It probably won’t surprise you that Pixar uses some good old-fashioned mathematics in the 3D animation process. What might surprise you is just how much they use maths to ensure that their characters look and move perfectly. And Pixar researcher Tony DeRose is great at explaining just that.
In a new Numberphile video, DeRose offers a step-by-step explanation of how Pixar uses relatively simple geometry to make its 3D animations looks so smooth. Even non-maths nerds will enjoy the peek behind the scenes at Pixar. Meanwhile, maths nerds will love it around the 10-minute mark — when DeRose starts whipping out the equations.
It’s pretty incredible how far we’ve come with 3D animation — and how good, old-fashioned maths still plays a role. [YouTube]
