CSCI 140 Final Gallery

3-D Computer Modeling 
CSCI 140 Fall 2002

Bailey, Pat

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Project
Pat BaileyFinal Scene
The Human-Computer Connection
 
Introduction
This scene shows a person connected to a computer by a neuro-cybernetic connection. The person's head has a cutaway section that shows an organic neural network. The computer has an open door showing an artificial neural network.

Inspiration
Two things inspired this scene:
1. I wanted to see if I could model a human head.
2. I have heard many debates about whether computers will ever be as intelligent as humans and whether there will ever be neuro-cybernetic connections between people and computers. I wanted to express my opinion graphically.

The scene symbolically shows the capabilities of human mental potential as more unbounded than that of the computer - the human's neurons extend past the boundaries of the head while the artificial neural net in the computer are bound to the computer.

Even though such a computer would be a fairly advanced machine, I made the artificial neural network in the computer look a little like an abacus, also pointing out the limitedness of it compared to the human brain.
 
 
Objects
RoomPat
PersonPat
ComputerPat
CordPat
ChartPat
DeskPat
Textures
TexturesLightwave procedural and preset
Computer NamePat - bump map
Wall ChartPat - image
 
Problems encountered
1. Most of my problems were with using polygons subdivision and sub patching (Lightwave version 7 extension to meta-nurbs). Often, after subdividing adjacent polygons using Construct->Add Points and Construct->split, the target polygon had been split but another edge had been created so the polygon I was splitting no longer shared an edge with the adjacent polygon. I read the manual and it said to make sure and select all polygons sharing edges that points were added to for splitting, but even when I did that I often had problems. I solved them by deleting the polygons and then selecting the points and recreating the polygon (Create->make pol).

2. After applying sub patching (tab key) there would be defects in the surface. I tried to discover some regularity to the cause, e.g., co-planar polygons, and that sometimes solved the problem but not always. Often I just had to play with the polygons, subdividing, deleting, recreating, etc. to solve the problem.

3. I often had to subdivide a polygon to correct a defect (2 above) which caused other polygons to have be subdivided, other wise they would have too many sides and probably become co-planar. I spent a lot of time trying to figure out how to do the subdivision in order to have a minimal effect on other polygons. Sometimes this caused even more defects in the results of sub patching. The solution was the same as 2 above.

4. Subdividing polygons and moving points to make the head and body usually caused co-planar polygons, some with more than 4 points. I found the Lightwave Modeler statistics window to be of great help with this. It lists polygons by categories according to the number of  points. It also lists the number of co-planar polygons. When one of these categories is selected in the statistics window, Lightwave selects all the polygons in that category. I did this to the co-planar category, then tripled the selected polygons thus solving the problem.