Ornatrix is a system designed to solve the problem of creating hair and hair-shaped structures. To achieve this goal it employs a variety of tools and automation to allow the user to work in an easy and intuitive environment.
Computer imagery has presented us with many possibilities to simulate our own world and to synthesize new experiences and rich visual information. One of the biggest tasks of CG is to create realistic characters. After all it is living beings that connect us with what we see on an emotional and psychological level. While there have been many advances in the quality and speed of such simulations some things still remain just slightly out of reach for full control. CG model structures often consist of recognizable shapes that we can easily manipulate through modeling techniques which have now been developed for decades.
However, we often tend to ignore the subtle detail that these structures carry. Our world is full of such detail and it is absolutely indispensable to achieve photo realism. Techniques and tricks have been developed to cheat this detail to some extent [1]. However, as we strive towards realism at less expense put into computing power more accurate models need to be introduced. Hair and fur has been one of the biggest problems in CG since the problem was first studied in 1980?s. Since then many strives have been made in simulating realistic hair.
The purpose of Ornatrix and this documentation is to bring you (the user) as close to achieving perfect results as possible with putting the technical side of things inside. So leave your skepticism and frustrations behind, put on your hairdresser hat (if you have one), and let your imagination and inner stylist roam free. The main purpose behind Ornatrix is to make it as much fun for the user to explore the art of virtual hairdressing as possible.
