Introduction to Computer Graphics
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Syllabus Handout
Goal of Course
Software - C/C++, OpenGL
Hardware - Unix, Windows, NT, Mac
Who you are and what you want from the course
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480/580 Lecture 1
Slide 1
Definition of Computer Graphics
• Computer aided synthesis of pictures from nonpictoral form
• Subfields and related fields
Symbols
Structures
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Images
Signals
480/580 Lecture 1
Slide 2
Reasons for CG
1. User can take in more information
1. Tables versus graphs
2. Easy to make changes
1. Circuit design
3. Can simulate
1. Auto design
2. Flight simulators - http://berkelium.com/OpenGL/flight.html
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Can do the impossible
– Not obey the laws of physics – ILM’s “Come Home”
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http://www.ilmcp.com/home_index.html
– Captain Kirk and USS Enterprise travel through spiral interior of
DNA molecule
walters@buffalo.edu
480/580 Lecture 1
Slide 3
Motivations for Development
1. Manufacturing industry
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CAD/CAM http://www.cadsystems.com/profiles/0106_virtualplant.html
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777 design –
http://www.boeing.com/commercial/777family/cdfacts.html
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Circuit design and layout - http://www.automationstudio.com/
Flight Simulators
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Initial single biggest motivator for realism
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Training – simulated crash vs. actual crash
Simulate combat – 5 missions
Realism – on ground simulators
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In plane goggles and runway 2000 feet up
Low level flight – cactus spines
walters@buffalo.edu
480/580 Lecture 1
Slide 4
More motivations
3. Motion Picture Industry
– TRON, Star Wars, Twister, Perfect Storm, Jurassic
Park III http://cgw.pennnet.com/Articles/Article_Display.cfm?Section=Articles&
Subsection=Display&ARTICLE_ID=108471
– Amazingly difficult to produce
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Toy Story
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SGI hardware
Pixar software and production techniques
James and the Giant Peach
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14.5 min of CG animation
9 months of work by Sony Pictures Image Works team
480/580 Lecture 1
Slide 5
More motivations
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Video Games - http://graphics.stanford.edu/
Music Videos
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Morphing – transform one object into another http://graphics.stanford.edu/cgibin/alumni/tolis/personal/getpage.cgi?morph.html
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Presentation Graphics
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Videos, 35 mm slides, transparencies, reports
Bar charts, line graphs, surface graphs, pie charts
Computer Art
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Paintbrush programs
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Graphics tablet (digitizer)
Stylus (brush shapes, sizes, colors)
http://cgw.pennnet.com/Articles/Article_Display.cfm?Section=Artic
les&Subsection=Display&ARTICLE_ID=108502
Commercial art
Fine art
walters@buffalo.edu
480/580 Lecture 1
Slide 6
More Motivations
8. Education and Training
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Computer generated models
Simulators - http://www.virtual-u.org/
Virtual education - http://online.phoenix.edu/
Visualization
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Business visualization
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View data sets
Scientific visualization
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Genomics - http://www.neurophys.wisc.edu/~cozzi/2cb.html
Computer vision http://www.vasc.ri.cmu.edu/demos/facedemo.html
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480/580 Lecture 1
Slide 7
Why so Hard?
• Computationally expensive
• Still developing new algorithms for realism
– Regular objects easy
• Surface of revolution
– Surface texture
• Toys vs people
• Orange vs ping pong ball
• Texture mapping
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480/580 Lecture 1
Slide 8
Why so Hard, cont.
• Imperfections
– Blemishes – woodwork in Toy Story
• Reflectivity
– Plastic versus rainbow
– Matt surfaces versus specular surfaces
• Motion
– Model by hand – animators and key frames
– Model by physical equations
– Motion capture
• http://cgw.pennnet.com/Articles/Article_Display.cfm?Section=Article
s&Subsection=Display&ARTICLE_ID=108465
• Fur, Fire, Fern Fun
– Dynamic systems http://cgw.pennnet.com/Articles/Article_Display.cfm?Section=Articles&S
ubsection=Display&ARTICLE_ID=108473
– “grow” the processes – particle systems, etc
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480/580 Lecture 1
Slide 9