ABSTRACT
The name three-dimensional computer graphics has been used freely in the computer graphics community for many years now [Foley et al. 1990, Glassner 1995, Hill 1990, Rogers 1985, Watt and Watt 1992]. It is something of a misnomer, because the graphics themselves are not in any sense three-dimensional (3-D). Rather, the way that the graphics are generated is dependent upon the construction of a virtual 3-D model in the computer, which is then imaged via a virtual camera, usually implying a simulation of a real physical illumination process. The term three-dimensional merely emphasizes the fact that a simulation of a 3-D world underlies the image-making process and also that the images produced often display the kinds of foreshortening distortions apparent in photographs or perspective drawings of real 3-D scenes. This chapter is devoted to outlining the various aspects of the process of generating 3-D computer graphic images. It is meant to give the reader an overview, or “big picture,” that can be filled in by reading Chapter 36 through Chapter 43 of the handbook, which provide more detailed information on specific aspects of the process.
