Introduction To Computer Graphics
Introduction To Computer Graphics
Tuesday 25, December Telugu Articles Education Home About Us Feedback Contact Us Search... Search
2018
Advertisement
Branches Guidance Jobs Skill Center Placements Downloads Expert's Corner GATE TSPSC Jobs
Study Material
Like 170K
Introduction
The term computer graphics includes almost everything on computers that is not text or sound. Today
almost every computer can do some graphics, and people have even come to expect to control their
Useful Links
computer through icons and pictures rather than just by typing. Here in our lab at the Program of Employment Opportunities
Computer Graphics, we think of computer graphics as drawing pictures on computers, also called Study Abroad
rendering. The pictures can be photographs, drawings, movies, or simulations - pictures of things, which
Admissions
do not yet exist and maybe could never exist. Or they may be pictures from places we cannot see
GATE
directly, such as medical images from inside your body. We spend much of our time improving the way
Scholarships
computer pictures can simulate real world scenes. We want images on computers to not just look more
realistic, but also to be more realistic in their colors, the way objects and rooms are lighted, and the way Fellowships
different materials appear. We call this work “realistic image synthesis”. Conferences
Placement Guide
Interactive Graphics
Skill Center
In interactive computer graphics user have some control over the picture i.e user can make any change
Events
in the produced image. One example of it is the ping pong game. The conceptual model of any
Mock Tests
interactive graphics system is given in the picture shown in Figure 1.1. At the hardware level (not shown
in picture), a computer receives input from interaction devices, and outputs images to a display device. Job Guidance
The software has three components. The first is the application program, it creates, stores into, and Career Guidance
retrieves from the second component, the application model, which represents the the graphic primitive Academic Guidance
to be shown on the screen. The application program also handles user input. It produces views by
sending to the third component, the graphics system, a series of graphics output commands that Related Topics
contain both a detailed geometric description of what is to be viewed and the attributes describing how
the objects should appear. After the user input is processed, it sent to the graphics system is for
actually producing the picture. Thus the graphics system is a layer in between the application program
and the display hardware that effects an output transformation from objects in the application model to
Passive Graphics
A computer graphics operation that transfers automatically and without operator intervention. Non-
interactive computer graphics involves one way communication between the computer and the user.
Picture is produced on the monitor and the user does not have any control over the produced picture.
http://sakshieducation.com/Engineering/StudyStory.aspx?nid=114708&cid=12&sid=666&chid=1107&tid=784 1/18
12/25/2018 Introduction to Computer Graphics
Graphics provides one of the most natural means of communicating with a computer, since our highly Buzz Around
developed 2D and 3D pattern-recognition abilities allow us to perceive and process pictorial data rapidly
and efficiently. In Many design, implementation, and construction processes today, the information
pictures can give is virtually indispensable. Scientific visualization became an important field in the late
1980s, when scientists and engineers realized that they could not interpret the data and prodigious
quantities of data produced in supercomputer runs without summarizing the data and highlighting 2/3 BHK starting @Rs Apollo Amazer 4G Life
59.59 Lac* on - No bad road will
trends and phenomena in various kinds of graphical representations. Vijayawada-Guntur… bother you now on!
Manjeera Apollo Tyres
Creating and reproducing pictures, however, presented technical problems that stood in the way of their
widespread use. Thus, the ancient Chinese proverb “a picture is worth ten thousand words” became a
cliché in our society only after the advent of inexpensive and simple technology for producing pictures—
first the printing press, then photography. Interactive computer graphics is the most important means of
producing pictures since the invention of photography and television; it has the added advantage that, Cakes Delivery World-class braces
Anywhere, Anytime. implant center in
with the computer, we can make pictures not only of concrete, “real-world” objects but also of abstract, Book Now or Order… Hyderabad
FERNS N PETALS Smiline
synthetic objects, such as mathematical surfaces in 4D and of data that have no inherent geometry,
Although static pictures are a good means of communicating information, dynamically varying pictures
are frequently even better–to time-varying phenomena, both real (e.g., growth trends, such as nuclear
energy use in the United States or population movement form cities to suburbs and back to the cities).
Thus, a movie can show changes over time more graphically than can a sequence of slides. Thus, a
sequence of frames displayed on a screen at more than 15 frames per second can convey smooth
motion or changing form better than can a jerky sequence, with several seconds between individual
frames. The use of dynamics is especially effective when the user can control the animation by
of the total scene in view, the amount of detail shown, the geometric relationship of the objects in the
another, and so on. Much of interactive graphics technology therefore contains hardware and software
for user-controlled motion dynamics and update dynamics. With motion dynamics, objects can be
The objects can also remain stationary and the viewer can move around them , pan to select the portion
in view, and zoom in or out for more or less detail, as though looking through the viewfinder of a rapidly
moving video camera. In many cases, both the objects and the camera are moving. A typical example is
the flight simulator, which combines a mechanical platform supporting a mock cockpit with display
screens for windows. Computers control platform motion, gauges, and the simulated world of both
stationary and moving objects through which the pilot navigates. These multimillion-dollar systems
train pilots by letting the pilots maneuver a simulated craft over a simulated 3D landscape and around
simulated vehicles. Much simpler fight simulators are among the most popular games on personal
computers and workstations. Amusement parks also offer “motionsimulator” rides through simulated
terrestrial and extraterrestrial landscapes. Video arcades offer graphics-based dexterity games and
racecar-driving simulators, video games exploiting interactive motion dynamics: The player can change
speed and direction with the “gas pedal” and “steering wheel,” as trees, buildings, and other cars go
whizzing by.
Similarly, motion dynamics lets the user fly around the through buildings, molecules, and 3D or 4D
mathematical space. In another type of motion dynamics, the “camera” is held fixed, and the objects in
the scene are moved relative to it. For example, a complex mechanical linkage, such as the linkage on a
stream engine, can be animated by moving or rotating all the pieces appropriately. Update dynamics is
http://sakshieducation.com/Engineering/StudyStory.aspx?nid=114708&cid=12&sid=666&chid=1107&tid=784 2/18
12/25/2018 Introduction to Computer Graphics
the actual change of the shape, color, or other properties of the objects being viewed. For instance, a
system can display the deformations of an airplane structure in flight or the state changes in a block
the many control mechanisms. The smoother the change, the more realistic and meaningful the result.
Dynamic interactive graphics offers a large number of user-controllable modes with which to encode
and communicate information: the 2D or 3D shape of objects in a picture, their gray scale or color, and
the time variations of these properties. With the recent development of digital signal processing (DSP)
and audio synthesis chips, audio feedback can now be provided to augment the graphical feedback and
to make the simulated environment even more realistic. Interactive computer graphics thus permits
understand data, to perceive trends, and to visualize real or imaginary objects–indeed, to create “virtual
worlds” that we can explore from arbitrary points of view. By making communication more efficient,
graphics make possible higher-quality and more precise results or products, greater productivity, and
1. Computer-Aided Design
2. Presentation Graphics
3. Computer Art
4. Entertainment
6. Visualization
7. Image Processing
COMPUTER-AIDED DESIGN
A major use of computer graphics is in design processes, particularly for engineering and architectural
systems, but almost all products are now computer designed. Generally referred to as CAD as
Computer-Aided Design.
Its methods are routinely used design of Buildings, Automobiles, Aircraft, Watercraft Spacecraft,
Design applications object are first displayed in a wireframe outline form that shows the overall sham
and internal features of objects. Wireframe displays also allow designers to quickly see the effects of
Circuits and networks for communication, water supply, or other utilities are constructed with repeated
placement of a few graphical shapes. The shapes used in a design represent the different network or
circuit components.
Standard shapes for electrical, electronic, and logic circuits are often supplied by the design package. A
designer can create personalized symbols that are to be used to construct the network or circuit.
It is often used in CAD applications. Real-time animations using wise frame displays on a video monitor
are useful for testing performance of a vehicle or system. Animations in virtual reality environments are
Realistic displays are also generated for advertising of automobiles and other vehicles using special
http://sakshieducation.com/Engineering/StudyStory.aspx?nid=114708&cid=12&sid=666&chid=1107&tid=784 3/18
12/25/2018 Introduction to Computer Graphics
lighting effects and background scenes use interactive graphics methods to lay out floor plans, that
show the positioning of rooms, doon, windows, stairs, shelves, counters, and other building features.
Working from the display of a building layout on a video monitor, an electrical designer can try out
Virtual-reality systems, designers can even go for a simulated "walk" through the rooms or around the
out sides of buildings to better appreciate the overall effect of a particular design
PRESENTATION GRAPHICS
It is used to produce illustrations for reports or to generate 35-mm slides or transparencies for use with
projectors.
It is commonly used to summarize financial, statistical, mathematical, scientific, and economic data for
research reports, managerial reports, consumer information bulletins, and other types of reports.
Workstation devices and service bureaus exist for converting screen displays into 35-mm slides or
Examples:
Bar charts, Line graphs, Surface graphs, Pie charts, Time charts, Two-dimensional & three dimensions
Time charts and task network layouts are used in project management to schedule and monitor the
progress of reports.
Computer Art
Computer graphics methods are widely used in both fine art and commercial art applications. Artists
Special-purpose hardware
CAD packages
Animation packages
Paintbrush program that allows artists to "paint" pictures on the screen of a video monitor. Actually, the
picture is usually painted electronically on a graphics tablet (digitizer) using a stylus, which can
simulate different brush strokes, brush widths, and colors. A paintbrush system, with a Wacom cordless,
pressure-sensitive stylus, was used to produce the electronic painting that simulates the brush strokes
of Van Gogh.
The stylus translates changing hand pressure into variable line widths, brush sizes, and color
gradations. A watercolor painting produced with this stylus and with software that allows the artist to
create watercolor, pastel, or oil brush effects that simulate different drying out times, wetness , and
footprint.
http://sakshieducation.com/Engineering/StudyStory.aspx?nid=114708&cid=12&sid=666&chid=1107&tid=784 4/18
12/25/2018 Introduction to Computer Graphics
You use a variety of other computer technologies to produce images. The artist uses a combination of
three-dimensional modeling packages, texture mapping, drawing programs, and CAD software. A pen
plotter with specially designed software that can mate "automatic art" without intervention from the
artist.
Mathematical art the artist uses a combination of mathematical functions, fractal procedures,
Mathematics software, ink-jet printers, and other systems to create a variety of three-dimensional and
Electronic art techniques for generating electronic images in the fine arts, these methods are also
applied in commercial art for logos and other designs, page layouts combining text and graphics, TV
Commercial art used for photorealistic techniques are used to render images, logo design, & advertising.
Animations are also using frequently in advertising, and television commercials are produced frame by
frame, where each frame of the motion is rendered and saved as an image file. In each successive
frame, the motion is simulated by moving on positions slightly from their positions in the previous
frame. When all frames in the animation sequence have been made, the frames are transfer to film or
stored in a video buffer for playback. Film animations require 24 frames for each second in the
animation sequence. If the animation is to be played back on a video monitor, 30 frames per second are
required.
Entertainment
Computer graphics methods are now commonly used in making motion pictures, music videos, and
television shows.
Sometimes the graphics scenes are displayed by themselves, and sometimes graphics objects are
A graphics scene generated for the movie Star Trek-Wrath of Khan. The planet and spaceship are
drawn in wireframe form and will be shaded with rendering methods to produce solid surfaces.
Scenes generated with advanced modeling and surface rendering methods for two award winning
short. Many TV series of Deep Space Nine. Person combined with actors in a live scene for the
Music videos use graphic in several ways. Graphics objects can be combined with the live action,
graphics and image processing techniques can be used to produce a transformation of one person
Computer-generated models of physical, financial, and economic systems are often used as educational
aids. Models of physical systems, physiological systems, population trends, or equipment, such as the
color coded diagram .Help trainees to understand the operation of the system. For some training
http://sakshieducation.com/Engineering/StudyStory.aspx?nid=114708&cid=12&sid=666&chid=1107&tid=784 5/18
12/25/2018 Introduction to Computer Graphics
Examples:
The specialized systems are the simulators for practice sessions or training of
Ship captains
Aircraft pilots
Heavy-equipment operators
Some simulators have no video screens; for example, a flight simulator with only a control panel for
instrument flying. But most simulators provide graphics screens for visual operation. A viewing screen
with multiple panels is mounted in front of the simulator and color projectors display the flight m e on
the screen panels. Similar viewing systems are used in simulators for training aircraft control-tower
personnel.
Visualization
Scientists, engineers, medical personnel, business analysts, and others often need to analyze large
amounts of information or to study the behavior of certain processes. Numerical simulations carried out
on supercomputers frequently produce data files containing thousands and even millions of data
values. Similarly, satellite cameras and other sources are amassing large data files faster than they can
be interpreted.
Scanning these large sets of numbers to determine trends and relationships is a tedious and ineffective
process. But if the data are converted to a visual form, the trends and patterns are often immediately
apparent.
Example of a large data set that has been converted to a color-coded display of relative heights above a
ground plane.
Once we have plotted the density values in this way, we can see easily the overall pattern of the data.
Scientific visualization is used in producing graphical representations for scientific, engineering, and
Business visualization is used in connection with data sets related to commerce, industry, and other
nonscientific areas.
A collection of data can contain scalar values, vectors, higher-order tensors, or any combination of these
Color coding is just one way to visualize a data set. Additional techniques include contour plots, graphs
Mathematicians, physical scientists, and others use visual techniques to analyze mathematical
http://sakshieducation.com/Engineering/StudyStory.aspx?nid=114708&cid=12&sid=666&chid=1107&tid=784 6/18
12/25/2018 Introduction to Computer Graphics
An air-pollution study
A com-growing study
Image Processing:
Although methods used in computer graphics and Image processing overlap, the two areas are
2. Image processing, applies techniques to modify or interpret existing pictures, such as photographs
and TV scans.
2. Then digital methods can be applied to rearrange picture parts, to enhance color separations, or to
These techniques are used extensively in commercial art applications that involve the retouching and
rearranging of sections of photographs and other artwork. Similar methods are used to analyze satellite
Medical applications also make extensive use of it techniques for picture enhancements, in tomography
systems to be displayed.
X-rav tomography (CT) and position emission tomography (PET) uses projection methods to
reconstruct cross sections from digital data. These techniques are also used to monitor internal
Ultrasonic scanner is a high-frequency sound waves, instead of X-rays, are used to generate digital
data.
Nuclear medicine scanner collects digital data from radiation emitted from ingested radio nuclides
Computer-aided surgery is consists of Two-dimensional cross sections of the body are obtained
using imaging techniques. Then the slices are viewed and manipulated using graphics methods to
simulate actual surgical procedures and to try out different surgical cuts.
Image processing and computer graphics are typically combined in many applications. Medicine, for
http://sakshieducation.com/Engineering/StudyStory.aspx?nid=114708&cid=12&sid=666&chid=1107&tid=784 7/18
12/25/2018 Introduction to Computer Graphics
To display multiple-window areas. Each window can contain a different process that can contain
graphical or non-graphical displays. To make a particular window active, we simply click in that
Interfaces also display menus and icons for fast selection of processing options or parameter
values.
An icon is a graphical symbol that is designed to look like the processing option it represents.
The advantages of icons are that they take up less screen space than corresponding textual
A typical graphical interface, containing a window manager, menu displays, and icons. In this
example, the menus allow selection of processing options, color values, and graphics parameters.
The icons represent options for painting, drawing, zooming, typing text strings, and other
Video Display Devices Typically, the primary output device in a graphics system is a video monitor. The
operation of most video monitors is based on the standard cathode-ray tube (CRT) design, but several
other technologies exist and solid-state monitors may eventually predominate. 2.1 Refresh Cathode-Ray
Tubes. The basic operation of a CRT. A beam of electrons (cathode rays) emitted by an electron gun,
passes through focusing and deflection systems that direct the beam toward specified positions on the
The phosphor then emits a small spot of light at each position contacted by the electron beam. Because
the light emitted by the phosphor fades very rapidly, some method is needed for maintaining the screen
picture. One way to keep the phosphor glowing is to redraw the picture repeatedly by quickly directing
the electron beam back over the same points. This type of display is called a refresh CRT. Fig 2
The primary components of an electron gun in a CRT are the heated metal cathode and a control grid.
Heat is supplied to the cathode by directing a current through a coil of wire, called the filament, inside
the cylindrical cathode structure. This causes electrons to be boiled off" the hot cathode surface. In the
vacuum inside the CRT envelope, the free, negatively charged electrons are then accelerated toward the
phosphor coating by a high positive voltage. The accelerating voltage can be generated with a positively
http://sakshieducation.com/Engineering/StudyStory.aspx?nid=114708&cid=12&sid=666&chid=1107&tid=784 8/18
12/25/2018 Introduction to Computer Graphics
charged metal coating on the inside of the CRT envelope near the phosphor screen, or an accelerating
Sometimes the electron gun is built to contain the accelerating anode and focusing system within the
same unit. Intensity of the electron beam is controlled by setting voltage levels on the control grid,
which is a metal cylinder that fits over the cathode. A high negative voltage applied to the control grid
will shut OFF the beam by repelling electrons and stopping them from passing through the small hole at
the end of the control grid structure. A smaller negative voltage on the control grid simply decreases the
number of electrons passing through. Since the amount of light emitted by the phosphor coating
depends on the number of electrons striking the screen, The focusing system in a CRT is needed to
force the electron beam to converge into a small spot as it strikes the phosphor. Otherwise, the
electrons would repel each other, and the beam would spread out as it approaches the screen. Focusing
The distance that the electron beam must travel to different points on the screen varies because the
radius of curvature for most CRTs is greater than the distance from the focusing system to the screen
center. Therefore, the electron beam will be focused properly only at the center to the screen.
As the beam moves to the outer edges of the screen, displayed images become blurred. To compensate
for this, the system can adjust the focusing according to the screen position of the beam. As with
focusing, deflection of the electron beam can be controlled either with electric fields or with magnetic
fields.
Magnetic deflection has two pairs of coils are used, with the coils in each pair mounted on opposite
sides of the neck of the CRT envelope. One pair is mounted on the top and bottom of the neck and the
other pair is mounted on opposite sides of the neck. The magnetic, field produced by each pair of coils
results in a transverse deflection force that is perpendicular both to the direction of the magnetic field
and to the direction of travel of the electron beam. Horizontal deflection is accomplished with one pair
of coils, and vertical deflection by the other pair. The proper deflection amounts are attained by
Electrostatic deflection has two pairs of parallel plates are mounted inside the CRT envelope. One pair
coil plates is mounted horizontally to control the vertical deflection, and the other pair is mounted
vertically to control horizontal deflection (Fig. 3). Spots of light are produced on the screen by the
transfer of the CRT beam energy to the phosphor. When the electrons in the beam collide with the
phosphor coating, they are stopped and then kinetic energy is absorbed by the phosphor. Part of the
beam energy is converted by friction into heat energy, and the remainder causes electrons in the
phosphor atoms to move up to higher quantum-energy levels. After a short time, the "excited phosphor
electrons begin dropping back to their stable ground state, giving up their extra energy as small
quantum’s of Light energy. The frequency (or color) of the light emitted
By the phosphor is proportional to the energy difference between the excited quantum state and the
ground state. Different kinds of phosphors are available for use in a CRT.
Persistence: How long they continue to emit light (that is, have excited electrons returning to the ground
http://sakshieducation.com/Engineering/StudyStory.aspx?nid=114708&cid=12&sid=666&chid=1107&tid=784 9/18
12/25/2018 Introduction to Computer Graphics
Persistence is defined as “the time it takes the emitted light from the screen to decay to one- tenth of its
original intensity”. Lower persistence phosphors require higher refresh rates to maintain a picture on the
screen without flicker. It is useful for animation High-persistence phosphor is useful for displaying
highly complex, static pictures. Although some phosphors have persistence greater than 1 second,
graphics monitors are usually constructed with persistence in the range from 10 to 60 microseconds.
Resolution: The maximum number of points that can be displayed without overlap on a CRT is referred
to as the resolution.
Resolution is the number of points per centimeter that can be plotted horizontally and vertically,
although it is often simply stated as the total number of points in each direction.
Spot intensity has a Gaussian distribution, so two adjacent spots will appear distinct as long as their
separation is greater than the diameter at which each spot has an intensity of about 60 percent of that
Typical resolution on high-quality systems is 1280 by 1024, with higher resolutions available on many
systems. High resolution systems are often referred to as high-definition systems. The physical size of a
graphics monitor is given as the length of the screen diagonal, with sizes varying from about 12 inches
to 27 inches or more.
Aspect Ratio: This number gives the ratio of vertical points to horizontal points necessary to produce
equal-length lines in both directions on the screen. (Sometimes aspect ratio is stated in terms of the
ratio of horizontal to vertical points.) An aspect ratio of 3/4 means that a vertical line plotted with three
points has the same length as a horizontal line plotted with four points.
Raster-Scan Displays
The most common type of graphics monitor employing a CRT is the raster-scan display, based on
television technology.
In a raster-scan system, “the electron beam is swept across the screen, one row at a time from top to
bottom”. As the electron beam moves across each row, the beam intensity is turned on and off to create
Picture definition is stored in a memory area called the refresh buffer or frame buffer. This memory area
holds the set of intensity values for all the screen points. Stored intensity values are then retrieved from
the refresh buffer and "painted" on the screen one row (scan line) at a time Fig.4 and 5
Pixel: Each screen point is referred to as a pixel or pel (shortened forms of picture element).
The capability of a raster-scan system to store intensity information for each screen point makes it well
http://sakshieducation.com/Engineering/StudyStory.aspx?nid=114708&cid=12&sid=666&chid=1107&tid=784 10/18
12/25/2018 Introduction to Computer Graphics
suited for the realistic display of scenes containing subtle shading and color patterns.
Eg: Home Television sets and Printers. Intensity range for pixel positions depends on the capability of
In a simple black-and-white system, each screen point is either on or off, so only one bit per pixel is
For a bit level system, A bit value of 1 indicates that the electron beam is to be turn ON at that position.
A bit value of 0 indicates that the beam intensity is to be turn OFF. Additional bits are needed when color
Up to 24 bits per pixel are included in high-quality systems, which can require several megabytes of
storage for the frame buffer, depending on the resolution of the system.
A system with 24 bits per pixel and a screen resolution of 1024 bv 1024 requires 3 Mega Bytes of
Bitmap: On a black-and-white system with one bit per pixel, the frame buffer is commonly called a
Bitmap.
Pixmap: Systems with multiple bits per pixel, the frame buffer are often referred to as a Pixmap.
Refreshing on raster-scan displays is carried out at the rate of 60 to 80 frames per second, although
some systems are designed for higher refresh rates. Sometimes, refresh rates are described in units of
cycles per second, or Hertz (Hz), where a cycle corresponds to one frame. A refresh rate of 60 frames
per second as simply 60 cycle per second or 60 Hz. At the end of each scan line, the electron beam
returns to the left side of the screen to begin displacing the next scan line.
Horizontal Retrace: The return to the left of the screen, after refreshing each scan line, is called the
horizontal retrace of the electron beam. Vertical Retrace: At the end of each frame (displayed in 1/80th
to 1/60th of a second), the electron beam returns (vertical retrace) to the top left comer of the screen to
On some raster-scan systems (and in TV sets), each frame is displayed in two passes using an
interlaced refresh procedure. In the first pass, the beam sweeps across every other scan line from top to
bottom. Then after the vertical retrace, the beam sweeps out the remaining scan lines (Fig. 6).
Interlacing: Interlacing of the scan lines in this way allows us to see” the entire screen displayed in one-
half the time” it would have taken to sweep across all the lines at once from top to bottom.
Interlacing is primarily used with slower refreshing rates. On an older, 30 frame per-second, non-
interlaced display, for instance, some flicker is noticeable. But with interlacing, each of the two passes
can be accomplished in 1/60th of a second, which brings the refresh rate nearer to 60 frames per
second. This is an effective technique for avoiding flicker, providing that adjacent scan lines contain
http://sakshieducation.com/Engineering/StudyStory.aspx?nid=114708&cid=12&sid=666&chid=1107&tid=784 11/18
12/25/2018 Introduction to Computer Graphics
Random-Scan Displays
When operated as a random-scan display unit, a CRT has “the electron beam directed only to the parts
Random scan monitors draw a picture one line at a time and for this reason are also referred to as
The component lines of a picture can be drawn and refreshed by a random-scan system in any specified
order (Fig. 7). A pen plotter operates in a similar way and is an example of a random-scan, hard-copy
device.
Picture definition is now stored as a set of line drawing commands in an area of memory r e f e d to as
Sometimes the refresh display file is called the display list, display program, or simply the refresh buffer.
To display a specified picture, the system cycles through the set of commands in the display file,
drawing each component line in turn. After all line drawing commands have been processed, the system
Random-scan displays are designed to draw all the component lines of a picture 30 to 60 times each
second.
High quality vector systems are capable of handling approximately 100,000 "short" lines at this refresh
http://sakshieducation.com/Engineering/StudyStory.aspx?nid=114708&cid=12&sid=666&chid=1107&tid=784 12/18
12/25/2018 Introduction to Computer Graphics
rate. When a small set of lines is to be displayed, each refresh cycle is delayed to avoid refresh rates
greater than 60 frames per second. Otherwise, faster refreshing is the set of lines could burn out the
phosphor.
Random-scan systems are designed for line drawing applications and cannot display realistic shaded
scenes. Since picture definition is stored as a set of line drawing instructions and not as a set of
intensity values for all screen points, vector displays generally have higher resolution than raster
systems.
Also, vector displays produce smooth line drawings because the CRT beam directly follows the line
path. A raster system, in contrast, produces jagged lines that are plotted as discrete end point sets.
Color CRT Monitors A CRT monitor displays color pictures by using a combination of phosphors that
emit different-colored light. By combining the emitted light from the different phosphors, a range of
colors can be generated. The two basic techniques for producing color displays with a CRT are
Beam-Penetration Method
The beam-penetration method for displaying color pictures has been used with random-scan monitors.
Two layers of phosphor, usually RED and GREEN, are coated onto the inside of the CRT screen, and the
displayed color depends on how far the electron beam penetrates into the phosphor layers. A beam of
slow electrons excites only the outer RED layer. A beam of very fast electrons penetrates through the
At intermediate beam speeds, combinations of red and green light are emitted to show two additional
colors, ORANGE and YELLOW. The speed of the electrons, and hence the screen color at any point, is
Advantage: Beam penetration has been an inexpensive way to produce color in random-scan monitors
Disadvantage: only four colors are possible, and the quality of pictures is not as good as with other
methods.
Shadow-Mask Methods
Shadow-mask methods are commonly used in raster scan systems (including color TV) because they
produce a much wider range of colors than the beam penetration method. A shadow-mask CRT has
three phosphor color dots at each pixel position. One phosphor dot emits a RED Light, another emits a
GREEN light, and the third emits a BLUE light. This type of CRT has three electron guns, one for each
color dot, and a shadow-mask grid just behind the phosphor-coated screen.
1. Delta-Delta Shadow-Mask method, commonly used in color CRT systems. The three electron beams
are deflected and focused as a group onto the shadow mask, which contains a series of holes
aligned with the phosphor-dot patterns. When the three beams pass through a hole in the shadow
mask, they activate a Dot Triangle, which appears as a small color spot on the screen. The
phosphor dots in the triangles are arranged so that each electron beam can activate only its
2. In-Line arrangement in which the three electron guns, and the corresponding red-green-blue color
dots on the screen, are aligned along one scan line instead of in a triangular pattern. This in-line
http://sakshieducation.com/Engineering/StudyStory.aspx?nid=114708&cid=12&sid=666&chid=1107&tid=784 13/18
12/25/2018 Introduction to Computer Graphics
arrangement of electron guns is easier to keep in alignment and is commonly used I n high-
The color variations in a shadow-mask CRT by varying the intensity levels of the three electron
beams(Fig 8). By turning OFF the RED and GREEN guns(Fig 9), gets the color coming from the BLUE
phosphor. Other combinations of beam intensities produce a small light spot for each pixel position,
since our eyes tend to merge the three colors into one composite.
The color depends on the amount of excitation of the red, green, and blue phosphors.
White (or gray) area is the result of activating all three dots with equal intensity.
In some low-cost systems, the electron beam can only be set to on or off, limiting displays to Eight
Colors. Fig 10
0 0 0 Black
0 0 1 Blue
0 1 0 Green
0 1 1 Cyan
1 0 0 Red
1 0 1 Magenta
1 1 0 Yellow
1 1 1 White
More sophisticated systems can set intermediate intensity levels for the electron beams, allowing
several million different colors to be generated. Color graphics systems can be designed to be used with
several types of CRT display devices. Some inexpensive home-computer systems and video games are
designed for use with a color TV set and an RF (radio frequency) modulator.
http://sakshieducation.com/Engineering/StudyStory.aspx?nid=114708&cid=12&sid=666&chid=1107&tid=784 14/18
12/25/2018 Introduction to Computer Graphics
The purpose of the RF modulator is to simulate the signal from a broadcast TV station. This means that
the color and intensity information of the picture must be combined and superimposed on the
broadcast-frequency carrier signal that the TV needs to have as input. The RF modulator and TV
circuitry decreases the quality of displayed images. These monitors use shadow-mask methods and
take the intensity level for each electron gun (red, green, and blue) directly from the computer system
High-quality raster-graphics systems have 24 bits per pixel in the frame buffer, allowing 256 voltage
settings for each electron gun and nearly 17 million color choices for each pixel. An RGB color system
with 24 bits of storage per pixel is generally referred to as a Full-Color System or a True-Color System.
Direct-View Storage Tubes An alternative method for maintaining a screen image is to “store the picture
information inside the CRT instead of refreshing the screen”. A direct-view storage tube (DVST) “stores
the picture information as a charge distribution just behind the phosphor-coated screen”. Two electron
A DVST monitor has both disadvantages and advantages compared to the refresh CRT.
Advantages
2. Very complex pictures can be displayed at very high resolutions without flicker.
Disadvantages
1. DVST systems are that they ordinarily do not display color and that selected parts of a picture
cannot he erased.
2. To eliminate a picture section, the entire screen must be erased and the modified picture redrawn.
3. The erasing and redrawing process can take several seconds for a complex picture.
4. For these reasons, storage displays have been largely replaced by raster systems.
Flat-Panel Displays
Although most graphics monitors are still constructed with CRTs, other technologies are emerging that
may soon replace CRT monitors. The term flat-panel display refers to a class of video devices that have
that they are thinner than CRTs, and can hang them on walls or wear them on our wrists. Current uses
for flat-panel displays include small TV monitors, calculators, pocket video games, laptop computers,
armrest viewing of movies on airlines, as advertisement boards in elevators, and as graphics displays in
applications requiring rugged, portable monitors and pocket notepads. Flat-panel displays into two
categories:
1. Emissive displays
2. Non-Emissive displays.
1. Emissive displays (or emitters): These devices that convert electrical energy into light. Examples:
1. Plasma panels
2. Thin-film electroluminescent
http://sakshieducation.com/Engineering/StudyStory.aspx?nid=114708&cid=12&sid=666&chid=1107&tid=784 15/18
12/25/2018 Introduction to Computer Graphics
Flat CRTs have also been devised, in which electron beams arts accelerated parallel to the screen, then
deflected 90' to the screen. But flat CRTs have not proved to be as successful as other emissive devices.
2. Non-emissive displays (or non-emitters): These device use optical effects to convert sunlight or light
Plasma Panels:
Plasma panels also called gas-discharge displays. These are constructed by filling the region between
two glass plates with a mixture of gases that usually includes neon. A series of vertical conducting
ribbons is placed on one glass panel, and a set of horizontal ribbons is built into the other glass panel
(Fig. 8). Firing voltages applied to a pair of horizontal and vertical conductors cause the gas at the
intersection of the two conductors to break down into glowing plasma of electrons and ions.
Picture definition is stored in a refresh buffer, and the firing voltages are applied to refresh the pixel
positions (at the intersections of the conductors) 60 times per second.Alternating methods are used to
provide faster application of the firing voltages, and thus brighter displays. Separation between pixels is
One disadvantage of plasma panels has been that they were strictly monochromatic devices, but
systems have been developed that are now capable of displaying color and grayscale.
Thin-Film Electroluminescent:
Thin-film electroluminescent displays are similar in construction to a plasma panel. The difference is
that the region between the glass plates is filled with a phosphor, such as zinc sulfide doped with
manganese, instead of a gas. When a sufficient high voltage is applied to a pair of crossing electrodes,
the phosphor becomes a conductor in the area of the intersection of the two electrodes. Electrical
energy is then absorbed by the manganese atoms, which then release the energy as a spot of light
Disadvantage: These displays require more power than plasma panels, and good color and gray scale
A matrix of diodes is arranged to form the pixel positions in the display, and picture definition is stored
in a refresh buffer. As in scan-line refreshing of a CRT, information is read from the refresh buffer and
converted to voltage levels that are applied to the diodes to produce the light patterns in the display.
These are commonly used in small systems, such as calculators and portable, laptop computers. These
non-emissive devices produce a picture by passing polarized light from the surroundings or from an
internal light source through a liquid-crystal material that can be aligned to either block or transmit the
light.
The term liquid crystal refers to the fact that these compounds have a crystalline arrangement of
molecules, yet they flow like a liquid. Flat-panel displays commonly use nematic (threadlike) liquid-
crystal compounds that tend to keep the long axes of the rod-shaped molecules aligned. A flat-panel
http://sakshieducation.com/Engineering/StudyStory.aspx?nid=114708&cid=12&sid=666&chid=1107&tid=784 16/18
12/25/2018 Introduction to Computer Graphics
Passive-Matrix LCD: Two glass plates, each containing a light polarizer at right angles to the-other plate,
sandwich the liquid-crystal material. Rows of horizontal transparent conductors are built into one glass
plate, and columns of vertical conductors are put into the other plate. The intersection of two
conductors defines a pixel position. Normally, the molecules are aligned as shown in the "on state".
Polarized light passing through the material is twisted so that it will pass through the opposite polarizer.
To turn off the pixel, apply a voltage to the two intersecting conductors to align the molecules so that
the light is not twisted. This type of flat-panel device is referred to as a passive-matrix LCD. Picture
definitions are stored in a refresh buffer, and the screen is refreshed at the rate of 60 frames per second,
Back lighting is also commonly applied using solid-state electronic devices, so that the system is not
completely dependent on outside light sources be displayed by using different materials or dyes and by
Active-Matrix Displays: Another method for constructing LCD is to place a transistor at each pixel
location, using thin-film transistor technology. The transistors are used to control the voltage at pixel
locations and to prevent charge from gradually leaking out of the liquid-crystal cells. These devices are
Tags:
Trending On Web
8 foods to eat when you are What people look for in a How to have a five star
working toward a six-pack abs smartphone? - Share your… bedroom!
TIMES OF INDIA ETRICS Survey Houzz
Get Rs. 5 lakh health cover @ Don’t discount your car’s Download India’s leading free
Rs 500/month* safety, insure with Bajaj… Portfolio Management Software
Policybazaar Bajaj Allianz MPROFIT SOFTWARE PRIVATE LIMITED
http://sakshieducation.com/Engineering/StudyStory.aspx?nid=114708&cid=12&sid=666&chid=1107&tid=784 17/18
12/25/2018 Introduction to Computer Graphics
http://sakshieducation.com/Engineering/StudyStory.aspx?nid=114708&cid=12&sid=666&chid=1107&tid=784 18/18