Spring 2027

3d Digital Studio I

3D Digital Studio I introduces computer-based 3D modeling for creating images and objects, covering polygonal modeling, shaders, rendering, and contemporary practices in art, design, and entertainment.

offering recorded4 credits
Recorded instructors · Spring 2027 No instructors listed

Summary

1 / 6

Past student reviews · Stephen Hilyard

Students described the lectures as grueling and excruciatingly dull, noting that the instructor spoke in a monotone voice during long sessions.

What you’ll be able to do

  • Create polygonal models using a variety of techniques.

  • Understand shaders including the ability to create and use complex shader networks using procedural and image based textures.

  • Understand texture projection techniques as well the editing of mesh Uvs to control textures in your shaders.

  • Understand camera setup and lighting including the ability to create and use the full range of lights.

  • Understand rendering including the ability to render photo-real and non-photo-real images using a number of different renderers.

  • Understand contemporary practice in the field, including the use of 3D digital technology in fine art, design and entertainment.

  • Incorporate 3D digital techniques into their own research.

Source: UW Guide

Grade history

↗
average GPA
letter grades
A
AB
B
BC
C
D
F

All recorded terms · compare terms & instructors

Prerequisites

Course map

ART 107 or declared in an Art graduate program

    • ART 107
    • declared in an Art graduate program
    take one
ART 429 used by

“Used by” includes alternatives; linked courses may have other requirements. This is a best-effort interpretation; check the catalog requirements above.

Prerequisite text tree
  • Any of
    • ART 107
    • declared in an Art graduate program

Professors

Spring 2027

No instructors recorded for this selection.

Historical instructors & teaching patterns

STEPHEN HILYARD is recorded teaching in Fall 2007, Spring 2008, Fall 2009, Fall 2010, Spring 2011, Spring 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Fall 2016, Fall 2017, Fall 2019, Fall 2020, Fall 2021, Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Spring 2024, Fall 2025. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

Calendar & sections

Spring 2027

Schedule loads here as you scroll.

SectionModeEnrolled / capacityWaitlist
LAB 001Classroom Instruction0 / 160

Times are Central. Select a meeting for details; export includes recorded dates for the selected sections. Enrollment reflects scan time.

Meeting source records
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Student experience

the class

Past student reviews · Stephen Hilyard

Stephen Hilyard taught this Rhino and Maya course with expansive animation industry knowledge, offering no limits on project ideas for students with challenging portfolio concepts.

Recent recorded grades — Spring 2025: 3.88 GPA, 92.3% A/AB (n=13 letter grades); Fall 2025: 3.66 GPA, 86.2% A/AB (n=29 letter grades); Spring 2026: 3.93 GPA, 92.9% A/AB (n=14 letter grades).

difficulty & workload

Past student reviews · Stephen Hilyard

Students described the lectures as grueling and excruciatingly dull, noting that the instructor spoke in a monotone voice during long sessions.

Past student reviews · Stephen Hilyard

Feedback varied significantly; some students found the instructor's dry humor and harsh comments on artwork mean, while others valued the professional development guidance.

Topics

  • Three-dimensional computer modeling
  • Polygonal modeling techniques
  • Shaders and texture networks
  • Photo-realistic and non-photo-realistic rendering
  • Contemporary 3D digital practice in art, design, and entertainment

Skills

  • Creating polygonal models
  • Creating and using complex shader networks with procedural and image-based textures
  • Editing mesh UVs to control textures
  • Setting up cameras and lighting
  • Rendering photo-real and non-photo-real images

Grades

Latest available · Spring 2026— not enough history to project Spring 2027.

average GPA
A / AB grades
letter grades
Instructor

Grade distribution · % of letter grades

A
AB
B
BC
C
D
F

Grades over time

Through Spring 2026

More grade details Grade mix, volume & source data

Not enough comparable courses for Spring 2027 in UW–Madison.

Sources & history

UW–Madison

Catalog & offerings

Descriptions, prerequisites, and recorded course offerings.

Catalog observation history

Observations at scan time; dates do not imply when a catalog change took effect.

Download part 1
Selected offering source records
ART 429 · Spring 2027

3D Digital Studio I

Recorded 2026-10-14
Raw records 
[
  {
    "run_id": "20261014T203208-0851c9a1",
    "semester": "1274",
    "observed_at": "2026-10-14 17:50:09.728220+00:00",
    "offering_id": "1274:168:022926",
    "course_id": "ART 429",
    "course_uid": "course_2a9e61cdf75dff46b122956e",
    "term_id": "1274",
    "source_course_id": "022926",
    "source_subject_id": "168",
    "title": "3D Digital Studio I",
    "credits_min": 4,
    "credits_max": 4,
    "typically_offered": "Occasionally"
  }
]
Rate My Professors

Student reviews

Original comments behind the course and instructor summaries.

Read original reviews
Download part 1
Madgrades

Grade history

Recorded grade distributions by term, section, and instructor.

Explore recorded grades
Dataset & model

Recorded 2026-10-14

View the dataset on Hugging Face
Model outputs & technical records
Qwen/Qwen3.8-27B
LLM outputs across runs
Download part 1
Full model traces

Recorded model configuration, reasoning, and tool conversations.

Download part 1
Model & dataset provenance 
{
  "model": "Qwen/Qwen3.8-27B",
  "model_revision": "1d4bf0f2ff6012fd82039f2fa52739d0dd7c60c0",
  "task_version": "17",
  "output_id": "0d28eb134a92a11a68b4437273330c22c0b617da85b4d90f0b05a417aa073ca0",
  "requirements_status": "valid",
  "dataset_revision": "fc1811fa52e581ea57a35c0cf3343f8740a8ffbf",
  "observed_at": "2026-10-14 17:50:09.728220+00:00"
}