Introduction to Computer

Graphics
Shyh-Kuang Ueng
翁世光
Dept. Comp. Sci. & Eng., NTOU
Keelung City, Taiwan

Introduction 1
 What is Computer Graphics (CG)?
• The process to generate virtual images and models by using
computers.

• Examples
– Geometric modelling & displaying 3 dimensional (3D) scenes
– Animation (動畫產生)
– Special effects in movies (電影特效)
– Virtual reality, augmented reality, mixed reality (VR，MR，MR
。。。)
– Medical data processing and visualization
– Data visualization
– Computer games
– Computer aided design (CAD)…

Introduction 2
 Key CG Areas
• Realistic rendering and animation
– 繪圖，繪出場景、動畫，越逼真越好
– Phong shading, ray-tracing, radiosity, …
– Virtual reality, augmented reality…
• Geometric modelling
– Computer Added Geometry Design (CAGD)
– Implicit scene representation using neural networks
• Image processing
• Visualization
– Scientific visualization, data visualization, medical imaging, …
• Text processing and editing
• Game and interactive rendering and display
• Physical simulation
• Manufacturing
– 3D printing, Computer Aided Manufacturing, …
• Rendering by using neural networks (Generative adversary networks, GAN)…

Introduction 3
 Brief History (1/2)
• Motivation (早期研發動機) of Computer Graphics
– CAD, circuit design (電路設計)
– CAGD, 幾何設計, 汽車外型,…
– Illustration, 圖表,
– Word processing, 文字處理
– Architecture blueprints …建築設計
• 2D graphical display, very humble
– Sketch pad

Introduction 4
 Brief History (2/2)
• The pioneers of computer graphics:
– Automobile companies:
• GM, Ford, 豐田, Renault, …
– Aviation companies, 飛機公司,
• Boeing, 麥道, …
– Civil engineers
– Architecture designers
– CAD companies (Geometry design and IC design)
– Academic institutes: Utah, Cornel, Brown, …

Introduction 5
 The Origination of CG Study (1/2)
• The first Ph.D. thesis on
Computer Graphics, “Sketchpad,
A Man-Machine Graphical
Communication System,” by
Ivan Sutherland, 1963, MIT
– 2D Sketch board, 1962
– Turing Award winner (in
Computer Graphics), 1988

Introduction 6
 The Origination of CG Study (2/2)

• Other pioneer researchers

– James Foley, The George Washington
University
– Andries van Dam, Brown University
– Steven K. Feiner, Columbia University
– John Hughes, Brown University
– Some professors at Cornell University

Introduction 7
 The Beginning of CG Program in
Computer Science Societies
• Key men:
– Evens
– Sutherland
– University of Utah, Computer Science
Department
• Scope:
– Illumination models
– Rendering methods
– CAGD/CAM
– Hardware, software and theories
– Text processing and interactive design

Introduction 8
Important People in CG Area from U. of
Utah
• Edwin Catmull: rendering and animation (ray-tracing, depth buffer,
texture mapping, …)
– 2019 Turing Award winner
• John Warnock: word processing, Adobe company
• Alan Ashton: word processing, Word Perfect company
• Rosenfeld: CAGD 幾何塑模, Bezier Award winner
• Phong: Illumination model
• Blinn: Illumination model, texture mapping
• James Clark: Hardware
• Kajiya: Illumination models
• Gouraud: Rendering method
• Chris Johnson, …: visualization
• …

Introduction 9
 Important Companies in CG
• Evan & Sutherland: 1st CG system company
• SGI: CG systems
• Pixar: Animation, visualization, Graphics
programming libraries
• Disney: Animation
• Adobe (與其他文書、文件排版軟體公司):
word processing
• Nvidia, ATI (AMD), ARM,…: GPU
• Geometrical modeling software companies
• Game companies: Sony, Micro-soft,…
• Movie studios…
Introduction 10
 Modern CG Applications
• Animations: Cartoons, Movies, …
• Games: 2D, 3D computer games,
• Graphical User Interfaces (GUI)
• Window systems
• Word processing
• Medical imaging
• CAD/CAM/CAGD
• Simulation/Simulators/Digital Twins
• Visualization/Data visualization/Scientific Visualization/Medical
imaging
• Virtual reality/Augmented reality/Mixed reality
• Human Computer Interaction
• Special effects
• 3D printing
• Teaching, …
Introduction 11
 CG Industries
• CG is a big business
• CG is used in many applications
• CG industry is project-oriented
• Programming jobs
– Senior and junior
– System management and design
• Researchers
– Algorithms, data structures, applications, physics models
• Animators, Artists, Designers, Sales, …
– Modelling, rendering, animating, image synthesis &
enhancement, …

Introduction 12
 Studying CG (1/3)
• Pre-requisite courses
– Linear algebra (high school level)
– C or C++ programming design
– Data structures and Algorithms
• Recommended but not necessary
– Calculus
– Physics (Dynamics and Statitics)
– Numerical analysis
– Artificial Intelligence/machine learning
– Image processing
– Computer vision

Introduction 13
 Studying CG (2/3)
• Basic topics
– Transformation (including projections)
– Rendering algorithms
– Illumination models
– Visualization
– Animation
– Virtual reality/ Augmented reality
– Geometry modeling
– Computational geometry
– Hardware and software system
– Programming skills
Introduction 14
 Studying CG (3/3)
• Advanced topics
– Photo-realistic illumination methods
– Non-photo-realistic rendering
– Volume rendering
– Medical imaging
– Scientific visualization
– Big Data visualization
– Visual Analytic
– Rendering & modelling using AI (deep learning)
• Related study
– Game Engine Design: AI, Graphics, & Physical engines
– Artificial lives (intelligence)
– Virtual world (virtual reality and augmented reality)
• Most important: applications !!!

Introduction 15
 New Frontier
• 3D printing
– Creating a 3D model layer by layer
• Applications of 3D printing
– Prototyping
– Mold creation
– Manufacturing
– Arts works
– Visualization
– …
• Fundamentals of rendering
– Surface rendering/Volume rendering
– Geometrical modeling and processing
– Modelling & rendering using Generative Neural Networks
– Image synthesis using AI
– Coding /image compression/video compression…

Introduction 16
 2019 Turing Award Winners
Computer Graphics

Patrick Hanrahan
Edwin Catmull Shading language
Texture mapping, frame implementation,
buffer, ray-tracing, and GLSL
other contributions
Introduction 17
 Summary
How to learn Computer Graphics?
• Need some knowledge of high-school math
• Programming skill is required
• Lecturing/learning/practicing
• Exchange experiences and knowledge with
people (lecturers, TA, and classmates)
• Study
• 課本要買、要讀!任何一本皆可，原文本較
好
Introduction 18