The History of Visual Magic in Computers: How it led to AI

Have you ever watched a captivating adventure or science fiction movie, played an intricate and immersive computer game, or seen a TV commercial where objects like cars, gas pumps, or biscuits act like people and wondered, "How do they do that?" If so, then you've witnessed the magic of 3D worlds created by computers. It's a captivating field that blends artistry and technology to bring fictional worlds to life and this 2nd edition adds the unique combination of artistry, technology, and AI that goes into creating 3D worlds—real and imaginary. The roots of 3D graphics in computers lie in practical applications, like representing automotive designs and illustrating the structure of molecules. Over time, these techniques evolved, expanding to visualize simulated data and create artistic representations of imaginary worlds. The goal was, and still is, to create images that feel real, overcoming the visual cues that might make a viewer question the authenticity of what they're seeing. To achieve realism, developers had to find ways to work around the limitations of early computers.