Computer Graphics
Lecture 2 - What is Computer Graphics?
John Shearer
Culture Lab – space 2
[email protected]
http://di.ncl.ac.uk/teaching/csc3201/
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Objectives
•In this lecture, we explore what computer
graphics is about and survey some application
areas
•We start with a historical introduction
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Computer Graphics
•Computer graphics deals with all aspects of
creating images with a computer
–Hardware
–Software
–Applications
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Example
•Where did this image come
from?
•What hardware/software did
we need to produce it?
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Preliminary Answer
•Application: The object is an artist’s rendition
of the sun for an animation to be shown in a
domed environment (planetarium)
•Software: Maya for modeling and rendering but
Maya is built on top of OpenGL
•Hardware: PC with graphics card for modeling
and rendering
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Basic Graphics System
Output device
Input devices Image formed in FB
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CRT
Can be used either as a line-drawing device
(calligraphic) or to display contents of frame buffer
(raster mode)
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Computer Graphics: 1950-1960
•Computer graphics goes back to the
earliest days of computing
–Strip charts
–Pen plotters (e.g. HP 7470)
–Simple displays using D/A converters to go
from computer to calligraphic CRT
•Cost of refresh for CRT too high
–Computers slow, expensive, unreliable
image ref: http://www.hpmuseum.net/display_item.php?hw=73
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Computer Graphics: 1960-1970
•Wireframe graphics
–Draw only lines
•Sketchpad
•Display Processors
•Storage tube
wireframe representation
of sun object
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Sketchpad
•Ivan Sutherland’s PhD thesis at MIT
–http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/TechReports/UCAM-CL-TR-
574.pdf
–Recognized the potential of man-machine interaction
–Loop
•Display something
•User moves light pen
•Computer generates new display
–Sutherland also created many of the now common
algorithms for computer graphics
image ref: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sketchpad-Apple.jpg
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Display Processor
•Rather than have the host computer try to refresh display use a
special purpose computer called a display processor (DPU)
•Graphics stored in display list (display file) on display processor
(note: this is not the same as the display lists we'll come across later)
•Host compiles display list and sends to DPU
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Direct View Storage Tube
•Created by Tektronix
–Did not require constant refresh
–Standard interface to computers
•Allowed for standard software
•Plot3D in Fortran
–Relatively inexpensive
•Opened door to use of computer graphics for
CAD community
image ref: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Tektronix_4014.jpg
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Computer Graphics: 1970-1980
•Raster Graphics
•Beginning of graphics standards
–IFIPS
•GKS: European effort
–Becomes ISO 2D standard
•Core: North American effort
– 3D but fails to become ISO standard
•Workstations and PCs
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Raster Graphics
•Image produced as an array (the raster) of picture
elements (pixels) in the frame buffer
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Raster Graphics
•Allows us to go from lines and wire frame images to
filled polygons
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PCs and Workstations
•Although we no longer make the distinction between
workstations and PCs, historically they evolved from
different roots
–Early workstations characterized by
•Networked connection: client-server model
•High-level of interactivity
–Early PCs included frame buffer as part of user memory
•Easy to change contents and create images
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Computer Graphics: 1980-1990
Realism comes to computer graphics
environment
smooth shading bump mapping
mapping
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Computer Graphics: 1980-1990
•Special purpose hardware
–Silicon Graphics geometry engine
•VLSI implementation of graphics
pipeline
•Industry-based standards
–PHIGS
–RenderMan
•Networked graphics: X
Window System
•Human-Computer Interface
(HCI)
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Computer Graphics: 1990-2000
• Completely computer-generated feature-
length movies (Toy Story) are successful
• OpenGL API
• DirectX (September 1995 as the Windows Games
SDK)
• New hardware capabilities
–Texture mapping
–Blending
–Accumulation, stencil buffers
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Computer Graphics: 2000-
•Photorealism (real-time)
•Graphics cards for PCs
dominate market
–Nvidia, ATI
•Game boxes and game
players determine direction of
market
•Computer graphics routine
in movie industry: Maya,
Lightwave
•Programmable pipelines
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