Art of Illusion
Encyclopedia
Art of Illusion is a software package
used for 3D modeling
, texturing
, ray tracing, and otherwise render
ing computer generated imagery stills or animations (movies).
The goal of Art of Illusion is to provide powerful 3D modeling tools with a user interface that improves on those found in other 3D software packages. Though its interface is simple, Art of Illusion contains many features found in high-end commercial graphics software. Some of its features, like the use of online repositories and a built-in downloading tool for installing extensions, are not found in similar proprietary software.
The primary creator and maintainer of the software is Peter Eastman
.
Art of Illusion is written in the Java programming language
. Distributed under the GNU General Public License
, it is free software
.
is an online computer graphics competition.:
magazine Linux Pratique has published articles about Art of Illusion.
Art of Illusion was the SourceForge.net
Project of the Month for April, 2007.
Software package (installation)
In package management systems, which are commonly used with Linux-based operating systems, a package is a specific piece of software which the system can install and uninstall....
used for 3D modeling
3D modeling
In 3D computer graphics, 3D modeling is the process of developing a mathematical representation of any three-dimensional surface of object via specialized software. The product is called a 3D model...
, texturing
Texture mapping
Texture mapping is a method for adding detail, surface texture , or color to a computer-generated graphic or 3D model. Its application to 3D graphics was pioneered by Dr Edwin Catmull in his Ph.D. thesis of 1974.-Texture mapping:...
, ray tracing, and otherwise render
Rendering (computer graphics)
Rendering is the process of generating an image from a model , by means of computer programs. A scene file contains objects in a strictly defined language or data structure; it would contain geometry, viewpoint, texture, lighting, and shading information as a description of the virtual scene...
ing computer generated imagery stills or animations (movies).
The goal of Art of Illusion is to provide powerful 3D modeling tools with a user interface that improves on those found in other 3D software packages. Though its interface is simple, Art of Illusion contains many features found in high-end commercial graphics software. Some of its features, like the use of online repositories and a built-in downloading tool for installing extensions, are not found in similar proprietary software.
The primary creator and maintainer of the software is Peter Eastman
Peter Eastman
Peter Eastman is the lead developer of the free 3D graphics application Art of Illusion and creator of other software titles such as the interactive fiction game, ....
.
Art of Illusion is written in the Java programming language
Java (programming language)
Java is a programming language originally developed by James Gosling at Sun Microsystems and released in 1995 as a core component of Sun Microsystems' Java platform. The language derives much of its syntax from C and C++ but has a simpler object model and fewer low-level facilities...
. Distributed under the GNU General Public License
GNU General Public License
The GNU General Public License is the most widely used free software license, originally written by Richard Stallman for the GNU Project....
, it is free software
Free software
Free software, software libre or libre software is software that can be used, studied, and modified without restriction, and which can be copied and redistributed in modified or unmodified form either without restriction, or with restrictions that only ensure that further recipients can also do...
.
Features
- Interface
- Object list, scene layout windows, and animation score
- Tooltips and explanatory icons
- Bundled documentation and help interface
- Built-in "live help" chat client for connecting to the freenodeFreenodefreenode, formerly known as Open Projects Network, is an IRC network used to discuss peer-directed projects. Their servers are all accessible from the domain name [irc://chat.freenode.net chat.freenode.net], which load balances connections by using the actual servers in rotation...
Art of Illusion support channel - Extensions available as scripts or plugins with automated installation and update from online repository (requires internet connection)
- Grid view and realtime display modes including Wireframe, Smooth, Textured.
- Modeling
- Primitives: cube, sphere, cone, tube, curve, triangle mesh, spline mesh
- BooleanConstructive solid geometryConstructive solid geometry is a technique used in solid modeling. Constructive solid geometry allows a modeler to create a complex surface or object by using Boolean operators to combine objects...
modeling operations - Lathe, sweep, extrude (straight or along a curve)
- Subdivision surfaces (smoothing) with edge creasing available for triangle meshes.
- Mesh editor featuring adjustable mesh tension, bevel, taper, various selection methods (including select edge loopEdge loopsAn edge loop, in computer graphics, can loosely be defined as a set of connected edges across a surface. Usually the last edge meets again with the first edge, thus forming a loop...
/strip), etc. - Object array tool (multidimensional arrays or arrays along a curve)
- Isosurface modeling (via procedural nodes or direct numeric input)
- Animation
- Distortion tracks for effects like bend, twist, and shatter
- Skeletal animation with weighting, constraints and inverse kinematicsInverse kinematicsInverse kinematics is a subdomain of kinematics, which is of particular interest in robotics and computer animation. In contrast to forward kinematics, which calculates the position of a body after a series of motions, inverse kinematics calculates the motions necessary to achieve a desired...
- Poses and Gestures
- Keyframe editor with interpolating curves
- Path animation
- Animation through scripted objects, e.g. particles using Particle Jet script
- Textures
- Types: Uniform, image mapped, procedural 2D and 3D
- Mapping options: Projection, spherical, cylindrical, UV
- Per-vertex, per-face and per-face-per-vertex texture assignment (depending on textured object)
- Layered textures
- Graphical language for procedural textureProcedural textureA procedural texture is a computer generated image created using an algorithm intended to create a realistic representation of natural elements such as wood, marble, granite, metal, stone, and others....
/material design - Procedural textureProcedural textureA procedural texture is a computer generated image created using an algorithm intended to create a realistic representation of natural elements such as wood, marble, granite, metal, stone, and others....
s can be based on parameters like view angle (for fresnel-like effects), etc. - Animateable textures via texture parameters and use of Time module
- Environment background can be mapped with any photo (HDR or RGB), as well as procedural textures
- Materials (Represent the internal properties of an object)
- ProceduralProcedural textureA procedural texture is a computer generated image created using an algorithm intended to create a realistic representation of natural elements such as wood, marble, granite, metal, stone, and others....
and uniform materials - Adjustable index of refraction, scatteringScatteringScattering is a general physical process where some forms of radiation, such as light, sound, or moving particles, are forced to deviate from a straight trajectory by one or more localized non-uniformities in the medium through which they pass. In conventional use, this also includes deviation of...
, eccentricity - Animatable materials via Time module
- Procedural
- Rendering
- MultithreadingThread (computer science)In computer science, a thread of execution is the smallest unit of processing that can be scheduled by an operating system. The implementation of threads and processes differs from one operating system to another, but in most cases, a thread is contained inside a process...
- Global illuminationGlobal illuminationGlobal illumination is a general name for a group of algorithms used in 3D computer graphics that are meant to add more realistic lighting to 3D scenes...
rendering, along with causticsCaustic (optics)In optics, a caustic or caustic network is the envelope of light rays reflected or refracted by a curved surface or object, or the projection of that envelope of rays on another surface. The caustic is a curve or surface to which each of the light rays is tangent, defining a boundary of an...
and subsurface scatteringSubsurface scatteringSubsurface scattering is a mechanism of light transport in which light penetrates the surface of a translucent object, is scattered by interacting with the material, and exits the surface at a different point... - Global illumination methods: Monte carloMonte Carlo methodMonte Carlo methods are a class of computational algorithms that rely on repeated random sampling to compute their results. Monte Carlo methods are often used in computer simulations of physical and mathematical systems...
, photon mapping with final gathering, direct photon mappingPhoton mappingIn computer graphics, photon mapping is a two-pass global illumination algorithm developed by Henrik Wann Jensen that solves the rendering equation. Rays from the light source and rays from the camera are traced independently until some termination criterion is met, then they are connected in a...
, and ambient occlusionAmbient occlusionAmbient occlusion is a shading method used in 3D computer graphics which helps add realism to local reflection models by taking into account attenuation of light due to occlusion... - Light types: Point lights, spotlights (both with editable radii), and directional lights
- Soft shadows
- Light scattering for materials: Both Single Scattering and Photon ScatteringSubsurface scatteringSubsurface scattering is a mechanism of light transport in which light penetrates the surface of a translucent object, is scattered by interacting with the material, and exits the surface at a different point...
(BSSRDF). User can specify either or both at rendertime. - Raytraced depth of fieldDepth of fieldIn optics, particularly as it relates to film and photography, depth of field is the distance between the nearest and farthest objects in a scene that appear acceptably sharp in an image...
- Gloss/translucency (blurred reflections and blurry transparency)
- Motion blur
- HDRIHigh dynamic range imagingIn image processing, computer graphics, and photography, high dynamic range imaging is a set of techniques that allows a greater dynamic range between the lightest and darkest areas of an image than current standard digital imaging techniques or photographic methods...
scene illumination - Save renders as HDRI images
- Multithreading
- Post Processing
- Camera filters (Exposure Correction, Glow, Outline, Tint, Blur, etc.)
- Noise reduction for Global Illumination
- Scripting
- Scripting language (BeanshellBeanShellBeanShell is a Java scripting language, invented by Patrick Niemeyer. It runs in the Java Runtime Environment and uses Java syntax, in addition to scripting commands and syntax.- Features :...
) allowing development of new tools/commands - Dynamic Scripts ("smart objects" - see flyswatter tutorial)
- Scripting language (Beanshell
- File Handling
- 3D Import: .obj natively; .demDigital elevation modelA digital elevation model is a digital model or 3-D representation of a terrain's surface — commonly for a planet , moon, or asteroid — created from terrain elevation data....
, .dxfAutoCAD DXFAutoCAD DXF is a CAD data file format developed by Autodesk for enabling data interoperability between AutoCAD and other programs....
, .geo, .lwoLightWaveLightWave 3D is a high end computer graphics program developed by NewTek. The latest release of LightWave runs on Windows and Mac OS X.- Overview:...
, .povPOV-RayThe Persistence of Vision Raytracer, or POV-Ray, is a ray tracing program available for a variety of computer platforms. It was originally based on DKBTrace, written by David Kirk Buck and Aaron A. Collins. There are also influences from the earlier Polyray raytracer contributed by its author...
, .incPOV-RayThe Persistence of Vision Raytracer, or POV-Ray, is a ray tracing program available for a variety of computer platforms. It was originally based on DKBTrace, written by David Kirk Buck and Aaron A. Collins. There are also influences from the earlier Polyray raytracer contributed by its author...
, .3ds.3ds3DS is one of the file formats used by the Autodesk 3ds Max 3D modeling, animation and rendering software.It was the native file format of the old Autodesk 3D Studio DOS , which was popular until its successor replaced it in April 1996...
via plugins - 2D Import via scripts: .aiAdobe IllustratorAdobe Illustrator is a vector graphics editor developed and marketed by Adobe Systems. Illustrator is similar in scope, intended market, and functionality to its competitors, CorelDraw, Xara Designer Pro and Macromedia FreeHand....
, .svgScalable Vector GraphicsScalable Vector Graphics is a family of specifications of an XML-based file format for describing two-dimensional vector graphics, both static and dynamic . The SVG specification is an open standard that has been under development by the World Wide Web Consortium since 1999.SVG images and their... - 3D Export: .povPOV-RayThe Persistence of Vision Raytracer, or POV-Ray, is a ray tracing program available for a variety of computer platforms. It was originally based on DKBTrace, written by David Kirk Buck and Aaron A. Collins. There are also influences from the earlier Polyray raytracer contributed by its author...
, .obj, VRMLVRMLVRML is a standard file format for representing 3-dimensional interactive vector graphics, designed particularly with the World Wide Web in mind...
, all native; .stlSTL (file format)STL is a file format native to the stereolithography CAD software created by 3D Systems. This file format is supported by many other software packages; it is widely used for rapid prototyping and computer-aided manufacturing. STL files describe only the surface geometry of a three dimensional...
via plugin - 2D Export/Save: .jpgJPEGIn computing, JPEG . The degree of compression can be adjusted, allowing a selectable tradeoff between storage size and image quality. JPEG typically achieves 10:1 compression with little perceptible loss in image quality....
, .bmpWindows bitmapThe BMP File Format, also known as Bitmap Image File or Device Independent Bitmap file format or simply a Bitmap, is a Raster graphics image file format used to store bitmap digital images, independently of the display device , especially on Microsoft Windows and OS/2 operating systems.The BMP...
, .png, .tifTagged Image File FormatTIFF is a file format for storing images, popular among graphic artists, the publishing industry, and both amateur and professional photographers in general. As of 2009, it is under the control of Adobe Systems...
, .hdrHigh dynamic range renderingIn 3D computer graphics, high dynamic range rendering , also known as high dynamic range lighting, is the rendering of computer graphics scenes by using lighting calculations done in a larger dynamic range. This allows preservation of details that may be lost due to limiting contrast ratios...
, all native; .svgScalable Vector GraphicsScalable Vector Graphics is a family of specifications of an XML-based file format for describing two-dimensional vector graphics, both static and dynamic . The SVG specification is an open standard that has been under development by the World Wide Web Consortium since 1999.SVG images and their...
via plugin
- 3D Import: .obj natively; .dem
- Extended Functionality Through Scripts and Plugins
- Direct-to-disk rendering using presets like "Letter," "A4," with DPI and Bleed settings (Advanced Rendering plugin)
- Wireframe/polygon renders with antialiasing and SVG export (Vector Renderer plugin)
- Preview renders in sidebar (Preview Plugin)
- Subdivision (Ngon) modeler with tools for both open- and closed-mesh modeling and support for Catmull-ClarkCatmull-Clark subdivision surfaceThe Catmull–Clark algorithm is used in computer graphics to create smooth surfaces by subdivision surface modeling. It was devised by Edwin Catmull and Jim Clark in 1978 as a generalization of bi-cubic uniform B-spline surfaces to arbitrary topology...
subdivision surfaces (Polymesh Editor plugin) - ABF+ UV unwrapping available through Polymesh Editor plugin
- Procedural tree and plant creator (Tree and Plant Designer plugin)
- Other major features provided through script or plugin extensions such as: 3D text, mesh thickening, platonic solids, sculpt, fractal/image-based heightfields, hair, grunge, and more
Development
- Art of Illusion is a free and open source application and contributions to the source code, scripts and plugins base, and other aspects of the software are welcome.
- Art of Illusion's development cycle usually includes two builds called "Early Access" (EA) releases followed by a Beta, or "bug fix" version. However, with a recent announcement, the bug-fixing portion of development has been shifted to make sure that more bugs are fixed in existing features.
- Art of Illusion includes in-tool access to scripts and plugins, allowing the user access to the tools other people have found useful. Developers who wish for their plugins to be included in the repository must submit them to the maintainers at Scripts and Plugins Repository via e-mail.
- Peter Eastman remains responsible for deciding what code should included in the official version of Art of Illusion. More information
Recognition
Below is a listing of some of the artists who have placed in the Internet Ray Tracing CompetitionInternet Ray Tracing Competition
The Internet Ray Tracing Competition is one of the Internet's largest and most well-known digital 3D art competitions, running recurring competition rounds of image submissions from users, with an emphasis on artwork producing using raytracing....
is an online computer graphics competition.:
- Nate Ryan's Fungus Dance image won 1st place in the September - October 2003 "Decay" contest. link
- Julian MacDonald's "Gladiators" animation won Honorable Mention: Artistic Merit in the July-October 2004 contest. link
- "Bathtime Fun", also by Julian MacDonald, won 2nd place in the September-October 2004 contest. link
- Kevin Lynn's "Is Juggling a Sport?" animation won 1st place in the July-October 2005 contest. link
Press coverage and awards
The French LinuxLinux
Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
magazine Linux Pratique has published articles about Art of Illusion.
Art of Illusion was the SourceForge.net
SourceForge.net
SourceForge is a web-based source code repository. It acts as a centralized location for software developers to control and manage open source software development. The website runs a version of SourceForge Enterprise Edition, forked from the last open-source version available...
Project of the Month for April, 2007.