Up Next: Apple's 2020 iMac (Rumors and Concepts) (Patreon)

Hey guys! So… as you might know, I've been contemplating getting a new computer, soon! Since Apple's iMac hasn't been updated in over a year, I have a feeling we're going to see an update soon. Will it have a new design? No leaks have confirmed that, but while we're here, we might as well have some fun!

I'm working on a 3D model of my 2020 iMac concept, which borrows inspiration from the Pro Display XDR. I don't have the lighting finalized yet, but I've been doing some test renders. Here's some behind-the-scenes shots:

The model and animations are made in Cheetah3D. The camera is on the right, and the white plane is used to reflect some "gloss" into the screen.

There's fewer polygons in spaces that are less complex. The rounded corners of the display need more polygons so we can achieve a smooooooth filet. The stand needs lots of polys because it's curvy. (I had some help on the stand—I'm not that good, yet).

If you've seen Apple's marketing photos for the Pro Display XDR, you'll see lots of goopy stuff on the screen. I think it looks cool! I wanted to recreate this. I generated some gradients and composited them on top of some swirly fractal noise. Ta-da! GOOP!

I'll admit, my brain still does not work well with nodes, but this one is simple enough for me, haha. The goop is then imported into a Cheetah3D material as diffusion and emissive. The emissive is important because that's what let's us "light up" the screen!

More to come! It'll be a fun video.