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Computer Graphics: Mr. Julius B. Colminas

The document discusses the history and applications of computer graphics. It outlines key developments from the 1960s to the present, including Ivan Sutherland's Sketchpad system, the development of graphics hardware and software, and the rise of personal computing. It notes that computer graphics now plays an important role in fields like scientific visualization, computer-aided design, medicine, and graphical user interfaces.

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Linds Ruivivar
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103 views21 pages

Computer Graphics: Mr. Julius B. Colminas

The document discusses the history and applications of computer graphics. It outlines key developments from the 1960s to the present, including Ivan Sutherland's Sketchpad system, the development of graphics hardware and software, and the rise of personal computing. It notes that computer graphics now plays an important role in fields like scientific visualization, computer-aided design, medicine, and graphical user interfaces.

Uploaded by

Linds Ruivivar
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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COMPUTER GRAPHICS

MR. JULIUS B. COLMINAS


DEFINITION OF COMPUTER GRAPHICS.

• Computer graphics generally means creation, storage and manipulation of models


and images. Such models come from diverse and expanding set of fields
including physical, mathematical, artistic, biological, and even conceptual
(abstract) structures.
• “Perhaps the best way to define computer graphics is to find out what it is not. It
is not a machine. It is not a computer, nor a group of computer programs. It is not
the know-how of a graphic designer, a programmer, a writer, a motion picture
specialist, or a reproduction specialist.
THE AGE OF SUTHERLAND

• In the early 1960's IBM, Sperry-Rand, Burroughs and a few other computer
companies existed. The computers of the day had a few kilobytes of memory,
no operating systems to speak of and no graphical display monitors. The
peripherals were Hollerith punch cards, line printers, and roll-paper plotters.
The only programming languages supported were assembler, FORTRAN,
and Algol. Function graphs and “Snoopy'' calendars were about the only
graphics done.
THE AGE OF SUTHERLAND

• In 1963 Ivan Sutherland presented his paper Sketchpad at the Summer Joint
Computer Conference. Sketchpad allowed interactive design on a vector
graphics display monitor with a light pen input device. Most people mark this
event as the origins of computer graphics.
THE MIDDLE TO LATE '60'S

• Jack Bresenham taught us how to draw lines on a raster device. He later


extended this to circles. Anti-aliased lines and curve drawing is a major topic
in computer graphics. Larry Roberts pointed out the usefulness of
homogeneous coordinates, matrices and hidden line detection algorithms.
Steve Coons introduced parametric surfaces and developed early computer
aided geometric design concepts. The earlier work of Pierre Bézier on
parametric curves and surfaces also became public.
HARDWARE AND TECHNOLOGY

• Doug Englebart invented the mouse at Xerox PARC. The Evans &
Sutherland Corporation and General Electric started building flight
simulators with real-time raster graphics. The floppy disk was invented at
IBM and the microprocessor was invented at Intel. The concept of a research
network, the ARPANET, was developed.
THE EARLY '70'S

• The state of the art in computing was an IBM 360 computer with about 64
KB of memory, a Tektronix 4014 storage tube, or a vector display with a
light pen (but these were very expensive).
SOFTWARE AND ALGORITHMS

• Rendering (shading) were discovered by Gouraud and Phong at the


University of Utah. Phong also introduced a reflection model that included
specular highlights. Keyframe based animation for 3-D graphics was
demonstrated. Xerox PARC developed a ``paint'' program. Ed Catmull
introduced parametric patch rendering, the z-buffer algorithm, and texture
mapping. BASIC, C, and Unix were developed at Dartmouth and Bell Labs
HARDWARE AND TECHNOLOGY

• An Evans & Sutherland Picture System was the high-end graphics computer.
It was a vector display with hardware support for clipping and perspective.
Xerox PARC introduced the Altos personal computer, and an 8 bit computer
was invented at Intel.
THE MIDDLE TO LATE '70'S (THE MIDDLE TO
LATE '70'S )

• Turned Whitted developed recursive ray tracing and it became the standard
for photorealism, living in a pristine world. Pascal was the programming
language everyone learned.
HARDWARE AND TECHNOLOGY

• The Apple I and II computers became the first commercial successes for
personal computing. The DEC VAX computer was the mainframe (mini)
computer of choice. Arcade games such as Pong and Pac Mac became
popular. Laser printers were invented at Xerox PARC.
THE EARLY '80'S

• Hardware and Technology The IBM PC was marketed in 1981 The Apple
MacIntosh started production in 1984, and microprocessors began to take off,
with the Intel x86 chipset, but these were still toys. Computers with a mouse,
bitmapped (raster) display, and Ethernet became the standard in academic
and science and engineering settings.
THE MIDDLE TO LATE '80'S

• Jim Blinn introduces blobby models and texture mapping concepts. Binary space partitioning
(BSP) trees were introduced as a data structure, but not many realized how useful they would
become. Loren Carpenter starting exploring fractals in computer graphics. Postscript was
developed by John Warnock and Adobe was formed. Steve Cook introduced stochastic
sampling to ray tracing. Paul Heckbert taught us to ray trace Jello(this is a joke;) Character
animation became the goal for animators. Radiosity was introduced by the Greenberg and folks
at Cornell. Photoshop was marketed by Adobe. Video arcade games took off, many
people/organizations started publishing on the desktop. Unix and X windows were the platforms
of choice with programming in C and C++, but MS-DOS was starting to rise
THE EARLY '90'S

• The computer to have now was an SGI workstation with at least 16 MB of


memory, at 24-bit raster display with hardware support for Gouraud shading
and z-buffering for hidden surface removal. Laser printers and single frame
video recorders were standard. Unix, X and Silicon Graphics GL were the
operating systems, window system and application programming interface
(API) that graphicist used
THE MIDDLE TO LATE '90'S

• The PC market erupts and supercomputers begin to wane. Microsoft grows,


Apple collapses, but begins to come back, SGI collapses, and lots of new
startups enter the graphics field.
• The PC market erupts and supercomputers begin to wane. Microsoft grows,
Apple collapses, but begins to come back, SGI collapses, and lots of new
startups enter the graphics field.
THE '00'S

• Today most graphicist want an Intel PC with at least 256 MB of memory and
a 10 GB hard drive. Their display should have graphics board that supports
real-time texture mapping. A flatbed scanner, color laser printer, digital video
camera, DVD, and MPEG encoder/decoder are the peripherals one wants.
The environment for program development is most likely Windows and
Linux, with Direct 3D and OpenGL, but Java 3D might become more
important. Programs would typically be written in C++ or Java.
ETHICAL ISSUES

• Graphics has had a tremendous affect on society. Things that affect society
often lead to ethical and legal issues. For example, graphics are used in
battles and their simulation, medical diagnosis, crime reenactment, cartoons
and films. The ethical role played by a computer graphic is in the use of
graphics programs that may be used for these and other purposes is discussed
and analyzed in the notes on Ethics.
APPLICATION OF COMPUTER GRAPHICS

• Application of Computer Graphics


• - There are few endeavors more noble than the preservation of life. Today, it
can honestly be said that computer graphics plays an significant role in
saving lives. The range of application spans from tools for teaching and
diagnosis, all the way to treatment. Computer graphics is tool in medical
applications rather than an a mere artifact. No cheating or tricks allowed.
SCIENTIFIC VISUALIZATION

• Computer graphics makes vast quantities of data accessible. Numerical


simulations frequently produce millions of data values. Similarly, satellite-
based sensors amass data at rates beyond our abilities to interpret them by
any other means than visually. Mathematicians use computer graphics to
explore abstract and high-dimensional functions and spaces. Physicists can
use computer graphics to transcend the limits of scale. With it they can
explore both microscopic and macroscopic world
COMPUTER AIDED DESIGN

• Computer graphics has had a dramatic impact on the design process. Today,
most mechanical and electronic designs are executed entirely on computer.
Increasingly, architectural and product designs are also migrating to the
computer. Automated tools are also available that verify tolerances and
design constraints directly from CAD designs. CAD designs also play a key
role in a wide range of processes from the design of tooling fixtures to
manufacturing.
GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACES (GUIS)

• Computer graphics is an integral part of everyday computing. Nowhere is


this fact more evident than the modern computer interface design. Graphical
elements such as windows, cursors, menus, and icons are so common place it
is difficult to imagine computing without them. Once graphics programming
was considered a speciality. Today, nearly all professional programmers must
have an understanding of graphics in order to accept input and present output
to users.

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