Parts One and Two of our three part Qt 3D series focused on drawing a 3D model and accepting user input, which are necessary building blocks of 3D applications. For the last part, we’ll look at how to use Qt 3D and frame graphs to create some really sophisticated looking graphics, including how to implement multi-pass rendering.

Learning to create 3D applications can be an overwhelming task even for seasoned developers because of all the new terminology, visual concepts, and advanced math. To simplify the job, many developers use a framework like Qt 3D, which KDAB developed and contributed to Qt. In this paper, the first of 3 whitepapers, you will learn about the structure of a Qt 3D program – the nature of entities, components, and aspects, and how those are incorporated into the scene graph and frame graph. The Qt 3D Basics series is intended to help developers create highly polished Qt 3D applications, including descriptions of the technology components, the rationale behind their designs, and straightforward examples.

The ability to create a 3D applications is a skillset that is increasingly in demand as it plays a crucial role in advanced UX design, virtual reality, game development, and more. While developing a modern 3D program requires many disparate skills, there are frameworks that help the developer stitch it all together. Qt 3D, developed by KDAB, is one such framework. Our first Qt 3D whitepaper helped us understand the structure of a Qt 3D program - the nature of the entities, components and aspects, in the scene graph and frame graph. This paper shows how to incorporate those elements into a functioning program by examining how to receive user input and how to animate objects in a scene.

Create intelligent, patient-focused medical software and devices backed by the expertise of KDAB.

KDAB has embraced the potential of the Vulkan API specification and its power to deliver high-performance graphics and compute functionality on current and future GPU hardware. Leveraging our wealth of 3D experience, we are well-prepared to bring this cutting-edge, high-performance API to your application, allowing you to harness its capabilities fully.

When Bridgin, the developers of iDig, an intuitive excavator machine control, needed to enhance their guidance system with complex 3D surface modeling and rendering capabilities, they sought the expertise of KDAB, drawing to their deep experience with Qt in general and Qt 3D in particular.