In 3D computer graphics, 3D modeling is the process of developing a mathematical representation of any surface of an object (inanimate or living) in three dimensions via specialized software. The product is called a 3D model. Someone who works with 3D models may be referred to as a 3D artist or a 3D modeler. It can be displayed as a two-dimensional image through a process called 3D rendering or used in a computer simulation of physical phenomena. The model can also be physically created using 3D printing devices. In terms of game development, 3D modeling is merely a stage in the entire development process.

Models may be created automatically or manually. The manual modeling process of preparing geometric data for 3D computer graphics is similar to plastic arts such as sculpting.

3D modeling software is a class of 3D computer graphics software used to produce 3D models. Individual programs of this class are called modeling applications

Three-dimensional (3D) models represent a physical body using a collection of points in 3D space, connected by various geometric entities such as triangles, lines, curved surfaces, etc. Being a collection of data (points and other information), 3D models can be created manually, algorithmically (procedural modeling), or by scanning. Their surfaces may be further defined with texture mapping.

3D models are widely used anywhere in 3D graphics and CAD. Their use predates the widespread use of 3D graphics on personal computers. Many computer games used pre-rendered images of 3D models as sprites before computers could render them in real-time. The designer can then see the model in various directions and views, this can help the designer see if the object is created as intended to compared to their original vision. Seeing the design this way can help the designer or company figure out changes or improvements needed to the product.

Today, 3D models are used in a wide variety of fields. The medical industry uses detailed models of organs; these may be created with multiple 2-D image slices from an MRI or CT scan. The movie industry uses them as characters and objects for animated and real-life motion pictures. The video game industry uses them as assets for computer and video games. The science sector uses them as highly detailed models of chemical compounds.[citation needed] The architecture industry uses them to demonstrate proposed buildings and landscapes in lieu of traditional, physical architectural models. The engineering community utilizes them as designs of new devices, vehicles and structures as well as a host of other uses. In recent decades the earth science community has started to construct 3D geological models as a standard practice. 3D models can also be the basis for physical devices that are built with 3D printers or CNC machine

Avatar SDK UE Plugin

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Avatar SDK allows you to create personalized avatars from selfies. Avatar SDK UE Plugin contains a set of tools for convenient usage of Avatar SDK Web API in Unreal Engine 4 applications. All of the plugin’s functionality is available in Blueprints and C++. The UE4 project distributed with the plugin contains the sample scene that demonstrates basic functions of the plugin: setting parameters, generating an avatar, downloading the result, displaying it on the scene, applying available morph poses and haircuts.

Most of the sample functionality is implemented in the “MyAvatar” actor blueprint. To run the sample application you need to provide your App Client ID and App Client Secret available in your AvatarSDK account at https://accounts.avatarsdk.com/developer/

Please, set these parameters in the corresponding fields of the AvatarSDKConnection structure, which gets constructed in the “Initialization” section of “MyAvatar” blueprint:

When the sample is started, you need to

1. Select the desired pipeline subtype for your avatar:

Currently the UE plugin supports the “head/mobile” and “bust/mobile” subtypes of the Head 2.0 pipeline. You can find detailed information about the pipelines in the corresponding section of our API documentation: https://api.avatarsdk.com/#available-pipelines

2. Upload an image with the “Select Photo” button.

Here are some recommendations to make your avatar look really great:

• The face in the photo should be easily recognizable and not blurry.
• Uniform good lighting is recommended when taking a photo, avoid dark shadows or bright glares.
• A person should keep a neutral facial expression or a slight smile, but without opening  a mouth. If teeth are visible on the input photo, the lip texture might have artifacts.
• It’s best to look straight into the camera without turning your neck or eyes.
• We advise removing the glasses because they’re reconstructed only in the texture, not 3D mesh.

The result of avatar generation should look like the following:

Input image	Generated avatar

We want to thank Epic Games for supporting this product through Epic Megagrant!

Please, feel free to reach us out via [email protected] if you have any questions about Avatar SDK, want to share your experience, provide bug reports, or give us feedback on how to make Avatar SDK Unreal plugin better!

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