographic system. Although the system was very complex and abandoned, it paved the way for the 3D cinema we know today, thanks to movies like Avatar.
Today, 3D technology has moved from being used exclusively in the audiovisual field to a technology in constant development, with applications in both the business and industrial levels, as well as in the educational and medical fields.
What are the types of 3D technologies?
3D technologies cover, in turn, various technologies, including 3D modeling and rendering, 3D printing and 3D scanning. Let’s talk about each of these types in more detail.
3D modeling and visualization
3D visualization is generally defined as the process of creating graphic content using 3D software to provide a digital 3D representation of real-life elements through images or animation. These 3D representations, called 3D models, allow us to digitally know the size, shape, and texture of any object, person, and even environment.
The ability to obtain these photorealistic and animated simulations is essential in the audiovisual and entertainment industries (film, video games, advertising, etc.), but these are not the only sectors that benefit from this technology. In the industrial or architectural realm, 3D visualization of ideas and prototypes prior to development facilitates decision-making when determining the final design of a product or project.
3d Printing
3D printing technology creates physical objects from your 3D modeling. This technology builds an object layer by layer using a wide range of materials. For example, due to its excellent physical properties, metal 3D printing technology is successfully used both in the aerospace industry and for printing medical implants and prostheses. In addition, in the field of dentistry, resins and ceramics are used to make dentures, dentures or aligners, which reduces the complexity of the process and production run.
Another area where the use of this technology is being explored is in gastronomy, where food-grade 3D printing can help produce healthy food by adjusting ingredients without reducing nutrients.
3D Scanning
3D scanners create a digital copy of a real-world object. To create a complete model of an object, it is necessary to capture it from different positions and angles, in order to then combine all the information and thus create the final model of the object in 3D.
3D scanners, unlike the 2D cameras we can find in our mobile phones, use technology that is able to get information about the depth of an object. Thus, a model obtained using a 3D scanner can describe the position in the three-dimensional space of each point of the analyzed object.
In particular, 3D full-body scanners make a digital copy of a person’s body from the outside. One of the first 3D scanners to replicate the human body was developed in 1989. Such a scanner could capture the contour of the human body. The next effort during the 20th century was directed at the film industry to be able to check clothing sizes without the presence of actors and actresses.
These are the main types of 3D, which are actively used in various fields today. You can also highlight 3D videos that can be used not only for the entertainment of the viewer but also for commercial purposes, for example, advertising your services or company.
