INTRODUCTION

Computer Graphics: As objects: images generated and/or displayed by computers.As a subject: the science of studying how to generate and display images using computers.Why: a picture is worth a thousand wordsClassifications: Dimensions: 2 or 3Types: vector, raster

Vector Graphics: deals with points, lines and

shapes. p2(x2,y2)p1(x1,y1)

Raster Graphics: deals with raster images. A raster image is a 2D grid of colored dots. Each dot is called a pixel (picture element). Each

horizontal line of pixels is called a scan line.

Display Hardware: CRT Display: 1950, MIT, for the Whirlwind

computer(a vector display device).Rater display devices. All modern computers

use rater display devices.  The most important component of a rater display device is its Frame Buffer.

Frame Buffer: is a two dimensional array of memory cells with each of the cell stores the color of the corresponding pixel.

Visual Realism: to make computer generated images look as real as possible.

Techniques for generating realistic perceptions:

Depth: hidden surface removal, foreshortening, and depth cueing.

Direction: lighting, shading (constant, Gourand, Phong).

Material: shininess, translucency, reflection, shadow, (ray tracing), texture

 

Ray-tracing: simulate how rays of light reflect from the surfaces of objects.

More than just images Animation: motion and change Interaction: input devices Stereo: two images: left and right

polarized glass, LCD glass, R-B glass,

hologram, out-of-focus, Virtual Reality: interactive animated

stereo graphics. Beyond Visual Realism: argumented

VR

New Trends: Internet: HTML, GUI, Java 2D and 3D, SVG, VRML

(virtual reality markup language), X3D, WebGL. 3D Printing: plastics, metals, biomaterials Applications from CAD and flight simulation to data

and information visualization; From Big to Small

from 3D movie screens to smart phones:

Windows: GDI, WinG, OpenGL, OpenGL ES,

webGL (OpenGL 2.0 + HTML5)

Research: more realism (radiosity,

physically based rendering, web based, ...);

more speed (parallel rendering, GPU, 3D display device, ...);

more data types (geometrical, attributed, scattered, ...)

Course to be taught in three segments:

1. Experience graphics using high-level programming tools: POV-Ray, Unit3D, UTK, … Start with ray tracing.

2. Understand the principles of computer graphics: under the hood theory.

3. OpenGL: inside out. How to use it and how to implement it.