CMSC 212a: Computer Graphics

Pictures from the Fall 1996 and Fall 1998 offerings of this course are available.

Instructor: John P. Dougherty

Semester & Year: Fall 2000

Syllabus and Schedule from class (each is 1MB postscript)

Web Links for CS212 Fall 2000

Text: Introduction to Computer Graphics, by Foley, Van Dam, Feiner, Hughes, and Phillips

Requirements: weekly labs, midterm exams & final exam and final programming project

Prerequisites: CMSC 206, and MATH 215 (may be taken concurrently) or permission of instructor

Description: This course covers the fundamental principles of computer graphics: data structures for representing objects to be viewed, and algorithms for the generating images from these representations. This course presupposes experience with the geometric interpretation of matrix operations, which may be obtained in Math 215 or other courses.

Topics include:

• Two-dimensional systems
  • Representations
    • bitmaps and pixel maps
    • lines and curves (of both integral and fractional dimension)
  • Algorithms
    • drawing and clipping lines and curves
• Three-dimensional systems
  • Representations
    • polygonal surfaces in three dimensional space
    • descriptions of camera position and orientation
    • curved surfaces
    • surface properties (reflection and texture)
  • Algorithms
    • projection of "wire-frame" images from arbitrary viewpoint
    • clipping in 3D
    • hidden surface removal
    • finding shadows
    • effects of ambient, diffuse, and specular reflection
    • ray tracing
    • texture mapping
• Animation (time permitting)
  • Representations
  • Motion of objects and point of view
  • Algorithms
    • Motion blur

Page created by Dave Wonnacott, maintained by John Dougherty, Computer Science, Haverford College