CG Visualization

#1

Hi, I am a San Francisco Bay Area student currently interested in animation and modeling; I invest a lot of my time drawing, and using software such as Maya, Blender & ZBrush. I’m in need of help from a CG community such as this in answering some of my questions about CG visualization.

Question One: If I wanted to go into ArchViz, which school would be my best option for this? A traditional school or an art school? … which specific schools (I’m not geographically or economically restrained)? Further elaboration: Is it better to major in architecture @ a traditional school and take 3DModeling+Animation on the side, or rather, is it better to major in 3DModeling+Animation @ an art school and take architecture on the side?

Question Two: Likewise, if I wanted to go into scientific visualization, which school would be my best option for this? A traditional school or an art school? … which specific schools? Further elaboration: Is it better to major in science @ a traditional school and take 3DModeling+Animation on the side, or rather, is it better to major in 3DModeling+Animation @ an art school and take science on the side?

Question Three: Are there any books or pre-college programs that could educate me about either of these disciplines?

Question Four: Are there any other forums or blogs that could help me with this type of information? I realize that there’s cgarchitect… anywhere else?

Thank & I appreciate any help or responses given!

#2

I know that Texas Tech , of all places, has a well regarded graduate program in visualization. I don’t know about their undergrad offerings.

#3

^ Did you mean Texas A&M? Their Visualization Sciences program is a well respected MS program. They recently added a Bachelor’s and MFA program as well.

http://vvvvvv.viz.tamu.edu/

#4

When you say Scientific Visualization. Is this more of what you’re looking for?

http://www.sci.utah.edu/

http://www.sci.utah.edu/research/visualization.html

If it is, then the University of Utah is the place to be if you want to get into that. They’re more focused in that area these days than they are with rendering now.

#5

Jasfar,

My best advice would be to figure out if you want to be a scientist, an architect or a CG artist. Speaking from experience, most architecture schools teach 3D visualization using some type of 3d software, if not Architectural Desktop, Revit or other version of CAD. So most architecture students now leave school with a pretty good understanding of how to show their concepts in 3d. Not a lot of 3d artists really needed anymore for the architecture world unless they need a really large scale animation that is absolutely realistic. As far science goes, most of what they visualize are computer models, that don’t require nice renderings. However, there are exceptions to this. If I were in your position, I would list out what you enjoy most about 3d, and determine if you have an interest in becoming an architect or scientist, both of which will require many more hours of specific study that have nothing to do with 3D art. If you decide you want to go into architecture or science than your best bet is going to a traditional 4 year university. If you decide you want to go into 3D or digital art, your best bet is going to a traditional 4 year art school or university. There are many universities that have great digital media programs and possibly an architecture program that you could take some courses in, or science. Either way, my suggestion is a traditional 4 year program, where you will be exposed to a wide variety of experiences, views and expertise, making you better prepared to take your 3d skills into a broad spectrum of possibilities, even something that you haven’t thought of before.

#6

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