Hello Emerging Tech Careers In the past In the present Groundbreaking inventions made life easier in many ways New technologies are changing the world in mind-boggling ways The future is yours to imagine WHAT COMES NEXT 4
Who would have thought Alexander Graham Bell invented the first telephone in 1876 In 1879 Thomas Edison invented the first electric lightbulb The Wright brothers successfully flew the first airplane in 1903 And don’t forget Henry Ford He invented a way to make cars quicker and cheaper These brilliant inventors did things that people once thought were impossible To go from candles to electricity From horse-drawn carriages to automobiles and airplanes Wow The sky’s the limit Now technology is being used to do even more amazing things Take virtual reality for instance Virtual reality is a life-like computer-generated environment in which a person can explore and interact It is being used to create some amazing games It is also being used to provide training simulations used by the military in medicine and other types of businesses This book explores the people and professions behind virtual reality Creating realistic worlds for both fun and business is adding an exciting new twist to careers like game designer and hardware engineer Read on to explore exciting possibilities for your future 5
3D Animator Leaves sway in the breeze The beam of your virtual flashlight makes wet rocks sparkle A virtual dog trots alongside you wagging its tail Just like a real dog it sits and starts scratching itself with a kicking motion It all seems so real but it is only very realistic animation 6
Animation plays a major role in making a virtual world seem lifelike If there was no movement in the virtual scenes you were seeing then the experience would feel strange and unrealistic Think about your real-life experiences Even in a still peaceful environment there is movement all around you Wind makes plants sway Dirt and dust blow along the ground The light around you changes as clouds move in front of the sun Even if you try to sit perfectly still your body moves as you breathe In a virtual world all the movement you see is created by skilled animators These professionals use a variety of techniques to bring 3D models to life For example sometimes they might take a 3D model of a character and create each of its movements by hand They would determine how its legs need to bend and move for each step it takes how its head turns and more Each movement requires its own image 7 Imagine It D Watch a friend or relative carefully as he or she moves around D What do you notice about the person’s movements What do the movements tell you about the person’s mood or personality D Use a smartphone to take a quick sequence of photos Notice the tiny differences among each image Dig Deeper J Google’s Toontastic 3D app is a great way to get started with 3D animation Check it out at https toontastic withgoogle com J Ask an adult to help you download the app to a tablet or smartphone
