Computer graphics

unit-I
Presented by
M.Mari selvi M.sc,Mphil
Dept. of CS
 Unit-I
Chap 1: overview of graphics system
1. Video display devices
2. Input devices
3. Hard copy devices
4. Graphics software
Chap 2: Output primitives
5. Points and line
6. Line drawing algorithm
7. DDA Line drawing algorithm
8. Bresenham’s Line drawing algorithm
9. Circle drawing algorithm
10. Mid point circle algorithm
11. Filled area premitives
1. Video display device
 The primary output device in a graphics system is a video monitor.
 Although many technologies exist, but the operation of most video monitors is
based on the standard Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) design.
Cathode Ray Tubes (CRT):
 A cathode ray tube (CRT) is a specialized vacuum tube in which images are
produced when an electron beam strikes a phosphorescent surface.
 It modulates, accelerates, and deflects electron beam(s) onto the screen to
create the images.
 Most desktop computer displays make use of CRT for image displaying
purposes.
Control grid:
 The brightness can be adjusted by changing the voltage level in the
control grid
Frame Buffer:
 Which contains what should be displayed in the screen.
Refresh rate:
 Refresh the screen
Raster-Scan display
 The electron beam is swept across the screen one row at a time from top to
bottom. As it moves across each row. This scanning process is called
refreshing.
 Each complete scanning of a screen is normally called a frame.
 60 to 80 frames can be refresh per second.
 In this method the horizontal and vertical deflection signals are generated to
move the beam all over the screen in a pattern shown in fig.
 Here beam is swept back & forth from left to the right.
 When beam is moved from left to right it is ON.
 When beam is moved from right to left it is OFF and process of moving beam
from right to left after completion of row is known as Horizontal Retrace.
 When beam is reach at the bottom of the screen. It is made OFF and rapidly
retraced back to the top left to start again and process of moving back to top is
known as Vertical Retrace.

OFF ON Horizontal
Vertical Retrace Retrace
Random scan display
 Random scan display or Vector scan display directly traces out only the
desired lines on CRT.
 If we want line between point p1 & p2 then we directly drive the beam
deflection circuitry which focus beam directly from point p1 to p2.
 The CRT's electron beam is directed only to the parts of the screen where a
picture is to be drawn. The picture definition is stored as a set of line- drawing
commands in a refresh display file or a refresh buffer in memory.
 Random-scan generally have higher resolution than raster systems and can
produce smooth line drawings, however it cannot display realistic shaded
scenes.
Color CRT Monitors
 The CRT Monitor display by using a combination of phosphors. The
phosphors are different colors.

 There are two popular approaches for producing color displays with a
CRT are:
 Beam Penetration Method
 Shadow-Mask Method
1.Beam Penetration Method:
 The Beam-Penetration method has been used with random-scan
monitors.
 In this method, the CRT screen is coated with two layers of phosphor,
red and green and the displayed color depends on how far the
electron beam penetrates the phosphor layers.
 This method produces four colors only, red, green, orange and
yellow.
 A beam of slow electrons excites the outer red layer only; hence
screen shows red color only.
 A beam of high-speed electrons excites the inner green layer. Thus
screen shows a green color.
Advantages:
 Inexpensive
Disadvantages:
 Only four colors are possible
 Quality of pictures is not as good as with another method
2. Shadow-Mask Method
 Shadow Mask Method is commonly used in Raster-Scan System
because they produce a much wider range of colors than the beam-
penetration method.
 It is used in the majority of color TV sets and monitors
A shadow mask CRT has 3 phosphor color dots at each pixel position.
 One phosphor dot emits: red light
 Another emits: green light
 Third emits: blue light
 This type of CRT has 3 electron guns, one for each color dot and a shadow
mask grid just behind the phosphor coated screen.
 Shadow mask grid is pierced with small round holes in a triangular
pattern.
Advantage:
 Realistic image
 Million different colors to be generated.
Disadvantage:
 Relatively expensive compared with the monochrome CRT.
Direct View Storage Tubes-DVST
 DVST terminals also use the random scan approach to generate the image on
the CRT screen.
 Function of guns: Two guns are used in DVST
 Primary guns: It is used to store the picture pattern.
 Flood gun or Secondary gun: It is used to maintain picture display.
Advantage:
 No refreshing is needed.
 High Resolution
 Cost is very less
Disadvantage:
 They do not display color
 Erasing selective part of the screen cannot be possible
Flat Panel Display
 The Flat-Panel display refers to a class of video devices that have
reduced volume, weight and power requirement compare to CRT.
 Example: Small T.V. monitor, calculator,
pocket video games, laptop computers
Emissive Display:
 The emissive displays are devices that convert electrical energy into
light. Examples are Plasma Panel, thin film electroluminescent display
and LED (Light Emitting Diodes).
Non-Emissive Display:
 The Non-Emissive displays use optical effects to convert sunlight or
light from some other source into graphics patterns. Examples are
LCD (Liquid Crystal Device).