What does "bake" mean in the context of 3D modeling?

lamoid_5f20d3e469

In many specialized technical domains, there are technical terms that are widely used and seem not to be defined anywhere. This is a good example.

"bake" is a command that is used in daz studio. For example, in the options dropdown for the Parameters panel there is the command "Bake to transforms." You can, apparently, bake textures, morphs, joint rotations, and probably other things as well. I have been unable to find a definition for the word in the context of 3D computer graphics.

Questions: (1) What, exactly, does it mean? (2) What is its use? (3) Why might you want to do that? (4) It sounds rather final; does it irreversibly change its target?

 

Ascania

Many things in the 3D world are done parametrically, as a set of mathematical formulas applied to achieve a certain result. Shaders are a common examples. "Baking" resolves those formulas into definite numbers that can be directly applied without having to use the formulas that create them.

lamoid_5f20d3e469

Thank you Ascania, for your response! Most kind of you. I know about parametric models -- I'm a university professor of engineering.

If I understand you correctly, when I set up a model for rendering in a 3D modeler like DS, at render time all the parameters are read from the controls in the program (e.g. the dials) and the data files (the mesh the textures, various maps). They are used to initialize the parametric models, which are then applied to the figure and/or sent to the rendering engine.

But, I can speed up the process by baking those parameters -- permanently setting them in a model and, perhaps, doing precalculations as possible. I don't know for sure, but it seems likey that the program could fully compute the relative positions and spectral reflectivities (e.g. BRDFs) of all the points on a figure by applying the shaders to them ahead of time. Then they would be saved along with the figure or object for the next time they are used. 

Is that correct?

In Daz Studio, does that imply that once baked in, the parameters for that model cannot be changed?

Thank you, again Asconia, for helping me learn about this.

WendyLuvsCatz

DAZ studio is a bit limited in what it can actually "bake"

usually that does mean once done you cannot go back, an example would be converting a figure to a prop

texture atlas is probably the nearest thing DAZ studio pocesses to texture baking but it does not bake lighting or procedural materials/ shaders

aniblocks can be baked to keyframes too

WendyLuvsCatz

DAZ studio is a bit limited in what it can actually "bake"

usually that does mean once done you cannot go back, an example would be converting a figure to a prop

texture atlas is probably the nearest thing DAZ studio pocesses to texture baking but it does not bake lighting or procedural materials/ shaders

aniblocks can be baked to keyframes too