3D Imaging for Print and Digital Environments (Pt 2): The Application
With the emergent popularity of portraiture followed by easy access to photography, we had the power to make replicas ourselves that would never change or grow old. The ability to capture small segments of our lives in 3 x 5 glossy has since evolved into a near-continuous, tagged and geo-located, digital record of every social event, no matter how mundane, to the point that the featured activities take precedence and, over time, the individual gets lost. So, when I received the link to my 3D image file from Alper Guner of Iconic Studios and looked at him/it/me for the first time, my initial feeling was of reclaiming a part of myself since my face, hair, and the clothes covering my biological form were on full display. But after exploring the form from each angle, I awoke to the potential of this complete and manipulable form, which included:
— Entering virtual worlds like Second Life with a photorealistic avi
— Placing my image file in VR and, as an old man, revisiting my younger self
— Doing some adult-themed things not worth mentioning
— Taking an annual 3D photo, so I might see my physique slowly wane over time
Finally, these thoughts led me to also feel protective of this likeness as I won’t share the image file as freely as I would a photograph. The reason would become even clearer once I’d accessed my old 2D and 3D Unity projects and placed my physical form, still holding its “t-pose” in the virtual scenes. Even at my current level, I was able to put myself in multiple strange and compromising situations; in the hands of a competent designer, it’d be possible for my image file to be helplessly installed in disturbing, Witkin-esque environments where I’m subject to the lowest forms of degradation and grotesquerie ~ not that I’m against it, I’d just prefer to be in control.
As mentioned, I’m holding the same pose within each photo; while it may be possible to make small bends to the still image to create a new pose or make incremental shifts to eventually simulate movement, the process is time consuming. Instead, there are ways of automating 3D animation, such as Mixamo, that may be applied to your image file or slider-customized character. This particular service offers animation packages that quickly enable complex movements in your image file. The user need only identify joints throughout the body (the elbows, knees, neck, etc…) and then choose the types of movement they’d like their animation to make. For my own image file, please check (links are in the photo description):
In the near term, 3D imaging and automated animation packages are already making video game development and video production cheaper and less labor intensive than older methods. The ease of creation may also end in a lower barrier to entry for these types of content creation. The current standard may not yet meet Triple-A gaming standards but, if the current trend holds — which it will, we can expect these quick-and-quality animations to appear in even high-budget productions.
And finally, social VR can one day expect to see photorealistic, user-likened avatars wandering and conversing in social spaces. In platforms wishing to limit users’ ability to remain anonymous, having an avatar that’s a fair representation of their physical selves could (for motives of security or marketing) even become mandatory.
