3D Computer Graphics

The work in 3D computer graphics that I want to talk about is the work done for Merida’s hair in the Disney/Pixar movie Brave. Because Merida’s hair is this thick mess of curls, they had to develop a new technology in order to capture its movement. That new technology is called “core curve and points.” Essentially, each “strand” of hair is represented by a spring (1,500 hand-placed curls!!). The points along the core curve include the springs, so that when Merida moves her head along the curve, the hair moves with her. I admire this project because of how this technology makes it possible to represent more identities in animated film. I also admire how much fun the team seems to have had cracking this problem? It took almost three years to finalize her hair!! That’s crazy!! I admire that they genuinely love this work so much. Claudia Chung is my source of information on this project, she was the simulation supervisor on Brave.

Here’s the website where I got my information from:
https://www.insidescience.org/news/brave-features-hair-raising-animations